Aren't we all waiting on some prayer request from our Lord? We often hear, wait and see how God will move and answer your petitions to Him. Even while you wait, take heart. God is trustworthy, never slumbers, and has your best interest in mind. Just because you can't see His work happening, doesn't mean He isn't actively at work on your behalf. Trust Him in your journey.
We have been waiting a lot the past few years. We've waited in quarantine due to covid, waited to return back to regular job offices, waited to visit family and friends due to illness exposures, waited for kid's to return to school, and waited for our own personal requests that we long for.
What does 'waiting on the Lord' really mean? The word “wait” is translated from the Hebrew word “qavah” and it means, according to Strong’s Concordance: To hope in, look for, expect, eagerly look for, lie in wait for. Waiting doesn't mean a do-nothing attitude. We must be pro-active during our wait with prayer, reading the Word, and listening for His voice of guidance. This action is an exercise of faith with an eager expectancy and anticipation. We must be patient in our wait and not give up in our asking of the same request. 1 Thesselonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia found on Blue Letter Bible: "The most important and frequent use of the word “wait” is to define the attitude of a soul God-ward. It describes eager anticipation and yearning for the revelation of truth and love as it is in the Father.”"
Sometimes, we wait with fear or worry because we have our own idea of how we want something to work out, not necessarily trusting in the Lord’s plan for how it should work out. We have envisioned our ideal outcome and we fear God won’t line up with our will. We won't worry or fear the outcome, if we trust and know God is always working for our good because we believe in Him.
In our wait, we should make sure that our will aligns with God's will. By studying His Word, direction for our steps can be provided and we can know both His will and the heart of God . Isaiah 55:8-9 "“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."
Benefits of Waiting on our Lord
1. We avoid having to go through further pain-- Sometimes God makes us wait for the storm to pass, so we can travel safely ahead later.
2. We can experience the fullness of His blessings-- Sometimes waiting involves getting what He intends best for us.
3. It increases our faith-- When we see the results of our patience in waiting on God, then our faith grows. As our faith grows, so does our relationship wth Him.
4. It's a witness to others-- Others are always watching to see how God is working in your life. How we wait, respond, and react to Him and His works serves as a testimony of quieting our flesh and seeing how God will move in our lives.
As for myself, I honestly don't pray ceaselessly about certain things, but just resign those things as God's will for me. It's not that I don't think He's big enough to change those things, like my CMT, but I believe He designed me with it and has purpose in it. So, I wait for the day that I'm truly free from it and all it's misery. Until then, I will rejoice about all the other things God has blessed me with.
