Anticipation

Anticipation

“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer
and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.”
                                                      Daniel 9:3

We can all identify with occasions and situations where our anticipation kicked in and caused us to act in a certain fashion. Maybe we anticipated heavy traffic in winter weather and left a little early for work, or we anticipated the light getting ready to change and hit the gas pedal to make sure we got through without a ticket. At other times, we might have anticipated a problem coming up at work and prepared in advance for the possible eventualities, letting our spouse know that we might be late for dinner. And, of course, you may anticipate Thanksgiving Dinner and have a few extra large meals between now and then to stretch your stomach. The dictionaries’ definition of anticipate says this: “to foresee and act in advance, to thwart by acting in advance, to regard as likely, to foreknow, to prevent by taking countermeasures.”

In Daniel chapter 9, Daniel anticipated those Israelites who had been taken captive to Babylon being released and being allowed to return to Jerusalem, their home and place of worship. How he responded to that anticipation is a lesson on acting in advance to see the promises and purposes of God come to fruition in our lives. When he realized that it was time for God to move, Daniel turned to the Lord and sought Him in humility, with prayer, fasting and a passionate desperation. His response was anything but passive; he didn’t take the promises of God for granted, and he didn’t leave their fulfillment to chance. His anticipation resulted in heartfelt, sincere prayer that moved God to act on His people’s behalf.

The lesson that we each have to grasp and put into practice is not always easy. The bridge between the promises of God and their coming to pass in our lives is nothing less than persistent and passionate prayer. Are you sensing that God is about to do something fresh in your life, your family, or your church? Then it’s time to pray! Are you at a place where anticipation should kick in and cause a corresponding supportive action? Does your response to a promise God is speaking to your heart reveal complacency or anticipation? Daniel’s response showed just how important the fulfillment of God‘s promise was to him – he went all out to see God’s people restored to the land of their inheritance.

God has special and specific promises for your life. When the time comes that you sense in anticipation that “now is the time,” may your heart be stirred to action, causing the Lord to rise up on your behalf, to intervene against all opposing forces, and to answer your prayer.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church