Every believer knows we should wait on the Lord, so I started to try again several days ago. The first thing came to my mind is to get ready for Him 24/7. Some time later I started my computer to look at the news, suddenly a question came to my mind, does Jesus want to watch this? I was shocked, how could it possible that I didn’t think about this before. When He lives in us, He sees what we see and hears what we hear, our thoughts get to Him instantly. If Jesus has been with me all these years, I would have grieved Him or gave Him “headache” many times. Since I can’t see Him everyday I hardly ever think about whether Jesus can put up with everything I do.
In the evening I prayed a few psalms (maybe 15-20 minutes), then waited on Him quietly for a while, but nothing happened. The following morning I wake up 4:30, then followed the audio bible to pray silently for a few more psalms. This time I was thinking the Word from psalm one “meditate day and night”, so I said to the Lord in my mind a few verses I learned from psalms; … if you be silent to me, I become like them that go down into the pit, …. LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, … O LORD God of hosts, How long will You be angry Against the prayer of Your people? … Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall be saved! … Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit fails: hide not your face from me, lest I be like to them that go down into the pit. ……
A few minutes later, I received some new understandings like: I can pray some of the psalms for other people by replacing “me” with their names. Below are other things came to my mind in meditation after that;
- The main reason we don’t experience the presence of God is because we don’t care about how He feels. We didn’t take it seriously when the scripture says (1Cos 6:19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? It is common sense if we were invited to stay in someone’s house, but if he doesn’t care what we feel, he does we dislike or hate all the time, and you know what next. In the same way, if we want the Holy Spirit to stay, we have to be sensitive to Him all the time and obey Him. And some scriptures suddenly make more sense to me, when Jesus said (Jhn14:9,10 NKJV), Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? “Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. The Father is in Him because He care about the Father so much He only does what the Father wants, and simply put aside his own will and plan. I think it’s like each time before saying something or doing anything He would ask the Father what to do.
- Jesus did everything according the Father’s will as He said in John 8:28 …I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. Do nothing of myself means He did not do anything outside the Father’s will. His life demonstrated what it means to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” in Romans chapter 12. It is not easy to follow, but the scripture told us how to start (Phi 4:6) do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. But the Word has been discounted or neglected so often that almost no one remember to put into practice today. Did we ignored or somehow even rejected this word of God so that when we pray for the sick according to , but nothing happened? If we had faith the sick person would have been healed according If we had faith we would practice Is it true we don’t have faith because we always disregard some scriptures and pick other easy ones to do?
- Therefore, everything we do will impact on our relationship with God. It is written (Phi 4:8,9) ; Finally, brothers, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which you have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you. If we refuse to do, God will not be with us. Those who love to hear salvation is by faith alone (no works) have failed to realize they want salvation without God. They need to listen carefully what is written (Phi3:18,19 NKJV) For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame–who set their mind on earthly things. I am sure they have prayed more than just the sinner’s prayer, but the end will be destruction. We have no idea how much it hurt Jesus’ heart when a believer set his mind on earthly things. Be aware of this, very few are actually warning God’s people like Paul, and many more are doing the opposite.
- Today we live in a world that is so full of liars, deceivers and disinformation which has already polluted our mind and heart, and have brain-washed many to certain degree. The best de-brainwash method against false information from false doctrine or false teaching is reading and meditating the Word of God day and night as it is written in Psalm one. This way we can purge man-made doctrines which has widely deceived God’s people for a very long time. Jesus warned us; (Mat 15:8,9 NKJV) ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ We need to stay away from man’s doctrine. The book of Psalms are specifically full of good examples of communicating with God. It is very sad, many don’t like the psalms are deceived so badly that they prefer not to have real fellowship with the Holy Spirit, they need lots of prayers.
- Waiting on the Lord doesn’t necessary means do nothing, say nothing and think nothing. For Psalm 25:4,5 says; Show me your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me: for you are the God of my salvation; on you do I wait all the day. We see the purpose of wait on the Lord is to learn God’s way and truth, to do his will. To pray (silently) or meditate Psalm serves this purpose. For example, 27:11,14; Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of my enemies. … Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Can’t explain why it took so long for me to learn wait on the Lord. Maybe my heart is still far from the Lord, too insensitive and arrogant. Although I have repeated many psalms many times over and over again, but they are not my heart’s desire to pray yet, my heart is perhaps somehow more stubborn than I think. And many of our own prayers often sound so fake or self-contradicting. We still have a lot to learn, lets pray 90 and 143;
Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.
Before the mountains were brought forth, Or ever You had formed the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
You turn man to destruction, And say, “Return, O children of men.”
For a thousand years in Your sight Are like yesterday when it is past, And like a watch in the night.
You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up:
In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.
For we have been consumed by Your anger, And by Your wrath we are terrified.
You have set our iniquities before You, Our secret sins in the light of Your countenance.
For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh.
The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.
So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Return, O LORD! How long? And have compassion on Your servants.
Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days!
Make us glad according to the days in which You have afflicted us, The years in which we have seen evil.
Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children.
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands.
Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in your faithfulness answer me, and in your righteousness.
And enter not into judgment with your servant: for in your sight shall no man living be justified.
For the enemy has persecuted my soul; he has smitten my life down to the ground; he has made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.
Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.
I remember the days of old; I meditate on all your works; I muse on the work of your hands.
I stretch forth my hands to you: my soul thirsts after you, as a thirsty land.
Hear me speedily, O LORD: my spirit fails: hide not your face from me, lest I be like to them that go down into the pit.
Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning; for in you do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul to you.
Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies: I flee to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will; for you are my God: your spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.
Quicken me, O LORD, for your name’s sake: for your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.
And of your mercy cut off my enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul: for I am your servant.