Day 11

John 11:6

So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Waiting is one of the hardest parts of faith. We live in a world shaped by instant results, quick answers, and immediate solutions. When something takes longer than expected, it feels wrong. We assume something must be off. And because we are so accustomed to speed, we can quietly believe that our timing would be better than God’s.

In John 11, Jesus hears that His close friend Lazarus is sick, and He waits. Not because He does not care. Not because He lacks power. But because He is doing something deeper than what anyone can see in the moment. The delay is intentional, even though it is painful for those waiting.

There are some things that simply take time. Formation does not happen overnight. Growth is rarely rushed. Along the journey, something deeper is being shaped beneath the surface. That is why overnight success can be unsettling. What comes quickly can disappear just as fast. But when someone has been formed steadily over time, it often reveals a depth that does not burn out easily when pressure comes.

Waiting has a way of forming things in us that immediate answers never could. Trust is strengthened. Dependence deepens. Our confidence shifts from outcomes to God Himself. In seasons of delay, God is often working on who we are becoming, not just on what we are asking Him to do.

Jesus arrives after Lazarus has been in the tomb for four days. From a human perspective, it looks too late. But Jesus is not operating on a clock of urgency. He is operating on a purpose of resurrection. What feels like delay to us may be preparation for something greater than we imagined.

As you continue these days of prayer and fasting, consider what God may be forming in you during seasons of waiting. Do not rush past the process. Do not assume delay means absence. God is present in the waiting, and He is often doing His deepest work there.

Prayer

God, help us trust You when answers do not come quickly. Teach us to see waiting not as punishment, but as formation. As we continue this season of prayer and fasting, form our faith, deepen our trust, and remind us that Your timing is always purposeful. We place our hope in You. Amen.