One thing I can safely assume is that many if not all of us have one thing in common, and that is we are all waiting on something. Something to happen, something to end, something to arrive, something to be revealed! When we pause to think about the goodness of God, it is impossible not to see that we are blessed. Everything may not be perfect, but that was never part of God’s promise. St. John 10:10 states in the words of Jesus, “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” That is not a promise of a perfect life, but a life of superabundance! Even if we are able the grasp the true meaning of that passage of scripture, we still have another hurdle to get over . . . the realization and acceptance that the superabundance is on God’s schedule, not ours. Therefore, we must recognize that the giver of superabundance has the right to determine when, where, and how we will get it, not the receiver.

So, what do we do while we wait? Do we sit still and do nothing? Absolutely not! One of the definitions in dictionary.com of the word “wait” that struck a chord with me is, “to continue as one is in expectation of”! Continue to me sounds like just the opposite of sitting still!! There really is a process that is necessary for us to demonstrate to God that at His designated time, we will be ready for what we are expecting. Of course, God takes into account the fact that we are human and our flesh dictates human responses through our emotions in any and every given situation. But that is also why the Word of God must be our manual for life and along with prayer it helps to build our relationship with Him even during challenging times. Believe me, during my lifetime I have exhibited the correct way to go through the process of waiting and to the contrary, I have exhibited the wrong way. I may have known the right way to go through the process, but my flesh, that human side of me just couldn’t muster up the fortitude to do it.

Because the flesh and the spirit are always at odds, there is an adverse action to successfully go through the process of waiting. Let’s look at a few examples.

While you are in the process of waiting DO NOT . . .

1. Stop or decrease your time in prayer, reading your Bible
2. Stop or decrease your attendance to the house of God
3. Hoard or cling to what you DO HAVE, because you don’t know when it will run out.
4. Allow your conversation to be negative and full of despair
5. Give in to every wind of emotion
6. Listen and fall prey to the tactics of Satan – He’ll fill your mind with everything that is diametrically opposed to what God has said
7. Stop dreaming and believing
8. Stop worshipping

While you are in the process of waiting DO . . . (in order to combat the above)

1. Increase your time in prayer, reading your Bible — connect w/God as never before
2. DO NOT STAY HOME or prioritize anything above coming to the house of God regularly
3. Give, Give, Give!!! – Give of your time, give of your resources, give of . yourself. Take your mind off your issues and be genuinely concerned and willing to help others.
4. Speak positively, out of a storehouse of positive THOUGHTS!
5. Emotions are natural but beware that they can spiral out of control.
6. Satan studies you and your behavior, be sure you know and stay ahead of his tactics.
7. Dream BIG and believe that your dreams can become REALITY!
8. Worship God in all things . . . through pain, through lack, through sickness, through heartache, through uncertainty, He will show up when you give Him your ALL!

Source: First Lady Denise