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 show God that you believe his 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.”

Some of you may 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 and 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 24 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 very 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!

God's Answers To Life's Difficult Questions

How can you cope with stress? Rebound from failure? Defeat depression? Have peace of mind? Life's difficult questions have answers. Answers from the Bible can change your outlook and your life.

Rick Warren takes you to the Bible for answers to 12 of life's toughest questions. Drawing from the examples of different biblical characters who faced the same issues, Warren offers concise, practical insights you can understand and apply in order to move past hardships and experience a life of purpose and significance.

Rick Warren writes, "In each of these studies, you will discover simple ways to apply God's truth to your personal life, your family, and your job. The way to get the most out of this book is to act on it."

This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.