We are so used to having answers at our fingertips. My algorithm serves up what I want, and I don't have to sift through anything or discern it. Slowly, we lose the spiritual muscle it takes to actually wait on the Lord. This week in our series on discerning God's voice, we're talking about the patience that listening requires. If we aren't prepared to wait on the Lord, we risk taking matters into our own hands, or passively missing out on something rich God has for us. So we'll look at what active waiting is, why it's so hard, and what the disciples in Acts 1 teach us about living fully while we wait.

What We Cover

Almost all of us are waiting on something. We're waiting for a relationship to begin, for the next step in our career, for a diagnosis to clear, for grief to pass. But we don't have to wait passively. We can wait actively.

Here's how I define it: active waiting is living in the present moment to the fullest, so we can actively look for signs of what's to come. It doesn't mean we stop existing or stop serving. That's the opposite of active waiting.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why waiting feels so vulnerable. It makes us face how little control we actually have, and it puts us in a position of surrender.
• Jesus's last words before His ascension. His command was to wait, along with clear marching orders to be His witnesses.
• How the disciples stayed active in the waiting. They prayed, gathered, made decisions together, and rejoiced until the Holy Spirit came.
• Why none of us are in a waiting room. Whether you're in a season of active service or a season where you have to trust and rely on your relationship with God, you have a role to play in the kingdom.
• The question I hear so often: Should I keep asking God for the answer? If asking brings you into deeper alignment with Him, keep asking. But if it makes you more impatient and self-absorbed, stop asking and start serving. God has not forgotten you or your request.

This is the day the Lord has made. Even without the answer, you can rejoice and be glad in it, and trust that He has heard your prayer.

Scriptures Referenced: Psalm 5:3, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 38:15, Psalm 130:5, Psalm 118:24, Psalm 37:4, Acts 1:3–11, Ecclesiastes 3:1

Want More?

• Grab the free decision-making guide: nicoleunice.com/decisions
• Book mentioned: Discernment: Reading the Signs of Daily Life by Henri Nouwen