Helloooo? Can anybody hear me? GOD, can YOU hear me?
Often in seasons of waiting this is the mindset and prayer that we find ourselves praying over and over again, waiting for a change of pace, or at least a sign or something, right?
Truth is, God can hear us and DOES hear us.
And we know that, which is why we're SO frustrated, so we'll probably still ask:
Then why isn't He answering me?
Well first off, He is, and in reality we know that. He's just not giving us the answer that we're looking for (which should actually be comforting because what we're asking for isn't as good as what God can give us).
But, because we think we know best and know more than the creator of the entire universe, this sucks.
Taking a step back, what have we and what do we accomplish by worrying? By obsessing over a certain situation? By counting on a certain plan?
Stress. Guilt. Lower feelings of self-worth, because we feel like God must not really love us as much as He says he does since He's not answering us (which is ridiculous because Jesus's love for us is measured by His mission and death on the cross. Not to mention, that His life and His death is the most noteworthy event known in human history; this is known by Christians and non-Christians alike. We know that He loves us).
Honestly, by worrying and by not stopping, resting, and trusting in Jesus, we are allowing the devil a foothold.
Whats a foothold? you ask. A foothold is a way that the devil has more of a hold of you in a certain way than Jesus does and is using that to keep you down.
Yikes. So how do we shake him in this aspect?
First, we realize that our obsession of wanting to know everything, of planning our lives and situations out from seconds to days, causes us to drift away and get caught in a whirlpool of confusion and inner chaos. In the Bible, God tells us to stay away from anything that keeps us from being sober minded. For example, 1 Peter 5:8 says,
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
Second, we start by asking Jesus to change our hearts so that we're more on His page. Things are a lot more peaceful and productive that way. Promise. :)
Third, by realizing that we are exactly where we're supposed to be, so we can be living a life of joy, fun, and excitement. It's is ours if WE want it. See that? If we WANT it. And we do have the power through Christ to own this state of life. 2 Timothy 1:7 claims, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
This allows us to be proactive in our waiting, not passive.
We no longer need to ask the question:
Jesus, are we there yet?
But,
Jesus, You're here, and here I am. Help me give up my craving to live in the future, I'm not enjoying the here and now. Help me get on the same page as You. You wrote eternity with Your hands. Help me not be terribly impatient during this season of waiting, but show me more of You and help me become more like You. Help me let go of whatever is holding me back, and instead hold onto You.
I love you
Amen
"What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.." - Ecclesiastes 3:9-12
"Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be." – John Ortberg
"He may delay because it would not be safe to give us at once what we ask: we are not ready for it. To give ere we could truly receive, would be to destroy the very heart and hope of prayer, to cease to be our Father. The delay itself may work to bring us nearer to our help, to increase the desire, perfect the prayer, and ripen the receptive condition." - George Macdonald
"What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them…we must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly." - A.W. Tozer
“God may withhold an answer to prayer until we relinquish control of the outcome and put our complete trust in Him.” - Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson
Often in seasons of waiting this is the mindset and prayer that we find ourselves praying over and over again, waiting for a change of pace, or at least a sign or something, right?
Truth is, God can hear us and DOES hear us.
And we know that, which is why we're SO frustrated, so we'll probably still ask:
Then why isn't He answering me?
Well first off, He is, and in reality we know that. He's just not giving us the answer that we're looking for (which should actually be comforting because what we're asking for isn't as good as what God can give us).
But, because we think we know best and know more than the creator of the entire universe, this sucks.
Taking a step back, what have we and what do we accomplish by worrying? By obsessing over a certain situation? By counting on a certain plan?
Stress. Guilt. Lower feelings of self-worth, because we feel like God must not really love us as much as He says he does since He's not answering us (which is ridiculous because Jesus's love for us is measured by His mission and death on the cross. Not to mention, that His life and His death is the most noteworthy event known in human history; this is known by Christians and non-Christians alike. We know that He loves us).
Honestly, by worrying and by not stopping, resting, and trusting in Jesus, we are allowing the devil a foothold.
Whats a foothold? you ask. A foothold is a way that the devil has more of a hold of you in a certain way than Jesus does and is using that to keep you down.
Yikes. So how do we shake him in this aspect?
First, we realize that our obsession of wanting to know everything, of planning our lives and situations out from seconds to days, causes us to drift away and get caught in a whirlpool of confusion and inner chaos. In the Bible, God tells us to stay away from anything that keeps us from being sober minded. For example, 1 Peter 5:8 says,
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour."
Second, we start by asking Jesus to change our hearts so that we're more on His page. Things are a lot more peaceful and productive that way. Promise. :)
Third, by realizing that we are exactly where we're supposed to be, so we can be living a life of joy, fun, and excitement. It's is ours if WE want it. See that? If we WANT it. And we do have the power through Christ to own this state of life. 2 Timothy 1:7 claims, "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline."
This allows us to be proactive in our waiting, not passive.
We no longer need to ask the question:
Jesus, are we there yet?
But,
Jesus, You're here, and here I am. Help me give up my craving to live in the future, I'm not enjoying the here and now. Help me get on the same page as You. You wrote eternity with Your hands. Help me not be terribly impatient during this season of waiting, but show me more of You and help me become more like You. Help me let go of whatever is holding me back, and instead hold onto You.
I love you
Amen
"What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live.." - Ecclesiastes 3:9-12
"Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want. Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be." – John Ortberg
"He may delay because it would not be safe to give us at once what we ask: we are not ready for it. To give ere we could truly receive, would be to destroy the very heart and hope of prayer, to cease to be our Father. The delay itself may work to bring us nearer to our help, to increase the desire, perfect the prayer, and ripen the receptive condition." - George Macdonald
"What then are we to do about our problems? We must learn to live with them until such time as God delivers us from them…we must pray for grace to endure them without murmuring. Problems patiently endured will work for our spiritual perfecting. They harm us only when we resist them or endure them unwillingly." - A.W. Tozer
“God may withhold an answer to prayer until we relinquish control of the outcome and put our complete trust in Him.” - Suzanne Elizabeth Anderson