We all face times in life when we pray and don’t see the manifestation of the answer to our prayer immediately. This doesn’t mean God didn’t hear us or won’t gladly and abundantly answer our prayer. He most certainly will! It’s during times like this that we need all the more of the wisdom of God so that we endure and don’t give up before seeing the beautiful breakthrough we long for. Today’s episode is filled with that wisdom from God. Join Dr. Siohvaughn Funches at the feet of Jesus, do the one thing that’s needful, and see the manifestation of God’s goodness and love in your life!
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Listen to the podcast here:
Waiting Room Wisdom (Part 3)
Thank you for joining me here again. We’re going to continue on with our series titled, Waiting-Room Wisdom. Before we dive into that, let’s take a moment and pray like we always do. I thank you, Heavenly Father, for the opportunity to get at the feet of Jesus and to hear His word. I pray, Holy Spirit, that it would be all of you and none of me. I ask you to speak to us, expound on the scriptures to us about the things concerning Jesus. I pray you quicken the word of God to us, enlighten our understanding, give us wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Jesus and reveal to us what is the hope of His calling. What are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in us, the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe according to the working of His mighty power? Let every blessing and every benefit, promise and provision of God regarding getting at the feet of Jesus and hearing His word rest upon us and our house both now and forevermore. In Jesus’ name, I pray.
We’re going to continue on our series, but first I want to recap a bit and go over that key scripture regarding this series that God had given us. It’s taken from Proverbs 4 and 7. I’m reading from the New King James version. The Bible says, “Wisdom is the principal thing. Therefore, get wisdom. In all you’re getting, get understanding.” Remember, the Bible says that happy is the man who has understanding. We already discussed how God doesn’t say that wisdom is important. He says that it’s a principle thing. It definitely is important, but the fact that God called it a principle thing means that it’s the utmost importance. First things first. In all of our getting, we’re to get understanding. This Waiting Room series is an enlightening series.
The Ministry Of Jesus
It is God imparting to us more of His wisdom. It is God giving us an understanding of something that we all face at some point in time in our life. God was sharing with us how there are times when we pray for something in faith and God manifests the answer to that prayer immediately. In fact, if you look at the ministry of Jesus, when He walked the earth, it’s filled with occasions where people prayed and the Bible says, “Immediately, someone sick was made whole,” or “Immediately, there was a blind eye that opened,” but there were also times where the manifestation didn’t take place immediately. For example, with the sisters Martha and Mary, who are the sisters of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Those sisters called out to Jesus for help when their brother was sick.
The Bible talks about how Jesus got word from them. He heard their cry. He heard their prayer. The Bible says, notably that Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. He stayed in the place that He was at for several more days. Martha and Mary had a sick brother who was dying. Jesus heard that. He knew that was the truth. The Bible says He loved them, all three of them. He stayed in the place that He was at. He did not come immediately to manifest that miracle, but He heard them and He loves them. Indeed, they did receive their miracle, but it didn’t happen immediately. In fact, the Bible says that Jesus went to the town of Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and found that Lazarus had not only died but had been in the tomb for four days.
Some would conclude at this point, Jesus was too late. Some would question His love at that point. If you’re someone who would question His love, I’m telling you, that I’m human as well. I can understand that question mark, but I certainly can tell you, I’ve gotten to know God enough that we can’t end it with that question mark. We must end it with an exclamation mark, exclaiming that Jesus does love us. He works everything together for our good and He brings about good for us. Jesus did do that. He did in fact do the miracle. I would encourage anyone who had that line of thinking, even when they heard me tell this story, to go listen to the series. I believe it’s titled When You Can’t Understand God’s Hand, Trust His Heart.
Understanding God’s Wisdom
That particular testimony of those people is spot on. We probably have our own testimonies like that. I have a lot of them where God was either doing or allowing something to happen or not doing something that I felt I needed Him to do. I didn’t understand why God was moving the way He was. I didn’t understand why God was allowing people to move the way they were moving and not preventing it or stopping it. I didn’t understand why God seemed to be refraining Himself or not moving at a time or in a way that I thought was needed. Honestly, and to be transparent, I was even upset with God. I felt disappointed. It felt like God had let me down, but it wasn’t that God had let me down. It was that I had lacked understanding.
God did give me an understanding several times. This has happened to me several times, as far as I didn’t understand the hand of God. God gave me an understanding. In fact, things that I thought needed to happen absolutely felt like where is God when I need Him? I’m being transparent. You’ll know I haven’t arrived. I say this all the time. I’m on stage and God is preaching through me, but I’m sitting in the audience right beside you praying that God hears me and answers me as well. I know that God hears us and He answers us. I’m still in that posture of prayer. I have that humble position as a student. Even if God has chosen to teach certain things through me, I nevertheless am a student. You’ll hear some people who preach, refer to themselves as under-shepherds.
They’re not the good shepherd. They’re the under-shepherd. They are still while having the office of an under-shepherd, that responsibility, they also are sheep. That’s like the people in the audience. We haven’t arrived. It’s important for you to know that when you hear me say these things, so you don’t think that I’m speaking positively. Although what I’m saying is positive and it will yield positive results when people receive the truth of God. There are times when I too didn’t understand and questioned God and even became upset with God. I can’t even give you a number of the times that the very thing I thought needed to happen and God didn’t do it. I ended up when I understood when more of what was going on in my situation was revealed to me. The same person who levied a complaint and accusation against God, questioning His motive and His love and heart towards me.
I was the same person to lift up my hands and my voice with praise, adoration, worship, and great immeasurable thanksgiving saying, “Thank you God for not answering what I was swearing you needed to do. You certainly know better than me. I would have been undone if you would have done that.” I didn’t see everything. I didn’t know everything. God never has held that against me. Neither will he hold it against you. It’s important for us to know that there are times in life when we may not understand right away or maybe ever on this side of heaven what God is doing. Trust and faith are foundational parts of our walk and relationship with God. There are times when we pray and the manifestation of that prayer doesn’t happen right away like Martha and Mary when they prayed for Lazarus.
Redeeming Time
That was a serious matter. A matter of and death, but God knows all things. God is sovereign and time is in God’s hands. God doesn’t serve time. Time serves God. Never beloved, and I’m ministering to myself, never feel like it’s too late or if only you had more time. If time is what you need, Jesus said, “Ask and you will receive. Knock and it will be open.” He didn’t say depends on what you ask. If your prayer’s regarding time, feel free to pray and ask God. Redeem the time. The Bible talks about God restoring the years. That’s time that the locust has eaten. Jesus in fact is a Redeemer and your Redeemer lives. The one that can redeem your soul has the same power to redeem the time. It’s just none of that’s hard for God and that’s not something we’re capable of, but God is quite capable and that’s fine.
That’s not a deal-breaker. We don’t know how to do that or figure that out. That’s most things. As a matter of fact, it’s all things. Without God, we can do nothing. That’s fine. If it’s time you need, if that’s the miracle you need, that’s the miracle, then that God will give you. There are no limitations on that. With that being said, God has given us wisdom for those times when we are waiting on God to manifest a miracle and God answers our prayer immediately. We spoke about Daniel. Sometimes there are even demonic delays. You can go back and read that if need to be or you decide to. God answers us right away.
The Bible in fact says He answers us before we open our mouth to speak, but the actual realization or manifestation in the Earth as it is in heaven sometimes doesn’t happen immediately. This is why God is bringing to us and enlightening us with this waiting room wisdom because God was showing me in my own life what was happening to me. I thank God for saving me from myself and then showing me how others have been a casualty to this where they had God was, for sure, still faithful. God had not forgotten what He promised. He was ready, willing, and able. They were right around the corner from that manifestation but gave up because of the waiting on God to manifest it. That waiting, it became a weight on them, a heavyweight.
Possess Your Possessions
God doesn’t want that for us. God wants you to possess your possessions. God wants you to inherit the fullness of your inheritance and God wants every dream and promise. He’s spoken His word and spoke to your own personal heart and mind to be realized in the Earth, as it is in heaven. He’s equipping us with this and He’s given us the endurance and perseverance we need. If you look at Jesus’ earthly ministry, many times the prayers were answered immediately. As soon as someone prayed, the manifestation came immediately. Jesus speaks about a parable of a woman who went to an unjust judge. God is unjust, but Jesus gave this parable, this story, this illustration for learning purposes. Jesus said how that judge she went before didn’t fear God or man, but because of her persistence, her persevering. She was crying out day and night to this judge, “Give me justice.” He didn’t do it.
The next day, the lady said, “I’m back. Give me justice.” When she’s taking a posture that I remember God gave my mom after my sister was killed in a car accident. My mom went through some things on her job right at the time that she was mourning the death of her firstborn. You talk about heavy stuff, that was heavy. You talk about the devil being evil and not caring what you’re going through. He’ll try you. I can tell you he is evil. She was being persecuted, while freshly mourning and deeply wounded. God gave her such strength. The Bible says, in our weakness, God’s strength is made perfect and that’s so true. She was weak naturally speaking. It was at that moment that I know God’s strength was literally made nothing less than perfect, and that she was going and fighting against things that what she believed was like discrimination and stuff like that.
Her resolve, her position, and even her literal words were though she felt opposing her promotion, which God had spoken to her prior and promised her that He would give her in asking for the justice she proclaimed and had this actual posture. “You are going to deal with me,” is with the people that acted as if they hail that promise and promotion in their hands and would be deciding whether or not she would achieve it and get what God promised. A married man was being presumptuous and arrogant, obviously, because the promise was in God’s hand, He made it and who can stop God. It’s a joke to think that anyone can. My mother told this particular person, “You are going to deal with me until you do right by me, in the of Jesus.”
I’ve never forgotten that posture and that power that God put in her at a time that I know she would have and could not have ever done that in her own strength. No question, because remember, I wasn’t mourning my daughter, but I was more than in the death of my sister. I was very broken. I knew what that grief felt like. I knew how it took air out and strength away. I knew that. To see her with that resolve and she saw it all the way through when she did, in fact, get the promotion God promised. Perseverance is important. Jesus gave that story of that woman in the Bible in front of the unjust Jewish to demonstrate sometimes when God says, “Ask, and you’ll receive,” sometimes you may need to ask more than once. When God says, “Knock and it’ll be answered,” sometimes you got to keep knocking.
Persevere In Faith
There are times when you need to persevere because you’re waiting and the manifestation didn’t happen immediately. I likewise have to do this. There came the know the birthing of this waiting room wisdom. If you see the woman, Farah Phoenician, or something like that, the Bible says. You may remember the story when the lady wanted Jesus to cast the devil out of her daughter. Jesus said, “Deliverance is the children’s bread.” That was a test of her faith. She wasn’t Jewish. Jesus was Jewish. The promise was to Israel. We know God had a whole vision and purpose and plan for the church. Praise be to God. God wanted to save both the Jew and the Gentile all along. I thank God for that. At the time, Jesus had not been crucified yet on the Earth as it is in heaven.
People were still under the law and the blessing of God was on Israel, the Jewish people. Obviously, God was blessing others. There are countless times He did that even throughout the old Testament. God can’t help but be gracious, loving, and good. The lady responded to Jesus not by giving up and saying, “I tried. Better luck next time if there’s ever a next time.” She didn’t do that. She persevered even in what looked like the face of a no. She responded to Jesus, “Even the dogs under the table, some crumbs will fall from the children’s plate to the floor and the dogs get to eat that.” She persevered and faith. She must’ve been hearing about Jesus and whatever she heard, she knew this. Jesus is good. The Bible was saying Jesus went about doing good and healing all who were sick. The Bible said that as many touched Jesus, all were made well. She knew if people came to Jesus, they got their prayer answered. Some immediately, some not, but they are going to see the miracle they ask God for. She hadn’t heard a single testimony of this, Jesus. God said that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. I’m not talking about a Jesus of the past. He is still the same and he’ll remain the same forevermore. Jesus is a giver and no one who’s come to Jesus with the request has been turned away.
There are no qualifications because if there were qualifications that would be needed or that were surpassing the grace of God, then that lady’s prayer would have never been answered even if she did persevere. She was a non-Jew, the blessing of God was for the Jew. That’s simple, but Jesus answered her and He told her, “You go your way. That demon is out of your daughter.” As simple as that, she got the answer, but she persevered first in what looked like a no. We see this in Luke with Jesus and His mom, his natural mother, Mary. The Bible says this was His first miracle as a wedding and Canaan. The Bible talked about how at this wedding, the married couple was having a celebration afterward and they ran out of wine.
Jesus’ mother approached Him and said, “Jesus, these people had run out of wine.” This is not even a miracle of necessity like Martha and Mary and Lazarus. That’s why I’m telling you what I know from God. There are no qualifications. This was a miracle of pleasure. Let’s be honest, wine is not necessary. The Bible didn’t say they didn’t have any wine ever. They had the wine, drank it all up, and were fresh out. It was necessary. You’ve got what you needed. Who is saying you need more and more? We know that’s not true. Even this miracle of luxury, or pleasure and not of necessity, Jesus responded to Mary and I’m paraphrasing. This is His mom. “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My hour hasn’t come yet.” Mary’s response to Jesus, “That sounds like a no.” Mary knew she didn’t give birth to her son. She gave birth to God in the flesh. Mary knew this God is good.
She knew that God answered prayers. She had a family member, Elizabeth, that was well-advanced in years and so was her husband, Zacharias, but they prayed. Zacharias wanted a child, but they were both well advanced in years and Elizabeth was barren. With those odds against them, the Bible says, Zacharias prayed. He prayed anyway. He’s persevering in the face of opposition and the odds not looking good. Statistics aren’t in his favor, but he’s persevering in prayer. Mary knew that this family member of hers was pregnant at the same time she was pregnant with Jesus. Mary knew that God answered prayers. Mary knew that God is good. Mary knew Jesus is God in the flesh.
Mary’s response to Jesus when He said, “My hour hasn’t come. Why are you asking me? Why are you troubling me about this thing? Why are you bringing this to me? What are you on?” I’m paraphrasing. Mary’s response was not even to Jesus. She didn’t ask Him anymore. She prepared for the blessing, telling the people who were working at this wedding celebration, “Whatever Jesus asks you to do, make sure you do it.” Just like that. This may seem arrogant looking to an outsider. “Did she overlook what Jesus said?” It’s not. It’s true faith. She believed in the goodness of God. She didn’t believe in Him religiously like, if it’s the will of God, then it’s important. I will ask. If it’s spiritual, then God will answer. If it’s a necessity, God will answer. No, she knew.
She knew God. She was knowing God and was going to know Him more. She knew He was good. He’s not religious. He’s not the religious image, that religious picture that Satan has tried to paint of Him. He’s not. This is the Jesus that singing and dancing at this wedding and has had some wine Himself. He’s not who we think He is. He is who He says He is in His word. He’s fine. He’s good. God created laughter. God created pleasure. I always say this. Married people, hear me. God is into pleasure. There’s a scripture that says that. Hopefully, I’ll have it for the next time. God is in the flesh. God can do all things, except for lie. There are a few things like the Bible says God can’t lie. That’s good news. That’s not a limitation. That’s great news.
You can trust His word. He’s incapable of lying. If He says, it is for sure to the truth. That’s great. That’s for the rest of that. God could have made it where if we are going to have a child or married people, you’re going to go and have a child. He could have said you can play Pattycake. You guys used to play that. Probably the ladies reading used to do that. I don’t know if guys did that too. They probably did. I don’t want to be sexist. There’s nothing wrong with that. It could have been that boring, just like that. He could have said, “Give each other a hug,” like a side hug. One of those church hugs like, “Welcome brother so-and-so. Minister so-and-so. I was looking for you last Sunday.”
He could have done that, but God is so dope. I’m saying this because I’ve had sex before. I’m being real. God is so good that the way that I was able to conceive my sons was through pleasure. That’s wonderful. It’s not even necessary, but God is a neat leader and a giver of a heart’s desire. God created pleasure. The enemy has tried to pervert pleasure like he’s tried to pervert basically everything God made. He has no power to make anything himself, no creative ability in him. He had to try to piggyback off God, but in an evil way. That’s all he’s got. He’s an idiot. He can’t come up with anything on his own. That’s all he’s got, trying to pervert what God did.
Trying to pervert, twist, take away from add to what God said. That’s it. He’s got nothing else. Since the beginning. He is still doing the same thing. This idiot has no fresh ideas. Jesus, even knowing they already had one, even being my time hasn’t come and all of that, He did it anyway. He went over and told those servants that were serving there at the wedding celebration. He filled up these barrels to the braille. Do you see how God gives? This is when God speaks for himself. Forget what the religious people told you. Forget what the spirit of religion tried to lie to me and you about. Trust me, I was in churches that the spirit of religion was in a pool pit. I get it. I’m not saying it in a judgmental way, but that’s honest.
God Answers Prayers
That wasn’t God. I’m telling you, this is who Jesus is. This is who God actually is. When God himself speaks for Himself. When you know God for yourself, when you can see God with your own eyes, when you can hear God with your own voice, then you realize this, or this is reinforced. This is like built upon, this revelation. God is good. God answers prayers. Before we open our mouth to speak. God so loved the world that He gave everything by giving Jesus. That’s the biggest blessing. Certainly, He’ll give you a smaller one. Everything else is a smaller one. He’s important to you. It’s important to God. It’s important to me. It’s important to God, but it isn’t as important as Jesus.
If He gave us Jesus, He isn’t withholding anything else. In fact, the Bible says, “He who didn’t spare His own son, but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not also with Him freely? Highlight it. As my girl, Martha says, “Put a pin in that right there.” God doesn’t just give. He gives freely all things. Not something things. Not what you need. What about anything? What is that God’s will like? He’s at all things. I don’t get to be like a Greek or Hebrew scholar. I know all means all. That’s pretty basic. I meant knowing what all He is since I was young and my mother is like, “Pick up all your towels from off the floor.” I didn’t leave a towel on the floor. I picked them all up. All means all. If I can comprehend that and execute that as a little girl. God knows how to bring the past when He sees it all things.
How does He give it? He gives it freely. We can’t pay for freely. You can’t pay for something that’s not for sale. The blessing and gifts of God, the inheritance of God, the goodness that God has in store for you and me is not for sale. We can put away up payment, our sacrifices, all of it that. Put it all away. Put away all the religious rhetoric, everything the devil said you’re going to have to do this first. Put conditions on places or trying to use the Old Testament and put that old wine and this new covenant wine scam, like let’s lay all of that down. That’s madness. Will the real Jesus please stand up and let’s give Him the mic, silence the room and let Him speak for Himself. When He speaks for Himself, He’s the Jesus that although nobody needed more wine, but in order for them to continue in pleasure and celebration, He said, “Fill it up to the brim.”
“Get it right to the top. As far as you can fill it up, fill it up. As much as you can receive, that is as much as I’m going to give.” The problem is never been and it will never be God’s ability or willingness to give. If there’s any issue or any lack in your life or mine, it’s the capacity to receive. We’re not when we get it as feet and we hear His word like, Jesus is enlarging our capacity to receive. You get it His feet to hear His word, you know Him more. He’s wonderful. He’s good. The faith of God is being imparted to you and I because I hear this message as you do.
I’m sitting here literally happy because what God is revealing to me. If you could see my notes, you would know the Holy Spirit took over this thing completely. This lady is completely off those notes. This is all God. She didn’t even see it coming. Not now she didn’t. All of them are all God, the show, but I didn’t see it coming like this. Usually, God shares it with me step by step. In some ways takes it here and there, but this entire show, like 99% of it, none of it is in my notes. That’s why I’m not able to point you directly to the scripture in verses. You notice I said I’ll try to get that for you next time. God help me. If that’s relevant, it may not be. I didn’t plan any of this. I’m surprised. My soul is glad because I needed this as much as anybody else, if not more, that’s just honest. God reminded me about Hannah as I was speaking.
This you’ll find, I believe it’s in 1 Samuel, the first chapter. Hannah was a woman who was barren. Interestingly, it’s not that Hannah was barren. The Bible says that the Lord closed her womb. Even though the Bible says the Lord closed her womb, the Bible says that Hannah went to pray to God and cry out to God in the bitterness of her soul. Religion would tell somebody, “You don’t go to God bitter or you better get your heart right. That’s how come God didn’t answer you.” That’s why I’m telling you, you can either take these people at their word or you can get to know God for yourself. The real Jesus can stand up. You can hear Him. I said, “Get at the feet of Jesus and hear Him.” I don’t want you to hear me. I don’t want to hear me.
I want to hear Jesus. If as Jesus in me, it’s wonderful. If it’s not, I’m going to tell you, plug your ears while you run really fast, let the Kenyan in you come out, run. You don’t want to hear from me. I got a flesh like anybody else. It dwells no good thing. If it’s Christ in me that’s doing it, that is speaking and giving the word and wisdom and revelation, you won’t go wrong. This woman persevered like Jesus was saying. Sometimes we need perseverance. Like the lady before the unjust judge. Ultimately the judge said, “Forget it. I’m going to give you justice. Are you going to weary me, keep coming to me and asking over and over again? I can’t do this anymore. Here’s the justice.”
Jesus said, “Hear what the unjust judge said.” He doesn’t fear God or man, yet because of her persistence, he gave her justice anyway. If you can get justice from an unjust man, how much more will you get from God who is love, who loves you unconditionally and it’s His love language? You’re not making Him want to give to you. He loves the give. He delights to give. That’s what He is. He loves it. He’s looking for a place to sow. He’s looking for someone to give the gifts to. God is so full. Heaven is so full. Please give me a place to plant these seeds, to give this wisdom, to give this miracle, to heal this body. God wants you. He’s urging you and I. Let me bless you.
“I’m longing to show you who I am and how much I love you.” He wants to. Let’s say, “God, make me an example, God of love. God of your heart and your hand. Amen, people. Is it me or Amen three times? I’m saying, I’m waking up out my sleep tonight. I’m like, “Amen,” again just in case. That’s good news. Who doesn’t want good news? Hannah, back to her, even though the Lord had closed her womb, the Bible says she cried out to God in the bitterness of her soul. She didn’t do it religiously to get your heart right first. I can’t get my heart right because I don’t have the power to get my heart. Who needs God if you can do stuff like that? None of us can. I got to come to God as I am. I have no choice. If I’m broken, that’s how I’m coming. If I’m whole, that’s how I’m coming. If I’m black, that’s how I’m coming. If I’m male, that’s, I’m coming. If I’m female, that’s how I’m going. I’m bringing Him all of it. Good, bad, or whatever it is.
God doesn’t see us at all bad, but I’m simply saying, however you are, come as you are. Let me waiting around to do what you can’t do and then say you’ll go. That won’t happen so come on now. The Bible says that she cried out in the bitterness of a soul, made her complaint before God. I don’t want to say, “Don’t be complaining. You need to be grateful.” You should be grateful like into His gates with thanksgiving. Right after that, Lord, I can’t believe these people. You got to lay it down, lay it in. Who are you going to tell God is your best friend? Tell Him. You would tell a friend of yours. You probably would tell me, “Vaughn, I don’t like the way these people did such and such.” You feel free to do. I’m not more compassionate than God. I’m not a better listener than God. If you can tell me, you for sure can tell Him. God has a safe place for the good, the work in progress, and for everything else. The Bible says that God answered her prayer. He over answered her prayer.
She gave birth to a male child. That was her specific prayer. Samuel, the Bible says He was such a prophet, not one word He spoke ever fell to the ground. All came to pass, absolute 100% accurate prophet. That’s more than a basketball player who never lost a game and never missed a shot. We know how this is in America. It’s that thing would probably be tattooed on our Constitution, if such a thing existed unfortunately. This man spoke the oracles of God and He never spoke amiss. Not even once. Not only that, but God also gave her more children. Hannah persevered even though the Lord closed her womb. She knocked that she didn’t get an answer right away, but she kept on knocking, baby. God is telling us to do the same thing. The manifestation not taking place immediately does not mean that God doesn’t want you to have what you ask for. God delights in answering your prayers in mind. Let’s go to God, knowing He is that good and even more than been revealed to us so far. I love you very much. I’ll talk to you again next time.
Important Links:
- When You Can’t Understand God’s Hand, Trust His Heart – previous episode
- Daniel – Previous episode
- https://YouTu.be/aaRqdQQbQ68
www.awowwoman.com 