How God’s Response to Prayers is Like a Traffic Light

God always answers.

God’s answers to our prayers are like a traffic light. Sometimes we think that God is simply not answering our prayers. We forget that He always answers. The struggle in understanding this is that if God does not say “Yes,” we think He is not answering.

God always answers.  Every single time.

The problem is that sometimes we don’t recognize the answer because we don’t like the answer, or we don’t want to do what He tells us to do.

Indeed, God’s answers are like a Traffic Light.

When He says Go – like a traffic light.

Green means GO. That is when God says YES. This is when we know without a doubt the direction God wants us to go. We can look back on that moment and remember this is when we knew.

Who do you know who was told to Go?

• Abraham was told to get out of the land and Go to a place God would show him. He was to go without knowing where!
• Noah was told to Go build an Ark. He was to build, even though he had never seen rain.
• Joseph was told to Go take Mary as his wife. He was to marry a woman considered impure.

When He says Stop – just like a traffic light.

Red means Stop. That is when God says NO. Many times we do not want to hear this “No.” We want to just speed through the light before it is a sure red and then feign innocence.

Who do you know who was told to Stop?

• David was told to STOP when he wanted to build the temple. God wanted someone else to build that temple.
• Matthew was told to STOP being a tax collector, and to GO follow Jesus. He was to give up what was comfortable and familiar.
• God told Saul to STOP where he was going, to WAIT in Damascus, and then to GO preach to the Gentiles. Saul was educated and thought he was doing right. God had him do a 360.

When He says Wait – like “yield” in a traffic light.

Yellow means Wait. That is when God says “Slow Down”, or “Not so fast, buddy.” Sometimes He is not saying, “No, never, ever, ever, ever; just NO.” Sometimes He is merely saying, “Not now,” or “Not this time,” or “Not with this person.”

Who do you know that had to wait?

• Joseph waited in prison for three years until the cupbearer remembered his dream interpretation. He waited at least 17 years for his dreams from God to come true. Yet, the dreams came true!
• Noah waited 120 years for rain while he built the Ark. Additionally, he waited 7 days inside the Ark once the doors were shut for the rain to come. Yet, the rain came!
• Zechariah, Simeon and Anna waited for years to see the Messiah. He came!

God’s time table and timeline are different from ours.

God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time. His plan is not to harm us, but to bless us. This is why it is important that we pay attention when we pray. We must not become weary and tired of waiting. Instead, we need to recognize that His answers, just like a traffic light, are for our protection and for our eternal good.