What You Learn While You Wait

“I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them.” Zechariah 13:9 (NLT)

Some prayers are answered immediately, but others take weeks, months, or even years. But there’s good news: While I'm praying for God’s answer, I'm going to learn some things that I can't learn any other way.

In the waiting, there is a blessing. One of the blessings is that I learn more about myself when I don't instantly get everything I want.

Why do some of them take so long? Because while I was working on the prayer, God was working on me.

When I'm going through fire, I wonder why I even have to go through it. It's for testing and purification. As I pray about something over and over again, I face tests that reveal more about myself. 

God says in Zechariah 13:9, "I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold" (NLT).

You test gold by putting it in a big vat and heating it until it gets so hot that all the impurities are burned off. How do metalsmiths know when gold and silver are pure? When they can see their reflection in them.

God can see his reflection in me when all the impurities have burned out of my life—after I've been through the fire. He says that, after he’s done the testing and purification, “They will call on my name, and I will answer them” (Zechariah 13:9 NLT).

Answered prayer often comes after the test. Before every blessing, there is testing. God may test me with stress before he trusts me with success. These are the principles of persistent prayer.

When God tests me, I'm going to learn a lot about myself. If I give up praying, I'm never going to learn the lessons that help me become more like Jesus.

Keep praying with persistence each day. And remember that after the testing, the blessing will come.

In summary:

Some prayers are answered quickly, but often God allows waiting so he can refine and shape me in the process. Just like silver and gold are purified by fire until the metalsmith sees his reflection, God uses seasons of testing to burn away impurities and develop my character so he can see his likeness in me. Delays in answered prayer are not denials; they are opportunities to learn persistence, grow in faith, and be prepared for the blessing that follows the testing. When I continue to pray faithfully, God promises to answer in his time and way.

Bottom Line: 

God often delays answers to prayer because He’s refining and preparing me through the process—testing my faith, purifying my heart, and shaping me to reflect Him more fully. The blessing comes after the testing.

This means that I need to lean into persistence by staying consistent in prayer, even when I don’t see immediate answers. At the same time, I should journal what God is revealing about my character, strengths, and areas of growth during the “waiting season.” This will give me both insight to use in my interactions with others and a deeper reservoir of experiences to encourage others who feel stuck in their own waiting.