I went to one of my favorite stores today... Lifeway. I could spend a fortune in that store!!! But, today I only bought a Christmas present and a gift for myself. Stormie Omartian's book "The Power of Praying Through the Bible". If it is anything like the other one that I read, it is going to be great. The difference in this one, is that it is more like a devotional. It starts in Genesis and goes through Revelation... I thought that was pretty neat!
The second devotion in the book hit me hard... It's on Abram and Sarai (before they became Abraham and Sarah)... I think most of us know the story. God had promised Abram that He would make him a great nation, but Abram was beginning to wonder when it was going to happen.
"After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: 'Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.' But Abram said, 'O sovereign Lord, what can you give me since I remain childless and the one who will inherit my estate is Eliezer of Damasus?'" (Genesis 15: 1-2)
Can you hear the exasperation in his voice? It's like Abram knows that God made the promise of him becoming a "great nation" but it's more like, okay... when is this going to happen??? God made this promise when he was 75 years old. He was 100 years old when Isaac was finally born. That means they waited 25 years for God to fulfill His promise.
How long do we wait patiently for answers our prayers? Does a week seem too long? A month? To see that Abram waited for a quarter of a century for an answer should give us hope to wait for our own prayers to be answered. Abram could have given up. He could have decided that he didn't want to wait on God anymore. (He did eventually make a mess of things when he tried to fulfill God's promise on his own by having a child with Hagar.) How many times do we try to take into our own hands??? At this point, though, he chose to believe. If only he had continued to hang on to that belief.
What answer from God are you waiting for? Is it the answer to a prayer for the return of a rebellious child? Is it the answer to a prayer for the salvation of a family member? For provision? Whatever it is, keep on praying and waiting. Release it into God's hands and let Him do it in His way and His time. His answer will always be worth the wait.
Dear God, help me to have faith enough to believe You will answer my prayers. Give me the patience to wait for the answers to appear. keep me from giving up and taking matters into my own hands. Instead, enable me to trust that You have heard my prayers and will answer in Your perfect way and time. Help me to rest in peace during times of waiting.
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