“AND I’M WAITING”
I was introduced to the supernatural at a young age, but not in the way you might imagine. Nobody laid hands on me or prayed for me in tongues. My experience with the supernatural was a direct result of my desperation for a miracle. My mom had painful psoriasis from head to toe and one evening, I said aloud into the open space of my bedroom, “If there’s a God, if you heal my mother, I’ll find out who you are and I’ll serve you the rest of my life.” An audible voice replied, “My name is Jesus Christ and you have what you requested.” I had no idea who Jesus was, I had never read the Bible before, and the most influential person in my life was a professed atheist, my grandfather (he became a born-again Believer one year before he died). When I woke up the next morning, just like the unknown voice had promised, my mom was completely healed. It was about a week later, the voice spoke to me again and said, “I healed your mother, and you said if I healed your mother you would serve Me, and I’m waiting.”
What many may not understand when I share that testimony is that, of course, it was transformational because my heart and mind were enlightened to the reality that God was real, yet, the unfathomable discovery I made that day was the resounding thought that God knew me.
DOES GOD KNOW YOU?
If you’ve been around the church very long then you know many people place an emphasis on the importance of us knowing God, as there should be, but I’d like to propose to you that it’s just as important to realize that God knows you. You may be thinking, “Of course, God knows me, He knows everything.” Yet, according to Jesus in Matthew 7:21-23, it’s very possible for God to not know you .
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'
To add to that thought, Jesus said in John 4:23-24 that “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” The word truth in this passage doesn’t mean the Bible or the Torah; it’s not translated to logos or rhema. Rather, the word truth in this passage means “nothing hidden” or “to be real.”
Listen, there’s something powerful about choosing to know someone out of love instead of obligation. Do you understand? God’s not looking for people who know Him based on rote memory as that’s not how He desires to know you. He’s not looking for plastic perfect people, He’s looking for open-hearted, laid down lovers that worship Him in Spirit, with nothing hidden from Him.
10 THINGS TO REMEMBER WHEN TALKING TO GOD
When I cried out to God as a young boy and admitted aloud that I didn’t even know if I believed in Him, God wasn’t offended
. In fact, if the scriptures are true, and I know that they are, God was pleased with my seeking sincerity. This is what He desires. And just as He said to me so many decades ago, I propose that there are many more out there, maybe even some who are reading this, who God is speaking to saying, “I am waiting.”
He’s waiting for you to come out of hiding, He’s waiting to have a real relationship with you .
To help you, I created a quick list of 10 things to remember when you’re talking to God. This list will remind you of how to prepare your heart and mind with the reality the Creator of the Universe wants to intimately know you.
- Be Real. Don’t tell God what you think He wants to hear but rather what’s on your heart.
- Be honoring. God may be your best friend but He remains the Creator of the Universe.
- Be respectful. Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Proverbs 9:10)
- Be ready to listen. Prayer is a reciprocal exchange with God. When you’re honest with God, prepare for Him to be honest with you.
- It’s not about how long you pray. Rambling on and on or attempting to speak eloquently isn’t the point. It’s Who answers you that matters.
- Don’t pray to impress your friends. Prayer is not a competition nor is it a sign of superior spirituality.
- God isn’t only a crisis hotline. If you talk to God only when you have a crisis, trust that He loves you enough to let you stay in one. I’ll let you think about that one.
- Sincerity goes a long way. It’s important to tell God how you feel and to ask for what you need, as vulnerability and sincerity are acts of an open heart that pleases the Lord.
- Talk to God about your needs. God may know what you need before you ask but He enjoys your requests. Identifying your needs postures you in a place of expectant faith that pleases Him ( Hebrews 11:6).
- Nevertheless, pray. Instead of waiting for all else to fail, try seeking God’s thoughts and ways through prayer and thanksgiving, and develop an authentic relationship with God.
I’ll leave you with the reminder that whether you’ve known the Lord intimately for years, or if you have no idea if He’s real, He’s speaking these words over you today: “I’m waiting.” May you find courage to come to Him open-hearted today.
