Here we are at the threshold of the hustle and bustle season. That time right before the holidays when it feels like we are waiting for everything to begin. We hold our breath and wait. I came across this prayer and thought it appropriate for this time of year. Hope it offers peace and pause as we enter into the holidays.
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Sometimes, God asks you to wait.
To quiet your heart.
To simply be still.
To let Him go to work.
In a way you could never imagine.
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Sometimes, it feels as though God doesn't hear your prayers.
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You pray.
And pray.
And pray again.
With seemingly no response.
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Time suddenly feels like it's running out.
Hope begins to fade, as does your trust in Him.
Sometimes, it seems as though God has forgotten you.
Abandoned you.
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Left without saying "goodbye".
Hidden in plain sight.
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As you frantically search for any sign of Him.
And your heart screams for Him to remember you.
Wondering if He even remembers you.
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It can be so unbelievably hard to be patient, especially when you are too preoccupied in worry and in your own plans; when your entire being is fighting against the waiting, to instead push forward with life, full-steam ahead.
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And yet, what He asks of you never wavers: "Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for Him." (Psalm 37:7)
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The entire concept of waiting goes against everything the world puts before us...
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...right now...
...immediate...
...on-demand...
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Being human, and so incredibly connected to our human world, it is almost impossible to go against the grain, and stop yourself from running, full-force ahead...toward your own worldly plans.
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Yet, what if...
...what if God's plan is for you TO WAIT ON HIM?
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What if...
...you pursued God's heart even more, and realized, that more often than not, the waiting is not only a time that brings forth unexpected blessings, but also helps you to plant your deepest roots of faith, if you simply allow them to grow in Him?
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What if...
...this time of waiting is actually an integral part of God's plan for you? To refresh you, to teach you, to guide you, and especially, to prepare you for HIS future for you?
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Waiting on God, and His timing, can be so incredibly hard and uncomfortable. But, it can also be so, so very worth it, if you can reteach yourself to allow it to be just that...a time to grow, a time to renew...a time to prepare and hopefully expect.
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For, it is how you handle your times of waiting that truly shows those around you just exactly in Whom you place your trust and hope. For, when you trust in Him, He will not fail to give you all the courage, tolerance and patience you need.
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Because, if you truly believe in Him, you can also believe in His goodness. In His faithfulness. In His covenants. And in His perfect, great and true plans for each one of us.
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" ‘For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.' " (Jeremiah 29:11)
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In your times of waiting, may you never forget to glorify the same exact Father Who created you...fearfully and wonderfully made, you...from mere dust...
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...every fiber of your being...
...every hair on your head...
...every single beat of your heart...
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For His goodness will always endure. He loves you with a love we can only imagine. And within that love, He provides you with seasons of waiting. It remains up to you to perceive them as either a gift, or as a burden; trusting in Him and His bountiful blessings, even when your circumstances seem out of your control and not in your favor.
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Heavenly Father,
I trust in You. Please remind me that trusting in You means to fully surrender, not just when life is easy and pleasant. "As for me, I trust in You, Lord. You are my God. My life is in Your hands." (Psalm 31:14-15).
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Amen
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Gracefully Woven by Elizabeth Spenner
