I heard a sermon about waiting on the Lord to take action. The pastor positioned his message in the context of Israelites waiting 400 years between the final Old Testament book and the arrival of Jesus in Bethlehem. He then brought it home to tackle the prayers we are waiting to have answered in our own lives – whatever they may be. Now, I don’t know anyone who enjoys waiting in anticipation of God’s answer to prayer, but I do know His answers will arrive at the exact moment He ordains and in the exact way He intends.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens…

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 11, NIV)

For the past few years, my husband and I have been praying for a grandson who was navigating middle school with an I-don’t-care attitude about his grades. Nothing that anyone said to him seemed to make a dent in his mindset. He simply did not take responsibility for being engaged while in school or for completing assignments. His grades showed it, sliding steadily downward as one could expect. When pressed for a reason underlying his attitude, he tossed concerns aside with some excuse about being bored with the subjects or uninspired by the teachers.

We were in constant prayer, wondering how long this situation would go on, and in what manner God would answer our intercessory pleas? Once we surrendered complete control of the outcome to God and trusted the Lord for His perfect timing rather than ours, things began to change.

At the end of the school year when our grandson was eager to join his classmates as freshmen at a local private school, his eligibility came into serious question. His Grade Point Average (GPA) fell below the minimum standards set by the high school he assumed he would be allowed to attend. It marked his day of reckoning.

But some of the teachers and staff at his middle school sent letters of recommendation on his behalf to the staff at the high school. That was enough to get him accepted on a probationary basis, with limited choices for class selection. He was promised that when his grades improve, new opportunities would open up for him to choose a broader range of elective classes. He relished the new freedoms that came with advancement from middle school to high school, but regretted not being eligible to play sports with his friends. However, this time, instead of falling into a slump of self pity, he accepted the challenge to prove himself worthy of privileges.

Our prayers were answered with each grade report and each new privilege earned. After the first semester, he was granted permission to attend some of his preferred classes. He remains committed to do well in all his classes and sports.

What felt to us like an insurmountable challenge, proved to be a reminder of God’s providence in every aspect of our lives.

More than what we can imagine

Looking back at the time of waiting, I realize something unexpected happened in my prayer life. I spent more time seeking the Lord’s face and less of the Lord’s hand. I searched His Word for encouragement. I became more calm in the midst of upheaval, less likely to become anxious or distressed over things I cannot control. I find myself mentally recalling past blessings, reciting favorite Bible passages, and singing favorite hymns of praise rather than fretting over what is surrounding my world. Listening for God’s quiet voice has become a growing habit that I’m endeavoring to nurture. Is this part of this waiting game? Either way, it is one of its best personal benefits I have experienced through the process.

How is your prayer life? Do you find yourself tossing up requests for favors without acknowledging who God is? I urge you to conscientiously consider the quality of your prayer life. At its basic level, prayer is simply talking to God. There is no formula to how we pray, however, it is beneficial to remember how Jesus taught us to pray. There are a multitude of suggestions for how we communicate with God.

Here is a four-step process for prayer known as ACTS.

A – Acknowledge who God is, praising Him as the Lord of heaven and earth.

C – Confess our sins before God, our own inadequacy before the Holy God.

T – Thank Him for all He has done for us in the past.

S- Give our supplications (requests) to God, ask for HIs grace and mercy over your current needs.

Jesus taught us to pray

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'” (Matthew 6:9-13, NIV).

You may be waiting earnestly for God to answer a prayer over your grandchild. The following verses from New International Version (NIV) can serve as guides for your prayer time:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.” (Psalm 55:22)

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.” (1 John 5:14-15)

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” (James 1:6-7)

“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” Psalm 119:105)

“He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.” (Psalm 145:19)

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

“But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)

“But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love.” (Psalm 33:18)

“In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (1 John 5:3-4)