What do we do when we’ve been waiting a long time for God to move in our situations? Do we pray for a while and then give up because nothing seems to be happening? Do we walk away from God because the wait has caused us to question His goodness and love for us? Or do we patiently wait for Him to do what He has promised? We’d probably all like to say that we wait patiently, but if we’re honest do we actually respond differently? The Bible says: ‘Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.’ So how can we be patient? It’s all about perspective. Once we know and believe that God’s ‘grace is sufficient’ (have a look at 2 Corinthians 12:9), we can patiently endure any situation. It’s not going to be easy, but we know that God’s in control and that we can trust Him to come through at just the right time. Joseph certainly experienced his fair share of troubles. His brothers threw him in a well, sold him as a slave, and pretended he was dead. He was falsely accused of a crime and thrown into prison for many years. He probably thought he’d never get through it all, but in the end he could say, ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good’ (Genesis 50:20 NIV). We might think that we’re not going to make it through either. But we can wait patiently for Him to do something because we know He’ll bring good out of it. The Bible says: ‘Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope’ (Romans 5:3-4 NIV). We can let the things we go through bring us down, or we can let them develop perseverance and patience in us. 

What Now?

Try fasting from social media for a few hours (or longer!). As you’re waiting for the time you can go back on, ask God to help you be patient while waiting for Him to answer your prayers.