Prayer Devotional 2...Bible reading week 39, day 3

Today is an in between chapter devotional and we will be unto Zechariah chapter 12 on Friday.  Let's go back to another devotional on prayer.  Our first was about the harvest and lets look today about tarrying in prayer.  What does it mean to tarry?

Isaiah 40:28-31 says,

"Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth.  He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.  He gives strength to the faint and strengthens the powerless.  Youths may become faint and weary, and young men stumble and fall, but those who trust in the LORD will renew their strength; they will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not become weary, they will walk and not faint."

We all have limitations.  Even the youth and young men get tired and start to stumble because they have expended their reserves but what happens when your reserves are endless?  What happens when you call upon the One who is everlasting?  What happens when you reach out to the Creator fo the whole earth?  The One who never faints or gets weary and has no limit to His understanding?  We find out that God wants to strengthen the faint and powerless.  Our part is to trust in Him.  Part of what it means to tarry in prayer is to trust the One who makes promises of renew based on His abilities and not ours.  One who is tarrying before the Lord will receive His resources and it is not based if you are in the prime of life, young or big, or over the hill, old or small.  David told the very able Goliath that he came not in himself but in the name of the Lord God.

Psalm 27:13, 14 says,

"I am certain that I will see the LORD's goodness in the land of the living.  Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart be courageous.  Wait for the LORD."

To tarry is to trust and to tarry is to wait.  We don't like waiting but this waiting is a very active type.  We are not just waiting for the doctor to come into the waiting room to give us a report on how the surgery went of our loved one but we are waiting in strength and our heart is engaged to be courageous.  We waiting for the Lord with actions that strengthen our faith not let things in to make us doubt it.  We come out of our waiting knowing more about God.  What are you doing while you are waiting?

Matthew 26:38 says,

"He said to them, 'I am deeply grieved to the point of death.  Remain here and stay awake with Me."

To tarry is to trust and to tarry is to be actively waiting and to tarry is to remain and stay awake.  We need to remain in Jesus.  We need to stay awake about who He is.  We need to keep our focus on Him.  We don't wander around when we tarry.  We don't go spiritually asleep and put God on the shelf for a little while.  This matter of the gospel to the world is so urgent, this Great Commission, that we keep our attention on the One who gave it to us.  As I will say this Sunday, "A priority of a child of God is the Word of God."  To tarry is to be spiritual awake because you are remaining with Jesus in a relationship that is attentive to what He says and following through to do what He says.

Our last verse today is James 1:12 and it says,

"Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him."

To tarry is to trust.  To tarry is to actively wait.  To tarry is to be attentive to your spiritual life with Christ.  To tarry is to endure through trials.  Tarrying is necessary when trials and tests come our way.  If we tarry in the Lord then His blessing will come upon us and we need to look not at this world but the one to come.  In our tarrying we show God our love for Him who has already shown His love to us.  He is the One who has already promised.  

So do we tarry when it comes to our prayer life?  Do we trust?  Do we actively wait?  Do we make sure we are spiritually awake?  Do we endure through the trials and tests?  If we want to see and receive the blessings of God then we need to tarry and a great encouragement to do this is to be with others who are also tarrying.  Let us pray.

"Lord, You've never left me and You will never forsake me.  You hear all my cries, You know my thoughts before I even think them.  Evil is not caused by You, neither will it usurp You.  You are sovereign and in control.  You are never surprised, and will turn all events back to Your glory and even for my good.  Father, forgive me for how I have worried, for doubting Your love, for harboring discontentment, and for being impatient.  Create in me a clean heart, O God.  Help me to wait, to trust, to obey, and to persevere.  In Jesus' name, Amen!"

Pastor Adam