Take a moment.

Last week we were talking about the importance of prayer. We were talking about the story of Jesus at Lazarus tomb and how He was confident that God had heard Him when He spoke.

Did you realise that when Jesus showed up to the tome, He already knew what He was meant to do? He was not praying to ask God what was meant to happen or what to do. He was praying so we would know that He had prayed and had a conversation with God in private and that God would honour in public what He said in private.

Let’s rewind for a second. Jesus had been told about Lazarus’ sickness days before He showed up to the tomb, but He didn’t react out of fear and anxiety. He didn’t drop everything and rush down to see what was happening. John 11:4 says, “When he heard this, he said, “This sickness will not end in death for Lazarus, but will bring glory and praise to God. This will reveal the greatness of the Son of God by what takes place”. Jesus was not caught off guard by what was happening with Lazarus. We may be caught off guard by life and life’s circumstances from time to time, but God is never caught off guard. He is always ready, and He always has a solution. This is why we can trust Him.

Then in verses 5-6 it says this, “Now even though Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, he remained where he was for two more days. Finally, on the third day, he said to his disciples, “Come. It’s time to go to Bethany.” Bible doesn’t say what He did in those two days, but I doubt He was talking about Lazarus because when He brings Bethany up, the disciples were a bit confused. First, they were likely confused because the people in Bethany wanted Jesus dead. Secondly, I think it is because Jesus had said nothing to the disciples about Bethany or Lazarus in two days.

What I am getting at is this, sometimes the best thing you can do about your situation is to stop talking about it with everyone else and talk to God. Pray about it. Ask God what He wants to do with it and through it. Dig in deeper with God. He has a solution to every problem and a way out of every situation. We may not like it but trust God with it. He knows what He is doing. He has been problem solving since the beginning of time! He’s got more experience with it than we do.

Continuing on, we see from the story in John 11 that by the time Jesus got to the tomb, He had prayed and heard from God and knew that the will of God was for Lazarus to be raised from the dead. When we are faced with a big situation, we don’t have to react straight away. We can take time to process it with God. Pray, ask God for direction. Everything in you could be telling you, drive down there and say this and that. But what does God want you to do or say? What does God say about this situation?

We can avoid a lot of unnecessary drama and battles if we take a moment and ask God, “What should I do in this situation.” King David was a man of war. He was also known as a man after God’s heart. Before going to battle King David would consult God, see 2 Samuel 5.

There is a story where his wives and the other women and children belonging to his soldiers and all their possessions had been taken by an enemy. You would think it was a clearcut situation where you just go after the bad guys. But King David didn’t just react out of fear and panic and chase after them. He took a moment to consult God. 1 Samuel 30:8 says, “Then David asked the LORD, “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the LORD told him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”

In addition to praying consistently and having an open dialogue with God, we are to consult with God when faced with difficult situations. Then wait until we have clear direction. Finishing our race and finishing strong is dependent on us have enough fight in us to fight real battles and knowing when to walk away. What does God want done in this situation? Pray about it and thank Him for His response trusting that He is for you, and He knows what is best for you, always. God is on team you! He wants the absolute best for you more than you want what’s best for you.

It’s one thing to pray, it is another to act in accordance with the answers we receive. To get God results in any situation, you need to be willing to do whatever it is God asks you to do.

Love and blessings,

Melissa Tsingano.