Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. –Romans 12:12 NIV
It’s not the being patient part that’s the accomplishment when waiting for a prayer to be answered; instead, the real challenge is our attitude while we wait. It’s not the trials and tribulations of life that wear us down; instead, it’s the angst we carry while going through them. We can’t live a victorious life if we face every day expecting defeat.If we don’t choose our attitude for the day, the choice will be made for us. Everything we have, everything we’ve accomplished, and everyone we love can be taken from us. However, no one can steal our attitude of gratitude, our joy, or our hope. We are children of God bought with a high price—the blood of Jesus (see 1 Corinthians 6:20).While in a Nazi Concentration Camp, a man refused to be broken. He said his attitude and hope were the only things he had left that they couldn’t steal. Are our attitudes worth stealing? Hope doesn’t come in bottles; it comes in “cans.” We “can” do all things, for we “can” love, we “can” forgive, and we “can” choose a great life in spite of circumstances.
Waiting for a prayer to be answered is one thing, but waiting in hope, nothing wavering, is the test.
Wait expectantly. When I get up in the morning, what’s my attitude for the day? Is it, “I can do all things,” or “I’ll try”? Be an “I can” child of God.