Step 5 – Wait, Listen & Watch

Four steps so far… Read the Bible. Pray. Seek wise counsel. Check your motivations.

That last step was maybe more challenging than the others, but so far so good. Finding God’s will might not be as difficult as you first thought. Until now, you’re told to just wait, listen and watch. For most leaders, waiting without knowing exactly what you’re waiting for, or how long you need to wait for, is difficult.

Which is exactly why the word, “wait” is followed by “listen & watch.”

Finding God’s will is not always so straightforward or so quick a process as you might want. Let’s check some examples from the Bible.

First, remember how God came to speak to Elijah? Not by a mighty sign, but something rather different:

“Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:11-12, NIV)

That gentle whisper is how God revealed himself to Elijah.

Just as Elijah might have missed God had he not been quietly waiting, the same is still true for you today.

If you are rushing between meetings, deadlines and customers with little quiet time for God, it may indeed be very difficult to find His will for your leadership life. On the other hand, if you set aside a quiet time for prayer or meeting with others – taking time to listen and watch – then your chances of finding God’s will improve dramatically.

Slowing down to do this is the easier part. The harder part is waiting. Just because you’re not seeing any activity or hearing from God does not mean that you’re not in line with His plan.

The Bible gives some examples of what God’s timing can look like:

• Sarah and Abraham had to wait about 25 years for a son (Genesis 12:2-4, 21:5).
• Joseph had to wait over 20 years to fulfill the prophecy of his dreams (Genesis 37:2; 41:1; 41:46, 53-54).
• David also had to wait about 20 years from the time of his anointing before becoming king over all Israel (1 Samuel 16:13; 2 Samuel 5:4-5).

Your leadership plans may not be working out like you thought. You might be seeking God, and still not finding an answer. That is quite possible. Remember, with God it’s the “long game” – building HIS Kingdom for eternity, not building your leadership success for this month, quarter or even year.

At times like these, your faith may be tested. It will be difficult. You may have doubts. But even so, the Bible gives this advice:

“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” (Psalm 37:7, NIV)

The Message translation of this verse is especially relevant:

“Quiet down before God, be prayerful before him. Don’t bother with those who climb the ladder, who elbow their way to the top.” (Psalm 37:7, MSG)

God absolutely wants what is best for you, but sometimes what you may be praying and hoping for might not be what God has planned.

You might not want to hear it, but the Bible does say to be joyful—yes, joyful—when you wait, so that you may be mature and complete:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

And, let’s close with this verse about what God’s will is for you – taking you back to prayer and thankfulness, no matter what:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, NIV)

May you be blessed as you find God’s will for both your leadership and your life.

Reflection/Application

1. When was the last time you had to wait for God? How did that go?
2. Why do you think God sometimes wants you to set your own plans aside and wait for Him?
3. Post the 5 steps of finding God’s will on a note that you will see every day. Then reflect on one step each day. What do you think will happen?