Word of Encouragement (2/26/2021)
We’ve been talking about why God might tell us to wait. Today, let’s talk about what we should do while waiting. There are things we can do nothing about; all we can do is just wait. But there are also things that require our action in addition to prayer. We will talk about that later. Either way, we should not stop praying while waiting. How should we pray when God says to wait?
First, we should pray rather than complain. Think about the Israelites in the wilderness. When they encountered difficulties, they often resorted to bitter complaints rather than to humble prayer for God’s provision. And in their complaints, they accused God of being uncaring and even malicious toward them. For example, when they heard the report of the ten spies about the Nephilim warriors, they complained, “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would that we had died in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us into this land, to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become a prey. Would it not be better for us to go back to Egypt” (Num. 14:2-3). On account of their complaint, God allowed them to perish in the wilderness (as they wished!). How tragic is this when it can be so easy to change our complaint to prayer!
Second, we should pray persistently, especially when we are certain that what we are praying for is in accordance with God’s will. Jesus told the Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge “to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). In His Parable of the Friend at Midnight, Jesus said, “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs” (Luke 11:8). Jesus was implying that, if this not-so-great a friend would grant his friend’s request because of his persistence, how much more willing will be our wonderful heavenly Father to grant our request, especially if we pray according to His will?
During the time of waiting, it may seem like nothing is happening and we may be tempted to stop praying. Resist the doubt that God doesn’t care and prayer doesn’t “work.” Resist the doubt that God is not listening or not doing anything. The temptation is there to think badly of God because He is not doing what we want, when we want it, and how we want it to be done. God is not our Butler, who is there to do our bidding; He is our Lord. He knows what is good for us and when the right time is for us to receive His good gifts. It helps me to remember that just because I can’t see God working doesn’t mean God is not working. My field is vision is so small: I can only see what is right in front of me. But God may be bringing a bird of prey from the east (Isa. 46:11) or the rain clouds to form in a faraway distance (1 Kings 18:41-45). So, we should persist in praying with expectation and hope.