It is written: those who wait upon the Lord shall be strong. They shall renew their strength, mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. But what does it actually mean to wait on the Lord? This teaching answers that question through one of the most sobering days in Israel’s history.
But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (KJV)
In short: waiting on the Lord is not passive hoping. It is an active posture of prayer, fasting, studying His Word and fellowship, staying in His presence until His voice becomes clear in your spirit.
When Winning Battles Suddenly Stop
There was a season when the children of Israel kept winning battles. God had used them to divide the sea. They had brought down the mighty city of Jericho. Then, all of a sudden, they went up against a small land called Ai, a nation that should have been a walkover, and they lost the battle (Joshua 7:3-5).
Mighty soldiers lost against a small nation. Why?
Joshua Laid Before the Lord
Joshua, the leader of the nation at that time, went and lay before the ark, before God in prayer, and he stayed there until evening.
And Joshua rent his clothes, and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.
Joshua 7:6 (KJV)
This is worth emphasizing: waiting on God involves laying before Him. It might not be your body literally on the floor, but it is submitting your body, soul and spirit to receive instruction from Him. It is taking time to hear His voice and taking time to be in His presence.
And it was in that waiting that instructions came. God answered Joshua and showed him what was wrong (Joshua 7:10-12). He knew the reason why he was failing. That, too, has to do with waiting on the Lord.
What Waiting on the Lord Really Is
Waiting on the Lord is not something generic. It is not just, “I am waiting on the Lord for my miracle.” It goes beyond that. There is an activity in it. Waiting on the Lord is:
- Waiting on Him for direction, staying in His presence until His voice becomes crystal clear in your spirit and soul, so that you know it is Him speaking.
- Spending time with Him in fellowship.
- Staying in prayer, and in prayer and fasting, to seek His face.
- Staying in the place of study of His Word.
- Staying in the place of fellowship until His presence becomes strong upon you and His voice becomes clear to you.
Waiting on the Lord is not something generic.
It is waiting in His presence until His cloud of presence comes and His voice becomes clear. It is waiting on the Lord for strength, and Scripture ties the two together:
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
Psalm 27:14 (KJV)
Tarry Until You Are Endued With Power
When Jesus ascended, He told His disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power. They stayed in the upper room, praying. That is waiting on the Lord.
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.
Luke 24:49 (KJV)
Waiting Until You Break Through
Waiting on the Lord is staying in the place of prayer, in the study of His Word and in fellowship until His presence becomes strong upon you, until His voice becomes clear to you, and until you break through in the realms, just as Elijah did. He heard the sound of rain in his spirit, and he prayed it until it became actual, physical, manifested rain (1 Kings 18:41-45). You can read more about that in Prayer Until Something Happens.
When Life Is Not Treating You Right
Maybe life is treating you anyhow. You are not getting what you are meant to get from life. Troubles abound where you are supposed to reign in success. Waiting on the Lord is just like Joshua: waiting until he hears the battle plan and the reason for the problem. The answer may be closer than you think, and it begins in His presence.
Key Takeaways
- Waiting on the Lord is active: prayer, fasting, His Word and fellowship, not passive hoping (Isaiah 40:31).
- Joshua lay before the Lord and received instructions about why Israel was failing (Joshua 7:6-12).
- Stay in His presence until His voice becomes crystal clear in your spirit and soul.
- The disciples tarried in prayer until they were endued with power (Luke 24:49).
- Waiting on the Lord takes you from hearing in the spirit to seeing the answer manifest.
Pray This With Me
Father, in the name of Jesus, let the strength to tarry in Your presence come upon me. Teach me to wait on You, not only for my miracle but for Your voice, Your direction and Your battle plan. I submit my body, soul and spirit to receive instruction from You. Amen.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to wait on the Lord?
Waiting on the Lord is active, not passive. It means staying in His presence through prayer, fasting, the study of His Word and fellowship until His voice becomes clear in your spirit. It goes beyond waiting for a miracle.
What does Isaiah 40:31 say about those who wait upon the Lord?
It promises that those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, and walk and not faint.
How do you wait on the Lord?
Follow the examples in Scripture. Joshua lay before the Lord until he received instructions (Joshua 7:6-12), and the disciples tarried in Jerusalem, praying, until they were endued with power (Luke 24:49). Give yourself to prayer, to His Word and to fellowship with Him until His presence becomes strong upon you.
Keep Going
If this teaching spoke to you, share it with someone who is weary and needs their strength renewed. Continue with Your Spirit Is Wiser Than Your Brain, The Holy Ghost Wants to Help You and Root Up What God Did Not Plant, or join the waitlist for the 30-Day Soaring in Prayer Challenge.
Based on a video teaching by Victor Samuel on the Eagles Ministry YouTube channel. Scripture quotations are from the King James Version (public domain).