We live in a “buy now” world. With one click, we can have the product delivered to our door the next day. And if it takes two to three days, it feels like an eternity.
We no longer have to go to a video store to rent a movie and pray that they have a copy left; we just download it on our phone immediately. We can have food delivered to our door as soon as we’d like it.
We can have everything and anything in an instant, and often we expect God to be on demand as well.
So, when we pray, it is natural for us to be impatient.
Jesus’ first miracle was turning water into wine at a wedding… But it didn’t happen right away. When Jesus’ mom asked him for help with the beverages, his reply was, “not yet”.
She, then, walked away telling the servants to “do whatever he says”… And Jesus waited. And they waited.
Then, Jesus tells them to fill six jars. Not just any jar, but the large purification jars that would weigh roughly three hundred pounds apiece when filled.
The servants had to walk each jar down to the river, fill it up, and bring it back six times. This was done In the heat, while they were dressed for a wedding.
And every time, I imagine that they must have been thinking “Why are we doing this?”
But then, when the jars had been filled… The miracle happens.
I think the key phrase here is “when the jars had been filled”. Not “when the request was made”.
After they had done everything Jesus told them to do, then the miracle was made known.
God is faithful not just while we wait, but while we work. And our actions after the prayer can determine his answer.
So let me ask you: What’s the prayer you’ve prayed that has you waiting on God?
Is it a prayer for healing? Is it a prayer for relational reconciliation? Is it a prayer for peace in your spirit? Is it a prayer for hope in your family? Is it a prayer for transformation in your spouse?
Do you feel like you are looking at three blinking dots in a bubble while you wait for God to respond? Could he be waiting on you to fill some jars? Could it be that you are only on your first trip out of six to the river?
Maybe the answer you seek is found while you work, and while you wait.
So, what should you be doing after you say amen?
In my new book After Amen: What to do While Waiting on God I go through seven things Jesus tells people to do while they wait for his miracle, seven things that help prepare us for his miracles.
You can pre-order your copy today. I can’t wait for you to read it and for us all to grow in prayer together.
Your Pastor,
Rusty George
