What To Do When God’s Promise Goes Unanswered

Have you ever had a promise from God? Something that He spoke to you that you’ve believed, but still haven’t seen?

Maybe you are waiting on a healing to manifest, or a loved one to be saved, or a mate to materialize. Whatever it is, Jesus spoke to it in Luke 18:1-8. He begins by saying, “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (NKJV).

Then Jesus shares a parable about an unrighteous judge and a widow with unending persistence. He paints a picture of this widow having such intense tenacity that, even though the judge is unrighteous, selfish and in bed, he gets up and responds to her, just to get her to leave him alone. Then Jesus makes this amazing statement, “Shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the son of man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Interesting response.

We see Jesus is urging them to believe, even though they haven’t seen. And to have faith that God is trustworthy. He shows that God responding isn’t the question. The question is, will you quit on God? Will you stop believing or keep coming?

A few years ago I was diagnosed with an incurable disease called rheumatoid arthritis. It is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to identify your joints as an enemy and start to attack them. It is very painful, genetically inherited and incurable.

I knew the Bible said that Jesus bore our sickness in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), so I knew He died to save me from this as well. My family had seen many miracles and healings in our lifetime, but each time these blessings came differently. I believe God does it this way simply to get us to trust Him and obey His promptings in our reborn spirits, exercising our trust in Him.

I began to seek God about this and wanted to receive what Jesus died to give me. As I prayed, God kept pointing to the word “iniquity.” To be honest, I didn’t even know what that meant, so I looked it up. But it still didn’t bring me any clarity. I kept on asking, bringing this before the Lord.

I was walking daily in this joint pain. I was on medication just to be able to do daily chores. One year went by. Two years. I kept coming to God.

In the third year, as I lifted it to God again, I kept getting the word “habitation” in my heart. So I did a study on what that meant, but I didn’t really understand. Our church announced that some new services called Habitation would begin the next Sunday, with an extended time of worship for the Holy Spirit to move. I knew God was directing me to these services.

The elder leading the service shared about healing and made this statement, “Sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know.” That was exactly how I was feeling about receiving this healing! As I listened, he took a little rabbit trail in his sermon and began to talk about generational iniquities. I knew this was it; this was what God was trying to show me. As he led us in a prayer to be free, I felt the Holy Spirit rise up in me and tell me to stop my medication; I was healed. Now, as a doctor’s wife, I want to quickly say that you’d better have heard from God before you stop your medication! In that moment, I knew I had heard from God.

I stopped the medication the next day. I went three weeks with no pain at all, then suddenly woke up one morning stiff and hurting. This scripture came to me, “Men always ought to pray and not lose heart.” I prayed, “Jesus, I thank you that you have healed my body. I thank you for the grace to live free from this infirmity today because of your blood and your sacrifice for me on the cross.” Then the pain left.

Several weeks later my doctor did a blood test because I asked to stay off the medication. When they did the test, they could no longer find the rheumatoid factor in my blood! God not only took away the symptoms, He removed the disease from my body completely.

Whatever it is you are believing God for, keep taking it to Jesus. Let Him find faith in you. God is a righteous judge, and He will answer you speedily. Don’t give up. He is faithful. When your solution manifests, tell us about it. We want to celebrate with you!