Scripture

Isaiah 40:31 (Amplified Version)

But those who wait for the LORD [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Consider

When we pray about a relationship, we often look for the answer to our prayer in the other person rather than in God.

We might pray for a change in the other’s behavior or a softening of the heart. We might pray for peace in the relationship, for understanding and patience. We might pray for healing from an addictive pattern of interaction. Then we look for the changes we asked for. We “wait” and watch for God to act.

Biblical waiting, however, implies an active expectancy. We look for God with a heart of trust and with hope rooted in faith. Too often we look only for the result we expect and miss God’s movement in our circumstances. God will not be boxed into the tight frame of our expectations but will act in his own way, in his own time, and to serve his own purposes. And those purposes are always for our ultimate good.

According to the Isaiah passage, God wants us to pray not only to voice our desires—which he already knows before we speak—but to receive strength and power by soaring closer to him. His desire for us is that we might learn to lean into him and trust his sovereignty in every circumstance, including our relationships.

When we focus too hard on the other person, watching for signs of change, we can shift or delay the outcome that God intends. Perhaps he wants to teach us a new skill, to grow our faith, or to guide us to a place of acceptance. He might be giving us time to recognize how much of the relationship problem lies with us or how our perceptions need to be corrected. It’s possible that he is already working in the other person’s mind and heart, but we don’t yet see it. Or he may have a plan that we can’t understand.

Waiting for the Lord means actively seeking him with expectant hope. It means trusting that he is never idle but always responsive to our prayers, even when his actions seem silent or invisible or incomprehensible.

Pray

FATHER, I believe that you love me and always act for my good. Give me eyes of faith to see your active movement in my circumstances and to recognize help that does not come the way I expect it. Use my prayers to lift me on the wind of your Spirit and fold me closer to you.

Reflect

Isaiah 30:18; Romans 8:28

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When God seems to delay answering your prayer, how might he be silently acting on your behalf?