Ever have one of those moments where life just throws a wrench in your plans? Just last week, I went to open my car door and nothing. I couldn’t get into the car, I couldn’t unlock it. The car didn’t respond to anything I did. My immediate thought? "Oh, come on! I do not have time for this!" That feeling of the complete unknown, not knowing what’s wrong or how to fix it – frustrating, right?
The prophet Habakkuk wasn’t dealing with car trouble, but he was wrestling with huge, confusing things in his world. He looked around at injustice and it felt like God was silent. In Habakkuk 1:2 he cried out to God, "How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?" He was confused, distressed, and he let God know it.
God’s answer wasn’t a quick fix. He told Habakkuk He was doing something so big, Habakkuk might not believe it. Jumping to verse 5 “Look at the nations and watch—and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.” And that “something” involved bringing in the tough Babylonian army. Definitely not the easy answer!
But here’s the part I love, in chapter 2, verse 1. After pouring out his heart, Habakkuk says, "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me."
This brings us to our big idea today, our prayer focus: Are we standing in the right position to receive what God is saying?
When my car died, just standing there fuming didn't help. I had to change my approach. Habakkuk did too. He shifted from questioning to watching, from complaining to expectant waiting. He positioned himself to hear from God. What’s this "right position" for us prayer warriors?
First, it’s expectancy. Do we actually expect God to speak when we pray? Habakkuk did. "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me."
Second, it’s humility. Admitting we don’t have all the answers. "God, Your ways are higher." Verse 2 Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.” We have to humbly submit to God’s request even when we don’t understand.
Third, it’s patience. God’s timing is rarely ours. The vision God gave Habakkuk was "for an appointed time" (Habakkuk 2:3). We have to trust His process.
And this leads to God’s powerful message in Habakkuk 2:4: "…the righteous person will live by his faithfulness." This isn’t just head knowledge, friends. It’s an active, daily reliance on God, a deep-seated trust. When everything screamed chaos for Habakkuk, God said, "Live by your unwavering faithfulness to Me."
So, as we go into our prayer time today, let's reflect: What’s my posture? Am I watching and waiting, or stuck in complaint? Where do I need more humility and more patient trust in God's timing? Because our God is faithful as He showed us by sending His son to the cross. His plans don’t always make sense to us, but are always filled with hope and a future! So as we pray for others, for those facing their own "Oh, come on!" moments –maybe it’s uncertainty with health, finances, family. Pray that they find an expectant, humble position before God. Because God is always speaking and working. Our job is to get in position to hear, to trust, and to live out that faithfulness.