A Prayer for the Waiting
By Meg Bucher
“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” - Isaiah 40:31 NIV
My toddler nephew hates long lines. To him, twenty minutes is a rough draft of eternity! He can’t anticipate the reward on the other end of the line. Certain moments are worth waiting for if our hearts are mature enough to anticipate the reward at the end of the line.
Isaiah penned the inspired words above to a people who were accustomed to waiting on God. He is who He is, and His timing and thoughts are not equivalent to ours. Though we don’t know His thoughts, timetable, or sometimes even His plan for the next step in our lives, we know Him. We know who He is and that He is faithful and full of compassion for us. We know His plans for our lives are good and that He is for us. He loved us so much; He sent Jesus to earth to save us!
Because of who God is, we have hope. Because our hope is in Him, we experience renewed strength. Eagles are majestic and strong. Isaiah didn’t write, “imagine soaring on wings like eagles.” He wrote: “they will soar on wings like eagles.” God’s word is assured. He has never broken a promise. We will run and not grow weary, walk and not be faint …when we wait on the Lord and His strength.
Let’s pray:
Father,
Help us to place our hope in You. Lord, God, You promise renewed strength for us. Yet, so often, we race throughout our day at a pace that we cannot sustain. You, Father, are Sustainer and Provider. In our everyday lives, we need You more than we remember. Forgive us for forgetting how much we need You. Teach us to wait. By the power of Your Holy Spirit in us, infuse our hearts and minds with the strength to soar, run, and walk without growing weary or faint.
Nothing in this world is hidden from Your view, Father. We know You see, hear, and answer our prayers. God of the universe, You created us. You know every hair on our heads and count for every tear which has streamed down our cheeks. This world is unbearable a lot of the time. In the respite, when we are able to breathe easy atop the peak of life’s seasons, allow us to witness the powerful soaring of the eagle. When we look at our lives, help us to see with Your perspective, God, the goodness layered into the fabric of who we are and where You have placed us so purposefully in this life. Allow us to peel back the layers of joy. You have written into the pages of our story.
Father, it takes time to sit and wait on You. With our time, we can point our thoughts, hearts, and minds toward You. Moments we pick to wait in the presence of the Most High God, through the power of the Holy Spirit living in us, through Christ Jesus. When we feel weary and faint, renew our strength. From the core of our hearts, spark a rejuvenating remembrance of the power living in us. The strength to soar is attainable for all of us, Father. In every person, a purpose is planted. A Kingdom purpose. Deepen our prayers, Father, and enrich the time we spend with You in the quiet pockets of our lives. Stretch those minutes, Father. As You speak through Your Word, Your creation, and in prayerful conversation, lift our hearts toward the heavens, where our help comes from.
Hope in You, Lord, is a concrete promise. Our strength will be renewed. We will soar on wings like eagles; we will run and not grow weary; we will walk and not be faint. Praise You, God, for Your faithfulness. Oh, God, for the way You love us through the most immense trials, simply by reminding us to wait on You. Thank You. Let Your hope rush into our hearts freshly today and stay.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/PIKSEL
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