I have prayed prayers that were answered immediately. I’ve had prayers take weeks, months, even years to receive an answer. As much as I love instant answers, the most rewarding answers were the ones I had to wait on. I learned a lot about myself while I was waiting on God to answer my prayers. (Zechariah 13:9 This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, “They are my people,” and they will say, “The Lord is our God.”) God allows our faith to be tested. You test gold by putting it in a big vat and heating it until it gets so hot that all the impurities are burned off. How do metalsmiths know when gold and silver are pure? When they can see their reflection in them. God can see his reflection in you when all the impurities have burned out of your life, after you’ve been through the fire. God is going to test you before he blesses you. And in that test, you’re going to learn a lot about yourself. If you give up praying, you’re never going to learn the lessons that help you become more like Jesus. Keep praying with persistence each day. And remember that after the testing, the blessing will come. Pastor Don [image: image.png]