Expectations

As the years pass, and the number of young people I interact with increases, I am reminded of the "uncles and aunties" from my childhood, the ones not related by blood. It seems I’ve now been promoted to "Uncle" status myself, and chances are, you are too—yes, you. (I hope you're doing better, and your nephews and nieces like you). One of the things I remember vividly about these uncles and aunties, especially the fun ones, is the expectation of goodies, gifts, or the occasional treat. If we’d made a request or, even better, were promised something, everything that uncle or aunty did was viewed through the lens of that expectation. We watched their every move, hoping for a candy bar or some shiny naira notes - even though they often end up in our mother's purses. In a similar manner, our prayers can create expectations—and sometimes, those expectations can create a "Gap." No, not the clothing store, but the gap between what we’ve prayed for and what we perceive is happening around us. This gap can be a bit like staring at your aunt’s empty hands and wondering where the treat is. It’s not that she forgot; you’re just hyper-aware, waiting. And sometimes, that waiting can feel like forever. Consider Daniel, who prayed fervently and then had to wait for weeks to get an answer (Daniel 10:12-14). Now, induction would have implied that God had moved on, gotten distracted, or maybe wasn’t listening in the first place. But we know from Scripture that wasn’t the case. Daniel’s expectation would have made the wait feel longer. And let’s be honest—how many times have we prayed and, after a few days of silence, thought, “Well, maybe God’s busy elsewhere"? It's not God who’s the issue, but our sense of timing. Take Peter, who, after stepping out in faith to walk on water, suddenly noticed the waves more than the miracle happening beneath his feet (Matthew 14:30). Perhaps he expected the storm to be still the moment he stepped out on the water like the time Jesus commanded the sea. The waves were always there. It's not that they multiplied because he decided to walk on water. But the moment Peter’s focus shifted from Jesus to the storm, fear set in. Proverbs 23:18, "The expectation of the righteous will not be cut off." Yes, your expectations will not be cut off, but this doesn’t always mean things happen immediately. Sometimes, it’s our focus that needs adjusting. In Proverbs 1:20, the Bible says that Wisdom is crying out in the streets, and from verse 22 it appears that no one is paying attention - except perhaps those who have prayed for it, and are sensitive to receiving it. However, the streets may not become any less rowdy, and one may need to shut out the noise to hear Wisdom's cry. Isaiah 26:3 "He will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." Often, it's our wavering focus that disturbs the peace God offers, not the absence of His answer. Prayers often make us more sensitive to the things we’re waiting on, not because those things suddenly grew larger, but because our hearts are more tuned to them. It's like tuning a radio—you may suddenly hear everything, even the static. In focusing on what we’ve prayed for, we may also become more acutely awE