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The Benefits Of Asking God To Hurry

Hurry To Help Me!

My church needs a part-time worship leader.  Our present leader has served us well, but his schedule is changing, and he needs to step down.

So I have been networking, calling, posting on church employment sites — and praying.

So far God has not provided.  But I’m hearing the clock ticking, and seeing the deadline approaching.

I’m imagining Sundays with no worship leader.

I’m feeling the need for speed.

So How Should I Pray?

I could just keep praying — Father, please provide us with a new worship leader — and leave it at that.

But recently I noticed that the psalmists often ask God to hurry.

This was puzzling, because it’s not how I usually pray.

But there it was — throughout the psalms —

But you, O LORD, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! (Psalm 22:19)

Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! (Psalm 38:22)

Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:13)

You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (Psalm 40:17)

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! (Psalm 70:1)

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay! (Psalm 70;5)

O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! (Psalm 71:12)

O LORD, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! (Psalm 141:1)

This made me wonder — why don’t I pray like that?

If I need a worship leader now, why not ask God to provide quickly?

I couldn’t think of any reason not to.  So that’s how I’ve been praying.

At first it felt strange.  But now it’s feeling more comfortable, and I’m seeing many benefits —

It Reminds Me That God Is Sovereign Over Timing

Like I said, I’ve been praying for a worship leader, but still don’t have one.

It’s easy to think the delay is caused by circumstances, or problems, or people —

  • maybe there are not many worship leaders available
  • maybe it’s that the position is only part-time
  • maybe this is a bad time of year to be looking

But when I pray — Father, quickly provide us with a worship leader; don’t delay in helping us — it reminds me that God CAN do this quickly.  That he will do it exactly when he chooses.

He is not limited by number of worship leaders, part-time positions, or time of year.  He will bring us the worship leader we need exactly when we need him.

Like David said — My times are in your hand. (Psalm 31:15)

So when I ask him to hurry, it reminds me that God is sovereign over the timing.

It Helps Me See The Goodness Of God’s Timing

When I ask God to hurry, and realize that God is perfectly good, I see that the timing is part of his perfect goodness.

This is crucial because I can easily grumble about God’s timing.  But like David said —

The LORD is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. (Psalm 145:17)

All his works — including their timing.  So every day of delay is part of God’s goodness.  It is a gift of another day to pray, depend on him, and seek him.

And when I see that delays are part of his loving plan, it helps me humble myself before him, and trust him.

It Helps Prayer Be Honest

If I’m longing that God quickly provide us a worship leader, but don’t express that longing to the Father, then I’m not being honest.

I’m holding part of my heart away from him.  I’m not trusting that desire to him.  And that can grow into frustration and bitterness.

That’s one reason God wants us to pour out our souls before him (1 Samuel 1:15).

I have found that the more I open my heart to him, expressing my longing that he act quickly, the more I experience his comfort and heart-satisfying presence.

It Helps Me Pray Earnestly

Jesus said it is good to be earnest in prayer —

I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence [persistence, earnestness] he will rise and give him whatever he needs. (Luke 11:8)

When I ask God to work, I usually feel some earnestness.  But when I add — “please do this quickly; please hurry” — my earnestness grows.

Maybe it’s because when I express my longing for haste, I feel that longing even more.  Maybe it’s because when I ask God to hurry, I often give reasons why I think it would be best if he would hurry.

But whatever the explanation, when I ask God to hurry, I usually feel more fervency in my prayer.

It Stirs God To Answer More Quickly

There’s mystery here.  But James says “we have not because we ask not” (James 4:2).

So there are times when the reason I do not receive something is because I did not ask for it.

Which means that — generally speaking — if I humbly ask God to hurry, God will hurry more than if I had not asked.

Try This

If this feels uncomfortable, read over the places where the psalmist asks God to hurry.

Understand that this is biblical prayer.  Think about the benefits I’ve listed above.

And then — when you long for God to hurry, be like the psalmist —

Humbly and earnestly ask God to hurry.

Comments?  Feedback?

I’d love to hear them.  Leave a reply below — thanks.

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Category: Help with Prayer

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10 Responses

  1. Caleb Dirnberger says:

    Praying for your church in this area of need, and also for your faith Steve! Isaiah 28:29 comes to mind. Thanks for this post, stirring fresh faith in me.

  2. Jennifer says:

    Wow – thank you – that so spoke to me this morning – everybody tells me to just trust in God’s timing for an answer to a particular prayer, and I have felt guilty that I have been asking God to answer quickly – but if it’s OK for the psalmist to ask God to hurry – it’s OK for me! Just what I need to read!

  3. Roman says:

    This article helped so much I have been praying God not tarry to help me everyday. He assured me that he would and that he was going to give me the desires of my heart. I asked when? I keep hearing a voice say soon. My spirit feels him say.”Soon” so I humble myself and wait but I still pray He hurries. My soul desperately wants his help. I believe He is testing my prayer and my faith. I believe He wants to be sure I am serious in what I ask for and preparing me for its coming. I read Psalm 40 often. I believe in it. I believe God is working and waiting for that perfect moment. Still I hope He hurries with my blessings.

  4. Mary Pearson Stuck says:

    Hey Steve,
    Your post was helpful. It’s not that I had never noticed how the psalmist had spoken of needing God’s quick answer…but I had never really thought of that applying to MY OWN prayers. I have reached a tremendously difficult place in my life due to some circumstances beyond my control (aren’t most of them?!)…seriously difficult life changes that I never imagined would occur. I am unable to change things, but things look like they will change drastically for my husband and I in the near future. I am encouraged to pray with more earnestness and to petition God with my heart-felt request. Sometimes I forget that he delights in me as his child. If he does not grant my wish, it will not alter my trust that he knows best. Thanks for your reflection.

  5. Mike says:

    I think sometimes satan tries to convince us that our prayers will take ALONG time to get answered.
    During that time our faith will be tested and likely weakened because we see nothing happening.

    But, do prayers REALLY take that long to be answered? Remember when Jesus cursed the fig tree it withered over night but must have started immediately. Look at all the healings Jesus performed they also happened IMMEDIATELY.

    Begin to realize God can make things happen NOW!!! Do not accept the lies of the devil whispering in your ear…oh he will answer it someday. Today is the someday. Now is time!!!

    • Steve Fuller says:

      Hi Mike,

      I love your faith, brother. And you’re absolutely right that God can make things happen NOW!

      At the same time, it’s clear that sometimes God, in his great wisdom and perfect love for us, chooses to have things take some time.

      Think of how Jesus delayed going to Lazarus in John 11. Or of how Paul needed to pray three times regarding his form in the flesh (2 Corinthians 12). Or of how Jesus calls us to pray persistently (Luke 11:8), and how he describes his people who pray day and night (Luke 18:7-8).

      And didn’t Daniel have to pray a long time before receiving his answer (Daniel 10:10-14).

      So God can answer quickly, but sometimes in his sovereign power and love he chooses not to.

      In Christ, Steve Fuller

  6. Mpume says:

    I am given more faith to ask God to hurry because my children’s (7,4 and 2)life are affected by delayed answers and God’s answer is needed now.I am praying for God to restore my marriage and or provide a changed/new husband and father for my children. My children are developing behavioral problems through separation.
    I am also praying for abundant blessing because i am gatvol to live this poor,hand to mouth existence and always thinking when the next money for necessities is coming from.

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