"Rest in the Lord and wait

patiently for Him!"

Psalm 37:7

 

So you think that you have been holding on too long for that answer you have prayed for? Well I suggest that you hold on some more, because what may look like a delay is not a denial. And many times just when we are close to getting or receiving the answer, our faith tends to waver.

God is never late, and in a discussion with a friend recently, we reminded ourselves and agreed that many times when we murmur it is because our patience is running thin. But the answer is forthcoming my friend, and will come if we keep the faith and try our best to understand that God knows what is best for us and that His timing is always right and perfect.

We may be tempted to give up, but at those times when tempted, we should try to remember the times when we rejoiced over God's perfect timing when we thought He forgot us or that He was late.

We may be praying for a house to call a home, as I know many of us are. Gosh, almost two years ago already I was in that same position. When I look back and see how God worked it out perfectly for me, I realised that He was working behind the scenes — even and especially when I was tempted to panic or cry — yes, when you need something that badly, you will break down and cry at times — and today I encourage you to hold on and don't give up.   

The mistake I think too many of us make is that we look to mankind for the answer, when human beings are the vehicles for our prayers to be answered. We have to place our trust in God the Provider and hold on to the faith that our prayers will be answered. Today could be the day — you just never know — or it could be tomorrow.

 Sometimes, when your faith is tested to the max — and you feel that it looks gloomy, you have to reactivate your faith and do so with such a fierce tenacity that you may be called crazy. I recall like it was yesterday how on the day before I got the keys to my home, I locked myself away for that entire day, and prayed, cried, gave thanks — all that I could possibly do to reactivate my faith. It is not that God needed to be reminded. It was because my faith had taken a blow and needed to be built back up why I locked myself away and allowed my faith to be stretched. 

Let me caution you though that you may not have to do what I did and your prayers may not be answered the way mine was. But they will be answered — as God sees fit and timely.  

One of the things that I have learnt is that when we are inwardly ready — spiritually, mentally and emotionally, and to a great extent physically — to accept and appreciate what we prayed for, then we will get the answer. Many times an inner makeover is absolutely necessary before we can receive the answer. So yes, patience is required here as the work is done in preparation for the answer(s) to our prayers. 

Then there are times that we have to do our part. Now, after we have done our part, many of us expect the answer immediately. Not necessarily so my friend, not necessarily so. This requires even more patience on our part, but the thing to remember is that we are quite capable of waiting without grumbling. 

And some of us think that we have patience you know. But boy if we only knew folks with real patience — some people who have been waiting years and years for their answers. Now, please do not get me wrong, because I am not saying that God takes years to answer prayers because some people could be saying that they are waiting for someone or something that may not necessarily be (good) for them. In other words, we could spend years waiting for God to answer a prayer when the very fact that we did not get whatever it is can be an answer as well. But the message today is to wait on the Lord patiently for His will to be done. 

Be patient with yourself if you find that this may be well describing you. The real challenge is to now understand your God, your self and the mindset you have about waiting. And always remember that giving up is not an option.

 So let us walk on water because weak faith panics, growing faith prays and seasoned faith walks on water in the midst of the storms.