I LIFT UP MY SOUL

Dr. Charles Stanley

Ready to Receive

1 Peter 5:6-7

Humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt

you in due time, casting all of your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

Your morning begins with a problem. You turn on the shower but no water

comes out. In frustration, you pick up the phone to call the repairman.

However, when you dial the number, no one answers the phone. Now you

have reached your breaking point. But your anger is justified, isn't it? After

all, you need a solution to your problem, and you need it right now.

In our fast-paced world, we have become accustomed to receiving

messages, money, packages, and answers almost instantaneously. This

may be why it is difficult for so many Christians to wait upon the Lord.

When we lift our prayers to Him. we oftentimes treat God like the faucet

repairman-He should be ready and waiting to fix our problems in a

moments notice.

Though God is always with us through the presence of the Holy

Spirit (John 14:16). He answers our prayers in a time frame determined

by His divine will and plan for our lives (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Why does He do this? It is not to make our lives more difficult. Instead

it is to encourage us to trust Him and to rely up Him completely. God

is faithful to answer our prayers, but His answers come when we are truly

ready to receive them.

When you feel anxious about an unanswered prayer, don't give up or

get angry. Rather, seek God with a patient heart, and trust His timing.

Lord, I am finite and impatient. I am used to instant responses. Help me to

wait on You, and in the waiting, understand that You operate outside our

time frame. amen