In stillness before God — how to wait on the Lord

We can devote a great deal of time to Christian activity while spending too little time with God. We can pray, present our needs and serve others — yet still find it difficult to stop before the Lord and let Him take the initiative.

Derek Prince emphasised that the Christian life involves both serving and waiting. Jesus is the Head of the Church. Direction, decisions and initiative are to come from Him. We therefore need time in which we set aside our own activity to listen and submit to His leading.

“Be still, and know that I am God”

The words “Be still, and know that I am God” come from Psalm 46. The psalm describes upheaval, wars and nations in turmoil. In the midst of this confusion comes God’s call to be still.

Prince explained that believers can be still because God remains sovereign even when chaos surrounds them. He is still in control and is carrying out His purposes. We can stop giving way to nervous anxiety and turn our attention to the Lord.

A soul that waits for God

In Psalm 62, Prince drew attention to the soul waiting in silence for God. He noted that the psalmist also speaks to his own soul, calling it to wait in this way. He deliberately turns his inner being towards the Lord.

Prince emphasised the significance of the word “only”: the soul waits for God only, because salvation, hope and security come from Him.

By waiting, we acknowledge:

• God as our source — we look to Him for what we need.
• His sovereignty — the initiative and the timing belong to Him.
• Our dependence on Him — we surrender to Him our desire to direct our lives independently.

Prince connected this attitude with refraining from hasty actions taken under the pressure of circumstances. We remain turned towards God instead of yielding to inner pressure. Such waiting develops stability and an ever-deepening reliance on the Lord.

How do we begin to wait before God?

Prince identified four elements: attention, humility, time and quietness.

Attention means directing our hearts and minds towards God. Prince observed that people become accustomed to doing several things at once and having constant background noise. Listening to God requires concentration.

Humility means being willing to be taught. We come to listen rather than impose our own answers on God. Prince warned that preconceived ideas about what God ought to say can make us deaf to His words.

Time means being willing to wait. God does not always speak immediately when we want an answer.

Quietness means remaining before Him with reverence, calm and a heart focused on Him.

As preparation, Prince particularly emphasised worship. He referred to Psalm 95:6–8: bowing down, humbling ourselves before our Creator and opening our hearts to His voice. He encouraged us to draw near to God, acknowledging His greatness, majesty, wisdom and rule.

Letting the Holy Spirit take the initiative

Prince shared Johannes Facius’s account of a gathering of Christian leaders in Australia. They came together for three weeks to seek the Lord. The picture expressing the purpose of the gathering was that of sitting at Jesus’ feet, like Mary as she listened to Him.

At first, remaining in silence proved very difficult. After a few minutes, someone would begin a song, a Scripture reading or a prophetic utterance. Facius described how they gradually learned to wait and let the Holy Spirit take the initiative.

Prince also spoke about his life with Ruth. They set aside one day a week to wait on God. They did not prepare a programme or a prayer list. Sometimes they began by reading the Bible. At the end of the day, they would look back in amazement at how God had led them — into things they had not planned beforehand.

Allowing God to put our lives in order

Prince recounted that, during an extended time away with Ruth, they were waiting for guidance about the future. Meanwhile, God was dealing with things in their lives that needed to be put right.

He recalled being reminded of past sins he had not confessed. Together, he and Ruth humbled themselves before God and confessed their sins.

He therefore connected waiting before the Lord with honesty and a willingness to receive correction. He referred to 1 John 1:7–9: walking in the light, confessing sins and being cleansed by the blood of Jesus. Time before God became a time for exposing and removing whatever hindered fellowship with Him.

Perseverance, peace and renewed strength

Prince pointed to three fruits of waiting.

Maturing character. Drawing on James 1:2–4, he explained that the testing of faith develops perseverance. A particular test comes when we must continue to trust even though we cannot make the answer come sooner.

Inner calm. Referring to Psalm 37:7–9, he connected patient waiting with letting go of fretting, anger and anxiety. We learn to rest in the Lord.

Renewed strength. In Isaiah 40:28–31, he highlighted the difference between our dwindling human resources and God’s inexhaustible strength. Those who wait for the Lord receive new strength. Prince described this as surrendering our own weakness and receiving strength from God.

Returning to our first love

In the account by Facius that Prince shared, waiting led to putting Jesus back at the centre of life. The participants discovered how far they had drifted from their first love, even while engaged in ministry.

As they continued before the Lord, love, joy and worship increased. They yielded more and more to Jesus and longed to be with Him. Facius described the change in their desires: the ambition to be effective gave way to a growing desire for closeness with Christ.

Sources

[1] Derek Prince, Taking Time to Wait on God
https://www.derekprince.com/sermons/405

[2] Derek Prince, Be Still, and Know
https://www.derekprince.com/word/c-w044

[3] Derek Prince, What Does It Mean?
https://www.derekprince.com/radio/766

[4] Derek Prince, Four Requirements
https://www.derekprince.com/radio/337

[5] Derek Prince, Steps for Waiting
https://www.derekprince.com/radio/695

[6] Derek Prince, Waiting on God
https://www.derekprince.com/radio/694

[7] Derek Prince, What Does It Do in Us?
https://www.derekprince.com/radio/767