The Age of Your Ask Determines the Length of Your Wait

Sep 11

What if God isn't withholding the blessing? What if He's preparing you to carry it?

Lately, I've been meditating on Matthew 7:7–14.

As the scripture begins, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV)

I've been praying for a few things for some time now, and honestly, it felt like nothing was happening.

So I started asking God, What's going on?

I've been asking.

I've been seeking.

I've been knocking.

I pray boldly. I make declarations. I worship God. I ask Him to align my desires with His will. I don't approach Him begging. I've genuinely surrendered my desires to Him.

Then He gave me the word on the promise He’s giving me; and He told me to keep asking, which I have. And yet, I’m still Waiting…..

So I asked Him, Why?

And the more I meditated on Matthew 7, God began to show me something.

A Good Father Doesn't Give a Child Something They're Not Ready For

“The blessing of the Lord makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.” (Proverbs 10:22 NKJV)

As I thought about this Scripture, I began to understand something about the nature of God's blessings.

When God blesses us, His blessing isn't simply about receiving material things. His blessings can bring an abundance of peace, love, joy, provision, wisdom, opportunity, and things money can't buy.

And because God is a good Father, He wants to do so much more than bless us with the material things. He wants it to truly be peace, love, joy, and all the other non materialistic things attached to the blessings. He wants us to be able to maintain the blessings. He wants us to have the capacity to hold the blessings. He wants us to be able to steward well what He gives us.

That takes some pruning, stretching, preparing; which takes time.

Think about an earthly parent.

Let's say a 14- or 15-year-old asks their parents for a car.

The parents aren't necessarily going to run out the next day and buy them one.

Why?

Because the parents know that having a car comes with responsibility.

Maybe the child hasn't taken driver's education yet. Maybe they don't know the rules of the road. Maybe they haven't demonstrated that they're responsible enough to maintain a vehicle. Maybe they're not mature enough to understand the responsibility that comes with driving.

But here's what's interesting.

For the sake of this example, resources and money are not an issue for this family (as is such with our Heavenly Father). The parents already know they're going to buy this child a car.

They don't need the child to ask first.

They already know.

So what do they do?

They start preparing the child.

They teach them how to drive.

They begin increasing their responsibilities.

They give them more chores.

They begin testing their consistency.

They teach them how to take care of things.

The child may understand the driving lessons as : “Okay, I understand. I need to learn how to drive because I'm going to have a car.”

But when the parents start adding other responsibilities.

More chores.

More expectations.

More accountability.

The child might start thinking: “Why do I have to do all of this?”

They don't necessarily see how cleaning their room, managing their time, keeping up with responsibilities, or demonstrating consistency has anything to do with getting a car.

But the parents see what the child can't see.

They're not just preparing the child for the car.

They're preparing the child for the responsibility of having the car.

And then God took me deeper.

Imagine a five- or six-year-old asking their parents for a car.

Not only have they never taken driver's education, but they're nowhere near being ready for the responsibility.

Put them behind the wheel today, and they could hurt themselves or someone else.

Even if their parents bought them a car right now, they couldn't legally or safely drive it for years.

And here's another thing: By the time they're old enough to drive, there will probably be better cars available anyway.

So what would be the point of giving them the car at five years old?

There isn't one.

The parents aren't saying no.

They're saying, “You're not ready Yet.”

And my God.

Did y'all catch that like I caught that?

The Age of Your Ask

What if some of the things we've been asking God for aren't being withheld?

What if we're being prepared for them?

We get into these waiting seasons and start questioning God.

Why isn't it happening?

Why haven't You answered me?

Why am I still here?

But perhaps we need to ask a different question:

What stage of development were you in when you asked?

Because the age of the ask can determine the length of the wait.

If a 15-year-old asks for a car and they're going to be driving soon, the preparation may begin immediately and they will receive the car not too long after the ask.

But if a five-year-old asks for that same car, they've got a lot of growing to do.

The request didn't change.

The readiness changed.

And maybe that's what God is doing with us.

Maybe you asked God for something when you were spiritually five years old.

And now you're wondering why it hasn't happened.

God may be saying:

“Because I love you too much to give you something you aren't ready to carry.”

Maybe you don't need another blessing yet.

Maybe you need another level of maturity.

Maybe you need a change in mindset.

Maybe your heart needs pruning.

Maybe your character needs strengthening.

Maybe your faith needs developing.

Maybe you need to learn boundaries.

Maybe you need to learn discipline.

Maybe you need to learn how to manage what you already have before God gives you more.

Or maybe you're actually closer than you think, and God is simply taking you through a few more tests, trials, and lessons to make sure you'll steward the blessing well.

Where you are when you ask matters.

Thank you for taking the time to read and journey with me.

I pray that something you read here encourages you, speaks to your heart, or reminds you that God is still working, even in the waiting, the pruning, and the becoming.

Until next time, keep choosing faith, keep choosing love, and keep becoming who God created you to be.

With love & light,
Shay Latrice

Shayla Trigg