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Waiting makes up a large part of the Christian life. Almost all of promises and prophecies I have ever received required lots of waiting before they came to pass. For that matter, much of the time I spend in prayer is spent waiting, with very little being said on His part or felt on my part. It often feels like nothing is happening. At first, this bothered me, thinking I was giving God my valuable time, with little response on His part. In time, I began to see this differently. I learned that God does not want to be a “coke machine” where we put in the same thing in every time and immediately get what we want. Instead, He wants to transform us. In order to do this, He causes us to wait before Him where a gradual exchange takes place. 

 

I must admit that I have struggled with prayer most of my Christian life. I would begin by telling God my agenda, carefully laying out what I expect of Him, but as I waited for a response, it would seem like nothing is happening. Then I end up doing things that would make me feel like I am accomplishing something, even though I know that it is better to abide than be busy. 

 

As a pastor, I have noticed how people do not come into their purpose or calling because they fail to wait. Even fewer people lay hold of the gifts of the Spirit because of the lengthy process involved, which is intended that we are not only gifted but have character. There is also a gap that occurs when God begins to show us in a vision of where we can be and what we can become and where we are at the time. We lose a lot of people in the gap. They simply quit the process. For the most part, they conclude any delay is God’s way of saying no and fail to realize that having to wait is a part of the process. In this study guide we look at the lives of those in the Bible who endured long periods of waiting, to show how it is a Biblical posture, normal part of walking with God, and how to we can learn to wait well. 

 

This study guide is filled with practical things you can do now while you are waiting and an extensive question and answer section.  

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PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED MATERIAL

 

Much of the content in this study guide has been previously published in Penn’s other books, Cultivating Your Call and Welcome to the Wilderness and is being represented here in one book for promotional purposes. 

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