Oswald Chambers, author of the beloved devotional My Utmost for His Highest said, "Man's greatest stress is waiting on God."
Waiting on God is a common experience for every believer at various (or many) times in our lives. But Andy Stanley, author and Atlanta pastor in his book, Visioneering reminds us, "Waiting time is not wasted time."
Waiting...
* doesn't mean that God doesn't love you.
* doesn't mean that God has lost control.
* doesn't mean that God has forgotten you.
* doesn't mean that God isn't listening to you.
Waiting...
* does mean that God's timing involves the lives of others.
* does mean that you have to hold on in faith until you see and receive what He promised you.
* does mean that you have to stay connected to God in prayer in order to have sustaining strength.
* does mean that you must keep asking God to reveal something more to you.
As mentioned before, going through this book with a group YEARS after I wrote it is such a great reminder to me of each of these statements. Time doesn't make God love you more or answer your prayers more quickly. In fact, time often means that you have matured and God expects more of you--more patience, more perseverance, and more trust in His timing.
Where does this chapter/session find you? Struggling, growing, strengthened, or complacent?
Be encouraged,
Becky
Becky, thank you so much for sharing your life lessons and experiences with us. It's always a blessing to be on the call with you and the others in the group. We all love you so much!
ReplyDeleteLaura.
Through this chapter, I can see there were times that my insistence on praying for things to go my way, got in the way of God's plan. It was my actions, coupled with prayer under possible wrong motives that created more frustration than patiently waiting ever could have.
ReplyDeleteOne area has to do with my church membership. I always thought the bigger the better, and attempted to plug into programs that were not bad in and of themselves, but were not the best for me. Now I find myself in a small church, with more opportunity and more friendships than I ever had before. Every single element fits in better with my life at this time than the other places did. Again, not that they were bad places but they were not meant for me to plug into.
It took waiting, and really asking God's direction, to get me in the right place. I was no longer forcing a square peg into a round hole. I was letting God do the placing.
Hello fellow group members? ? ? ?
ReplyDeleteWhere have you all gone?
Don't be afraid to post, we're all here for each other!
I find this chapter one of strengthening character and building perseverance. The more prayer I do the more I feel connected to God and trusting that his timing is perfect, regardless of the pain sometimes associated with the wait. Just when I get discouraged over not hearing from God in a certain matter he will answer another prayer and I feel encouraged. I also find that staying connected to other believers who want to have an powerful prayer life also helps the process.
ReplyDeleteI have a few big, unanswered prayers, so easy to get discouraged and start worrying but it only makes me a tense person rather than practicing trust,which gives me peace.
There is power in prayer with others. I see that over and over. Staying connected to others is
ReplyDeleteso helpful in staying strong in prayer. The church of Jesus Christ. We need eachother, all the time, to grow and mature in Him.
I wrote three things down for my growth in this chapter... I need to ask if I'm praying according to his will, ask if I have an impure motive about every request, ask him to reveal more information so I can pray more specifically.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if I am gaining muscle although I don't feel strong. It is kind of like lactic acid. It's tough and some times feels like its too much weight. The more I grow, learn, understand and practice prayer and examine my life in relationship with my God, the more I realize how inadequate I am....more and more light is turned on to the truth about me, where before, the light was so dim I didn't have to be concerned with what I couldn't see.
All this to say that I'm definitely struggling, growing and strengthened. With all that, complacency is not even an option.