There is nothing like physical pain to drive you to your knees in prayer. For 20 years, I was plagued by crippling back pain and sciatica. Time after time, I cried out to God for His healing power on my body, but nothing improved. Even as a prayer warrior, I grew weary in going to God about the same thing day in and day out.
One of the hardest challenges of the Christian walk is waiting for God to answer our prayers when we urgently need Him to intervene in a circ*mstance that is breaking our heart, testing our faith, and robbing us of peace and joy. I have been on my knees many times with my Bible in hand, tearfully reminding God of His promises when my husband and I were in a financial crisis, a friend was stricken with a life-threatening disease, or one of my children was in trouble.
Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary.—Isaiah 40:31 (NASB)
And for years, many of my prayers have been centered on my own need for a miracle. In 2017, after 20 years of pain, I had back surgery to un-pinch my spinal cord, replace deteriorated discs, and straighten my back. The surgery was the answer to my prayers in many ways. I am grateful every day that I can now walk without leg pain and do many of the things I love, like working in my garden, standing long enough to bake cookies with my granddaughter, and traveling to speak for World Vision. However, the trauma to the nerves in my back is taking much longer to heal, and I continue to cry out to God.
Of course, compared to the suffering in many parts of this broken world, my pain is nothing. My heart is often broken by stories about the ongoing hunger crisis in East Africa, the Syrian refugee crisis, and the hatred and violence that seems to be affecting so many. These are problems that only God can solve by changing people’s hearts and minds. But He calls us to participate by giving what we can to those in need and praying without ceasing, because prayer is our greatest weapon against the powers and principalities of this world — that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6:12 — which are at the root of today’s suffering.
Like the healing of my back and other situations my family has faced, some prayers take time to fully materialize. As Psalm 40 says, sometimes we have to wait for God’s timing, and it is not unusual to experience what I call “intercession fatigue” when we are faithful to pray, but nothing seems to be happening. One of the greatest challenges we face as Christians is continuing to believe for a miracle when all indications are “it just ain’t happening.”
So, if you tire as you continue crying out to the Lord, here are a few suggestions that have helped me continue to expect my miracle even when all God seems to be saying is “wait.”
