• We have a hard time waiting because we have an instant gratification society.
• We have a hard time especially in our spiritual life waiting on prayer. Even some people in the Bible didn’t like to wait.
• Habakkuk had been praying for a long time for there to be a revival in Israel.

Habakkuk 1:2 - O LORD, how long shall I cry, and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! * He waited and waited so long. God answered the prophet’s prayer but not in the way that he wanted. * Has God ever answered your prayer in a way that you might not want? * His first answer from God was a long time coming so he digs in for another long haul. * He questions God on how long he will have to pray. * This is a good example for us.

Habakkuk 2:1 - I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved.

• Habakkuk had 2 questions:
• Why does God often seem indifferent in the face of evil?

• Why do evil people seem to go unpunished?

• 3 Elements of waiting on prayer:

• Commitment to perseverance
• Commitment to watch

• Commitment to act

• There were no instruments to detect advancement of the enemy.

• They had men standing on the wall watching and listening for enemies to advance no matter the elements around them.
• Habakkuk was prepared and determined to stand ready and wait with spiritual eyes and ears open to listen to experience prayer with God.
• A commentary written about Habakkuk says the watch tower is the consecrated openness of the prophet for a divine word.
• The application for us is our relationship to prayer. We feel that we should not have to wait on God to answer prayer.
• God answers our prayers in one of three ways:

• yes, no, and wait.

• The answer may be delayed. It may include spiritual warfare.

• (David) Prayer involves divine purpose.

• (Abraham and Sarah) We need to learn to wait upon the Lord and it is a hard things to do.

• Our prayer may be delayed also because of our daily walk with God.

• We need to go about our daily routine knowing that God is working.
• We need to stay in the right fellowship with our Lord.

• Habakkuk said that he couldn’t see it happening but he trusted that it was.

• We need to trust God whatever comes.

• The prophet made a commitment to look for his answer (staying alert).
• He was open to whatever God had to say and not what he necessarily wanted to hear.

• Are we willing to hear what God says even if it’s not what we wanted? We have to be willing to listen to what God answers.

• Habakkuk is a prophet of God and he has not been thrilled by the answers of his prayers.

• The application for us is that we be willing to act on His answers.
• We have to say that we are going to do what God wants us to do.