1. Wait on God…

2. Path of Spiritual Decline We focus on what we might do. We do not think we can carry out God's design. We lower our standards to accommodate our abilities. We then set goals we can reach. We accomplish these goals and are proud of our accomplishments. We encourage others to do the same.

3. Is waiting on God biblical? There are many things people waited for on God in the Scriptures e.g. for answers to prayer, breakthroughs, the Holy Spirit at the time of Pentecost. We are focusing only on those verses that instruct us by example or precept that we ought to wait upon the Lord. We will look at a few of the forty plus times the words 'waiting' upon God in the Bible.

4. Is waiting on God biblical? The Psalms use it about 25 times while Isaiah 11 times. David discovered that he could wait upon God for help. This is not to say Abraham didn't wait for a son or Moses for help for his people. The Psalms enable us to look at a person's inner life before God.

5. Wait on God Other instances show that people were waiting upon the Lord for something: e.g. to save, for counsel, His ordinances, His Word, His Salvation etc. Belief speaks about trust in. Waiting, however, usually focuses on some one to do something. Waiting upon God is not only biblical but a necessary part of the Christian life for the growing Christian. "WAIT FOR" IS AN ACTIVE DISPLAY OF FAITH IN GOD DURING IMPOSSIBLE SITUATIONS.

6. Is waiting on God biblical? Four major Hebrew words for 'waiting for.' Let's look at the ways the scriptures describe how God's people waited upon their Creator.

7. Wait on God means… Wait for YOU (personally, God, Lord). – Ps 25:3 Indeed, none of those who wait for YOU will be ashamed; Ps 25:5 … For YOU I wait all the day. Wait for the LORD (Sovereign, Yahweh). – Ps 27:14 Wait for the LORD; Be strong, and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD. Ps 37:9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the LORD, they will inherit the land. Wait on His Name (Character) – Ps 52:9 …. I will wait on Your name, for it is good New Testament: Return of Christ (Revelation of Christ) – 1Th 1:10* and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come.

8. How long do you wait? Pentecost – Specific place, specific time: until they received the Holy Spirit. Hezekiah – Spread out – Is.37:14-15 - READ David – Anointed but not yet appointed - 2 Sam 12:18 Simeon/Anna – Till they saw – Lk.2:29- 32/Lk.2:38 Till He comes – 2 Cor.1:14

9. How do you wait? All the day: (Ps.25:5) Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day. Patiently: (Ps.37:7) Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him… Keeping His way: (Ps.37:34) Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, … and He shall exalt you to inherit the land; When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. Hope: (Ps.39:7) "And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. (Ps.130:5) I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, And in His Word I do hope. His Name: (Ps.52:9) …. I will wait on Your name, for it is good. Alone: (Ps.62:5) My soul, wait silently for God alone, For my expectation is from Him. Physical effort: (Ps.69:3) I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. As a testimony: (Ps.69:6) Let not those who wait for You, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed because of me…

10. Some steps to Waiting on God Three important principles to waiting upon the Lord from the life of Hezekiah (Is.38). – Trust – Unbelief leads to despair, self-help books (own resources) or bitterness. Hezekiah turned to God rather than away from Him. – Reject - We must consciously turn away from using other resources that we could turn to. We need to reject paths without God. – Pray - Stop talking to people and set aside time to speak to and wait on God. Take time to pray and pause your own reasoning, planning and talking.

11. Failing to wait Abraham stopped waiting. He had a son by another woman. Saul stopped waiting on command of the Lord and went ahead with the offering.

12. SELAH….. Pause and calmly think of that!

13. Rewards for waiting on God Isaiah 40:31 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. Wait here comes from a primitive root word meaning: – to bind together (perhaps by twisting), i.e. collect; (figurative) to expect: – gather (together), look, patiently, tarry, wait (for, on, upon). We are to be twisted or bound together with our expectation on God. Renew – means to cut off, to spring up, to change, to go on forward. – Renewal of strength is rooted in the personality of God. ENCOUNTER CHANGES YOU! E.g. rechargeable batteries. If dead it can no longer give power to anything. It is still a battery. It still has potential to deliver power but the power within is gone. AT THE CORE OF WAITING ON THE LORD IS OBEDIENCE. THE ROOT IDEA OF WAITING IS NOT DEVOTION, IT IS OBEDIENCE. WE WAIT ON GOD WHEN WE SAY, “NOT MY WILL BUT YOURS BE DONE LORD.”

14. Rewards for waiting on God I. Waiting on the Lord uplifts. II. Waiting on the Lord brings endurance. III. Waiting on the Lord strengthens. IV. Conclusion: The secret to keep going, the secret to renewed strength, and being able to soar and run and walk without fainting or crashing or burning out, is to wait on the Lord. “Burnout is not from doing too much, it’s from receiving too little.” It is imperative that we make the time to wait on the Lord.

15. Waiting for ministry What God could have done for David. – God could have held off anointing David. – God could have shortened Saul's life. – Saul's pursuit of David took place over a number of years. David literally ran as a refuge from city to city. What David learned whilst waiting – David proved his loyalty to King Saul and ultimately to the Lord. – David learned to trust God in troublesome circumstances. – David had MERCY. – David deepened his reliance upon God.

16. This Week’s Notes: www.globalprayerwatch.org