Personally… I hate, despise, and abominate waiting. I am a terrible wait-er. But… sometimes there is a ‘waiting period’. And there are preparations that need to occur prior to the ‘event’. Finally I’ve discovered that there are things I can do during this time rather than just pacing. The part of the fruit of the Spirit – patience – takes center stage for me at this time. What I need to remember is the parable about the wise and foolish virgins – the wise trimmed their wicks and made certain they had enough oil to keep the flame lit. The foolish – not.
Additionally, Timing is a critical component and it IS everything. My sense of timing is typically – NOW, not ‘later’. However, ‘now’ is not necessarily the right time and if we did proceed, we could be doing the wrong thing at the wrong time and with the wrong motives – not to mention the possibility of the wrong people. The point is that there are many components that need to be in place and acting precipitously is never one of them and typically not the best decision.
As to the ‘what’ of your asking… you have the assurance that if you are asking according to His will (1 John 5:14), then we KNOW we have what we ask. Did you start there? Sometimes I blur my wants and needs. My need may be that I want (fill in the blank). So, have you verified you are asking according to His will? Actually… what are you praying for/about? If it’s to change someone, have you ever read a scripture that says we should pray for a person to change? We can pray that they seek the Lord and His will… We can pray a blessing on another… We can ask that they seek your plans… but change someone based on our analysis – I think not. Our motives need assessing and may be the reason for the waiting.
From a different perspective, for me… wait does not necessarily mean never. However for some, wait means ‘no’. Since I’m aware that my timing isn’t always spot on, I need to hear all of the words first. Interestingly… I find that when I take the time to know my motives, what and why I am praying, interceding… I rarely have to wait. But… how does scripture define ‘wait’ and what we should/can do? Sometimes it is a ‘who’ we’re waiting on.
This verse tells us what happens when we wait, what we receive. KJV definition:
“The sense is to stop, or to continue.
To stay or rest in expectation; to stop or remain stationary, till the arrival of
some person or event.”
Paraphrasing Horace Williams Jr, he says that there are 5 essential reasons for waiting:
1-Danger. There can be unforeseen heartache or disappointment or even danger ahead if we move forward without His guidance.
2-Develop the right time. It may not be the right timing for our requests.
3-Determine our Motives. Sometimes we do not receive it when we ask for something because our motives are for the wrong reasons. (James 4:3)
4-Divine strength. As we seek God’s will and desire His direction for our lives, He will give us the strength to do what is needed.
5-Deepen our Faith. Waiting on God increases and strengthens our faith in Him.
Scriptural definition? Amusingly enough the irony is that one of my favorite verses is Isaiah 40:31, AMPC
“But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.”
Perhaps the issue is… what do we do when we wait? Wasting that time is foolish, learning, growing is always a positive.
