Conversations With GodSample

Those who desire sweeter, deeper conversations with the Father must learn to wait—trusting in His wisdom, sovereignty, will, and timing. But why does God sometimes require waiting? Below are a few sure paths to the mature, relational prayer life we all want, but are sometimes too impatient to wait for.

If I could, I would announce this first principle with fanfare and a red carpet: It is good to wait on the front side of prayer, conversing with God before making our request. In this discernment phase we linger with the Lord to discover what is on His heart. Waiting demonstrates our submission and deference to His will. We need His wisdom to ask aright. 

When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He taught them to say “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matt. 6:10). We can also initiate petition by asking Jesus to teach us to pray. As He unfolds His will on earth as it is in Heaven, we are rightfully positioned to make a request based on what it is His delight to provide. Asking in this way simultaneously fulfills the desire of our own hearts. This one practice has revolutionized my prayer life. I highly recommend the joys of praying God’s will back to Him. In this relational precursor, we await the coming of the Lord as Wonderful Counselor. 

At other times the need to wait comes after a petition. This kind of waiting has everything to do with seasons. It’s not always time to receive. “There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the Heavens (Eccles. 3:1). The due season will surely come, but not until it is time. The right season blessed with the awaited answer to our prayers is doubly beautiful.

Finally, waiting in prayer yields perseverance and perseverance is priceless. Those who long to be mature and complete must trudge the steep and winding stairs that produce it. The Bible goes so far as to say that this stressful process should be celebrated! We may scorn the refining stress of perseverance in the moment, but later we wouldn’t take anything for what we’ve gained. God blesses us by not always giving us the option to sidestep the process of waiting.