Prayer is one of the most talked about topics in Christianity but with less understanding of how it works. If we understand the dynamism of prayer and how it is answered, we would embrace the practice of waiting for God to answer our prayers.
It is true that most of the time we pray but never seem to get any answers from God. Is it that God is too busy with more important prayers? Or that He does not want to bless us with our requests? Or He does not even see the need to answer us? Maybe we have not prayer enough. Maybe we need to add fasting to our prayer. Maybe add midnight prayers.. May be get a prayer chain going… Or maybe, just maybe, God in His mercies and grace is answering our prayers just as the words drop from our hearts and mouth. But we just have to be in tune to Him to be able to wait and see our prayers manifest in our lives.
. Let’s take a look at how to wait for God for answers.
First, we need to understand that prayer is a communication that is either to make a request, inquiry or remind God about a matter. And as you already know, communication is two-sided. It takes two to tangle, there has to be a speaker and a listener. Just like in every normal communication, the individuals will switch roles until the conversation is over. The only problem is that most times people pray by being the only ones talking.
So, waiting for God for answers actually begins with two things. The first is that you are expectant of a response. If there is no expectation to hear from God when you go to pray, you will never find your answers even when God is saying it loud and clear. The principle of expectation is one of the ways of the spirit and you must master it as a Christian if you intend to be getting answers from God when you pray. Prepare your heart to hear from Him when you go to pray!
The second thing is the practice of the first. After expectation, you must have a time in your prayer when you will be quiet and expect God to speak to you. As you pray on matters, pause each time you have spoken your mind to God about it. Take moments of silence to hear from Him. This is part of Christian maturity in relating with the father. There is a way this is done so that you don’t miss God.
In Habakkuk 2:1, the prophet says he will stand on his watch and wait to see what God will say to him. There are three processes here; the first is that he stands on his watch. That is a moment of prayer. The second is that he will set himself. There is a way you set yourself to hear from God which is based on expectation and keeping both your heart and spirit tuned to God whatever he will be dropping into your spirit.
Now, the most confusing part of that verse says he will watch what God will say unto him. How do you watch what someone says to understand him? This is because God doesn’t use words to speak to us. So, if you are going to learn how to wait for God for answers, you must learn how He speaks. That’s the only way you will know the answers when it comes. Without knowing how God speaks, you miss the answers even when God is giving you answers.
As you stay put expecting God to give you an answer on whatever you must have prayed about, God may speak through different means to provide you with answers. Take, for instance, a scripture may drop into your mind, a song may come up in your spirit, you may even enter into a trance, etc. The interpretations of these things depend on what you are praying about. As simple as these things may sound, God has spoken and answers have been provided.
Please note that answers do not come like in human communications. Remember that the Spirit of God is a king spirit and He only responds when He chooses to. God cannot be coaxed into answering you. This is where may miss it. You will keep praying and waiting for Him until He responds with answers. But keep your expectation intact until God answers.
Sometimes answers come just as you are praying. It may come as impressions, knowings, visions, a sense of peace, etc. For you to be able to catch up with these types of answers, you must remain sensitive and expectant even as you pray. These are spirit communications that can only be harnessed when you are sensitive in the spirit and your heart is fully involved in the prayer while you pray.
Remember that the scriptures say they that wait on God, He will renew their strength. This is possible because in the answers, you will find strength from above with which you can run and not be weary. Though the answer may tarry, wait for it because it will come at the best time that you need it according to God’s calendar. So, keep waiting until He speaks, don’t run past your compass.
Apart from praying and expecting answers from God, another way to wait for answers from God is to settle down to read the Bible and understand what God is saying on the subject that you are praying about. Keep your heart open because God speaks through His word too. And if you get to a verse that provides you with answers to what you are praying about, you will know it. It will be evident that God is speaking to you.
It is advisable that you read and understand what God is saying about anything even before you begin to pray. Sometimes you can get your answers before you begin to pray on the matter. This will help you to pray the scriptures concerning the matter. It is a lot easier to get answers from God when you pray in the light of the scriptures in the first place.
Lastly, you can add fasting to keep your flesh under check so that you can be able to sense God accurately. Fasting doesn’t make God answer your prayers, it only makes you more sensitive to God. And you need sensitivity in the spirit to pick answers to your prayers as God sends them to your spirit. I believe this piece has helped to provide you with basic ways to wait on God for answers to your prayers.