Waiting well isn’t something that comes naturally to any of us. Our inclination is to want things our way and on our timeframe. And yet, God often doesn’t work how or when we expect. It often takes time for God to tweak our perceptions and attitudes and to heal previous wounds in order to prepare us for whatever is coming next. Those periods of waiting, of being in transition, are often periods of preparation.
Are you letting God prepare you for the pour out?
Prayers in Bowls
Revelations 5:8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
The past few weeks we have looked at the idea of our prayers being stored in bowls until the time that God chooses to pour out his answers and blessings on our behalf.
We discussed prayer equity and how we are to fill our bowls and pray without ceasing. Last time, we started talking about waiting on the bowls to fill. Specifically, we looked at the difference between waiting well and waiting badly. It’s frustrating when you are stuck in the waiting seasons and waiting can trigger a lot of negative emotions. We grow weary when we do the things we know we should but don’t see our breakthrough. It’s hard to flush out those feelings and surrender them to God but that is exactly what we need to do in order to wait well.
Preparing for the Pour-Out
Choosing to wait well isn’t the end of the story though. We can wait well and still be stuck in the wait. It is possible to go through the motions of reading our bible, praying, etc., and still grow weary. We can ‘wait well,’ doing the right things, but still loose hope, start to doubt or think that we’re waiting on other people or circumstances. Sometimes, especially when other people are involved, it’s easy to think that we’re waiting on them to change and completely forget that God has work to do in us as well!
Seasons of waiting happen for many reasons but a large one is because we aren’t ready for the answer. There could be attitudes and hardness in our own hearts that we don’t even recognize. There maybe work we need to do in order to prepare for the pour out of answers and blessings. God may be using the wait to prepare you for whatever the answer is.
Problems in the Wait
I’ve been sharing how the Holy Spirit convicted me over my attitude at the splash pad one afternoon last summer. My boys waited for the tipping buckets to fill with reckless abandon. The water was coming and they were willing to stand still in giddy anticipation knowing it would feel good and was worth waiting for.
Its important to note that even at 5, my middle son knew how to prepare. There were several kids undertake buckets so he stood with his brother to make sure he didn’t get pushed out of his turn. The buckets had a cycle and and he watched it to learn when his bucket would be next. He learned, watching his brother, to take a deep breath and bend his knees so the weight of the water didn’t knock him over.
Focusing on the problem
I’ve been waiting on an answer and will admit its not usually with a lot of joy and anticipation. I get grumpy and swing through hope, resignation, peace and chaos in a dizzying whirlwind some days.
And yet, I should be excited! God spoke words over the situation and while I may not know the when, why or how, that should be enough. I should be clinging to that and not be distracted by the circumstances while waiting for it to come to pass. While it hasn’t been that long, the stakes feel high and I want my promised answers now.
Starting to doubt
I was super excited when God first spoke but as time goes by, I start doubting what I heard. Surely, if God were going to do (fill in the blank), it would have happened by now. Worse, I start doubting that I heard from God at all. I am quick to get discouraged and think I’m crazy or stupid. When things get worse, instead of better, I don’t always handle it well.
Watching my kids, I realized that my attitude was no where near as good as theirs that day at the splash pad. I wasn’t full of joy and anticipation. I wasn’t really anticipating God doing anything. Sure, I believe he said he would… but I more or less assumed that day was far off and not likely to happen anytime soon and was content to sit in my pity party.
Finding Hope
Around the same time, God kept sending me verse after verse on ‘have hope.’ I was so frustrated that even the Holy Spirit hitting me over the head with the same message over and over was irritating instead of helping.
We’ve talked about throwing tantrums. In one of mine, I told him that hope wasn’t working for me and that if he sent me that word one more time I was going to throw my bible in the lake. I’m not sure if I would have or not. I do know I didn’t hear or read a bible verse about hope for several months after that. Instead I got perseverance, endurance, and some other words that implied work and spiritual stamina.
Prepare for the answer
Sometimes there is work we are supposed to do in the waiting to prepare for the pour out. It looks as though nothing is happening but in the waiting God is teaching you lessons and working through past issues. This is the work you need to do to prepare for the answers when they come. Often times, the answer needs time to develop, both in us, in others and in the physical world. Instead of choosing to focus on the circumstances, I would challenge you to focus on yourself and on the Lord. Do the work and learn the lessons so you are ready to move to the next season when it arrives.
Learning in the Furnace
None of those words are easy lessons to learn; these lessons are only learned in the fire. But we know God doesn’t leave us. In Daniel 3, God didn’t spare Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the fiery furnace. They went in expecting God to be with them and while the flames killed the guards who threw them into the fire, God joined them in the fire, kept them safe and brought them out unharmed. Not a single hair on their heads or thread on their garments was singed. They didn’t even smell like smoke!
God didn’t love Shadrach, Meshach or Abednego more than he loves you or me. He didn’t love Jacob, Moses, Abraham, Joseph or any of the other biblical heroes more than us. He loves you and I the same amount! God loves us enough to:
- show up in a fiery furnace.
- help us take down a giant.
- bring home the prodigal.
- provide what is needed.
- heal a loved one.
- (fill in the blank with whatever promise or miracle you are waiting on).
Where is my enthusiasm?
How do I wait with the same joy I saw in my children? If God has spoken over my family and situation, it shouldn’t matter how long I have to wait. I should be jumping up and down, here and now, knowing that God has this and it will all work out right? So where is my joy?
I know what God said. I don’t doubt that.
God is capable of doing what he said. I believe that.
God is good and wants good things for me. I don’t doubt that.
God doesn’t lie. I believe that.
So why do I doubt that He is going to do what he said he would do for me?
Preparing My Heart
I tend to get stuck looking through my physical eyes. I see the situation continue to crumble around me and I want to quit fighting for my answers. In this season of waiting, I needed the reminder that God needs to prepare me. My heart, while perhaps not hardened to the extent of others, is definitely damaged and hurting. God needs to prepare me by giving me time and space to heal and forgive. I need time to build my spiritual stamina and to refresh and strengthen my spirit.
I have learned to recognize that whenever I get tangled up and stuck in the waiting, it is usually because of something ugly in me.
Bitterness and unforgiveness drive an unfair sense of justice that wants revenge or validation. Selfishness just wants to be right or that thinks I’ve suffered or waited long enough. Ego thinks my way or my timing is better than God’s.
Every time I hit this moment, God shows me another layer of something in me that I need to release in order to prepare for my answer when it comes. Most of these things are based on one lie or another that the enemy has whispered in my ear. He has taken me through this journey enough times that I’m starting to recognize the process.
Step 1: Expose Satan’s lies
At the very heart of my most frustrating moments ‘waiting,’ if I’m brutally honest, I can usually expose a lie I have allowed the enemy to plant in my heart and mind.
I find I fall for two categories of lies: the lies I believe about myself and the lies I believe about God. I’m sure you can relate to some of the lies I’ve fallen for:
- God answers prayers… just not mine.
- God doesn’t love me the way he loves so-and-so since he answered his/her prayer.
- I must have misinterpreted what I thought God was saying.
- What I heard must not have been from God.
- God forgot about me.
- I did something wrong or haven’t done the right thing to get God to answer.
- My prayers aren’t good enough,I haven’t prayed enough or said the ‘right’ prayer
All of these are lies. Let me repeat that: ALL of these are lies.
Thoughts like these lead to the hopelessness, bitterness, etc. that I spoke about before. Even though the enemy loves to whisper these thoughts to me, I know they aren’t true.
I have had to learn to dig deep into the ugly parts of my thoughts and feelings to see what is truly lurking in the dark. Because those lies are so dangerous to our relationship with God, it is important to identify what is there and be real about it. Take some time to sit in those dark places and ask God to illuminate what it is there. There is great freedom in identifying the lies and bringing them out in the open for God to reveal the truth instead.
Ask God to show you what lies you are believing about him and about yourself.
Step 2: Discover God’s truths
Identifying the lies is just the beginning though. After, it is important to replace and combat them with God’s truth. The Bible is full of God’s words regarding our identity, His promises, etc. When the enemy starts whispering the old, familiar lies into your head, the best way to fight back is with the Word of God.
Whenever I’m dealing with a lie, its important to break it down to its core issue and then dig into your Bible. One topic that I’ve been dealing with specifically lately is that God doesn’t hear or answer my prayers. When the enemy starts in with those lies, I remind myself of God’s promises. 1 John 5:15 is a favorite. Others are 1 Peter 3:12, Jeremiah 29:12-13 and Psalm 66: 17-20.
Sometimes it’s enough just to read or recite these verses. Other times sitting with them for with them for days or weeks, is necessary. I’ve have to memorize some of these verses and use them for prayer and meditation every time the lie pops back into my head. Honestly, some of these topics for me are still works in progress. But filling my mind with God’s truth does silence the voice of the enemy and help me find peace in the storms.
Step 3: Ask Holy Spirit to step in
It’s really easy to fall into the trap that we can change ourselves. This, however, is another of the enemy’s lies and one you don’t want to fall pray to while trying to flush out another. The truth of the matter is, God is the one who transforms us. One encounter with Jesus is all we need to be fundamentally changed. Often times, the Holy Spirit will work in quieter and slower ways but it is not by our might or power that we are transformed. It is only by the Holy Spirit. Always remember when you are struggling, to invite the Holy Spirit to reveal God’s truth to you. He is the one who will bring life to bible passages, whisper into your soul and light up the dark and hurting places, bringing you His healing and comfort.
Choose no more pity parties
While the Holy Spirit does the work of transforming us, we are to be active and willing participants. He cannot work alone. It is our job to make sure we are doing the right things. We need to be living a life without sin, repenting and asking forgiveness from God and others when we do wrong or cause harm, praying, reading our bibles, and being obedient. Beyond that, we ultimately have to choose whether or not we will allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. The Holy Spirit can’t help us when we’re wallowing in sin and self pity. We have to choose to let him in and be willing to dig into the muck and turn over whatever we find to God. We have to be willing to take our thoughts captive and meditate on His word to combat the lies the enemy has planted.
Pray without ceasing
We talked about praying without ceasing and ways to do in the second post of this series but it bears repeating. We are to pray without ceasing. Prayer is one of the ways we establish and grow a personal relationship with God. Ask God for guidance and wisdom. Pray back any verses he gives you because his word does not return void.
Remember, God loves and wants to answer our prayers so much he stores them in bowls so they don’t get lost or forgotten. While it may not be on our time table or in the way we expect, He wants to do great things for us. Don’t grow weary in the waiting and give up.
I don’t remember where I heard it but this quote has stuck with me for years: “Prayer doesn’t change God. It changes us.” God uses prayer to reveal things in us. Prayer teaches us patience, endurance, persistence, compassion. It is spiritual exercise just as much as running is physical exercise. And it is good for our heart, body and soul in the same ways. Prayer prepares us!
Use the Wait to Prepare
Our ability to wait well ultimately does not rest in us or our ability to do anything. It resides in our confidence that God is who he says he is. I chose to believe that God is good, that his plans are good and that he will keep his word.
The important part of waiting is remembering to wait well and prepare for the answers when they come. Keep your focus on the Lord and use that time to grow your faith and relationship with Him. Yes, waiting is frustrating, but we have the ability to choose how we wait. I pray you all have the stamina to wait well.
Part of waiting well is understanding that there is work that needs to be done to prepare us. Our hearts and attitudes need to be made right.
For now, I would like to leave you with this:
Psalm 130 A Song of Ascents
Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen for the morning,
more than watchmen for the morning.
O Israel, hope in the Lord!
For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will redeem Israel
from all his iniquities.
Prayer
Father,
There is work You need to do in me to prepare me for the next season. I apologize for my lack of patience and humility in wanting things my way and on my time. I am sorry for clinging to the lies I have believed- about you, about myself, about my situation instead of clinging to You. You say we will know the truth and the truth will set us free (John 8:32).
I invite you, Holy Spirit, into this situation .. Help me to bear fruit and to grow in spiritual maturity while I wait. Use this time of waiting to prepare me for Your answers. I release my expectation of what I want and how I think you should answer and am trusting that your plans are for my good (Jeremiah 29:11).
Thank you for the blessings and answers you have already given me. I thank you for the guidance and wisdom.
In Jesus’ name
Prayers in Bowls Series
If you’ve missed any of the articles in this series, check them out here:
- Fill Your Bowl: Prayers in Bowls 1
- Pray Without Ceasing: Prayers in Bowls 2
- Stuck in the Wait: Prayers in Bowls 3
- Using the Wait: Prayers in Bowls 4