Wait Expectantly

In our fast-paced culture, it is hard to wait. We are accustomed to getting what we want or need at an ever-increasing speed. Fast food sometimes isn’t fast enough anymore. Our internet speeds are instant, no longer the dial-up wait times of the past. Even being able to talk or communicate with a loved one either in your same town or around the world is almost instant. No one sends personal handwritten letters anymore because we have other ways we can communicate with each other much more quickly. 

No, waiting is something we are not accustomed to and something many of us are frankly not very good at. So no wonder so many of us struggle when we pray and soon begin to doubt God when our prayers are not answered immediately. 

But we must remember our ways are not necessarily God’s ways. 

“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.”  –Psalm 5:3

I love this verse because it shows how praying and waiting build our relationship with God. We come to Him in the morning, at the start of our day before the craziness of our day begins, and give our day over to Him. We lay before Him our agenda, our plan, our worry, our heartbreak, our joy; we present it all to Him and then we wait.

I know waiting is hard. We aren’t used to it and because of that, many of us are not good at it. But there is growth in the waiting and many times, special gifts or blessings are given in the midst of the wait, blessings that if God would have answered as quickly as we would have liked, we might have missed. 

So I want to encourage you to commit to waiting expectantly on our Lord as you look forward to His answers to your prayers. Don’t lose heart. He has heard each and every prayer and He is working in your life in ways you can’t even see at this time. Trust Him in the wait, the time between your prayers and His answer. God is moving. His timing is perfect even when we feel it is not. Don’t lose hope. Fight for joy and the anticipation of His answer. 

Sweet friend, don’t ever forget God loves you, sees you, and knows you. He has a wonderful plan for your life but I know that is hard to understand when you have been praying and waiting for so long. So I’d like to take the time today and pray for you. I believe praying for someone is one of the best ways to truly love them. 

Dear Lord, 

I lift up my dear friend and sister in Christ to You today. I know You love her, see her, and have amazing plans for her life. Please help her to see You and Your work in her life. Encourage her heart with Your truth and help her to know that You are working in the midst of her life even when she can’t feel it or see it. As she waits for Your answer, help her to grow closer to You. Align her desires and prayers with the plans and purposes You have for her life. Help her in this season of waiting and allow her to see when You finally answer, how the period of waiting was truly a blessing in disguise. Amen.