Waiting and Listening

Scripture:  Isaiah 30:18-19 – And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. 19 For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee.

Philippians 4:6-7 - Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Perhaps you have designated a specific room in your house to regularly talk to the Lord and allow Him to speak to you through His Word.  Some people meet with the Lord very early in the morning, and/or midday, and/or at night.  Psalms 55:17 says “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice”.  The truth is that God is always waiting to meet with us wherever/whenever we decide to meet with Him.  The attitude of the heart in praying is more important than the physical location of where we pray.  You may pray in your office, in your closet, in your car, or while you are waiting in a long line at a store.  I Thessalonians 5:16-17 says “Pray without ceasing”.  We should have an attitude of prayer.  We can constantly have moments with intervals of recurring prayer – whether short or long.  I have had prayer while waiting to have a radiation treatment, or during times when I didn’t know how to respond/react in relational situations.  I am learning not to be anxious as it says in Philippians 4:6-7.

It is such a privilege to pray -- realizing that our Heavenly Father attentively listens to our prayers.  More so, we are to listen to Him through His Word and appropriate His Word in our lives.  Now that I am retired, I am able to slow down a little.  The Lord invites us to come into His presence – unlike how it was a long time ago.  People did not have direct access into the presence of God.  God told Moses in Exodus 25:8 – “Have the people of Israel build me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them”.  The Holy of Holies ,where God’s presence/glory rested, could be accessed only once a year by the High Priest  When Jesus breathed His last breath, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn  from top to bottom (Mark 15:37-38).  Only God could have done that.  Now He is waiting for us to pray to Him to have an intimate fellowship with Him (II Corinthians 6:16).  He loves us so much!  Wherever you choose to be in His presence, He will be waiting for you.  I am so honored that the Lord wants me to be in His presence – that He is waiting for me to be in His presence. That is why I desire to spend more time with Him – speaking to Him and me listening to Him through His Word.

Prayer:  Dear Heavenly Father:  It is an honor to pray to You.  I am so glad that You are waiting for me to regularly/consistently pray to You, and You are listening to my prayers.  Help me to spend more and more time in Your presence.

(by Marsha Williams)