Inspired by Dr Evan’s Sermon
The Bible teaches us about the importance of praying and waiting for God’s timing in many different ways. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, we see examples of individuals who trusted in God’s plan and waited for His timing to be revealed, despite the difficulties they faced.
One of the key concepts in the Bible that relate to praying and waiting for God’s timing is faith. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” This verse teaches us that faith is not just a belief in something, but it is a deep trust and confidence in God’s plan and timing, even when we do not understand it.
Dr.Tony Evans – “The point of contact between your need and God’s provision is prayer”. Dr.Evans explains that prayer is what connects you to God so that He may fulfil what He has already declared for your life.
Another important aspect of waiting on God’s timing is patience. The Bible teaches us that patience is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and that it is an essential part of our faith journey. James 1:3-4 says, “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”
In the Old Testament, we see many examples of individuals who trusted God’s timing and waited for His plan to be revealed. For instance, Abraham and Sarah waited for many years for God to fulfil His promise of giving them a son, and eventually, Isaac was born (Genesis 21:1-7). Similarly, Joseph waited for many years for God’s plan to be revealed, as he was sold into slavery, imprisoned, and eventually became the second in command in Egypt (Genesis 37-50).
In the New Testament, we see the same themes of faith and patience in the lives of Jesus’ disciples. For example, the disciples waited for many days after Jesus’ ascension for the Holy Spirit to come and empower them (Acts 1:4-5). Additionally, Paul waited for God’s timing in his ministry, as he faced many challenges and hardships, including imprisonment and shipwrecks (Acts 27:1-44).
The Bible also teaches us about the power of prayer when waiting for God’s timing. James 5:16 says, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” When we pray, we are communicating with God and express our thoughts, feelings, and concerns. Through prayer, we can seek guidance and wisdom as we wait for God’s timing to be revealed.
Prayer allows God to release what He already had in store for us. In the garden of Eden God told Adam & Eve “let them rule”. My understanding of what Dr.Evans said is that because God gave us dominion over the Earth and free will, God will not make us do anything, nor will God simply just give us things. We have to pray and ask God to intervene in our lives. Dr.Myles Monroe also preached a similar message to this, conveying the same message. So prayer ‘activates’ the will of God.
We can become the point of contact for God’s supernatural power through prayer.
So how do we pray?
Dr.Evans states “If you don’t know God’s word, you don’t know how to pray” and he goes on to talk about how we sometimes incorrectly pray vaguely and speaks on Elijah praying based on what God had previously declared. The Bible is God’s word, so we must know what God has promised us and use this in prayer.
God is to be our only source. We cannot rely on idols in our lives. Idols are not only statues but could be anything we depend on or go to as a source. The only true source is God, the creator of the universe.
In conclusion, the Bible teaches us that praying and waiting for God’s timing is an essential part of our faith journey. By relying on our faith, practising patience, and seeking God through prayer, we can trust in His plan and wait for His timing to be revealed. Whether we are facing difficult circumstances or waiting for answers to our prayers, we can have confidence in God’s timing and know that He has a plan for our lives.
