Do you expect
God to answer prayer? Or do you, like me, struggle to maintain a prayerfully
expectant heart?
For years, maybe even decades, Simeon had been waiting
for God to fulfill a promise. Was he weary of waiting? I don’t think so. Simeon
was a man of faith, “righteous and devout…eagerly waiting for the Messiah to
come and rescue Israel [and] the Holy Spirit was upon him”
The Hebrew word often translated waiting in Luke
2:25 means “expectant.” The Message words the verse this way: “Simeon…lived in
the prayerful expectancy of help for Israel.” By the power of the Holy Spirit
who rested on him, Simeon lived in confident hope because the Spirit had said
Simeon “would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah” (v. 26,
NIV).
So Simeon waited. He watched. He prayed.
Simeon’s Expectancy
One day, the Spirit told him to go to
the temple. Maybe that was all the information Simeon received. Just go. And he
went. What did he think when he saw the young couple among the temple crowd that
day? Did the Spirit say, “That’s what you’ve been waiting for. Go to
them”?
The prophet Isaiah wrote that there “was nothing beautiful or
majestic” about Jesus’ appearance that would have drawn people to him (53:2,
NLT). Perhaps that also applied to his earthly parents. Mary and Joseph were
probably dressed in the drab, coarse garments of the lower class. They brought
the offering of the impoverished to the temple that day—two birds (Leviticus
12:2-6; Luke 2:24).
And yet, when the Spirit told Simeon to approach the
family of three, he obeyed. When he took the baby in his arms, Simeon knew he
was the Messiah. This baby would bring salvation to both Jew and Gentile (Luke
2:32). This baby would bring “salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 49:6,
NIV).
Simeon’s story illustrates three principles of cultivating a
prayerfully expectant heart—a heart that is content to wait in confidence for
God to fulfill his promises—the kind of heart I want to cultivate, but struggle
to nurture.
What Prayerful Expectancy Looks Like
First, Simeon was
confident God would do what he promised. He didn’t grow discouraged and stop
praying when God didn’t seem to be listening. His example prompts me to ask how
patient I am when it comes to prayer. Do I continue to pray confidently when the
answer is delayed?
Second, Simeon obeyed the Holy Spirit even when the
reason may have seemed unclear. When the Holy Spirit nudges me to approach
someone, do I? Or does fear silence me? Does doubt immobilize me?
Third,
Simeon didn’t judge by appearance. If his heart’s desire was to see the Messiah,
surely he had studied the Scriptures. He knew the Messiah was the heir to
David’s throne. He knew the Messiah would bring deliverance. He knew the Messiah
would be a mighty warrior.
I doubt Mary and Joseph looked like the
parents of such a Messiah. But God continually does the unexpected. And Simeon
looked beyond what the nation of Israel expected—perhaps what he himself
expected—and accepted what the Holy Spirit said.
Cultivate a Prayerfully Expectant Heart
One of my goals is
to cultivate a prayerfully expectant heart—a heart like Simeon’s. Here are three
ways I’m going to pursue this: Believe God’s promises.
First, I’ll focus
more on the certainty of God’s promises and less on why the fulfillment of those
promises might be delayed. Too often I’m exploring all the reasons God isn’t
doing what I think he should do. What if I’m not obeying in some area? What if
I’ve missed an opportunity that would have led to the
answer?
Self-examination can be helpful. Paul told the Corinthians,
“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine” (2 Corinthians 13:5, NLT).
But when that examination causes me to doubt God’s Word, I’m headed down a
dangerous path. To help combat unhealthy examination, I’ll cling to this truth:
“The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:24,
NIV).
Obey God’s Spirit.
Second, I’m asking God to make me more
sensitive to the Spirit’s nudges and less resistant to risk. I’m not a
risk-taker. I’m much more likely to remain silent and inactive than to speak up
and do something. So this year, I’m asking God to provide an opportunity each
day for me to speak or act on his behalf. Part of my prayer goes like this:
“Holy Spirit, shove me in the right direction. Shout at me if you need to.” I’ll
keep these words of Paul in mind: “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders;
make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5, NIV).
Third, I’m asking God to free me from my
expectations and increase the clarity of my spiritual vision. I usually move
through my days expecting people—friends, family, coworkers, strangers—to act in
certain ways. When they don’t, I sometimes allow disappointment or anger to
dictate my responses. I may lash out with unkind words or actions. Or I may
seethe in silence.
So part of my daily prayer will be “Lord, help me see
others through your eyes—eyes of hope, love, and patience. You’re working in and
through them. How can I respond to them in a way that pleases you and edifies
them?” I’ll also pray-it-forward, thanking God for the work I know he is doing
in others and in me. I’ll rely on the truth that God will complete the work he
has begun in me and in others (Philippians 1:6). God is “able to keep [us] from
falling away and will bring [us] with great joy into his glorious presences
without a single fault” (Jude 1:24, NLT).
Through the power of the Holy
Spirit we, like Simeon, can cultivate a prayerfully expectant
heart.
[written by Denise K. Loock, writer, editor, speaker]
