Why Is God Taking So Long to Answer My Prayers?

Have you ever wondered...why does God take so long to do miracles? Why doesn’t He just fix things instantly?

It’s a fair question—especially when you’re stuck in a hard season, waiting for breakthrough, wondering why God hasn’t just snapped His fingers and made things right.

But when we look at the story of Moses in Exodus, we see that God’s miracles often don’t come instantly—because God isn’t just working around us. He’s working in us.

In Exodus 3, when God calls Moses from the burning bush, Moses doesn’t leap at the opportunity. He hesitates: “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” (Exodus 3:11, ESV).

It wasn’t just humility. It was fear. Insecurity. A deep sense of unworthiness. And even after God promises His presence, Moses continues to object. By chapter 4, he says, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent... but I am slow of speech and of tongue” (Exodus 4:10).

Moses isn’t just facing Pharaoh—he’s facing the weight of his own inadequacy. While the Israelites are physically enslaved, Moses is inwardly captive to fear. But notice something powerful: God doesn’t fix Moses in an instant. He doesn’t zap away the fear. He walks with him through it. He gives him Aaron to help, shows him signs, and leads him step by step through a journey of transformation.

By Exodus 15, the same Moses who said, “I can’t speak,” is leading Israel in a song of victory: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously...” (Exodus 15:1)

This is the miracle of the process.

And the Israelites? Their deliverance wasn’t instant either. The plagues unfolded slowly. Pharaoh resisted repeatedly. Even after their release, they faced the Red Sea—and only then did God part the waters. Their freedom came through fear, not apart from it.

God could have done it all in a moment. But instead, He chose the long road. Why?

Because His goal wasn’t just to get them out of Egypt—it was to shape them into people who trusted Him.

God’s miracles aren’t shortcuts. They’re soul-work.

He doesn’t just remove our weaknesses; He redeems them. He doesn’t always eliminate the obstacle; sometimes He leads us through it so we emerge different on the other side—stronger, braver, more dependent on Him.

So if you’re waiting, wondering why God hasn’t just fixed it yet—remember Moses. Remember the Israelites. Remember that sometimes the miracle is the process. And through that process, God is forming something in you that will outlast the storm.

You may feel like a captive now—but He’s shaping you into a conqueror.

Peace in Christ,