What Does It Mean To Wait On God?

We have heard the term “waiting on God” for years but what does it exactly mean? Does it mean just lots of praying and not anything else? Is it that we just bite our lip and suffer through the problems of life while doing the best we can? Is it an excuse for God to not answer our prayers the way we think they should be done?

I think we first need to look at what prayer is in the Bible and the life of a believer. Always remember that prayer is not informing God of something he doesn’t already know. Sometimes we can pray prayers that we think are giving God an inside track to some mysterious knowledge that only we have. When we realize that God knows what we need even before we need it, we can interact with him on a “promises” level instead of just an “informational” level. There are promises for every area of life in the Bible to be successful in all areas of life. From mental stability to healthy relationships to true success in business and life in general.

So if it’s not the problem of God’s knowledge of our situation and it is not the promises of the Bible that cause us to have issues with “waiting on God” then maybe it’s about us.

Think of the times you have used the term “waiting on God” in a sentence. It was probably never in the context of everything going well in life with no concerns physically, mentally or financially. I am sure it was said dealing with conflict of some kind and wondering why trouble has hit in life.

If it’s true that our waiting on God is in times of conflict maybe we need to consider a different approach. Maybe it is not so much about us waiting on God as it is God waiting on US to just submit to his will without worry. I am not saying that we just accept what is happening and not pray about situations that occur in life, but actually just the opposite. Instead of wasting prayers and asking God “why” something is happening maybe we need to start asking God “what” are you trying to teach us through the storms of life. It is asking God for him to show us his heart in situations more than just having him solve problems.

One other thing to consider in the gyrations of life is if our impatience is directly correlated to how much we trust God. If we trusted God as much as we said we do, then the trials and temptations of life should not bother us because we know that we are operating within a surrendered life that has given him full control. This brings up the importance of spending time with God not just when we need something from Him. When we make time for God the Bible says that we will find him and develop a deep relationship that will be bigger than the problems in our life.

When we get to heaven I can say that one of two things will happen. Either I will have God’s perspective on my life and go, “Huh. I get it” when I see painful life situations and all the questions that came along with those times or I will be in such magnificent glory that I won’t even care about what happened here on earth.

Waiting on God is not just a religious platitude nor is it an excuse for God to get away with whatever he wants to but something so much more. Think of it as a time of perfecting our character and just maybe giving God an opportunity to show up and show off. Waiting on God can be an amazing time of learning to trust His plan in the middle of chaos and then looking back on times of despair and thanking God for coming through for us and giving us some help with our character.

At Rocky Mountain CTN, we are praying for you in the good times and bad. The Bible doesn’t promise that when we start following Jesus that everything will be perfect but that we can have perfect peace that actually surpasses every bit of our understanding. Believing for GREAT things in your life today and have a great week!