Articles and resources to help Christians learn to pray
We are in a season of waiting. In the physical we are waiting to see what develops with the Covid-19 virus as the process of re-opening our country takes place. It is a waiting time filled with hope, but also uncertainty and perhaps even danger for some.
One of the perils for the Church is potential division over the timing and ways in which we again begin to meet together in buildings. Great wisdom is required for leaders, and only deep humility will cause us to lay down our preferences in honor of one another. Physical waiting causes angst, anger and frustration for many; however, to those of us who love Jesus, it is a time to listen, and to pay attention to what the Father wants to teach us in this curious and complex moment in time. It is a time to demonstrate the life of Christ as we offer hope through faith to others and as we intercede for the world.
This is also a season of spiritual waiting. For Jews this was the period following Passover and leading up to Shavuot. Christians also embrace this time of waiting from Easter to Pentecost. After the Resurrection of Jesus, He spent 40 days with the disciples. He ate with them, taught them, and demonstrated His resurrected life. But after 40 days, He ascended to the Father and told them to wait in Jerusalem for the promised Spirit.
It’s rare to find someone who likes to wait. Perhaps though, that is an attribute for which we should strive. We are certainly commanded often in scripture to wait on and for the Lord. Waiting paid off for those first disciples. Ten days of prayer, worship, and waiting on the Lord led them to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. They would never be the same as they received the promise of the Father.
We are in a season of waiting. Press into that. Make it a time of prayer and anticipation. What is God about to do? Our waiting upon the Lord is an active time that places everything in the hands of the Lord. Though we live post-Pentecost and the Spirit has come to us, we still wait on the Lord and fresh fillings of His Spirit. The timing of the Lord’s work and purposes are still in His hands and we pray with increased passion and anticipation during these days of waiting. Look up, your redemption draws near!
How to Pray in a Time of Waiting
“Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).
“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; For You I wait all the day” (Psalm 25:5).
“Now as for you, dear brothers who are waiting for the Lord’s return, be patient, like a farmer who waits until the autumn for his precious harvest to ripen” (James 5:7).
“Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait for You” (Psalm 25:21).
“Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31).
(c) Harvest Prayer Ministries
David is a much sought after conference speaker both nationally and internationally. He serves on several Boards of Directors and committees focused on prayer, revival and evangelism including: