God Is Working While You’re Waiting
By Rick Warren
“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).
God wants you to wait patiently for him to answer your prayer, but he also wants you to wait expectantly. Have faith. Trust God to hear and to answer. When you wait expectantly, you demonstrate that you believe God’s promises. You believe he’s going to keep his word.
Daniel Boone, the famous frontiersman, was once asked, “Have you ever gotten lost in the wilderness?” He said, “No, I’ve never been lost. I’ve been bewildered for weeks at a time, but I’ve never been lost.”
Maybe you feel bewildered right now. You’re bewildered about your marriage: “I’m praying for it to get better, but it’s not getting any better.” You’re bewildered about your career: “Do I go up, down, change jobs?” You’re bewildered about relationships. You may feel powerless and hopeless, like you can’t do anything to change your situation on your own. You’re bewildered.
Don’t be discouraged! Don’t give up! Look up. Turn to prayer. I have had many, many requests in my life that I’ve prayed to God that have never been answered. I can think of one prayer that I have prayed almost every day for years, and it hasn’t been answered. I don’t know why God hasn’t chosen to answer that prayer, and I don’t understand it. But I have decided this: Whether or not God ever answers that prayer, I am going to die believing his promises. Because God is a good God, and he knows what’s best, even when I don’t understand it.
When God doesn’t answer your prayers, you need to remember a couple of important truths. First, God is in control, and you’re not. He knows better what you need than you do. There is no mountain too tall that he can’t move it. There is no problem so big that he can’t solve it. There is no sorrow so deep he cannot soothe it. God is in control, and he has a plan.
The second thing you need to remember is that, whether or not you ever receive your answer, God will honor your patience — if not in this world, then in eternity.
“I wait expectantly, trusting God to help, for he has promised” (Psalm 130:5 TLB).
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Talk It Over
What promises of God can you claim while you wait for him to answer your prayer?
How has God shown his faithfulness to you in the past?
What do you expect God to do in your life? How do your expectations reflect his greatness?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Gain confidence in your prayer life
Prayer is a simple concept. It’s just a conversation with God.
But at the same time, prayer can be intimidating. After all, you’re talking to the Almighty! It can be hard to know how to ask for your requests, and anticipate how God will answer.
That’s why Rick Warren’s just-released resource called Experience God’s Power Through Prayer is so powerful. It’s not a passive book to simply read, but an interactive, guided experience to help you gain confidence in your prayer life.
Experience God’s Power Through Prayer shows you how to…
• Develop a daily habit of prayer
• Pray expectantly for yourself and others
• Trust God to answer your prayers
• Understand the benefits of memorizing Scripture
• Express your gratitude to God
• Cultivate a courageous faith
Experience God’s Power Through Prayer is our gift to thank you for your donation to help more people learn, love, and live the Word through Daily Hope. So request your copy when you give below.
Thank you for making an eternal investment!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
