Waiting Prayer - Sample Chapter

Hey friends, I'll be sending out chapters from my new book for yall to read if you desire to. I'm trying to get as much feed back as possible before it goes into final editing so that what goes in, is the best it can be. I pray this chapter "Waiting Prayer" would be a blessing to you. Honestly, this chapter of the book would be the most significant for me personally, it is what has changed my inner man, and kept my inner man all these short years walking with the Lord. May you learn to relish, wait upon and enjoy the presence of God each day, more and more. I pray this little chapter will help you grow in intimacy with Christ more. Please continue to pray as I have now finished the rough manuscript, and now in editing stages. Please pray that from editing to publishing the process would be Spirit led and God destined. It's a blessing to have you praying and encouraging me with blog comments. Blessings friends! jaeson

CHAPTER 3: WAITING PRAYER

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not grow weary, they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31

"God, I don't care what it takes, I want to be on fire for you 24-7!" This was my daily prayer as a freshman in college. Be careful what you pray for. After I had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God birthed inside me a supernatural hunger to know Him more. The more I read about the life of the Apostle Paul I could not help but think how awesome it would be to be as intimate with the Holy Spirit as he was. Paul had only one aim, one desire in life:

"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead." Phil 3:10-11

The word "know" in the Greek is ginosko which means to "intimately experience." It wasn't enough for me to be filled with the fullness of the Holy Spirit once – I wanted to intimately know the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, like Apostle Paul did. I kept praying, "God make me on fire for you 24-7!" My prayers were answered….

One day, after school, I received a package of cassette tapes from my mother. She told me, "Jaeson, you must listen to these tapes, they are power of God!" I thought to myself, "Yeah, right, what are these tapes?" The tape album was called "Waiting upon the Lord" and it was a seven-tape teaching series by my mother's senior pastor on how to wait upon the presence of God in solitude and silence. I didn't want to listen to the tapes but, my mom kept bugging me to listen to them, so I gave in.

One afternoon I popped the first teaching tape into my stereo system. There was a Chinese man, speaking English with a heavy Chinese accent, interpreting the pastor's teaching. He said, "Waiting upon the Lord, are you hungry for more of God, do you want to be on fire for God 24-7? Then you must learn to wait upon the Lord." I couldn't believe my ears! This was the answer to my prayers! However, the more I listened, the more I couldn't stand the teaching, the guy kept saying the same thing over and over again. Basically, the teaching tapes kept repeating the need to wait on God by being still, silent, and to daily gaze at God's beauty for long periods of time. By the second tape, I got the picture and decided to go for it.

For two weeks straight, I locked myself in my room, knelt on the floor, and waited on God. I waited, and waited, and waited, and nothing happened. In my room I waited daily for at least two hours with no results. Sometimes while waiting I fell asleep, felt stupid, or was totally distracted. But I remembered Isaiah 40:31 and held onto the promise, "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." I wouldn't give up, I kept pressing in and finally one day, the presence of God broke in.

After two weeks of daily waiting upon the Lord, I began to sense the presence of Holy Spirit stronger in me and around me. It would usually take at least one hour of quieting my soul from any distractions before I began to experience the tangible presence of Holy Spirit. The presence of the Holy Spirit would come so strongly in my room I could not contain it. The presence and love of God was so immense I would begin to weep like a little baby. My heart would begin to flutter, my body would at times shake uncontrollably and I would begin to sing out loud in tongues. During those moments the Holy Spirit would shine His judgment light upon me. I felt as if I was completely naked before Him. As I knelt before the light of the Holy Spirit all my sin and pride was exposed, but then His loving presence would flood over me and wash my sins away. My spirit-man was being transformed in the fire of God's presence. There was an unspoken cry deep in my spirit to know the Holy Spirit more intimately and I became addicted to the presence of God.

For weeks on end, I waited on the presence of the Holy Spirit daily. Everyday, after quieting and silencing my mind, will and emotions from inner distractions, the presence of the Holy Spirit would fill my being again and again. The experience was powerful and transforming, but I knew something was still missing.

One day, while waiting on God, I heard the Holy Spirit speak to me: "Jaeson you must know My Word or you will not recognize my voice, for My voice will always confirm my written Word." I responded to the Holy Spirit in prayer, "Holy Spirit you know that I love your presence, but I have a hard time reading Your Word. I don't understand it as I should, but if you open a door, I will obey." Then a random idea came into my mind and I brought it to the Holy Spirit in prayer. I told the Holy Spirit that I would commit to reading the entire Bible if He would open a door for me during the winter break, to find myself an empty house in the mountains, and if so, I would take out a whole week to read the Bible from beginning to end. A week later the Holy Spirit answered my prayer.

I was at church that Sunday when an elder walked up to me. He said, "Jaeson I felt led to give you these keys while I was praying for you this week." Not knowing what the keys were for, I asked him why he was giving them to me. He told me, "I don't know why, but while I was praying for you, I felt the Holy Spirit tell me that you needed to spend some time alone in solitude, praying and reading the Word of God. These keys are keys to an empty two story house I have for sale in the Santa Cruz Mountains. You can stay there for a whole week if you want to." I was stunned, but not stunned. I knew the Holy Spirit was opening a door for me to obey His command.

"But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." (1 John 2:27)

I knew the Holy Spirit wanted to teach me that my waiting on God was not complete without having my foundation built upon the Word. A month later, I packed up a few gallons of water and some bread, and headed for the Santa Cruz Mountains. What happened in that mountain house was supernatural.

Through the supernatural grace and power of the Holy Spirit I finished reading the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in four and a half days. For the last three days I didn't have any desire to eat or even drink water, my food was the very Spirit and the Word of God. "But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth." (John 4:23-24) What happened on that mountain I am not allowed to explain fully. However, daily, as I waited on the presence of the Holy Spirit and read the Scriptures, God's power invaded my body, soul and spirit to the point I thought I was going to explode. At times, after reading the Word for hours on end, the Spirit of God would strike me to the ground for hours and my body would feel like it was being filled with supernatural fire and electricity. My hands felt like they were struck with lightning, but I realized it was the very presence of God. This same experience would happen each day as I waited on God and read the Bible. It was as if I had met God face to face. All I can say is this. God is real.

On that mountain I learned a powerful spiritual secret. I learned to wait on the Holy Spirit and meditate upon the Word of God together with Him. Daily, as I read through the Holy Scriptures, the very words in my Bible came alive out of the pages and were emblazoned upon my heart with fire. The Word of God became a love letter and every word became precious. But this would not have been possible unless I had learned to wait on God's presence. It was by waiting on God that my spirit was sensitized and the Holy Spirit was able to teach me God's Word in a new and greater dimension. "But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Cor 2:14)

After this mountain encounter with God, my spirit was completely set ablaze. I knew that for the rest of my life, I would give myself to a life of waiting on God, waiting upon the presence of the Holy Spirit. I would dedicate my life to waiting prayer, because waiting prayer is the fire that sets ablaze the Word of God in my life. The Holy Spirit had answered my prayer, to be on fire for Him-- 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year— but first, I had to learn to wait upon Him.

Waiting Prayer Defined

"My soul waits for the Lord more than those who watch for the morning." (Psalm 130:6)

Waiting prayer or waiting on the Lord is the silent surrendering of the soul to God. It is wordless worship. It is seeking God not from without but from within. It is to seek God in your heart. By frequently waiting silently in the presence of the Holy Spirit, you become more and more sensitive to His manifest presence in our lives. After all is said and done, you wait on God because it is what your spirit hungers and longs for most. It longs for intimacy with Christ. Waiting prayer is what you do when you have prayed all your prayers and you can't pray anymore. Waiting prayer is what you do after you have read the Word, over and over, and you now want to meet with the Author of the Word. Waiting prayer is what you do after you sing a praise song to God in the privacy of your room and after singing your heart out, you can sing no more. It is then--when you can do no more--it is at that moment you sit silently in the presence of Holy Spirit and let Him love on you. This is when you have entered into waiting prayer.

In order to wait on the Lord you must be alone. We can not wait on the Lord without practicing the spiritual disciplines of silence and solitude with God. Waiting on the Lord is being still in order to know God's presence. It is love on fire combined with intimate devotion. The ultimate goal of prayer is not to ask, the ultimate goal of prayer is a relationship. Waiting upon the Lord is practicing intimacy with God. It renews our strength like the eagles (Isa 40:31) because it is through waiting that our spirit becomes one with the Holy Spirit. Remember, we are not waiting for God. Rather, He is waiting for us to come to be present to His presence. Ultimately, waiting prayer is setting apart regular time specifically and exclusively to be with our Lord. Waiting upon the Lord has been the secret to my spiritual life. It is what keeps my heart burning with passion for Jesus 24-7.

But how do we practice waiting prayer? There are three Hebrew words that accurately define the term "waiting" upon the Lord. Each of these words carries practical insight on how to spend time waiting in God's presence.

Waiting Prayer is a Silent Trust in God

The first Hebrew word for "waiting" is damam, , which means "to become silent and still" [1] and is used of silently waiting with a quiet trust or of quieting oneself, resting, being silent, or being still. [2] The thought conveyed by the word is a strong, calm, quiet trust in the Lord. King David wrote, "Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved." (Psalm 62:1-2)

In order to wait upon the Lord we must be silent, we must be still, and we must trust God. Without stillness we can not know God. We are exhorted in Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God." The Hebrew word for "be still" also means "to cease, refrain, relax, let go." [3] We are to cease from striving, cease from activity, cease from our worldly desires, and cease from distractions. The word "to know" in Hebrew is yada', it means "to know intimately" [4] or as a close friend. [5

Practically, find a place of solitude each day and take at least ten minutes to be silent in God's presence. From there, let your time spent in silent waiting grow.

Waiting Prayer is Desiring God

The second Hebrew word for waiting is chakah, it means to "adhere for" or "long for." [6] This word is used in Psalm 33:20: "Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and shield." And, "I will wait on the Lord…I will hope in Him." (Isaiah 8:17) Chakah expresses a burning desire, a longing for something you want desperately. This is what King David felt when he said, "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God, when shall I come and appear before God?" (Psalm 42:2) David was doing what the word chakah denotes – longing for God's presence. How thirsty are you for God's presence?

Waiting prayer desires God as your soul satisfaction. You have tasted the presence of the Holy Spirit, you are addicted; there is nothing better in life and it is the one thing you desire. One thing I have desired of the Lord, that will I seek; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. (Ps 27:4) God, make me a man after your own heart, one who longs day and night for your intimate presence!


Waiting Prayer is Union with God

The third Hebrew word for waiting is qavah . It means to "wait, look eagerly for," [7] and it is used of waiting with eager expectation, to look, to patiently tarry. [8] The root meaning of the word may have been "to bind something together by twisting or braiding." [9] The main usages of the word qavah involve the idea of "eager expectation and oneness; a joining, a braiding together." [10] "Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!" (Ps 27:14)

Waiting on the Lord brings us into union with God. We spend time waiting in God's presence, so that we can become one with His Spirit. Waiting on God is the practice of saying no to the flesh and yes to the Spirit. The fire of His presence burns away all our impurities for one purpose; to leave us fit for divine union. Study the lives of saints like Madam Jeane Guyon, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and Brother Lawrence and you will understand what it means to be one with God's Spirit. Ultimately, we wait on God to become transformed into His image from glory to glory (2 Corinth 3:17-18)

Waiting Prayer Made Practical
In the book "Intercessory Prayer" by Dutch Sheets, he sums up the uses of the three Hebrew words for waiting as, "Silently waiting with a strong, calm trust, longing for His presence and eagerly expecting Him-for you know He'll show up-anticipating and then experiencing the oneness that results as your hearts become entwined." The Holy Spirit spoke to me in prayer saying, "Jaeson if you will teach this generation to wait upon the Lord, the enemy will not be able to touch them- they will be invincible." Now how to practice waiting prayer …


1) Spend time in Praise, Prayer and the Word daily. After this time, bring your
mind and heart into complete silence to the world and welcome the presence
of Holy Spirit

2) Come into God's presence with no agenda but to love God and let Him love you

3) Focus your thoughts on the love of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

4) If your mind wanders, whisper a prayer like, "I love you Holy Spirit" or "I
long for you Jesus" to re-center your mind on His presence

5) Listen and be open to the voice of Holy Spirit. Write down what He says to
you (Habakkuk 2:2) and keep a prayer journal.

6) Close your time with a prayer of thanksgiving



[1] F. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament (Oxford: The Clarendon Press, 1951), p. 198.

[2] Strong, The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, ref. no. 1826

[3] Ibid., pp. 951-952.

[4] Ibid., p. 394, column a.

[5] Strong, The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, ref. no. 3045

[6] Ibid., p. 314.

[7] Ibid., p. 875.

[8] Strong, The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, ref. no. Strongs 6960.

[9] Ibid., p. 875, which mentions cognate words in other Semitic languages meaning "cord" or "thread."

[10] Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer (Published by Regal Books, Ventura Ca, USA, 1996, page 144)

posted by Jaeson Ma @ 10/24/2006 07:38:00 PM