Waiting on God for Supplies
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works. 14The LORD upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. 15The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season.—Psalm 145:13-15
If an army has been sent out to march into an enemy’s country, and news is received that it is not advancing, the question is at once asked, What is the cause of the delay? The answer will often be: waiting on supplies. All the stores of provisions or clothing or ammunition have not arrived. Without these, it dare not proceed. It is likewise in the Christian life: day by day, at every step, we need our supplies from above. And, there is nothing so necessary as to cultivate that spirit of dependence on God and of confidence in Him, which refuses to go on without the needed supply of grace and strength.
If the question is asked whether this is anything different from what we do when we pray, the answer is that there may be much praying with very little waiting on God. In praying, we are often occupied with ourselves, with our needs, and with our own efforts in the presentation of them. In waiting upon God, the first thought is of the God upon whom we wait. We enter His presence and feel the need just to be quiet, so that He, as God, can overshadow us with himself. God longs to reveal Himself, to fill us with Himself. Waiting on God gives Him time to come to us in His own way and power.
It is especially at this time of prayer that we ought to set ourselves to cultivate this spirit.
Before you pray, bow quietly before God, just to remember and realize who He is, how near He is, how certainly He can and will help. Just be still before Him, and allow His Holy Spirit to waken and stir in your soul the childlike disposition of absolute dependence and confident expectation. Wait upon God as a living Being, as the living God, who notices you. He is just longing to fill you with His salvation. Wait on God until you know you have met Him; prayer will then become so different.
And when you are praying, let there be intervals of silence, reverent stillness of soul, in which you yield yourself to God, in case He may have other things He wishes to teach you or work in you. Waiting on Him will become the most blessed part of prayer, and the blessing thus obtained will be doubly precious as the fruit of such fellowship with the Holy One. God has so ordained it, in harmony with His holy nature, and with ours, that waiting on Him should be the honor we give Him. Let us bring Him the service gladly and truthfully. He will reward it abundantly.—Andrew Murray
Journal:
· Am I in constant prayer with God throughout the day, or just when I have a crisis I need his help with?
· Do I ever “wait” on God while I pray?
Prayer – Heavenly Father, I want my life to be in constant conversation with You. Help me to keep my thoughts on you throughout the day. Thank you for this wonderful provision of fellowship with You in prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
