About The Fourth Watch He Cometh Unto Them

One of the biggest challenges in life for me is not getting an immediate answer to an honest and heartfelt prayer. It seems like there are times when I can pray and pray and not seem to receive an answer. But when the prayers are related to an exceptionally difficult challenge the apparent lack of response can be disheartening.

I have often wondered why a loving Heavenly Father would intentionally ignore my petition. Or what I may have done to disqualify myself from hearing the soft whispering of the Holy Ghost, somehow missing the crucial answer being sent to me. As I have pondered why I wasn't getting the important direction and inspiration I cam across a thought that has changed some of my thinking.

 Michael Wilcox gave some interesting insights in his book "When Your Prayers Seem Unanswered". In the book he pointed me to an event in the New Testament that showed me that I'm not alone when my heavenly petitions seem to go unanswered.

The story is found in the book of Mark when Jesus calms the sea (Mark 6:45-51). After feeding 5,000 miraculously Jesus sends his disciples across the sea while He takes some time to pray. That night a storm arose and His disciples were caught in the sea, unable to get to land. After struggling all night Jesus comes to them, walking on the sea, and calms the storm. This miracle shows that Jesus not only loved His disciples but that he is master of earth and skies.

However, the lesson came to me as I read Mark 6:46: "And he saw them atoiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them." While Jesus loved His disciples He didn't come unto them until the fourth watch (between 3:00 - 6:00 a.m.). Jesus saw them struggling and yet He waiting before showing forth His awesome power.
 

This miraculous event gives us a clear example that not all of our prayers and petitions to Him will be answered immediately. For reasons we will not know until later, there are times that our loving Heavenly Father is going to let us struggle through the trial. There may be lessons we need to learn, experiences we need to appreciate His answer, or faith we need to exercise before He will show is awesome power in our lives. The delay is not because He doesn't love us or He has abandoned us. These delays are precisely because He loves us and wants us to learn from our experiences.

I'm not going to lie, there are a lot of times I wish He would answer my prayers in the first or second watch and not wait until the fourth watch. But our all wise and knowing Heavenly Father does things on His timetable, when it is right and not when I want it. The struggles are still just as difficult but it helps me to know that He will always watch over me and will be there before my boat sinks, to calm the storm and make things right for me.