What does "waiting on the Lord" actually mean in practical, everyday terms? I’m not looking for a theological definition, but rather concrete examples. What does it look like when someone is waiting on the Lord in a tough job situation, a difficult relationship, or while facing a major life decision? Does it involve specific actions like prayer, fasting, or reading scripture? Or is it more of a mental and emotional state? And how can you distinguish between genuinely waiting on the Lord and simply being passive or procrastinating? I’m hoping for actionable insights and real-life scenarios that illustrate the difference. How can I know for sure I’m truly waiting on God’s timing and guidance and not just avoiding making a decision or taking responsibility?
Answer
Waiting on the Lord, in practical, everyday terms, means cultivating an active posture of anticipation, receptivity, and obedience toward God’s guidance and timing in all aspects of life. It’s not passive resignation or inactivity, but a dynamic engagement with God’s will. Here’s a breakdown:
1. Prayerful Dependence:
- Consistent Communication: Regularly talking to God through prayer, not just when in need, but as a continuous conversation throughout the day. This includes praise, thanksgiving, confession, and supplication.
- Seeking His Will: Praying specifically for God’s direction in decisions, large and small, rather than relying solely on personal desires or logic. This involves asking for wisdom, discernment, and understanding of His plans.
- Listening for His Voice: Paying attention to the nudges, promptings, and impressions received during prayer and meditation, discerning whether they align with scripture and God’s character.
2. Studying and Meditating on Scripture:
- Regular Bible Reading: Immersing oneself in the Word of God to understand His principles, promises, and character. This provides a foundation for discerning His will.
- Meditative Reflection: Reflecting deeply on specific verses or passages, allowing the Holy Spirit to reveal their meaning and application to one’s life.
- Memorization: Committing scripture to memory to have it readily available for guidance and encouragement in various situations.
3. Active Obedience:
- Immediate Response: When God reveals something to do or a direction to take, acting on it promptly, even if it seems difficult or inconvenient.
- Faithful Stewardship: Utilizing one’s talents, resources, and opportunities to serve God and others, trusting that He will provide what is needed.
- Moral Integrity: Living a life that is pleasing to God, adhering to biblical standards of honesty, purity, and love.
4. Trusting in His Timing:
- Patience: Accepting that God’s timing is often different from one’s own, and trusting that He is working behind the scenes, even when it is not apparent.
- Contentment: Finding joy and peace in the present circumstances, regardless of how long the waiting period may be.
- Resisting Impatience: Avoiding the temptation to rush ahead of God or to take matters into one’s own hands, trusting that He will bring things to pass in His perfect time.
5. Seeking Wise Counsel:
- Spiritual Mentorship: Seeking guidance from mature Christians who can offer biblical perspective and accountability.
- Community Support: Participating in a church or small group where one can receive encouragement, prayer support, and wise counsel.
- Discernment in Advice: Evaluating advice received from others in light of scripture and the leading of the Holy Spirit.
6. Cultivating a Spirit of Humility:
- Recognizing Dependence: Acknowledging one’s own limitations and dependence on God for everything.
- Openness to Correction: Being willing to receive correction and guidance from others, recognizing that one’s own understanding may be incomplete.
- Avoiding Pride: Guarding against pride or self-reliance, which can hinder one’s ability to hear and obey God’s voice.
7. Remaining Active in Serving Others:
- Focusing Outward: Shifting the focus from personal needs and desires to the needs of others.
- Serving in Love: Demonstrating God’s love through acts of kindness, compassion, and service.
- Finding Purpose in Waiting: Recognizing that even in times of waiting, there are opportunities to serve God and bless others.
In essence, waiting on the Lord is not a passive exercise, but a dynamic, intentional pursuit of God’s will, characterized by prayer, obedience, trust, and a heart that is receptive to His leading in every area of life. It is a process of aligning one’s life with God’s purposes and trusting that He will fulfill His promises in His perfect timing.
Pray This Prayer
Lord, I come before you humbled, seeking understanding. We often hear the words "wait on the Lord," but in the rush and clamor of everyday life, their meaning can feel distant and unclear.
Father, show me what "waiting on you" actually looks like when I’m stuck in traffic, facing a difficult deadline, or struggling with a personal relationship. Does it mean simply enduring, grit my teeth and bearing it? Or is there a more active, engaged way to wait?
Help me to understand that waiting on you isn’t passive resignation, but active anticipation. Teach me to use the quiet moments, the moments of uncertainty, as opportunities to seek your wisdom and guidance. Let me not fill the silence with my own anxious thoughts and plans, but instead, let me listen for your still, small voice.
Show me how to wait on you in my work, by striving to do my best with a humble heart, knowing that ultimate success comes from your hand. Show me how to wait on you in my relationships, by offering patience, grace, and understanding, trusting you to work in the hearts of others.
Lord, break down the idea of "waiting" into practical steps:
- Help me to pray with intention and sincerity, laying my needs before you and truly listening for your response.
- Help me to study your Word diligently, seeking your truth and applying it to my daily life.
- Help me to be present in each moment, noticing your hand at work in the small details and unexpected blessings.
- Help me to trust in your timing, even when it doesn’t align with my own desires or expectations.
- Help me to offer my service to others, demonstrating your love and compassion in tangible ways.
Lord, I long to truly wait on you, to align my heart with your will, and to experience the peace and strength that comes from trusting in your perfect plan. Amen.