“Pastor, I feel like God is not answering my prayers and I wonder why I should pray anymore," I have heard this phrase countless times as a Pastor.

It’s easy to become discouraged when we don’t receive the answer we want from God. God says no because He wants us to grow up. He wants to make us more like Him. He knows if He answered every prayer with a quick “yes” we would not become who He has called us to be. We would not fulfill our purpose here on earth.

When my children were young, they were the center of their own universe. They believed I was the source to meet all their needs and were horribly disappointed when I didn’t come through.

I, on the other hand, was far more interested in their overall growth and development than their current state. I wanted them happy and fulfilled, but many times said “no” to help them grow.

I knew what was best. I saw my children's future and the big picture, but they did not. If I met their every need and only addressed their temporal happiness, I would have been enabling them to stay in a selfish, immature state, and not grow up.

God sees the big picture. He knows the beginning from the end, and our lives are connected to that picture.

Sometimes, we are frustrated when our prayers seem unanswered. We become discouraged by the dark, painful and unpleasant events that we don’t understand.  

No is an answer to prayer, or not yet. If those are the answers, there's an excellent reason for it. We must rest in the fact that sometimes God puts our desires on hold. Ultimately, however, His timing is best.

If we could see the big picture, we would see how wonderfully God positions our lives through every circumstance, and how wisely he handles our prayer requests.

Many times the delay we see in answered prayers is because there is a considerable difference between our timing and God’s divine timing.

God is uniquely positioning your life as a vital piece of the big picture. He is weaving every detail of your life along with the lives of many others into his master plan. There are many aspects of overall timing for Him to work out as He fits everything perfectly together.

Refuse to become discouraged when life doesn't go the way you planned. God is working, He is building His character and nature in you and positioning your life for maximum effectiveness.