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(Presented by Lisa Bishop)
Have you ever longed for something—prayed fervently for something you wanted with all of your heart and soul? Maybe you are single and you have prayed for a spouse. Or you are married and have prayed for a child. Perhaps you have prayed for a specific job, a raise, or a promotion. Sometimes we see God answer our prayers in a way we desire, other times he answers in a way that we did not expect and is not in alignment with what we hoped for. Maybe you are in a period of waiting and wondering if and when God will come through.
Sometimes we ask God for something and he answers with a “no,” “yes,” or a “not yet.” It is in the times of no or not yet that our faith can be stretched. And it is also in these times where it can be super easy to miss the blessing and provision that is in front of us because we are so fixed on the outcome we want.
When I think of a prayer of longing, it reminds me of Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel. Hannah was grieving over a difficult situation in her life. She desperately desired a son but was unable to bear children so she went before the Lord and poured her heart out before him. First Samuel 1:10 tells us, “Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the Lord and wept many tears.” Hannah declares, “I am a woman with a broken heart…. I’ve been pouring out my heart before the Lord… I am praying from the depth of my anguish and resentment” (1 Samuel 1:10,15-16 CSB). Hannah is honest about the pain of her unmet longing.
What is a longing of your heart that has not been met in the way or in the timing that you want? It can be really hard to trust God to give us what is best when a deep desire of our heart is delayed. Hannah was in a heartbroken place and she poured her heart out to God and God heard her.
We don’t like hard places, but God uses difficult places to draw you into a deeper relationship with him. He wants you to come to him with your hurts, heartache, bitterness, and resentment. God already knows what’s on your mind and heart but praying helps you to work through and process your pain when you verbalize and give words to your emotions, allowing the vulnerability and depth of your heart to cry out to him.
When you are suffering from hardships, difficulties, and unmet longings, God is working in ways you cannot see. It may not turn out like you had hoped but God is at work and he will strengthen you to walk by faith and trust when you pour your heart out to him.