Patience in Prayer

by Pastor Peter

Big idea:
We need to Pray expectedly and Wait patiently

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What is your assignment from God in 2024?

What is your purpose in God?

Waiting is a part of our experience in prayer.

Psalms 25:1-3
In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. 2 I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. 3 No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.


This psalm is a prayer, David was talking to God. It's special because it's an acrostic psalm. It was written as a song for easy memorising. David was in danger, overwhelm by his circumstances and needed God's strength

Psalm 25:5
Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.


Psalm 25:21
May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope, Lord,[a] is in you.


David adopted the posture of "waiting"

Last verse is "Redeem Israel out of its trouble"

* David's prayer is marked by patient waiting

"Wait" is a Strong theological and practical of waiting on God

The Hebrew word for "wait" in psalms 25 means hopeful expectation

Psalm 130:5-6
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.


* Pray expectantly

Psalm 25:8-10
Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. 9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way. 10 All the ways of the Lord are loving and faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.


Psalm 25:6-7
Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. 7 Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good.


Psalm 25:18
Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.


David knew he was sinful and need forgiveness

David appealed to God's goodness, faithfulness and steadfast love despite his own merits and righteousness

#1 Pray expectantly based on God's character

Psalm 25:12-13
Who, then, are those who fear the Lord? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.[a] 13 They will spend their days in prosperity, and their descendants will inherit the land.


God will instruct the person who fears Him based on His love and grace upon you

* Declare God's attributes

There will be a period of waiting

* Wait patiently

Psalm 25:16-19
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. 17 Relieve the troubles of my heart and free me from my anguish. 18 Look on my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 19 See how numerous are my enemies and how fiercely they hate me!


1 Samuel 13
Saul was thirty[a] years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-[b] two years. 2 Saul chose three thousand men from Israel; two thousand were with him at Mikmash and in the hill country of Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan at Gibeah in Benjamin. The rest of the men he sent back to their homes. 3 Jonathan attacked the Philistine outpost at Geba, and the Philistines heard about it. Then Saul had the trumpet blown throughout the land and said, “Let the Hebrews hear!” 4 So all Israel heard the news: “Saul has attacked the Philistine outpost, and now Israel has become obnoxious to the Philistines.” And the people were summoned to join Saul at Gilgal. 5 The Philistines assembled to fight Israel, with three thousand[c] chariots, six thousand charioteers, and soldiers as numerous as the sand on the seashore. They went up and camped at Mikmash, east of Beth Aven. 6 When the Israelites saw that their situation was critical and that their army was hard pressed, they hid in caves and thickets, among the rocks, and in pits and cisterns. 7 Some Hebrews even crossed the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. 9 So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him. 11 “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, 12 I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” 15 Then Samuel left Gilgal[d] and went up to Gibeah in Benjamin, and Saul counted the men who were with him. They numbered about six hundred. Israel Without Weapons 16 Saul and his son Jonathan and the men with them were staying in Gibeah[e] in Benjamin, while the Philistines camped at Mikmash. 17 Raiding parties went out from the Philistine camp in three detachments. One turned toward Ophrah in the vicinity of Shual, 18 another toward Beth Horon, and the third toward the borderland overlooking the Valley of Zeboyim facing the wilderness. 19 Not a blacksmith could be found in the whole land of Israel, because the Philistines had said, “Otherwise the Hebrews will make swords or spears!” 20 So all Israel went down to the Philistines to have their plow points, mattocks, axes and sickles[f] sharpened. 21 The price was two-thirds of a shekel[g] for sharpening plow points and mattocks, and a third of a shekel[h] for sharpening forks and axes and for repointing goads. 22 So on the day of the battle not a soldier with Saul and Jonathan had a sword or spear in his hand; only Saul and his son Jonathan had them. Jonathan Attacks the Philistines 23 Now a detachment of Philistines had gone out to the pass at Mikmash.


Saul need guidance but he couldnt wait for prophet Samuel to come. He disobeyed God, didn't trust

* Waiting patiently means trusting in God perfect time and wisdom

David waited more than 20 years for his ascension from the time of prophet Samuel anointing. In fact, David was a fugitive running away from Saul during the time of waiting

#2 Surrender to God's time

Grabbing from God
Leads to pain and destruction sooner or later:
- career promotion before time
- lust of flesh B4 marriage
- covetousness whether is God's will or not

Psalm 25:14-15
The Lord confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them. 15 My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare.


* The essence of the friendship of the lord is sharing of true desires, intimate thoughts and even secrets of the heart

#3 Expect God to speak (wait for His voice)

Exodus 33:11
The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.


God speaks to Moses As a man speaks to his friend