Joyce Meyer said, “Just in case you are questioning if it’s acceptable for you to expect good things from God, please slowly read and meditate on this Scripture: 

And therefore the Lord [earnestly] waits [expecting, looking, and longing] to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) are all those who [earnestly] wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him [for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship]! Isaiah 30:18 “

Waiting. A word most of loath, because it means delayed gratification, patience, and we more often than not fear the waiting process because we are notoriously bad at it. Why do I say we are bad at it? Let me describe a common scenario; you have prayed for and asked God for something, only the breakthrough tarries. During the waiting, usually these 2 things happen, either you start reasoning yourself out of faith using logic based on your lack of performance as evidence, or you start doubting His goodness and intentions toward you due to a delay or a ‘no.’

Prayerful waiting, words we struggle with because of thinking patterns we endorse based on past experiences.  We doubt if HE is good, we wonder if we are allowed to ask Him for things, especially when we do not see results when we pray we often conclude that we were wrong to ask.  Is it  hard to trust a person who doesn’t give you what you ask, or is it hard to trust a person who doesn’t fulfill his own promises to you? He is good. He is to be trusted and relied on, not necessarily to do everything we ask and pray, but to be good. The word wait intrinsically suggests a delay of results, yet Isaiah reminds us to wait earnestly; to expect Him to come through, and to long for Him.  This gets me to thinking; maybe the issue here is the delayed gratification of provision and results, while all this time the instruction has been to look for Him, to long for Him, to wait for Him. If our desire is set on Him we will not be disappointed. He is not His Kingdom, He is not stuff, He is good. Blessed and happy are those who wait for HIM!

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.  I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.” Ps 130:5-6

We need to start teaching ourselves to wait well. Wait on Him. In waiting we find strength. Is there something you are earnestly expecting to happen, believing it will alleviate the burden of suffering in your life? If God can just do so, or if this can just break through for me, or if that person would just be obedient… it would expedite your relief. My friend put your hope in God. Waiting on Him with longing expectation of His goodness is where the relief comes from. Enduring with this mindset of waiting is where hope is renewed, strength is restored, yokes are eased, and soothing answers are spoken to weary hearts. Pray to Him, not to the things.

Wait. Though it tarries, wait for it. Wait for Him. (Hab 2:3) Write down the things you are believing that are  at odds with the truth. Make a list of the areas you believe God hasn’t, doesn’t want to, or will not come through for you. Then, write down a Scripture on the other side of that lie. Whenever the thought presents itself that you need to do more or be more, say that scripture out loud. Record it in your journal, on our recording app on your phone and listen to it on your way to work or the store, make notes and stick them around your house and desk. Allow your eyes to see and ears to hear the truth until your mind accepts it as the new default thinking. Quiet the lie with the truth. Let the truth speak to you and make you free. Replace the despondency with hopeful waiting. Expect to see Him, expect to see His goodness. Expect Him to show up as Himself. He wants to be good to you, He longs to show you His loving-kindness, do not miss the wonderful displays of His goodness in lieu of hopeless prayers.