The Waiting Room of Unanswered Prayer

I was in the waiting room the other day. Not at the doctors office, or my auto mechanic. Or even the Secretary of State. This was God’s waiting room. You know…where we go to wait for our prayers to be answered. 

I was sitting there with a number of people who looked rather fidgety and distracted. The reading material on the table in the middle of the room didn’t surprise me. It was a Bible. But no one was reading it. We were all just striking up conversation in our nervous downtime, asking this question to one another: “So…what prayer are you waiting for God to answer?” The answers varied. There was a woman who said she was praying for a husband. A husband who was waiting for his wife to find Christ and go to church with him. There were others, like an older gentleman who needed a healing. A small child who hoped and prayed her little cat would survive a sickness. And a pastor who was believing for a new building to house his church.  

     There I was, listening to all of the “patients” in the waiting room. I was kind of expecting the room to be  silent, actually. There are many scriptures that command us to pray and believe.  There are powerful verses, like the one in Isaiah that asks us to wait on the Lord, so that our strength will be renewed. Others telling us to be still and know He is God.  Still another encouraging us to cast our cares on Him, because He cares for us.

But I didn’t experience that kind of atmosphere. It felt more like moaning, complaining, almost angry with God. Like spoiled little children angry with their parents. 

I was a bit surprised, but went with the flow. After all, it’s what I’ve been doing most of my life anyway. That was when God sent His son, Jesus, to the door to call the man next to me in to His office. The man excitedly jumped to his feet, rubbed his hands together in greedy glee and ran in after Jesus.  I watched him as he ran through the door and was curious as to what would take place beyond that door. So, I got up, cracked the door open a bit and peeked in. This is what I heard:

Jesus : So…How have you been?

Man:  Umm…I’m…good?

Jesus: I am so glad to see that. I love you very much.

Man: Yea..I…love you , too. Listen, Jesus. I understand you have to go through this kind of thing as a general rule before you give me what I have been waiting for, but really…can we just get to the reason You called my name? I know you have that promotion I have been praying for! Does it come with the full pay raise and company car? This is awesome!

Jesus: No, I haven’t allowed that to happen yet. It’s not in my plan for you at this time. I just love being with you. It’s hard to slow you down long enough to listen. I love you!

Man: Jesus, really. Let’s not ruin this good thing we’ve got goin’ here, me and You. You know…I pray, You answer. I tell you what I need, You make it happen. It’s pretty simple. I like it that way! I pray, You give! No strings attached!

Jesus: Is that why I saved you, son?  Don’t you know how much I long to be with you? The very blood I shed on that cross long ago made you righteous so we could finally fall in love. I became sin for you so that we could have the fellowship I have always longed for with you. Haven’t you desired the same thing? Don’t you remember long ago how we used to talk long walks together in the morning? Just you and Me? I miss those times. You have made your life so complicated that you no longer have the time to sit and enjoy our relationship.

Man: I know.

Jesus: There is no condemnation if you are in Me. I gently but sternly talk like this only to those that I love deeply. And I love you deeper than any ocean I created. My love for you goes beyond the heavens. My faithfulness towards you reaches to the sky. I long to ease your pain of needing to be accomplished and I no longer want you to try and prove yourself to Me. I love you with an unfailing love. I always have. I always will.

Man: I love you too, Jesus.

Jesus:  I am working on your behalf, as well as all of my sons and daughters.  Please go back to the waiting room and let all of my children know that. But will you let them know, most of all, how much I long to be with them? Will you tell them of My love for them? Will you comfort them with these words, in their time of need as they wait upon Me?

Man: I will, Jesus. Yes.

As the conversation ended, I stood a little from the door as the man came back out and did exactly what Jesus asked him to do. He told us of Jesus’ unending love for us. How Jesus died for a relationship with us. How much He missed us. How much He desired us.

I turned in silence after this man’s announcement and saw all of my brothers and sisters shedding tears of joy and thanksgiving for these words of comfort.

I, in turn, left to find others to tell them the same thing.