Am I Expecting God to Show Up?

A few years ago I dove into the local pool like any other morning, happy to swim some laps while resetting my focus on God and conversing with Him in the silence of the water.

This morning was different though because I was swimming with a heavy heart. A heart full of dreams, desires and wishes left unfulfilled. A heart full of longing. A heart full of wonder. A heart wanting so desperately to tap into the will of its creator.

God, I need you to show up here. I need you to make the way clear. I need you to show me what steps to take next.

With each flip turn I waited, expecting Him to show up and speak to me, but all I heard was silence. And so the day went on and with the distractions of work, I stopped listening. I stopped expecting Him to show up. I stopped looking for Him.

Later that day, I had the pleasure of getting coffee with a friend. We sat a talked for nearly an hour and I told her about my experience in the pool and the crazy workday that followed.

“I just feel like God is silent lately,” I said.

“I know what you mean … but can I ask you something? Why did you stop expecting Him to show up?”

I believe God used my friend to speak something into my life that I really needed to hear. I smiled as she spoke, and looked up the heavens. You showed up! I whispered to God. (As if there was reason to doubt that He would.)

Today I still have unanswered prayers in my life. I still don’t always know what steps to take or where the road is leading, but I do know one thing: I live in full expectation of God.

I expect to meet God today and every day.  I expect Him to show up. I expect Him to do great things.

Why? Because expectation is the definition of what it means to have faith.

Hebrews 11:1 says that “Faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.”

This means that my level of expecting God to show up in my life, to be my everything, to carry me, to love me, etc., points to my amount of trust and faith in Him.

God is present. God is able. God will show up. But we have to exercise faith and expect Him to follow through on His promises.

Will you pray this prayer of expectancy with me today?

God, I quiet my soul before you and I wait and look to you knowing that you hear my prayers. You know my heart and you know my thoughts before I  even utter a word. I thank you for all that you are and I stand in awe and wonder before you. I entrust my life to you and I expect that when you say you aren’t finished with me yet, you mean it. Complete the work that you began in me and help me remain faithful in everything I do.

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