God is Not a Waiter
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You walk into your favorite restaurant and after being seated, you anxiously consider what dish you plan to order. As you sit for a few minutes, the waiter approaches you with a menu in hand asking for your drink order. He disappears then reappears with your refreshments and with pad-in-hand wondering what you have chosen from the menu. Upon study of the menu, you make your selection and the waiter leaves to begin your order. All that is left for you to do is sit back and wait for the food to arrive.
This process happens every day in many restaurants across the globe. It is a simple process and it works well for restaurants but it won’t work with God. Yet, it is this process many believers mistakenly use in petition prayer. After finding the promise of God that fit their situation, they make their request to the Father believing they can sit back, relax, and wait on God to deliver it up just like a waiter at a restaurant.
If you have assumed that petition prayer work in the same manner, it could be the reason you are not receiving His precious promises. When a person simply waits on God to hand-deliver His promise to them, as a waiter delivers a meal to his customer, he or she will hardly see an answer to prayer.
If you have the mentality that after asking God for your mate, that all you do now is sit back and wait for the answer to arrive, then you don't really understand the faith process. Believers with this mentality don't understand that they must embrace the fact that it is more up to them than God if they want to see their prayers answered.
For instance, consider the following scriptures:
Romans 10:10, for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Mark 11:23, For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say ... . James 1:22, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. James 2:17, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. James 2:20, But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
Points to Consider
Notice upon reading the above scriptures there are three major points to consider.
1. We know from these scriptures that you have a part to play in seeing the answer to your prayer, if you intend to receive through faith.
2. The Holy Spirit is talking to believers and what they must do; specifically, we see that confession and action are involved.
3. There is no mention of it stating that it’s God's job to speak and act to see your answer to prayer. It is always what the believer is to do because God's work is finished.
For instance, Luke 18:18 states, and a certain ruler asked him [Jesus], saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? This ruler understood that He had a part to play in his own salvation. Petition prayer, it is no different. You should be asking the same question if you need anything from God especially if you plan to use your faith. You should be asking, “What does the Bible say I must do to receive my answer to prayer."
On the contrary, notice, I am not referring to a work-base mentality where you believe to earn God's grace you have to do certain works. No, I am referring to petition prayer and the faith process.
In petition prayer and receiving the promises through faith, what you are doing is responding to something God has already done. You are exercising your faith, according to the Word, through your words and action to bring His promises into your present reality.
In I Samuel 17:18, 23, When the children of Israel's army under Saul's command encountered the giant, Goliath, nothing was happening. Day-in and day-out their circumstances did not change. The only thing that did change was the days on the calendar. Nothing was happening and nothing was going to happen if they had not acted on God's Word. The victory would have never been realized because they weren't advancing on the enemy. It wasn't until David arrived and believed God would fight for them and began to act on it, did things changed. As David went out against the giant, God fulfilled His promise to be with His people and fight their battles. David enjoyed the spoils of battle that day not from waiting on God like the army had done but by demonstrating his faith in God's promises by stepping out.
Next, consider Moses and the children of Israel when they were facing the Red sea. In Exodus 14:9-15, Moses' powerful dissertation to the people about the power of God did nothing to change the circumstances. It was only after God informed them, in Exodus 14: 15, to 'go forward' did things begin to change. It was their movement toward what God said, did the Red Sea open.
In another example, I recall a time when my mate and I were just getting to know each other. Because I recently stepped out ahead of God and messed things up; I was cautious and sought God's direction about everything. We had a budding relationship and I really wanted to see him. We lived in different cities at the time so I approached God in prayer. I reminded Him that this was the man He wanted me to marry and that we needed to spend time together in order to get to marriage. I had reason after reason for wanting to see him. I pled my case before the Lord and nothing much happened. I didn't hear anything from the Lord and the weekend was soon approaching.
As I pondered the situation, I remembered I John 5: 14-15. I thought, “well this guy is according to God's Will and I John 5:14-15 says if I ask anything according toHis will He hears me and if He hears me, I have my petition. . . , so I made the decision to go. Now prior to this, I hadn't heard from the Lord about taking the trip to see my mate; but, after I made the decision and began to put action toward going, I heard fromthe Father. The Lord answered saying; He didn't want me to go. God had his reasons for not wanting me to go at that time, but I still received a response from the Father after I asked and acted. While I didn't get the direction I was hoping for, I heard from God.
Think about what occurred in these examples. Noticed afterbelieving what God said, when each one acted were the promises fulfilled. David defeated the giant becausehe acted on the Word God hadspoken about defeating Israel enemies. The Red sea opened after Moses didwhat God said and went forward and walked on dry land. And in mysituation, since I had no rhema about what to do about seeing my mate, whenI acted on God's Logos (written) Word, (specifically I john 5:14-15), did I receive myanswer.
Therefore, in each example the people involved either overcame or received instruction after putting action to their faith. You'll overcome or receive instruction by putting action to your faith, too.
If believing for your mate has become stagnant and not much is changing. Or, if you are praying and praying and not making much progress, stir up your faith by getting back to your confessions and back to taking some sort of action. It doesn't have to be big but do something that stirs your faith. The Bible says, NOW faith is the substance of things hoped for . . . If it's not present tense, it's not faith. If it's not now, it's hope andthat's not faith.
Stir Your Faith
So stir yourself up and take action because what would have happened if Noah had not taken any action to build the ark in Genesis 6:22? What if the four lepers had not walked toward the camp to get food?(II Kings 7; 1-6) What if the woman with the issue of blood (in Matthew 9:20) had not sought Jesus to touch the hem of His garment? And finally, what if the men seeking healing for their friend sick of the palsy (in Matthew 2:4) had not broken up the roof of the house where Jesus was preaching? So can you see that it's not so much what God does for you to see the manifestation of what you asked for, but it's more of what you do?
I recall a minister made a statement that I live by that especially applies when God has already spoken. He said the following:
“Moving Causes God To Speak… Sitting Causes God To Wait… Waiting When It's Time To Move, Causes You To Miss God!”
Now, don't neglect praying and seeking God to give yourself ample opportunity to hear from Him, but start working the Word immediately. From this moment on put an end to sitting around waiting and hoping for things to change. Start putting action to the things you are believing God for then watch and listen intently for the Lord's direction.
Below are a few tips to help you get started.
1. Repent for any neglect or wrong thinking that may have kept you in your situation.
2. Do the last thing He told you to do. God gives his plans to us in steps. Why would he give you step two when you haven't done step one?
3. Start to take small actions toward what God said. Remember He directs us as we move, so start moving. You can't travel to a foreign country if you've never made plans for the trip.
4. Get your mouth in agreement. Have your confessions written and speak them daily. The Bible says in Proverbs 18:20, A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.Also, Proverbs 18:21 Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.
5. Get it in your heart that you have it NOW and not sometime in the future.
In closing, start today. Jesus said in Matthew 7:24-25, Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Therefore. you have a choice. You can have a 'restaurant-type' faith and receive nothing from God or you can get in the Word, exercise Bible-believing faith, and receive what you need from God, today. †
