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I have been meaning to write this article for a while now, but for some reason, I have been putting it off until I found that sound on TikTok. In my article the Waiting Process, I spoke about how hard it was for me to wait. As I was waiting, I learned many valuable lessons that I want to share with you today in case you are waiting for anything.
1. Pray, Pray, and Pray!
I cannot emphasize praying enough. As you are waiting, do not stop to knock on God's door.
Luke 11:5-13 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
I know that oftentimes, we can get discouraged as we pray if God isn't answering. One thing I learned is that God always answers us when we pray because we don't pray to a God who is deaf. It may not be in the manner that we expect, but he answers. The answer can be a no when we expected a yes, but God's no is a blessing as well. There are things that I prayed for that I wasn't ready for, and I am so grateful that God said no. When we are in the waiting process, we may not see it like this, I know I didn't. But God is faithful. He gives good gifts to his children, so continue to knock.
2. Prepare for the things that you pray for!
This is as important as praying. Oftentimes, I find myself praying, yet I am not positioning myself to receive the things that I pray for. I am so grateful to serve a God who is full of grace and compassion to get us ready despite our lack of preparation. If you read my last couple of articles, I shared my career journey and how I waited for 11 months. About month 9th or so, I decided that I will prepare for the position that I desired. I started to buy books on leadership, read articles about management, and carried myself as if I was in the position that I wanted. I am so grateful that I did that because once I started work, I had to hit the ground running. Most of the things that I read about and did research on came in conversations.
3. Keep on praying after receiving the blessing!
About two years ago, I wrote this article called "Don't let the Blessing Interfere with the one Who Blessed you". You should read it if you are like me and have the tendency to stop praying once everything is good. I can have a short memory sometimes when it comes to God. Once I am living the life that I pray for, most of the time I forget God. I am not proud of this side of me. I am just so glad I serve a faithful God who will pull me back to him one way or another. I want to encourage you to continue to pray even when things are working better than what you prayed for.
Let's have a little heart-to-heart....
Are you praying for the things that you want? If you're not, it's never too late to start. If you are, are you also preparing for the things that you are praying for?
If you are praying for funding for your non-profit, the funding can become available tomorrow, but do you know how you will manage the funds yet? What will you do with the grants given to you? If you are praying for a leadership position, will you be ready if it was given to you today? I for one realized that I wasn't ready for a leadership position 11 months ago, but once I put in the work, I became ready. If you are praying to buy a home, are you managing your smaller place well? Are you preparing to be a homeowner? If you are praying for a spouse, are you ready to put someone else before yourself to serve them wholeheartedly? As I am typing this, it just reminded me that I need to buy some books on marriage. Writing this article made me realize the many things I need to prepare for. Lord help us! My prayer for you today is that you will start praying and preparing for your next season. Don't forget to share this article with someone because we all have something we are hoping for.
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Xoxo,
DD
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