Sunday's Old Testament reading from Habakkuk comes to mind. "How, long O' Lord? I cry for help but you do not listen..."
Has there ever been a time any of us--no matter what our prayer--have had this same thought? That is why I like the "suddenly" verses. Has "suddenly" happened in your own prayer life? I remember praying over something for four years, wondering why God was ignoring my prayer, because if it were to be answered, I could serve him and my neighbor so much better. Then suddenly the prayer was answered. Looking back, I could then see the building blocks that God had been carefully constructing in my life throughout these four years, and realizing that my prayer--that seemed had been "suddenly" answered--had, from the beginning, God's special care and attention.
While it didn't take four years, remember Jesus telling his disciples that he would send the Holy Spirit? In Acts we read, "Suddenly..." the Holy Spirit was upon them. This "suddenly" appears in other places as well. Looking back, it can be seen God had been at work all along. America's "suddenly" may be on its way.