What does it mean to wait for the Lord? It means that whatever troubles us, causes us concern, or whatever our needs are should be taken to the Lord in prayer, and left in His hands. It means that we should be patient and trust that God will take care of our needs and concerns at the precise time.

Waiting in today's society is often a difficult thing to do. We want quick answers, quick solutions, quick fixes to our problems. Often life does not provide this and we become frustrated. Sometimes as Christians we fall into a similar kind of mentality. We pray to God regarding a problem or need and get worried or frustrated when a solution does not present itself fast enough (by our reckoning). We hurt our faith in God by not waiting for Him to deal with our requests according to our needs, in His own way, and in His time.

A story is told of a man who prayed to God for a wife. He wished for the Lord to lead him to one who would be his lifelong companion. The man had to wait, trusting that God would answer his prayer in His own special way and time. It was not always easy to wait, for he had to battle his loneliness and temptation to think that God had forgotten him. But several years later, the Lord arranged circumstances in such a way that the man's prayer was answered. Waiting paid off and he was blessed with a wonderful Christian woman for a wife.

Another man had a car. It was not a particularly good car to drive, but it was the only one he had. He could not afford a new or used one according to the prices he would see in the local newspaper or at used car lots. The man was driving home from work one day, and he had the misfortune of having an accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt and the other vehicle was not damaged in any significant way. But his car was rendered useless. There was a period of anxiety and uncertainty, because this was the man's only means of transportation to work and other places he needed to go. But he prayed to the Lord and left it in His hands. He waited, but not for long. Two days later, through a providential set of circumstances, the man was able to acquire a reliable used car. His mobility was restored.

When we ask the Lord in prayer to provide something we want or need, we must have faith that He hears us and accept His will in the matter rather than our own. We must learn to wait patiently for His answer. Sometimes the answer will be a long while in coming. Other times the response may be quite swift. God is aware of our needs better than we are. He knows best how to provide for us. Waiting patiently is not always an easy thing to do, but we need to learn to prayerfully, faithfully, place our burdens in the Lord's hands, and wait for Him to deal with them according to His will and His own good time. Doing so insures the best results and teaches us to be more patient and more trusting in God's power and willingness to care for our needs.