The Lord spoke these words:
"I have hidden many of My people for a time. It is a preparation time. It is for the future glory. I am filling them with My anointing, My substance, My wisdom, and all that they need to emerge stronger than ever and more anointed than ever."
The Lord spoke further:
"I am raising up men and women whose hearts are for Me, whom I will work miracles, signs and wonders through them. A people steep in My Word and deep in My Spirit. A people who are being readied for a greater manifestation of My presence, power and glory, for a greater outpouring of My Spirit the world has not seen before."
I pray you will be one of these whom God has spoken. Indeed, this is a preparation time. Get yourself ready for the greater glory of the Lord in your life! How? By prayer and waiting on the Lord! Remember, prayer precedes power, and waiting time is never a wasted time!
Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV) says, 'But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'
The word 'wait' here is 'qavah' in Hebrew, and it can mean 'entwined together (with God), gather together'. To be 'entwined together with God' is to be 'one with God'. 1 Corinthians 6:17 says, '... he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him'.
So, what do you do in a time of waiting on the Lord? You pray, you worship the Lord, you draw near to Him, you minister unto Him, and of course, you continue reading His Word!
Acts 1:4-5 (NKJV) says, 'And being assembled together with them (the disciples), He (Jesus) commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."'
See the word 'wait' here?
The word 'wait' here is 'perimeno' in Greek, and it can mean 'to stay around (until it happens)'; from the words 'peri' meaning 'being around, being there', and 'meno' meaning 'abide, continue, dwell, remain, be present'.
Interestingly, this word 'meno' is the same Greek word for 'abide' in John 15:4-5 when Jesus said "Abide in Me, and I in you; I am the vine, you are the branches, for without Me you can do nothing."
Acts 1:12-14 (NKJV) says, 'Then they (the disciples) returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.'
Altogether there were 120 disciples (Acts 1:15). And what did they do? They were praying and waiting on the Lord for the coming of the Holy Spirit!
They knew they were about to receive a new level God's glory in their lives! In fact, Jesus had told them earlier that they would receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon them (Acts 1:8).
Back to Acts 1:12-14. What is the word 'prayer' here in Greek? It is 'proseuche', and it means 'to pray to God (or to worship God) from the heart; to pray earnestly.' In other words, 'proseuche' is praying to the Lord with sincerity of heart.
And as they were praying and waiting on the Lord for some 10 days, see what happened next.
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV) says, 'When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.'
The Holy Spirit came. The power of God came. The promise of the Father came, just as Jesus had spoken to them 10 days earlier. And their lives were never the same again! They began to preach the gospel of God's kingdom with the power of the Holy Spirit, accompanied with miracles, signs and wonders. And many who heard them and seen the miracles believed in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Interestingly, even after the coming of the Holy Spirit, the early disciples continued to practice prayer and waiting on the Lord as essential part of their lives! Why? Because they understood the power of prayer and waiting on the Lord. They would never go ahead to do something without praying and waiting on the Lord first!
Acts 4:29-31 (NKJV) says, '"Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.'
See the word 'prayed' here?
You may ask, "Pray until when?"
Pray until the impartation from heaven comes! Pray until the anointing and power comes! Pray until the instruction or direction from the Lord comes! Pray until God gives you the 'green light' to act!
Back to Acts 4:29-31. And that's when the disciples began to act on what the Lord had imparted or spoken to them, and they began to speak the word of God with a newfound boldness! Again, a new level of God's glory was upon them! And the Bible says great power and great grace was upon them all! (Acts 4:33)
Indeed, prayer is the pillar to any ministry of the Lord (even in anything that God has called you to do, including your business and your career). Prayer precedes power!
One more example of praying and waiting on the Lord can be found in Acts 13:1-3 (NKJV). It says, 'Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.'
What do you do as you wait for His instructions (on what to do next)? Like the early disciples those days, keep ministering to the Lord and praying - until His time for you to act comes! By the way, to minister to the Lord is to draw near to Him and worship Him.
People of God, this is the time to keep praying and ministering to the Lord until the glory comes! It will be the glory of the Lord such that you have never seen before. Great and mighty doors of the Lord shall be opened for you, and you shall walk through them! You shall rise up stronger than ever before, and you shall do greater exploits for the Lord, going forward. To God be all the glory! Hallelujah!
