When Jesus Didn’t Show Up: Four Vital Truths about Prayer

Has there ever been a time in your life when you were praying for something and felt like God was not showing up to answer your request?

Life is a series of waiting. When we are young, we can’t wait until we grow up. As adults we can’t wait for the weekend to come, our next paycheck, or our next vacation.

If one statement could define my life, it would be “hurry up and wait.” I like to schedule and plan but many times God has a different way. Sometimes waiting seems like wasted time. But God is using this time to bring His plans into maturation.

Isaiah 55:8-9,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Even when I don’t understand, God always has a plan. Even when I don’t see Him moving in my life, He is still at work. God does not often change my circumstances, but He does intend to change me through them.

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were three of Jesus’ closest friends apart from His disciples. Numerous times throughout His travels He would stop in Bethany to visit these dear friends. One day Jesus received a message that His dear friend Lazarus was sick (John 11).

Now in my small finite human mind, I would think Jesus would drop everything He was doing and go straightaway to heal Lazarus. This seemed to be the thinking of Martha and Mary as well (John 11:21, 32). However, instead of leaving immediately Jesus remained for two days longer.

Jesus had a perfect plan. His plan was different from that of Mary and Martha’s. But it was much bigger and better than anything they could imagine.

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As we continue on in this story, we are going to take a look at FOUR VITAL TRUTHS about PRAYER:

The Timing

Even when God shows up later than we expect, He is still on time.

John 11:6,

“When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.”

I imagine Mary and Martha felt quite let down that Jesus did not come immediately to heal Lazarus.

Have you ever felt let down by God not showing up to work in a situation when you expected Him to?

John Phillips said,

“Jesus had delayed his coming so that he would arrive at the right moment, when all human help and hope were gone.” 

Even when we don’t realize it, God’s timing is always perfect. For those of us that love the Lord and are His children, He is working ALL things together for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Ecclesiastes 3:11a,

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:”

I love how I can look back over my life and see circumstances that I would have changed, and how God has brought beauty out of each situation. Divisions that brought new and better friendships. Restoration of old relationships that were even more beautiful than before. Trials that took our family half-way across the country that led me to meeting the wonderful man God had for me.

We may not see and understand everything until we reach eternity, but He will make EVERY thing beautiful in HIS TIME and in HIS WAY.

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The Working

God wants to perform greater works in our lives than we could ever imagine.

Mary and Martha wanted Jesus to simply heal their brother of his sickness. Jesus had much bigger plans. If Lazarus hadn’t died, Jesus would not have been able to perform one of His greatest miracles.

God’s way is always flawless. He has a perfect plan, but He only reveals it to us one little piece at a time. A friend of mine once said to me that God’s will is like a rose, unfolding one petal at a time. And yet how beautiful it becomes when it is fully opened!

Psalm 18:30,

“As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.”

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The Suffering

Before He answers our prayers, He experiences our suffering.

John 11:33-36,

“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!”

Jesus did not weep because Lazarus was dead. He knew that He was about to raise him back from the dead.

Jesus wept because of their unbelief.

He wept because of the sorrow experienced by two loving sisters, Mary and Martha.

He wept because of the pain and agony caused by death brought into the world through the sin of Adam and Eve.

Jesus wept because He was about to take all of this sin and suffering upon His shoulders and experience the most agonizing death in the history of mankind.

God could have chosen a different plan for redemption. But He didn’t. Instead He chose a plan that caused Him to experience the fullness of our pain and anguish.

Jesus deeply felt the distress of Mary and Martha.

He truly understands the trials you go through. There is no human on earth who can fully comprehend the pain and heartbreak you may be suffering.

But God knows.

He understands.

He wants you to bring all of that suffering to Him and leave it at the foot of the cross.

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The Doubting

God is still at work in our lives even when we doubt Him

John 11:39-40,

“Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?”

Shortly after arriving at the tomb, Jesus commands for the stone to be rolled away.

Previously, Martha communicated that she believed Jesus could do whatever He asked of God (vs. 22). But now her obvious doubts are coming out – “Lord by this time he stinketh.”

How often do we say we believe, but question at the first sign of the impossible?

I love how Jesus is always so patient in Scripture with those who doubt. He made a special appearance just so Thomas could see the holes in His hands and believe that He was truly risen again. Here in this passage, He reminds Martha gently of what He had already told her.

Even though Martha lacked faith and doubted His plan, He still brought about a wonderful miracle in her life.

If I was the Lord, I would probably have said “Never mind, I’m not going to do any great miracles because you don’t have enough faith.” But He was so gentle and patient with her, and He is the same way with us when our faith is lacking.

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As you bring your requests before the Lord, remember:

1. His timetable is different from ours – Just because we don’t see Him working, doesn’t mean that He isn’t.
2. God’s plan is much bigger and better than anything you and I could imagine.
3. He knows, understands, and has experienced our pain.
4. Even when we doubt, He is still at work. 

Philippians 4:6,

“Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”