Category: Praying in waiting

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As we wait and receive of the Lord, we are taken from the slimy pit, to the wide-open spaces of God’s kingdom.

“Many Lord, many are the wonders you have done…and oh the things that you have planned for us!” (Psalm 40:5)

So, as we pray today, let’s take to heart the encouragement from Philippians 4—to not be anxious about anything. Rather, may the issues of our lives cause us to pray and to seek the Lord’s deliverance.

May the times of waiting be filled with the peace of God, and may the Lord guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus—who is our rescuer, who is the one who lifts us up from the slimy pit, and the one who blesses us.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you that in all circumstances we are invited to come and pray, and to seek your face. We ask that instead of anxiety, our hearts will be filled with hope and faith. We also ask that you will guard our hearts and minds, so that we will be filled with faith as we wait upon you. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship with the song ‘You Alone Can Save’ (click here) by Matt Redman.

-GK

Psalm 40:4 (NIV)
4 Blessed is the one
who trusts in the Lord,
who does not look to the proud,
to those who turn aside to false gods.

When we are not patiently waiting in worship and faith, we can be open to the wrong ways; such as being open to sin, to doubt, to fears, and to sinful habits of just taking over the situation. As we pray and ask for the Lord’s rescue, the ultimate purpose is to know and see that it is THE LORD who gives the deliverance.

Today as you pray, spend time asking the Lord to redeem this area of your life, where the waiting upon the Lord is done in faithfulness and dependence.
Let’s commit ourselves that when we pray and ask and wait, what we are waiting upon is for the Lord’s rescue—so that it will be known in our lives and to the world of the wonderful things that he has done!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the way, the truth, and the life. We acknowledge that salvation comes from you alone. May our lives be a testimony of the wonderful things you have done. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship with the song ‘Grace Is On Our Side’ (click here) by Vertical worship.

-GK

Psalm 40:1b (NIV)
…he turned to me and heard my cry.

The Psalmist says that as he was immersed in God’s presence and love, there was that clear moment when the Lord turned towards him and heard his cries. This is the hope of the Advent, where in Scripture we are shown these clear moments when the Lord turns and hears and answers us.

Today let’s be encouraged by reading the following passages where Jesus clearly hears and answers.

Matthew 8:13  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant was healed at that moment.

Mark 5:34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Acts 10:31 “Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor.”

Today, let’s continue to pray and wait in faith for the moment of God’s rescue, where he says, “Yes…I have heard your prayers, be healed, be well, be freed, you are forgiven, it is provided for you…”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we thank you for your promise that if we ask anything in your name, you will hear us. So, we seek you with all of our hearts today, and we ask that your kingdom come and your will be done in our lives. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship with the song ‘Do It Again’ (click here) by Elevation worship.

-GK

Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

The more we let the Scriptures fuel our imagination and intensify our longing for the gracious rule of God, his just and peaceful realm, the more robust will be our frequent prayer: Let your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. This week, pray this vision repeatedly. Be alert for opportunities to embody the prayer in your own small actions. (Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit the Story of God)

Today let’s commit ourselves afresh to deeper prayer. May we experience greater breakthroughs—to be taken to the place of deeper faith, greater hope and assurance.

Today let’s pray declaring that the Lord is the one who provides, who heals, and ultimately the one who blesses us. May our times of waiting be the overflow and the continuation of our times of prayer.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we ask that prayer will mark this season of the Advent, where we are taken deeper into the life of faith, hope and love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship with the song ‘Mercies, New Every Morning’ (click here) by Matt Redman.

-GK

Psalm 40:1-2 (NIV)
1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

Advent is a season for waiting; we wait for the coming of God. We need him to come. Our world is messed up and we are messed up. We lament our condition and long for God to set things right, to make us better. So we pray and watch for signs of his presence…We wait in hope. In our waiting, we are enlarged. God is coming! (Living the Christian Year: Time to Inhabit the Story of God)

The biblical understanding of waiting upon the Lord is a time when our hearts are discipled and trained, and when our minds are transformed and cleansed—a time when we learn to trust. The times of waiting is not to be devoid of God’s presence, rather it is the most opportune time to have encounters with the Lord, and to ready our hearts for a life of dependence upon the LORD.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we ask that our times of waiting will be transformed and redeemed. We ask that instead of doubts and uncertainty, we will be filled with faith, love, and wisdom of God. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship with the song ‘Waiting Here For You’ (click here) by Martin Smith.

-GK