Patiently Waiting for the Promises of God
Our God is a promise keeper! However, because we all have had people break their promises to us, and have even broken some of the promises we have made, we often expect the same with God…
But our God is not a man that He should lie. All that He says is true. And if we are willing to wait on and trust in the promises of God, amazing things will happen!
Join us as we discover how waiting patiently for the promises of God benefits us AND aligns us with the perfect will of God!
Past Promises
Broken promises are something we can all understand. Each of us have been on the receiving end of one and, if we are honest, have probably made the same mistake. Thankfully, we have a forgiving, loving God, but that does not mean we always turn over the emotional wounding to Him. Sometimes, we store it away in some corner of our hearts… allowing the wounds to fester and become the filter through which we view people. Even God. And because of this, we begin to expect promises to be broken. We think that because someone in our past hurt us that everyone is going to.
It is true that some people will disappoint us. Some many even break their promises to us. But this is not the view we are meant to take. We are meant to see people through the lens of our perfect God. We are meant not to be naive, but loving. When we expect the worst out of people—beyond any warning the Holy Spirit may give us—everyone suffers… that includes us, and it even includes our Father!
To change this pattern of broken promises leading to emotional wounding leading to poor expectations we need to be the healed of the Lord. We need to see the issue, seek forgiveness, decide we do not want to give it residence anymore, and exchange it for the healing, love, and wholeness God desires. Because no matter how slight or massive the emotional wounding we have may be, we need to be healed. We need to be whole if we are to fulfill our Kingdom purpose!
We cannot allow past disappointments or hurts to become the filter through which we view ourselves and others… even God. Or else we will miss a multitude of the good things God has in store for us.
Emotional wounds, such as those caused by broken promises, steal. However, just because we allowed whatever emotional wounding we have experienced to flourish does not mean healing is not possible. We can not only heal with God, but align with Him! We can be more than conquerors!
Accepting Patience
The need we have for emotional healing may not always be a welcomed reality, but once realized, we typically are willing to put in the effort to change. Our need for patience, however, is not something we are usually as willing to put in an effort towards.
Once we find emotional healing, we can see that God is a promise keeper. We can trust in the promises He makes. But the thing we forget is that the perfect timing of God is not always the same as what we think that it is…
By being honest with ourselves however, we can see that God’s timing is not the issue, it is ours. We want what we want and we want it now. None of us like to admit it, but this is a growing problem not only in the Body of Christ, but in all the world. After all, how often do we have to wait? Hungry? A drive-thru will solve that in minutes—even seconds. Almost out of toothpaste? Order online and get it before you run out, or drive to the store—chances are you will not even have to get out of your car. Bored? Watch a new release, read a novel, take that class… all within seconds or minutes at most.
Waiting is something we rarely do anymore. So why would we be patient? Why would we be willing to accept the timing of God?
Even not getting the things we want is rarer than ever, because we can ‘have it our way!’ However, what we want is not always what we need. Just like getting things when we want may not be the perfect timing…
Patience. Trust in God’s timing AND methods. These are things we all need to accept.
Rock Solid
The enemy wants to get us out of alignment with the Lord, and one of the ways he tries to accomplish this is by causing us to become impatient. To distrust the promises of God… to abandon them too early. But the Lord stands in control, and we need to believe that He knows best…
We need to be patient, to trust in God’s promises, and the way to do that is to fix our eyes to God. To humble ourselves and pray. To apply discipline so that we can walk in righteousness…
The prayer Jesus provided us in Matthew 6 and Luke 11 is key!
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.’
So He said to them, ‘When you pray, say:
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us day by day our daily bread.
And forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And do not lead us into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’”
—Luke 11:1-4 [emphasis added]
Why is this prayer so powerful? Jesus, the Son of God, gave it to us, so it obviously holds a certain power in itself. But why is it often called, “the model prayer?”
Let us look at it closer…
The prayer begins by fixing our attention on God; by HONORING Him. This is vital because it takes our attention and focus off of ourselves, off of our problems, off of our waiting… and on to God! Not only that, but it reminds us of the sovereignty of God!
Next, the prayer sets the will and timing of God above our own desires. Our souls are reminded that God’s ways are better. That we should desire God’s Kingdom to flourish. His will to be done. Because He IS the sovereign Lord who created everything!
After this, we again seek that things align with God’s will; this time in a new way. We ask for our DAILY bread. Not for next week, the week after, or even tomorrow, but instead we ask for all that we need for the day we are in. Our daily bread. And this bread fulfills all we require in terms of spiritual provision AND physical provision!
This is quickly accompanied by the need for forgiveness. We cannot answer the will of the Lord or the calling He has put on our lives if we are hindered by sin and unforgiveness. We need to do three things: we need to ask God to forgive us, we need to forgive ourselves, AND we need to forgive others. Not only does this align us to God, but it strengthens us. Renewing our mind, will, and emotions… even our patience.
Then we make one final request of God. That He would not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one. Yes, the Lord uses trials and tribulations to strengthen us. Yes, God says that these will come. But we need His strength to overcome… we need the strong arms of our Father to raise us above the storms, delivering us from the evil one.
While this is the conclusion of the Luke 11 prayer, Matthew 6 adds to the above by shifting our focus and attention back to God. This positions us to do what He desires but also allows us to keep our eyes and ears tuned to Him. It strengthens our hearts…
“…For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
—Matthew 6:13
Having provided us with this prayer, Jesus spoke a word that teaches us the deeper reason why forgiveness NEEDS to be included in not only this prayer, but in our lives…
“For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
—Matthew 6:14-15
So, what can we take away from this? Why do we benefit from this prayer?
In this prayer we are realigned with the Lord and able to trust in and wait for the promises of God!
We certainly need to act on this prayer—choosing a path of surrender to God’s will and ways—and not simply speak the words. However, this prayer, when we are serious and desiring all that it says, stands as a powerhouse of prayer!
In this surrender we can choose forgiveness. We can find patience. We can see the sovereignty of the Lord. And we can know that He is a promise keeper!
Resources to Heal and Align
Trusting in the promises of God and waiting patiently for them allows us to walk in joy as we align with God’s perfect timing…
While God’s Word and God Himself are the BEST tools to shift our perspective and behaviors, there are many resources that can help us in this. A few of these are:
- 7 Steps to Emotional Healing by Curt Landry Ministries
- Tools to Succeed in Breakthrough — a FREE guide
- One New Man Network Blog
- Psalm 91 Prayer — a FREE download to help you pray Psalm 91 effectively
- God’s Promise of Forgiveness — a FREE resource about forgiveness
In addition to these are many other resources on the CurtLandry.com website, many of which are available instantly!
It is time for us to faithfully stand on the promises of God! To trust the timing of our King! He will not disappoint us!