Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord. Psalm 31:24 ESV

All throughout the Bible God promises to answer prayer, but don’t you sometimes just wish that He would do it right now? Today, I am still desperately praying for a grandson who is not only lost in sin but who is choosing to no longer speak with us. But as I brought my request rather angrily this morning to God, He reminded me that having faith means I must trust He is listening and that He is working in ways I may never understand to answer because He is good.

Waiting on God is not just waiting around till He does something. For example, on July 4th, 1776, 56 people including, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Washington signed the Declaration of Independence, but just signing a piece of paper was not enough to make the United States a free and sovereign land. That accomplishment did not come about until, September 3, 1783 – seven long years later. In between the Declaration and true independence, we passed through a waiting period called The Revolutionary War.

The same is true when we wait on the Lord. Our declaration of independence from sin was signed in blood on the cross of Calvary. But the whole of our Christian life is a series of Revolutionary Wars as by God’s help we win the battles one by one. Maybe you have been praying for years over a broken relationship, salvation for a loved one or a longing to serve God in a greater way. Don’t give up, stand down or walk away from God in anger. He is working on us just as much as He is working on our prayers. He is calling us to be strong and courageous, because waiting on God is more than just waiting around and is not for the faint of heart. There is a war going on and God is calling us to the battlefield of prayer trusting that He knows what He is doing, and that victory is already ours in Jesus Christ our Savior and our great Commander in Chief!