Holding On To The Promise - Friday Praise & Pray (for others) April 19, 2024
Is there a promise from the Lord that you've been waiting on? How long has the wait been? A year? Three? Five? Ten years?
God works in mysterious ways; one such mystery is that He makes His people wait for things. Abraham waited for the birth of his son Isaac. David waited - while fleeing from his murderous predecessor - to become king. Hannah waited - and was taunted as barren - before giving birth to Samuel. Even Jesus had to wait 30 years to mature physically before He started his earthly ministry.
Many will testify that the waiting period can be very emotional. One moment a person is filled with faith and committed to be patient for the long haul. The next, they are overcome with disappointment and sadness. Alas, both are arguably two sides of the same waiting-on-God coin.
When disappointment and sadness are the prevalent emotions, however, it is easy to give up and erroneously choose to walk away from the promise. In that moment a person might believe that since it has taken so long, the promise will never come to pass.
There is another flawed choice a person can make. It might even seem pious at first but it is a dangerous way of thinking that stems from the very pit of hell. A person could be inclined to think, "I've waited a long time and had my heart hurt. Maybe I should just focus on serving God and not think about the things he said he wants to give me."
This attitude appears sensible. We think if we just focus on God we won't feel the sting of disappointment that comes each season or year that passes without the promise in hand.
However, that's not the attitude God wants us to have. He tells us His plans and promises so we keep our attention on Him. Knowing God's plans empowers us to hold onto our faith and war for what is to come (1 Timothy 1:18-19). When a person opts to ignore or forget the promises, they are at risk of losing their fervor and zeal for the Lord. They can become a person who goes through the motions but doesn't, at the very heart of things, believe in or belong to God anymore. They are also at risk of missing the day of prosperity when it arrives (Jeremiah 17:6). All because such a person is easy prey for the devil's lie that the promise will never come.
And so as the years go by, that promise will seem further and further away. The person will then stop pursuing the issue in prayer. and no longer pine for it. And as satan convinces them one promise isn't forthcoming, they will become convinced that others will never be fulfilled. They will stop looking to God to make things happen in their life. They will start relying more on human beings, themselves included, to achieve their self-motivated desires and dreams. The result is a curse per Jeremiah 17:5 - This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the LORD.
None of us should fall for the lie that God's promise won't happen or that if it were to happen, it would have already. We need to pray and praise the Lord for what He has coming for us. It could be a personal promise that He's given or a blessing contained in the Bible. Whatever it is and however we lay our hands on it, we must not let go. We are told in 2 Peter 1:19 - We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. We each have to keep holding on to the promise, remembering that He who committed is able. We serve the God of Covenant (Deuteronomy 7:9). He will keep His word because He is faithful and cannot deny Himself (2 Timothy 2:13). All we need to do is meet His conditions, obey His instructions, and wait. His promise will surely come at the right time.
Come on back at Noon EST to worship and intercede with prayer for others. God bless you!
If you are waiting on the promises of the Lord, please read the following and be encouraged:
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