1 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:11,640 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Welcome to the Untangling Prayer Podcast. I'm Rachel Wojo, 2 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:16,799 Speaker 1: and each week we unravel life's notts through prayer. Here 3 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:21,040 Speaker 1: you'll find practical wisdom and prayer encouragement to guide you 4 00:00:21,120 --> 00:00:25,640 Speaker 1: through life's hardest seasons. Join me as we untangle life's 5 00:00:25,680 --> 00:00:28,760 Speaker 1: messes together, one prayer at a time. 6 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: Start asking about a prayer you've already prayed. Maybe it's 7 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 2: not a new one, but it's something you've brought to 8 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:47,360 Speaker 2: God more times than you can count. You've said the words, 9 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 2: and cried the tears and done all the asking, and 10 00:00:50,600 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 2: now you're just standing there waiting to see if anything's 11 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 2: going to come up all of it. You're wondering, is 12 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,440 Speaker 2: God actually going to move this time or you're going 13 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: to be standing in the same spot a month from 14 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 2: now or a year from now, still waiting in that 15 00:01:08,160 --> 00:01:12,600 Speaker 2: in between place, after you've prayed, but before you've seen 16 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: anything happen. It's one of the hardest places to stand 17 00:01:17,080 --> 00:01:20,120 Speaker 2: in the whole life of a Christian and it's exactly 18 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:23,560 Speaker 2: where we're going today. This is the first episode in 19 00:01:23,600 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 2: a little mini series that I'm calling for the winning. 20 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,880 Speaker 2: Over the last several weeks, we've been talking about the fight, 21 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 2: about how to stand when you feel defenseless, and how 22 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:39,839 Speaker 2: to take one more step when you're worn out, worn 23 00:01:39,880 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: all the way down from praying. But there comes a 24 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 2: time when the fighting portion turns into watching and the 25 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:52,160 Speaker 2: question isn't it shifts a little? Can can I keep 26 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,640 Speaker 2: going anymore? It's is God going to show up? And 27 00:01:56,680 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 2: so I wanted to spend a little bit of time 28 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,360 Speaker 2: right there with you before we go any further. I 29 00:02:01,400 --> 00:02:04,360 Speaker 2: want you to know about this book the episodes are 30 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 2: drawn from. It's a book called Praying Through Life Battles 31 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 2: ninety Days to Strengthen Your Faith, and it releases August 32 00:02:11,000 --> 00:02:16,000 Speaker 2: twenty fifth. Everything we're talking about and walking through in 33 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: this little mini series for the winning comes straight out 34 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 2: of the book. And if these episodes are meeting you 35 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,840 Speaker 2: right where you are, then the book will keep meeting 36 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:28,080 Speaker 2: you ninety days in a row. It's a ninety day devotional. 37 00:02:28,120 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 2: You can pre order it right now at Battleprayers dot com. 38 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: And one thing worth knowing is that when you pre 39 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,880 Speaker 2: order and submit your receipt, you get immediate digital access. 40 00:02:38,960 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: You don't have to wait until August twenty fifth to 41 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:45,840 Speaker 2: begin reading. So that's at Battleprayers dot Com. Now here's 42 00:02:45,880 --> 00:02:48,400 Speaker 2: the question I want to sit with today. In the 43 00:02:48,440 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 2: first segment of the episode, somebody wrote to me and said, 44 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 2: kind of I'm rewording it a bit, but they essentially said, 45 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 2: I've prayed about this for so long. How do I 46 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,720 Speaker 2: keep believing God going to answer when I have seen 47 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 2: nothing change? And how do I keep waiting for God 48 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: to answer my prayer without giving up? And if that's 49 00:03:09,040 --> 00:03:11,079 Speaker 2: your question too, I want to take you to one 50 00:03:11,080 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: of the most honest men in the whole Bible. His 51 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,799 Speaker 2: name is Habakik, and he was a prophet who had 52 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: a complaint, a real one. It kind of starts out 53 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 2: where he looked around at everything in the world and 54 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 2: said this is wrong, and he brought it straight to God. 55 00:03:27,760 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 2: And his question was, how long Lord, how long do 56 00:03:30,800 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 2: I have to call for help before you listen? He 57 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 2: was desperate. And then he does something that I think 58 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:42,120 Speaker 2: is so interesting and I love. In Habakic chapter two, 59 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 2: verse one, he says, I will stand at my watch 60 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 2: and station myself on the ramp parts. I will look 61 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 2: to see what he will say to me. So sit 62 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 2: with the picture of him for a minute. A watchman 63 00:03:57,520 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 2: climbing up onto the wall of the city. That was 64 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 2: somebody's actual job back then, Like you went up to 65 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,760 Speaker 2: the highest point and you would watch looking out over 66 00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 2: the horizon for a messenger coming with news, or for 67 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 2: the enemy on the move, whatever it was, whatever was coming, 68 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 2: you were aware of it for anyone else down to 69 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:23,279 Speaker 2: look and see it. In a back takes that image 70 00:04:23,960 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 2: and inserts it into his prayer. He's saying, Lord, I've 71 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:30,320 Speaker 2: made my complaint. Now I'm going to climb up to 72 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,960 Speaker 2: my post and watch for your answer to come. And 73 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: So when I think about that, I think, when does 74 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 2: he choose to do that? When does he choose to 75 00:04:41,520 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 2: make that move? He doesn't wait until he feels hopeful. 76 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 2: He doesn't wait until he sees the evidence that God 77 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 2: is moving. He literally stations himself. He takes up a 78 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 2: watching posture before there's anything on the horizon to see. 79 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 2: And that's a different thing than sitting around hoping. Watching 80 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 2: is active. It's expectant. It's choosing to believe that the 81 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,359 Speaker 2: answer is coming and then positioning yourself to catch the 82 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 2: very first side of it. And that's the thing I 83 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 2: most want you to take with you. If you're in 84 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 2: a long wait right now, Expectancy isn't a feeling you 85 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:24,120 Speaker 2: sit around waiting to have. It's an active posture and 86 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,880 Speaker 2: position that you can choose. You can climb up on 87 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,919 Speaker 2: the wall and watch for God to show up before 88 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:33,400 Speaker 2: you feel one bit of it, the same way Habaka 89 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 2: got up on that rampart while nothing had changed yet. 90 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for being here. We'll be right back 91 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 2: after a quick word from our sponsors. And now we're back. 92 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for staying with me. This is 93 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,800 Speaker 2: the part of the show where we take one principle 94 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:56,280 Speaker 2: to help you pray more and worry hopefully less. And 95 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 2: today's principle grows right out of that picture of a 96 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 2: back on the wall. It's watching for God is something 97 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:07,720 Speaker 2: you do on the inside, and the very fact that 98 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:13,039 Speaker 2: you're still watching means you haven't lost hope. So when 99 00:06:13,040 --> 00:06:18,279 Speaker 2: Abeka talks about stationing himself at his watch post, I 100 00:06:18,440 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 2: used to picture him literally climbing up the stone tower. 101 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 2: But more recently, as I have just sat with the scripture, 102 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 2: I've come to think that maybe the watch tower is 103 00:06:30,000 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 2: not only a place, but it's a posture of his heart. 104 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 2: It's him quieting everything down, turning away from all the 105 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,960 Speaker 2: noise and the distraction and the hundred other voices, and 106 00:06:42,040 --> 00:06:46,719 Speaker 2: getting his mind ready to hear from God. You and 107 00:06:46,760 --> 00:06:50,159 Speaker 2: I don't have a tower that we can climb, but 108 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:54,160 Speaker 2: we do have that choice every single day to quiet 109 00:06:54,200 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 2: the noise and turn our attention and get our hearts 110 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:01,120 Speaker 2: ready to hear from the Lord. That's what the watchtower 111 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,440 Speaker 2: is really, not so much a place you go as 112 00:07:04,480 --> 00:07:08,039 Speaker 2: a stillness and a posture that you choose. I don't 113 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:10,520 Speaker 2: want you to miss that. The act of watching itself 114 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 2: is an act of hope. Think about that for a minute. 115 00:07:13,960 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 2: A person who has completely given up doesn't bother climbing 116 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 2: up to watch for anything. You don't scan the horizon 117 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 2: for a messenger when you've decided that it's never going 118 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,160 Speaker 2: to happen. It's never coming. So the fact that Habaka 119 00:07:29,400 --> 00:07:33,520 Speaker 2: got up on that wall at all, he positioned himself 120 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 2: to look this was a kind of hope whyat maybe 121 00:07:38,560 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 2: maybe bruised up, beaten up a little bit, but hope 122 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,559 Speaker 2: all the same. So, if you're still bringing something to God, 123 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 2: and if there's a part of you that's still watching 124 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,960 Speaker 2: that horizon even while you wonder whether God's going to 125 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 2: do anything or what he's going to do. Don't think 126 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 2: of that as a weakness. Think of that as faith. 127 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 2: You're still hanging on when it would be easier to quit. 128 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 2: And none of that holds together if you don't know 129 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 2: who you're watching for. Habaka could take the posture and 130 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,720 Speaker 2: the position because of what he knew to be true 131 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 2: about God. That God is wise, he is good, he's powerful, 132 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: and he longs to do something in our circumstances, in 133 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:25,240 Speaker 2: and through them. That's the only reason watching makes any 134 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:28,840 Speaker 2: sense at all. We're not just hoping the universe randomly 135 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 2: decides to turn the corner or change our circumstance. We're 136 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 2: watching for an individual, specific God, one whose character we've 137 00:08:37,679 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: come to know. And when you can't see a thing 138 00:08:41,080 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 2: on the horizon, that's what you come back to. Not 139 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:46,920 Speaker 2: can I see an answer yet? But do I know 140 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 2: the God that I'm waiting on? He has never once 141 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:57,200 Speaker 2: been unfaithful to his people who are watching for him. 142 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 2: For our answer prayer story this week, I wanted to 143 00:09:00,960 --> 00:09:04,840 Speaker 2: take you back to the eighteen hundreds, a missionary named 144 00:09:04,920 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 2: Hudson Taylor. I've talked about him on the podcast before 145 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:11,920 Speaker 2: he gave his life to bringing the gospel to Inland China, 146 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 2: and he built everything he did on the belief that 147 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,679 Speaker 2: you could take God at his word and actually watch 148 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:22,200 Speaker 2: him come through. And there's a stretch of his story 149 00:09:22,240 --> 00:09:26,360 Speaker 2: that fits right into what we've been talking about. In 150 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:30,760 Speaker 2: November of eighteen eighty six, Taylor gathered with about a 151 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 2: dozen other men from the China Inland Mission and they 152 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:39,200 Speaker 2: spent eight days doing nothing but waiting on God. Together. 153 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 2: Four of those days they fasted while they prayed. Eight 154 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 2: days of just seeking God and watching for his direction. 155 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,240 Speaker 2: And out of that time of waiting, they came away 156 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 2: convinced God wanted them to pray for something very specific, 157 00:09:58,160 --> 00:10:04,439 Speaker 2: one hundred new missionaries, and it happened. They wanted those 158 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 2: one hundred new missionaries to be stent out in the 159 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:09,680 Speaker 2: next year, and they barely had the means for the 160 00:10:09,679 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 2: workers that they had. But I love that they didn't 161 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,320 Speaker 2: wait around to see a hundred people show up and 162 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:18,440 Speaker 2: then decide to believe that God was going to do it. 163 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:21,959 Speaker 2: They climbed up on that wall. First, they got still 164 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 2: before the Lord. They got their hearts ready, and they 165 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:29,200 Speaker 2: named the exact thing they were watching God to move in. 166 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 2: Long before there was a single sign of it on 167 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 2: the horizon, and by the end of eighteen eighty seven, 168 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,079 Speaker 2: the hundred had come, every one of them. God showed 169 00:10:39,240 --> 00:10:43,440 Speaker 2: up right on the timeline they'd been watching for. But 170 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:47,040 Speaker 2: there's an earlier moment in Hudson Taylor's eye that I 171 00:10:47,240 --> 00:10:50,040 Speaker 2: just hold on to. There was a season when he 172 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:55,000 Speaker 2: was praying and believing God for provision that the mission 173 00:10:55,360 --> 00:10:59,200 Speaker 2: he attended desperately needed. And he found out later that 174 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:02,880 Speaker 2: a gift he'd been aching for, money that he needed 175 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:06,439 Speaker 2: just to keep going, had already been in the mail, 176 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 2: put in the mail by someone on the other side 177 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 2: of the ocean. It was mailed before he had even 178 00:11:11,960 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 2: finished praying for it. The answer was already on its 179 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 2: way while he was still up on the wall asking. 180 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:22,680 Speaker 2: He just couldn't see it yet. So hold on to that. 181 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:27,200 Speaker 2: When you're watching your own horizon and it just looks 182 00:11:27,280 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 2: completely empty, it doesn't mean that nothing is happening. God 183 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 2: is at work. He doesn't start moving the moment you 184 00:11:35,280 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 2: finally see the answer come into view. He's been moving 185 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 2: the whole time that you've been waiting. The messager may 186 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:48,120 Speaker 2: already be on the way, The provision may already be 187 00:11:48,240 --> 00:11:51,120 Speaker 2: in the mail, and I remind my own heart, the 188 00:11:51,280 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 2: very thing you've been begging him for may already be 189 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 2: in motion, just not where you can see it yet. 190 00:11:58,160 --> 00:12:01,480 Speaker 2: If you're in that kind of way watching season right now, 191 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 2: you've prayed and prayed, and you're standing on the wall 192 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:09,400 Speaker 2: with an empty horizon, that's the exact place Praying through 193 00:12:09,400 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 2: Life's Battles was written for. It's ninety days of praying 194 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 2: through the fight toward victory that you can't see it. 195 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:21,400 Speaker 2: And the whole last stretch of the book is called 196 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 2: for the Winning, and it's all about learning to watch 197 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,520 Speaker 2: for God, anticipating the way that Hubaka did, getting your 198 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 2: heart still and ready, and staying expectant even when the 199 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 2: horizon looks empty, because the God you're watching for has 200 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:44,439 Speaker 2: never once been unfaithful to the people who look for him. 201 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:48,800 Speaker 2: The book releases August twenty fifth, but you don't have 202 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:52,199 Speaker 2: to wait. Remember to begin reading. Preorder it now at 203 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:55,920 Speaker 2: battleprayers dot com. Just submit your receipt and you'll get 204 00:12:56,040 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 2: immediate access digital access to a watermarked copy that you 205 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:05,040 Speaker 2: can begin reading right away. Battleprayers dot Com. Thank you 206 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 2: for joining me on the Untangling Prayer podcast. I pray 207 00:13:08,760 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 2: that today's episode gave you the courage to climb back 208 00:13:12,559 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 2: up on the wall and keep watching for God to 209 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:19,960 Speaker 2: move until next time. Remember, God sees you, he hears you, 210 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 2: and He knows your need. 211 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:28,800 Speaker 1: Thanks for joining me on the Untangling Prayer Podcast. If 212 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who 213 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: could use a little hope, and be sure to subscribe 214 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 1: for more. Until next time, keep seeking, keep trusting, and 215 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:43,199 Speaker 1: keep praying.