When the Answer is "Not Yet"
Lately, someone very near and dear to me has been walking through what feels like a never-ending battle within her own body. Diagnosis after diagnosis. If it’s not one area, it’s another. As I lift her in prayer, asking God for healing, it has often felt like my prayers aren’t being answered.
But God has tenderly reminded me this week: unanswered does not mean unheard.
When Words Won’t Come
If you know me, you know I often turn to the Psalms when I pray. They give voice to what I can’t always put into words. This morning, Psalm 13 rose to the surface as I continued to pray for my loved one:
“How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death,
and my enemy will say, ‘I have overcome him,’
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing the Lord’s praise,
for he has been good to me.” Psalm 13, NIV1
What I love about this psalm is its honest movement. David shows us a faithful way to pray when heaven feels quiet:
Lament (vv. 1–2): Four “How long?” cries give us permission to bring our exhaustion, confusion, and fear to God without editing.
Petition (vv. 3–4): “Look on me and answer… give light to my eyes.” We’re invited to ask boldly for help, wisdom, and healing.
Trust (vv. 5–6): “But I trust… I will sing.” Not because the circumstances have changed yet, but because God’s character hasn’t.
This psalm doesn’t skip the ache; it carries it into God’s presence and sets it down on a foundation stronger than our feelings: His unfailing love. That’s where I’m choosing to stand today—for my loved one and for anyone reading this who’s tired of praying the same prayer.
If You’re Stuck in “How Long?”
If your heart is stuck in the “How long?” part, you’re not doing it wrong. You’re praying like David. And like David, you’re allowed to add a small, stubborn “nevertheless” to the end of your sentence:
Nevertheless Prayer: Nevertheless, I trust in Your unfailing love. Give light to my eyes while I wait.
A simple practice you can try today:
Write your own two-line Psalm 13.
Line 1 (Lament): “How long, Lord, __________?”
Line 2 (Trust): “But I trust Your __________.”
Breathe in: “You are near.” Breathe out: “I trust You now.
I still don’t have a tidy timeline or guaranteed outcome. But I have a script for honest prayer, a God who hears, and a song that starts quietly in the waiting: “He has been good to me.” And somehow, that song makes room for hope to breathe again.
Beauty in BLOOM
B — Believe it: Name the truth about God you’ll believe today (one sentence).
L — Linger: Sit with one verse (2–3 minutes; set a timer).
O — Observe: What rises in your heart/body as you read? Note it without fixing.
O — Offer: Hand God one specific desire and one specific fear.
M — Magnify: Speak a sentence of praise that’s sincere.
Pray
Lord, when I can’t hear You and You seem far, calm my heart. Help me be honest in my grief, to wait and trust, and to say, “Still, I trust You.” Replace my striving with Your strength and my fear with Your presence. As I wait, let hope take root and cling to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
1Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® (NIV®). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™Used with permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
