One of the missing ingredients to receiving from God is that little word, “patience.” I think few Christians realize its importance! You need patience to be an overcomer. Jesus said, “In your patience possess ye your souls” (Luke 21:19). He also emphasized, “He who endures to the end shall be saved” (Matt. 24:13 NKJV). Some things don’t happen overnight, and it takes patience to get there.

Impatience is probably the main reason why prayers go unanswered. You can pray and believe God. But if you become impatient, you begin to wonder and get out of faith. Then the prayer can never be answered!

There are things that happen instantly, like being born again or filled with the Holy Spirit. But when you pray for loved ones, finances, jobs, and such, you must be prepared to keep expecting until you receive an answer.

The Power of Shall

God never promised to answer our prayers instantly. But Jesus did say, “All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matt. 21:22). He never promised us instant healing or miracles but said, “They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover” (Mark 16:18).

Many scriptures use the word “shall”—you shall have, shall receive, shall find. Let me ask an important question: Is that word present or future tense? It’s future! It is going to happen. If you believe God, it shall take place. When? Maybe right then. Maybe the next minute or hour. Maybe the next week, month, or year.

We all want the “shall” to be right now. That’s not our prerogative—it’s God’s. We are simply to believe what the Bible says and let God take care of how and when it happens.

For example, when it comes to healing, you could recover instantly or over time. I find that most people are healed gradually. And I’ve seen hundreds of people give up on their healing before they leave the building where they were prayed for. If the pain and symptoms don’t go away immediately, they say, “I didn’t think it would work anyway.” Others patiently believe and are healed.

In praying for our loved ones to get saved, we must be patient while God works in their lives until they are willing to serve Him. God never forces people to become born again against their will. Many Christians pray wrongly for loved ones. I’ve heard them plead, “Lord, save them!” Jesus already died on the cross for their salvation. A better way to pray for the lost is to ask the Lord to send laborers across their paths so they might hear and believe.

The Power of Believing

A lot of people want to start believing when they get the answer. But why would you believe for something once it is there? If you have it, you don’t need faith for it! You believe for something you don’t have yet.

Next month I will be on an airplane flying to a Living Faith Crusade. I believe that now. But when I get there, I don’t have to believe it anymore. There’s no reason to be in faith after I’m there! “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” (Heb. 11:1).

When Lazarus was sick, his sisters sent Jesus a message asking Him to come quickly. Although He agreed, He stayed where He was two more days before leaving. When He arrived, Lazarus had died and been in the tomb for four days. Martha said, “If you had been here sooner, my brother would not have died!” Jesus told her, “Everything will be all right if you can believe.” And it was. Lazarus was raised from the dead. (See John 11:1–44.)

Jesus wasn’t in a hurry. He reminds me of my dad, Kenneth E. Hagin. I remember praying at home for different things when I was a kid. I wasn’t sure if God would answer our prayers. Dad never worried or became impatient. Sometimes I would say to him, “I wonder if we’re going to get that need met.” He would hold up his hand and say, “Don’t worry about it.”

The Power of Faith

One time as a kid, we had a particular need and prayed about it at the dinner table. The day arrived when money had to be at the bank, and we didn’t have anything yet. I was sure it would come in the mail. When the mail arrived, nothing was there. The doorbell rang, and I thought it must be the money! It was just someone stopping by. Dad didn’t get excited about it. He said, “It will be all right.”

I will never forget this. Shortly before the bank closed, a special delivery letter arrived. It contained the money we needed! Dad went to the bank and took care of that need. If he had listened to some of us in the family, his faith could have been nullified! It sure didn’t happen on my faith—I wondered how it would happen!

Paul said in Hebrews 10:23, “Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised).” Faith is a force that is built into you by knowing and believing God’s Word. It enables you to hold on until you receive what you have asked of God.

Believe God to meet your need, and let Him take care of doing it. Impatience nullifies your prayers and faith. Patience gets your prayers answered!