11 Things to Do While You Wait on God

IRIS DELGADO

Iris Delgado

• Every day, present God with a sacrifice of thanksgiving (Psalm 107:22), of praise (Hebrews 13:15) and of joy (Psalm 27:6).
• Enlist someone’s prayer support—someone who really knows how to pray.
• Make a list of the three most important priorities in your life. Pray over them daily.
• If you’re married, discuss the priorities with your spouse. Agree together.
• Pray specifically but without begging.
• Speak the Word; don’t go by feelings or negative thoughts.
• Ask God for wisdom and discernment.
• Write out the Scriptures and promises that minister to you.

"Passiveness... A Dangerous Detour"

Habakkuk 2:3 "Write the vision make it plain on tablets so that they that run may see it. For the vision is for an appointed time."

I can't seem to get this word, "passive" out of my head....I'm sure God has a word for someone reading this devotional. Not only has this been a word for me, but sometimes it helps and is extremely encouraging to have someone say, "Hey God has a word for YOU!" To define the word "Passive" it simply means....lacking in energy or will. I was reading a book a couple of days ago and came across that word.

Immediately I heard in my spirit, "Don't allow passiveness to overtake you in waiting!" A couple of weeks ago I shared a devotional on prayer. Is God really listening to us? What about an unanswered prayer? So if you are waiting on God for something, then this devotional is for you.......

When we are waiting for God to come through for us, the enemy really works on our weariness! Waiting is difficult and while we are waiting there are many detours that we will be tempted to take. Suddenly I thought about being passive and then I realized that, that was one thing that I most definitely did not want to engulf me.

Are You Living With Unanswered Prayer?

 by Debi Walter

Today we want to talk about those who are waiting on God to answer specific prayers regarding their spouse and marriage. It’s like your unanswered prayer takes on a life of its own and seems to haunt you each and every day.

It’s hard to wait. Especially when we see no evidence of the changes for which we’re praying. How do we continue on when our prayers seem to be “on hold” from God? How do we motivate ourselves to do the right things when our spouse continues to do the wrong things? How do we keep the faith when our unanswered prayers walk by us everyday and seem to mock our hope?

God's Timing - Not Ours

"Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." - Psalm 37:7a

I don’t know about you but I hate to wait. Do you hate to wait? You know you can go and have an appointment at a doctor’s office, say at 9:00 am. You get in there, sit down, 5, 10, 15 minutes go by, and they haven’t called you. You go over to the magazine rack and you start looking around and all you find is a 1995 Readers Digest and it may be 1/2 hour, 45 minutes, or an hour before they get to you. I hate that. I don't like to wait in long lines at restaurants, being stuck in traffic during rush hour, or being put on hold by a computer. 

In our culture, waiting is a waste of time. But one thing's for sure: What we need to do is to trust God and be willing to do His will, in His timing, not our own, for the right action at the right time equals the right result.

So, what does it really mean to “wait on the Lord?” I’ll tell you one thing, it doesn’t mean just to stand still and do nothing, that’s not the idea. I know that is the way we wait in many areas of our life. We have to stand still and be quiet and not do anything. 

Dreams Deferred

Written by Kristi Huseby

What to do when God has you waiting .

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” (Romans 11:33-34)

Have you ever had a dream that didn’t come true?  Have you ever had one that you felt God gave to you and you are still waiting for it to happen?  I have had a dream since I was a child that I’m still waiting to see come to fruition and I have lived almost a half a century.  I believe that it is a desire that God has put in my heart, at times it has been a burning passion and at other times just a quiet longing.

Why does God put a dream in our heart and have us WAIT? 

Peter Swings for the Head - But Gets an Ear!

Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.  -- John 18:10  When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. -- Luke 22:49,50

Can you think of a time when you became so impatient while waiting on the Lord that you decided to take matters into your own hands to get things moving a little faster? When you later realized that you had made a big mess of things, were you regretful that you didn't wait a little longer before taking action? At one time or another, all of us have been guilty of acting rashly and thoughtlessly. For example, just think of how many times you've said something you later regretted! Oh, how you wished you could have retracted those words, but it was too late! Or perhaps you've been guilty of acting spontaneously on an issue before you had enough time to really think things through.

You've Already Got It!

On March 23, 1968, I had a miraculous encounter with the Lord that changed my life forever.

Instantly, I received "revelation knowledge" that I'm still trying to understand and communicate today. This knowledge didn't come through the normal channels of study and education; the Spirit of God supernaturally imparted it to me.

When I came heart to heart with the Lord, I just knew things about Him intuitively. One of those revelations has become a mainstay for what the Lord has accomplished in my life, and it's one of the most important and foundational truths of the Gospel.

It's the knowledge that God has already done His part. 

When Jesus cried "It is finished"(John 19:30), He meant just that. His work on earth was done. The Atonement was complete. He provided everything we could ever need. We aren't waiting on Him to give; He is waiting on us to receive.

Wait in God's Presence

by Barbie Breathitt

The Bible is full of God-given revelation through dreams, visions, and prophecy. We must study to show ourselves approved so that we can operate in the Spirit of understanding. We need to be spiritually fruitful in today's age of increasing spiritual awareness—which is both good and evil. We must learn from the Holy Spirit to discern between the two and have the character to reject the evil and embrace the true.

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened...” Ephesians 1:17–18 NKJV

The tangible presence of God residing in our lives, enabling us to do the impossible, is more important now than ever before in history. We do well to adopt the prayer of Moses in Exodus 33:13–16 (below). Moses asked God to show him His ways. This involves the spiritual realm of vision. If we are able to see our future and understand the ways God wants us to walk, we will prosper. It is time to see the grace and favor of God resting upon us in the realms of glory. Part of knowing God is recognizing His glory manifest in and through our lives. Do we really know God if we are not walking in the strength of His power doing great exploits?

Them Bones

Written by Gail Morris

Are you waiting for God to answer your prayer? Today’s exercise will give you a fresh perspective as you wait on God. 

“He led me all around among the bones that covered the valley floor. They were scattered everywhere across the ground and were completely dried out.” (Ezekiel 37:2, NLT)

For several months now I’ve had health issues from the neck up.  I’ve had issues with my ears, eyes and teeth.  I’m feeling particularly weary of the mess and continue to pray for resolutions. Reading Ezekiel this morning, I found myself reading Ezekiel 37:2.  This verse describes my current situation.

But despite this dry bone period, I remain hopeful. I’m weary, but hopeful. I know this season will not last forever. Whether I’m healed on this earth or in heaven, I’m certain it will end. How do I know? God’s promises appear throughout His word.

“From Empty to Full” – Part 2 “The Fullness of Time”

“A white-tailed deer drinks from the creek; I want to drink God, deep draughts of God I’m thirsty for God-alive.”

Psalm 42:1
The Message

EXPLORATION:

“From Empty to Full” – Part 2

“The Fullness of Time”

“Fullness” – Containing all that is possible. Complete in every detail.

What am I “waiting” for God to do in His “fullness of time” in my life?

INSPIRATION:

“But when the fullness of time was come, God sent forth His Son to redeem us.”

Galatians 4:4- 5
K.J.V.
The Message

I want to begin our devotional today with a thought-provoking prayer I read several years ago in one of my treasured books, Laughter, Silence and Shouting by Kathy Keay. This prayer is entitled, “Waiting” and it was written by women who found themselves in a time of “postponement” or “expectancy.” A time when the answer didn’t come, immediately! A time when God’s help didn’t arrive as fast as necessary.

Waiting for God’s Answer

Written by Chris Bradley

Take today’s next step: We need more authors for men’s devos. What has God taught you lately?

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40: 31)

One of the hardest things that Christians have to do is to wait on the Lord. Our patience runs thin and this often gets us into trouble making us do irrational things ahead of God’s direction.

But God’s time is different from ours. Although it’s hard to keep in focus, just be reminded that God has many plans for you. It is important to learn to stay still and wait for Him. He has promised to provide everything you need in due time.

On certain occasions, He might say, “No”. But just because He closes a door on something you’ve been praying about for a long time, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t care. He always has your best interest in mind and will give you something much better than you imagined.

Instead of Trying Harder, Trust More

by Rick Warren

  

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7a GW)

Surrendering your life means:

- Following God’s lead without knowing where he’s sending you.

- Waiting for God’s timing without knowing when it will come.

- Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide.

- Trusting God’s purpose without understanding the circumstances.

You know you’re surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don’t have to always be "in charge." Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you’re surrendered when you don’t react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships. You are not self-serving, you don’t edge others out, and you don’t demand your rights.

There Is Purpose in The Wait

By Wendy Pope

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:14 (NLT)

Efficiency is my middle name. I like to get things done and get them done fast. Waiting for my computer to re-load a web page, or my kids to find their shoes, or even for God to come through on a prayer request isn't something I always do with patience.

In our hurry up, need it, gotta-have-it-now culture, it's easy to think we shouldn't have to wait. Think about it: within seconds we can know the weather in southern Mongolia, order a cute blouse from a trendy store, or move dinner from the freezer to the table in five minutes thanks to microwaves. We can instant message our mom or send a tweet to thousands in the blink of an eye. No wonder waiting is hard!

King David, the author of Psalm 27:14 was no stranger to waiting and knew full well of its difficulties. So when David wrote, "Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD," it was with experience honed through years of waiting to fulfill God's destiny for him. That destiny started in the humble home of his father Jesse, and in the pasture herding sheep.

Tired of Waiting

By Tracie Miles

"Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them." Genesis 25:26b (NIV)

Do you ever get tired of waiting on God to answer your prayers? I do.

I get tired of saying the same old prayer day after day, month after month, year after year. Tired of telling God about the same old problems still going on. Tired of hearing myself pray about the same old issues, leading me to wonder if God is as tired of hearing my prayer requests as I am of praying them.
Recently I bowed my head and admitted to God that I was simply tired of praying and waiting.
In a heavy state of emotional exhaustion, I turned to my Bible. I hoped a few verses would jump straight into my heart and give me patience. That day I read about when Isaac's wife Rebekah gave birth to twin sons. One sentence in particular caught my eye and God used it to speak hope into my soul.

What to Do When God Seems Slow to Act

Photo by Rebecca Barlow Jordan

Depending on who you talk to, you’ll hear varied opinions on what God is doing in the world today. Is God about to pull the plug on time as we know it? Are the bad guys winning? How do we make the most of our time here on earth? And when God seems slow to act on our behalf, what’s our next step?

Heavy questions. I was reminiscing about a woman named Martha the other day, and this incident prompted my response to one of those questions:

Several years ago I was with a group in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. On a small-scale “Holy Land” tour that same day, we met a woman regaled in biblical garb and walking about in a cool, dark cave.

She introduced herself as the character “Martha,” a keeper of the cave where Jesus was born. She and her retired husband had moved to Eureka Springs, she told us, with nothing but an availability and willingness to serve God. Her voice increased a few decibels with each sentence as she narrated her familiar script.

A New Song

Written by Barbara Alpert

Rediscover the heart of worship with today’s free lesson: Celebrating God

  “I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to or God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.”(Psalm 40:1-3, emphasis mine)  

God seeks to put a new song in the mouths of many; a song of victory and praise in lieu of heartache. Out of love, God seeks to touch countless lives with mercy, grace, favor, restoration, and breakthroughs beyond reckon. It’s awesome when God steps in and does the seemingly impossible. Those touched by God’s abundant love cannot help but to sing praises unto Him, the maker of new songs.

Wait for the LORD

"Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." - Psalm 27:14

It's difficult sometimes to wait for the Lord's time, but it's important to stay strong and remember that His time is the right time. 


As you go into this weekend, remember that and keep your eyes on Jesus.


Have a great day!

GodVine.com

God Your Father

Written by Barbara Alpert

Are you waiting on God for something? Let us pray for you.

“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe.” (Proverbs 18:10)

Do you know that if you are a believer in Christ Jesus, you have been adopted into God’s family? Through faith in Jesus, God is now your heavenly Father and you are his daughter. In Ephesians 1:5 we read that, “he predestined us to be adopted as his sons (daughters) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.” God was delighted the day He adopted you into His family.

God wants you to call Him “Abba”. Abba means “Daddy”. In Galatians 4:6 we read, “Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”Since you have the very Spirit of God residing within you, you can call out to Him in prayer by saying, “Abba, Father, Daddy”.        

Is God Letting Your Family Down?

Tim Palla

The portable incubator


Thanks to the local 4-H office I have an egg incubator in my study. I thought it would be a fun project -- for the kids, of course. As it turns out, it's not a project at all. You set up the incubator, put eggs in the holders, set the thermostat to the correct temperature, and wait. That's it. What was I thinking?


It takes 21 days for chicken eggs to hatch, but that's irrelevant to the five resident egg inspectors that bear my last name. They intrude my study more now than ever -- especially the three youngest ones. "Hi, Dad! Just checking for peeps." I have a hunch this phrase will be repeated often enough to wear holes in my eardrums.


"Hey Dad, will you call me if anything happens?" they inquire. "Sure will," I reply with a slight nod. The fact that I've answered that same question, or a variation of it, twice already this morning means nothing to them. They need my reassurance and I'll continue to give it. This is one of my higher callings in life.

Maybe God's Waiting on You

Laura MacCorkle

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commandments.

Deuteronomy 8:2

"Sometimes I wait on God to change a situation only to realize he was waiting on me."

A friend of mine said that recently, and that thought has stayed with me ever since. I'm so quick to point to outside circumstances for why God is not changing a particular situation in my life. I question, I complain. And in essence, IIsraelitize! That's right. I'm just like a cranky Israelite who's wandering in the wilderness and wondering if I'll ever reach the Promised Land.

As I refreshed my memory about the plight of the Israelites after they had been delivered from Egypt and what happened during their 40-year wilderness experience, I was reminded that they did have a earlier opportunity to enter the Promised Land—two years into their ordeal.

During those two years, the Israelites had been trained and instructed in how to fight battles (it was not if but whenthey would occur). They were also given laws (The Ten Commandments) and instructed how to worship (detailed plans and guidelines for the Tabernacle, offerings, priests, etc.). So this time period was not for naught. It was to prepare the people, to test them to see if they would trust in God, worship him and submit to him as a unified body.

But they still didn't get it. And in the face of great blessing, they chose not to trust the Lord and disobeyed him.

In Numbers 13:1, we read:

The LORD said to Moses, "Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving the Israelites."

There it is, plain as day. God was going to give the Promised Land to the Israelites, and they knew this. But when the twelve spies came back with their report, ten of the twelve prevailed and offered their own plan:

"We went into the land to which you sent us," they said. "And it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. … We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are" (Numbers 13:27-28, 31).

The Israelites were scared and they were "sold," so they began grumbling and weeping aloud. Moses and Aaron quickly tried to reason with the people ("Do not rebel against the LORD"), but it was no use. The Israelites were going to do what they were going to do.

And then the Lord spoke:

For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you (Numbers 14:34).

The Israelites could have experienced tremendous blessing so much sooner. But because of their disobedience, they suffered for 38 more years in the wilderness. They brought it upon themselves! And therefore, they had to wait.

It's a story that shouldn't feel too distant from you and me today—despite the time gap. Think about it. How often have you brought upon yourself the various wilderness experiences in your own life? Times when you're uncomfortable or you don't like your circumstances or you don't understand what is happening and where you're going?

Either we wait for God's perfect plan in our lives and for him to unfold events exactly when and how he wants them to be, or we will wait to get out of what we have planned for ourselves. So what are you waiting on God to do today? And what is God waiting on you to do or to learn or to repent of and confess to him?

The next time you are even thinking about turning away from God's Word and rejecting his plan for your life, remember the Israelites and get on your knees. Remember God's kindness. Remember his mercy. And remember to wait on your faithful Father whose hand has provided everything an unfaithful people will ever need.

Intersecting Faith & Life:
What are you grumbling about today? What's going on in your current wilderness? Is it a relationship? A work situation? Your spiritual life? What got you there? And what is God asking you to do in the meantime while you wait? If God's waiting on you, then it's time to pay attention and start following his plan for your life.
Further Reading:

Isaiah 30:18

Proverbs 3:5-6

**Listen to the audio/podcast version of this devotional here.

About Laura MacCorkle

Laura MacCorkle is Crosswalk.com's Senior Editor. Prior to Crosswalk, her dot-com experience began at Musicforce.com, a leading Christian music e-tailer where she was the Senior Editor. She has also worked as a copywriter for LifeWay Christian Resources in Nashville, Tennessee and KMA Direct Communications in Plano, Texas. Born in "The Lone Star State" and raised by Yankee parents, Laura enjoys reading just about any periodical, singing in a civic chorus, winning Scrabble games and playing with her two Tonkinese cats. She holds a B.A. in Communication from Messiah College in Grantham, Pa.

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