WAIT ON THE LORD

 “I have often said that I would rather know how to pray like Daniel than to preach like Gabriel.” Dr. D.L Moody

“He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isa. 40:29-31)

The word ‘wait’ means, “to stay where you are or delay doing something until somebody or something happens. It also means “to hope for something to happen or to be left alone until there’s a change.” When you see a waiter in a restaurant, his or her job is to wait on his duty until someone comes in. So also, there are some problems that will never be solved until you wait. This also can be compared to a person going to a bank that has Automated Teller Machine (ATM) to withdraw cash using his debit card. After slotting in your card, you will press your pin no. the kind account you are operating and then press the amount needed. When all these are done, the machine will tell you to “please wait while your transaction is processing.” If you press any key maybe because you are in a hurry to have your money, it will either not respond to you or send you back your card.

God knows that as long as we are still in this world, we need strength to overcome the battles of life.

Isaiah says, “God gives strength to the faint…” them that are faint are the only one qualify for strength. The world that we are living in, need those that are strong in order to do exploits. God expects every believer to wait on Him.

Psalm 27:14 say “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

When you wait on the Lord, you will add weight! And the quality of your waiting determines the weight you will operate on.

Proverb 24:10 says: “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.”

The day of adversity comes to prove the quality of your strength which is as a result of qualitative waiting. Everyone that wants to be great in life has an hour of darkness to pass through. When the Lord Jesus wanted to pay the ultimate price and the band of soldiers came to arrest Him, He said to them “…but this is your hour, and the power of darkness (Lk.22:53)” Before this time, He had prayed unto the Father and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthen him (Lk.22:43). And with this strength, he went through the pains and the shame of the cross and came out victoriously. You too can overcome every challenge that comes on your way if you will wait.

Now there are two kinds of people that are qualified to wait upon the Lord:

1.     THE FAINT

These are those that are weak and tired, those that have little or no strength in them to go in the battles of life. Some Christians are spiritually weak but they will never admit because they don’t really know that they are weak. They mistake admitting your weakness as not walking in faith. Faith does not deny the fact but does not allow the fact to determine its actions. Faith only obeys the truth but respect the fact. For instance, the fact may be that you’ve a sickness in your body but the truth is that divine health dwells in you and wherever light appears, darkness disappears. Recognizing your weakness makes God to release His ultimate strength into your life.

Paul the Apostle was a man of God highly blessed with revelation knowledge and the devil sent a messenger to give him “a thorn in the flesh”. Paul prayed to the Lord three times that it might depart from him but Jesus answered him, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor.12:7-9)

This man Paul recognize that he had a weakness and when the Lord told him- my strength is established, made effective in weakness, he rejoiced over it.

Until you become a babe in God’s hand, He cannot make you a man in the world’s eye. Acknowledge your mistakes before God and you will see how He will upgrade you. A fool that knows that he is a fool is wiser than a wise man that maintains his integrity in foolishness. There are some people that God will never use them because they always claim that they are something. They see themselves qualified for every post. And this is nothing but pride! The Bible says, “God resist the proud and giveth grace to the humble” (Jam.4:6)

This scripture proves that God is the number one enemy of a proud person. When you walk in pride you make the same God you are calling, your enemy. And when God becomes your enemy, no prophet can deliver you. Lastly the Bible says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt.5:3)

2.     THE THIRSTY

“I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.” (Isa.41:18)

“For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring” (Isa.44:3)

How hungry are you for the power of God? The deeper your thirst the greater your reign! God will only lead you according to your hunger for your desire. The treasures of God are only meant for kingdom seekers. Kingdom seekers are not potential thirsty people. They are kinetic in nature. They thirst and seek. They desire and put their body under the necessary rule to get the power. When you desire for prosperity, do things that will make God’s hand of prosperity reach you. Don’t rest until He establishes His promise in you. Pastor Enoch .A. Adeboye said, “do things that will make God say, I swear” Abraham obeyed God until God swore by himself “That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice.” (Gen.22:17-18)

Paul the Apostle said in 1Corinthians 16:8-9 “But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost. For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.”

Ephesus was a city known for idol worship but Paul said he will wait at Ephesus till Pentecost. Your Ephesus may be that problem that is stirring you to your face. It may be a limitation, weakness or financial bankruptcy. It is time to wait on the Lord. Wait until Pentecost. No Ephesus will survive when Pentecost power comes. If only you will wait, I see your Pentecost released in the name of Jesus. Pentecost is the power of God released to strengthen believers to live the resurrected life. When the apostles received the Pentecostal power, the Bible says they wrought many signs and wonders. God has promise you a lot of great things but wait for the Pentecost to empower you to destroy the adversaries in your open doors. No man can carry 500 kilogram (500kg) load of cement with 20 Newton (20N) of effort, so is it that you need a corresponding anointing for every situation. Strength to overcome every situation comes from God and you should come to Him to receive grace and help in time of need.

There are different kinds of waiting on the Lord

1.     Waiting on the Lord in fasting and prayer

Fasting and prayer is the key to the impossible. It builds your spiritual antenna and makes it sensitive to the Holy Spirit. It weakens the voice of the flesh and strengthens the inner man. Consistent fasting and prayer put the enemy on a perpetual flight. When you back prayer with fasting, you are telling God “am desperate for solution”. Then power of fasting and prayer cannot be over-emphasized. It can do wonders! It commits God to move on your behalf when mixed with faith. There are several instances in the Bible that proves that fasting and prayer works wonders.

For example, when Paul was blind he fasted for three days, God sent Ananias to pray for him to receive his sight (Acts9:11-19). Moses the prophet fasted and his face shone like the sun. When our Lord Jesus fasted for forty days, He returned with the power of the Spirit.

In general, fasting and prayer usher you into the presence of God, and the presence of God releases the anointing of God upon your life, and the anointing of God breaks every yoke.

Dr. D.L Moody in his book ‘Prevailing Prayers’ said that “I have often said that I would rather know how to pray like Daniel than to preach like Gabriel.”

Prayer is the link that connects earth with heaven says McCheyne. You need the grace of fasting and prayer because it will help you level every mountain that shall come against you. I remember on a certain day in year 2004 God led me to fast and pray, and in the evening He told me to go to a hospital located at Randle Avenue, Surulere. As I got there, I saw a man and a woman lying on separate beds opposite each other. The woman was the wife of the man. The man was suffering from spinal cord injuring that he incurred in an accident. He could not stand upright nor walk. He also had partial paralysis in his right hand. When I came in, I told them that God has sent me to pray for his recovering. After praying for him, immediately in the ward, he got up and walked. He also received life in his right hand and he used it to grab an orange which he couldn’t do for months. After the jubilation, the wife told me that she just finished breaking her three days fasting and prayer that she embark on for the sake of her husband. And I said God answered your prayers by sending me.

So I tell you, you should not give up praying because your prayer is connecting you to your miracle. When you pray, hindrances that delay your divine helper from reaching you are removed. And now, I decree that every hindrance between you and your miracle shall be removed in the name of Jesus. Every helper carrying your blessing must locate you this month, and you will celebrate in Jesus name.

In the above story, the man told me that his hospital bill was over half a million naira (#500,000), for he has been there for over six months and he doesn’t have any means to pay the bill. He also told me that he is a retired custom officer and he was expecting his pension. So I decreed that within seven days the hospital bill will be paid. And it was so, on the sixth day the head of customs in their command came and clear off the bill and the couple left the hospital that same day. Hallelujah!

If you will wait upon the Lord in fasting and prayer, God will send down help into that situation. A friend once said to me, “If you spend all nights with God, your life will change overnight”

That situation that you find yourself may just need one divine direction to take you out of it but if you don’t spend time to seek God, how will you be able to receive such direction when your spiritual antenna is weak. Charles Fidney, a great man of God in the 19^th century said “I perceive that God will do nothing unless we pray.” History has it that a physical cloud of glory like in the days of Moses followed him during any ministration. You too can be a world-mover if you will learn to wait on your knees. If you do nothing to make a change in your situation, you will remain in chains! God will only move when you move. Therefore arise and arrest every enemy invading your destiny.

There are different kinds of Fasting and Prayers

a.     Partial fasting and prayer: This is the fasting and prayer till the evening or at a particular time set to break the fasting on each day.

b.     Un-pleasant food fasting and prayer: This is the kind of fasting by Daniel in Dan.10:3. It involves breaking the fasting each day with soft, light food like vegetables, custard etc.

c.      Fruit fasting and prayer: This is the kind of fasting and prayer that you break with fruits only.

d.     Total or dry fasting and prayer: This is the kind of fasting and prayer that you only break with water

e.      Supernatural fasting and prayer: this is the kind of fasting and prayer that doesn’t involve taking in of anything including water. It’s directly instituted by God for a divine purpose. E.g. 40days fasting by Moses on mount Sinai (Ex.34:27,28,35)

2.     Waiting on the Lord in the Word of God:

The Word of God is God’s solution for mankind. Nothing exists without God’s word. So you can wait on the Lord for a particular thing by meditating and prophesying God’s word into your life and situation.

3.     Waiting on the Lord in Seed Sowing:

Until you sow, you cannot reap. The greater your seed, the bigger your harvest!

2 Cor.9:6 “But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.”

As I always say, “if fasting and prayer only is required in making people rich, everyone will become prayer warrior and Nigerians will be the richest people in the universe.”

For instance, if you pour water on an empty ground (i.e. a ground without seed planted), even if you continue pouring water for fifty years, will tree-bearing fruits grow from there? The answer is No. So is it that you must sow the kind of fruit you want before you can reap it. If you need money, sow money-seeds. If you need clothes, sow clothe-seeds. And if you need Anointing, sow anointed-seeds.

Eccl.11:1, 4 says “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days. He that observeth the wind shall not sow; and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap. “

Excusing yourself with the doctrine ‘I don’t have’ will not make God change His mind to still prosper you. Giving is a principle, not a step. If you don’t do it, you can’t reap its benefit. Beloved, even if you have ‘caterpillar anointing’ and you are not sowing financial seeds, you will suffer in ministry.

In judges 20, we have a story narrated concerning the war between the Benjamites and the remaining Israelites. “And the children of Israel arose, and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God, and said, Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin? And the LORD said, Judah shall go up first.” (vs 18)

They went to the battle and were smitten before the Benjamites. Again they encourage themselves and wept before the Lord and He said, Go up against him (vs 23)

They fought against the Benjamites and were smitten again. This was now the second time they have been defeated by their enemies even when God gave them “go ahead”. At the third time, they employed the strategy of bringing God’s hand into their situation. And what was the strategy?

a.     They wept before the Lord

b.     They waited upon the Lord in fasting, burnt offering and peace offerings.

With this, God gave them the right hand of victory saying “go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand”

And when they went forth, they succeeded.

Therefore there are some problems that will not bow until you sacrifice your burnt offering. Sacrifice is the highest level of seed sowing. King Solomon sacrificed a thousand burnt offerings and he became the wisest man. Beloved, you cannot out-give God. God is the greatest giver. So, your money doesn’t move God but it moves away your problem from you. God is so rich that He does not require your support. Your attitude in waiting on the Lord in this area will produce abundantly results in your life. Any problem or want that refuses to bow when you fast and pray will surely bow when you involve sacrifice.

“He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” (Ps.126:6)

Your precious seed is your sacrifice. There is so much for God’s people to possess in this end-time.

“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.” (Rom.8:19)

The world is expecting you to rise up with the power of resurrection. As you wait, you add weight and as you add weight begin to off-load to the expansion of God’s kingdom.

Prophecy:

There are still more lands to possess and you are now weak. Rise up from your slumber and take the challenge. I will strengthen you. I will use you to rebuild the desolations of many generations. Your fathers dwell on the other side but I have brought you into a wealthy place. Begin to eat that which they couldn’t eat and possess that which they couldn’t possess. Rise up and take the challenge! I will deliver you from the sixth trouble, yea the seventh one shall not come near thee. I am with you to teach you how to war and to camp. Follow me and I will make you fisher of blessing- says the Lord.