Puritan preacher John Flavel says that it is exceedingly pleasant to see God's providential answers to prayer that come long after we have given up any hope or expectation of an answer (though we should never give up). Job had given up any expectation of better days. Jacob had given up any expectation of ever seeing Joseph again, yet God providentially answered their prayers which they had given up hoping for.

"Cast your bread on the waters, for you shall find it after many days." Ecclesiastes 11:1.

It may be many days before our bread comes back to us - it may be many days before our prayers are answered. But God encourages us to keeping casting our bread on the waters. The promise is that we SHALL FIND IT. And we shall find it AFTER MANY DAYS. So keep casting your prayers upon God. Don't' quit hoping for an answer. It may take a long time, but God will be faithful.

My mother had rheumatoid arthritis for 16 years. We prayed fervently for her in the beginning, laying hands on her and anointing her with oil. But I must sadly admit that after a while, I grew less expectant and less frequent in my prayers for her.

One day Mom became so ill her doctor sent her to the hospital, her potassium levels completely out of whack. He told her she would have to go off all her medications, including those she was taking for rheumatoid arthritis, until they got her stabilized. She was fearful about stopping but had no other choice. After a few days the doctors finally got Mom's potassium levels back to normal. By that time she was feeling so good she decided not to resume her arthritis medication. She never had to take it again. God healed her. Her doctor told her that she was in remission - he wouldn't call it a healing - but he did say that it was rare for a woman in her 70's with rheumatoid arthritis to suddenly go into remission. God answered our prayers that we had prayed 16 years earlier but had given up hope of ever seeing answered.

Don't stop casting your bread on the waters, for you SHALL find it after many days. Don't quit praying for God's kingdom to come. Don't stop praying for your children, relatives and friends to be saved. Never cease interceding for persecuted saints. Don't stop asking God to heal people. Don't stop casting your cares upon the Lord, for he cares for you.

The more bread we cast on the waters, the more will eventually return to us. The more prayers we lift to the Lord, the more he will eventually answer. It may be many days, or many years, but somehow, every crumb we cast on the waters will come back to us. That's God's promise.