We as a church have been learning about The Principle of Waiting on God.

Jesus commanded the disciples to wait on God for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit before stepping out into doing any sort of ministry. In fact, He exemplified it in His lifestyle by regularly waiting on God through extended times of prayer in the nights and early mornings.

However, the church today has misinterpreted this concept of waiting on God. We think waiting on God is about us being idle and God actively doing something, behind the scenes, on our behalf. You wouldn’t see that in Jesus’ lifestyle. You wouldn’t see the apostles waiting on God by being idle. They were constantly engaged in a lifestyle of pursuing God and His purposes wherever they were placed.

Does God want you to wait on Him? Yes! What happens as a result of your waiting on Him? You get strengthened and He does much beyond what you could do in your regular or natural capacity.

Isaiah 40:31

But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

Here are four key activities that you cannot miss in your waiting period. This is to make sure you are not idle or wasting time in your waiting period. Each of these activities can be traced back to what Jesus or the apostles did when they were waiting on God for His move.

1. Prayer

Smith Wigglesworth was once asked how long he prayed. He replied, not more than half an hour. But then he also added that he doesn’t go without prayer for more than half an hour. That’s how committed he was to a lifestyle of praying. No wonder he carried the glory of God like no other in his generation. Do you know why the apostles went into a time of prayer as soon as Jesus ascended (Acts 1:14)? It was not because Jesus commanded them to do so. It was because they had seen a live demonstration of the life and ministry of Jesus, of how His waiting on God in prayer brought forth the real, tangible, and eternal results.

If you are waiting for God to move in your life, church or ministry, then do so by praying.

Any waiting without praying is only a waste of time!

2. Worship

Most hearings, miracles or personal encounters that has happened in our church services till date has always happened in a time of worship. There is something that happens when the bride is lost in adoration of the beauty of her groom.

Genuine worship from sincere and pure hearts attracts the God of the universe and manifests His presence and power amidst the ones that seek to glorify Him.

The story of Paul and Silas locked in the prison, yet worshipping, is such a brilliant reminder of the same.

We don’t worship because we need a change in our present situation. But our worship has the capacity to change the seasons of our life from waiting on God, to actually beginning to experiencing Him.

3. Fasting

There are two people who have been great inspirations to me in the area of fasting. The first is Pastor Shyju who has been a great inspiration personally, with his personal walk with God and the way he pursues after God in fasting during his seasons of waiting. The second one is Lou Engle. His book, The Jesus Fast, shares in detail on principles of fasting. His life is filled with stories of how they have moved heaven and earth with the force of their fasting.

The church today has taken these principles for granted and has suffered because of the same. There are battles that can’t be won and overcome unless we move in the spirit and defeat the flesh! The whole point of fasting is just to overcome the flesh, move, pray, walk, minister in the spirit. Share on X The life and ministry of Jesus and the apostles are a testimony to that. Fasting attracts the presence, power and the protection of the Holy Spirit over the things we are praying and waiting on God for.

4. Teaching

Here’s what I learnt from the life of Jesus and the Apostles. They didn’t stop doing ministry just because they were waiting on God. They continued to teach. They continued to share. They continued to witness. The disciples were ministering, teaching and praying for people even before the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit was finally granted on the day of Pentecost.

Yes, there may be seasons of life when you need to just shut off and withdraw into a place of prayer. However, that cannot become the norm in our lives. We have to learn to pray and teach like Jesus did. He didn’t abandon His public ministry of teaching and serving people, just because He had to pray and fast. Jesus maintained an equilibrium between His personal ministry to God and His ministry to people. Share on X That’s the balance that God wants us to maintain in our day to day roles and responsibilities while waiting on God and actively pursuing ministry towards the people around us.

The above four pointers are not an exhaustive list. But they are something good for you to get started with. I am not sure who I am writing this for, but do not waste your time and days in the pretext of waiting on God. Engage with the things He has already revealed to you, and the more you give way and surrender to His plan, the more His will will begin to manifest for you.

What aspect from the four keys is it that inspired you the most from the above post? Share with us in the comments below.

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