Waiting for anything has become a lost art in this modern world that we live in today. What with the advent of cell phones that enable you, in a matter of seconds, to talk to someone across the globe, jets that can take one to distant continents in hours and microwaveable instant meals. The need for waiting has dimmed.
I have noticed that even for Christians, the idea of waiting on God for answers has become something outdated. We want to approach God like an ATM machine, punch a few buttons (mumble a few words in prayer), out pops our answer and off we go to run errands that we deem more important than sitting at the Lord’s feet and hearing what He has to say to us.
Back home in Zimbabwe, the shortage of basic commodities taught us the art of waiting in long queues to get what we need e.g., salt, sugar, fuel etc. The amount of time and the patience you exercise will depend on how much you value the thing you’re waiting for. In the same way, waiting on God is about commitment and the value we put on what we are waiting for.
It’s also about fellowship, relationship and trust. Waiting is not a waste of precious time nor is it idleness. It’s a show of trust. What you are saying as you wait is that I have made my requests known to my Heavenly Father, and now, in expectancy, I’m waiting for an answer. It’s being fully persuaded that God will come through for us, no matter how long it takes. As we wait, we do not complain, grumble or murmur. We offer the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for that which we are fully persuaded that God is preparing for us.
Genesis 8:22 talks of seedtime and harvest time. After planting a seed, there is time that lapses before a harvest. We do not plant in the morning and expect to harvest in the evening. It would look ridiculous for a gardener to plant kale seedlings in the morning then in the evening, place a pot on the stove and head to the garden to harvest the kale for a meal. Yet, at times, this absurdity is reflected in how we pray as children of God. We are impatient for answers and expect them in timing that suits us.
At times, our answers come and the angels do not find us at our posts waiting on God for the answers. We are like a man who goes to draw money at the ATM, places his card in the machine, punches the buttons then walks away in frustration because there has been some delay in the cash coming out. Waiting on God is something we learn as we mature in Him. In this regard, we have an advantage and that advantage is the Holy Spirit, our resident tutor. He teaches us how to pray and imparts the patience to wait on God for the answer.
I have had many chances to learn waiting on the Lord as I have matured in my walk with the Lord. I have prayed for many issues concerning my family or myself. After prayer, I sense a peace in my heart or actually sense that God is saying, “It is done.” However, the physical evidence does not become tangible there and then. I have learnt not to petition God again and again about the same issue but to continue in thanksgiving for the answer until it manifests.
In conclusion, I just want to point out that our God us all-wise and all -knowing. He understands emergencies. There are some one-word or one-sentence prayers we send to God in cases of dire emergency and He responds immediately. For example, in Nehemiah 2:4, while Nehemiah was standing before King Artaxerxes and was asked what he wanted, he sent a quick prayer of guidance to God and was rewarded with an instant answer. Walk in the Spirit and He will be your guide in all you do.
about the author
Esnath Boora – A humble and loving woman of God. Bible-believing pastor. Mother of four. Spiritual mother to many.
Find Esnath on:
iBloom for God 