Wait, and Watch God Affirm Your Faith - Daily Hope with Rick Warren - November 22, 2017
Wait, and Watch God Affirm Your Faith
By Rick Warren
“The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and make you remember all that I have told you” (John 14:26 GNT).
I remember growing up with some old math books that had the answers at the end of the book. I could work out the equation, figure out the answer, and then go and check it in the back. Or not! What I actually did was go find the answer and then, knowing where I was supposed to end up, try to figure out how to do the equation.
In a way, that’s similar to how prayer works. God has already given us a promise that he’s going to answer. Since you know how it’s going to end up, you’re left to go back and wait in the middle while it’s all being worked out. You say, “Thanks, Lord! I haven’t gotten my answer yet, but I know it’s on the way, because you promised. You’ve given me a rhema. You’ve spoken to my heart, and I know it’s going to happen. It’s simply a matter of your timing.”
After you’ve made that commitment and taken the step of faith, often God will send little confirmations during your time of waiting.
When we moved to California, Kay and I had prayed for God to show us where to go and start a new church. After a period of time, we really felt God saying to us a rhema: Go to the Saddleback Valley. There was a real peace in our hearts about it, and we felt confident. After we made the decision to make the move, we experienced all kinds of little confirmations.
I’d written a letter to a man in charge of directing churches in this area, telling him I was going to come. At the same time, he was writing me a letter, asking me to come. We didn’t know about each other’s letters.
When we got here, we didn’t know anybody. Yet within three hours of arriving, we had already met the man who became our first member.
We got here in January of 1980, and a total stranger called me up one day, told me his name, and said, “We’ve never met before, but I understand you’re starting a new church. I feel like God wants me to support your ministry for the first two months with $1,000 a month.”
We didn’t count on those kinds of things happening. But we claimed God’s promise, took a step of faith, and believed in God’s loving grace to give us affirmation along the way.
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Talk It Over
What do you think God wants you to learn while you wait on him to answer a prayer?
How has God affirmed you during a waiting period in your life?
What other promises from God’s Word can you claim while you wait on him to answer a prayer?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
Put Jesus at the center of your Christmas!
Many people step into the Christmas season run down and worn out. And by the time January rolls around, they’re so exhausted that they’ve completely missed the real reason for the season.
But there’s really no better time to recalibrate your heart toward Jesus than during the holidays. And Pastor Rick Warren’s book, The Purpose of Christmas, can help you fill your Christmas with more of God’s love and peace by making Christ the center of your life.
This resource shows you . . .
• What Christmas means for your salvation
• How to surrender to God’s will
• Practical steps to overcome discouragement
• Why we celebrate Christmas at all
• How Christmas can be a time to make peace with others
The Purpose of Christmas is our way to thank you for your gift below to help more people learn, love, and live the Word – so request your copy when you give!
From all of us at Daily Hope, may you experience God’s peace and joy this holiday season!
This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
