When you dial 911 in an emergency, you’re quickly connected to a dispatcher who can see your telephone number and address on his screen. Even if you’re unable to answer questions rationally, the dispatcher immediately sends the necessary help. To the person in distress the minutes in between seem like an eternity but, in reality, it’s amazingly fast.

Sometimes our prayers are as desperate as a 911 call, but the service is even better! When we babble incoherently to God about our health or our job or our marriage, it may seem as if no one is listening and our desperate plea is going unheeded. But, in truth, God instantly knows who we are, what we need and help is on the way. Even if it feels like we’re waiting forever, God’s timing is always best.