Re-Solved

#33|Prayer, pt.3 - Waiting

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  • We have a hard time waiting because we have an instant gratification society.
  • We have a hard time especially in our spiritual life waiting on prayer. Even some people in the Bible didn’t like to wait. 
  • Habakkuk had been praying for a long time for there to be a revival in Israel.

    • Habakkuk 1:2 - O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save!
    • He waited and waited so long. God answered the prophet’s prayer but not in the way that he wanted. 
  • Has God ever answered your prayer in a way that you might not want? 
  • His first answer from God was a long time coming so he digs in for another long haul. 
  • He questions God on how long he will have to pray. 
  • This is a good example for us. 

    • Habakkuk 2:1 - I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

    • Habakkuk had 2 questions:
    • Why does God often seem indifferent in the face of evil?
  • Why do evil people seem to go unpunished?
    • 3 Elements of waiting on prayer:
    • Commitment to perseverance
  • Commitment to watch
  • Commitment to act
    • There were no instruments to detect advancement of the enemy. 
  • They had men standing on the wall watching and listening for enemies to advance no matter the elements around them.
  • Habakkuk was prepared and determined to stand ready and wait with spiritual eyes and ears open to listen to experience prayer with God.
  • A commentary written about Habakkuk says the watch tower is the consecrated openness of the prophet for a divine word. 
  • The application for us is our relationship to prayer. We feel that we should not have to wait on God to answer prayer. 
  • God answers our prayers in one of three ways:
    • yes, no, and wait.

    • The answer may be delayed. It may include spiritual warfare. 
  • (David) Prayer involves divine purpose. 
  • (Abraham and Sarah) We need to learn to wait upon the Lord and it is a hard things to do. 
    • Our prayer may be delayed also because of our daily walk with God. 
  • We need to go about our daily routine knowing that God is working. 
  • We need to stay in the right fellowship with our Lord. 
  • Habakkuk said that he couldn’t see it happening but he trusted that it was.
    • We need to trust God whatever comes. 
  • The prophet made a commitment to look for his answer (staying alert). 
  • He was open to whatever God had to say and not what he necessarily wanted to hear. 
  • Are we willing to hear what God says even if it’s not what we wanted? We have to be willing to listen to what God answers.
    • Habakkuk is a prophet of God and he has not been thrilled by the answers of his prayers. 
  • The application for us is that we be willing to act on His answers. 
  • We have to say that we are going to do what God wants us to do. 
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    Re-SolvedBy Temple Baptist Church, Titusville, FL USA