“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised.”
Psalm 130:5 (TLB)1 John 4:18 (NLT)
Pastor, as you head into another week of ministry, remember that God wants you not only to wait patiently but also to wait expectantly for him to answer your prayers.
Have faith.
Trust God to hear and to answer.
When you wait expectantly, you show God that you believe his promises—that you believe he’s going to keep his word.
Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, was once asked if he had ever been lost in the wilderness.
He responded, “No, I can’t say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.”
Some of you may feel bewildered right now.
You’re bewildered about your next steps in ministry: “I’m praying for fruitfulness, but I’m not seeing it.”
You’re bewildered about your family: “How can I serve them faithfully?”
You’re bewildered about people you’re sharing the Gospel with: “Why am I not seeing the response I’d like to?”
You may feel powerless and hopeless, like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own.
Don’t be discouraged.
Don’t give up.
Instead, look up! Turn to prayer—and then trust God’s response.
Many of us can point to prayer requests we’ve made for decades without an answer.
We don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer them, and we don’t understand the silence.
But whether or not God ever answers those prayers, we need to believe his promises.
God is good, and he knows what’s best—even when we don’t understand what he’s doing.
When God doesn’t answer your prayers, you need to remember a couple of very important truths: First, God is in control and you’re not.
He knows your needs even better than you do.
There is no mountain so tall that he can’t move it.
There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it.
There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it.
God is in control, and he has a plan.
The second thing you need to remember is that, whether or not you ever receive your answer, God will honor your patience—if not in this world, then in eternity.
“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).
Have faith.
Trust God to hear and to answer.
When you wait expectantly, you show God that you believe his promises—that you believe he’s going to keep his word.
He responded, “No, I can’t say as ever I was lost, but I was bewildered once for three days.”
You’re bewildered about your next steps in ministry: “I’m praying for fruitfulness, but I’m not seeing it.”
You’re bewildered about your family: “How can I serve them faithfully?”
You’re bewildered about people you’re sharing the Gospel with: “Why am I not seeing the response I’d like to?”
You may feel powerless and hopeless, like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own.
Don’t give up.
Instead, look up! Turn to prayer—and then trust God’s response.
We don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer them, and we don’t understand the silence.
But whether or not God ever answers those prayers, we need to believe his promises.
God is good, and he knows what’s best—even when we don’t understand what he’s doing.
He knows your needs even better than you do.
There is no mountain so tall that he can’t move it.
There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it.
There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it.
God is in control, and he has a plan.
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