From the archives of Oral Roberts
The Bible is God’s revealed Word, but it’s also a book about human beings crying out to God in the struggles of life. What does the Bible tell us to do to get our prayers answered? One thing it says is to “wait upon the Lord.”
In Isaiah 40:31 it says, They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. Used in this verse, “wait upon the Lord” refers to renewing and strengthening. It also implies waiting for the answer, much like a farmer waits for his seeds to germinate after he plants them. He cannot make them grow. All he can do is plant them and then wait for God to bring forth the harvest.
The prophet Elijah had to wait upon the Lord after he prayed for rain to come upon the parched earth of Israel. (See 1 Kings 18:41–44.) Initially he prayed that it would not rain until the people turned from their evil ways. In answer to that prayer, God withheld rain for over three years. It was a bitter experience for the children of Israel, but one that brought them to their knees.
Now there was a stirring of revival in the land, and Elijah went up the mountain to pray for God to send rain. Six times he sent his servant to search for evidence of rain, and all six times his servant reported back saying, There is nothing (v. 43). Still Elijah would not give up. He knew God had heard his prayers. Finally, the seventh time, the servant reported, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea (v. 44).
Waiting upon the Lord is praying until you reach a place where you no longer have to try to make yourself believe that God has heard you. You know it! And it says in 1 John 5:15 NKJV, If we know that He hears us…we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.