Learning to Linger

How's everybody doing this evening? Good. Awesome. What an honor and privilege it is to kind of just be able to bring teaching slash stuff that's on my heart, you know what I'm saying? Is that okay, tonight that I just share my heart with you guys?

I feel like as I was preparing for this, I just was like, lord, okay, what direction do you want me to go? And I just felt like the Lord kind of just whispered to my heart, why don't you share what I've been doing in you for a while? Is that okay? So I feel like, you know, I think it was during launch the church got the word that we were supposed to linger. You know what I mean?

And that means that learning how to stay and remain, you know what I mean? And so a part of just kind of what I feel like the Lord has been doing in my life is teaching not Pastor Abe, but Abe, his son, how to linger, how to remain. And so I just want to, I guess what I want to do is just kind of share with you guys what the Lord's been doing with me for a while. And it's just been an incredible journey and I'm so grateful, but I feel like there's something on God's heart for it. So I'm just a firm believer that there's a leadership lesson that a leadership principle that says that we can't give somebody what we don't have.

Right? And I believe that as we've gathered here this evening, a lot of you are intercessors, and a lot of you are the ones that God is stirring on, and we're the ones that are, we have a place on the wall. And I believe that as we are supposed to just intercede and pray, I believe that we can't example something that within ourselves we're not willing to live out. Amen. So I just want to share with you guys how the Lord's been teaching me how to linger.

And there's just some truths and some things that I want to share with you guys. And I'm just going to go ahead and get started. I'm going to pray. Holy Spirit, just like you've been teaching me, I invite you to come every heart, every ear. Holy Spirit, come in Jesus name.

Amen. You ever gone through seasons in your life where just sometimes life is just hard and life is just like, you know, in your head that God is next to you, but you're just like, lord, what is going on kind of just around me, you know? And so I, I, if I'm honest with you all, I kind of found myself kind of in this, kind of just last year and like, really honestly dealing with a lot of just disappointment in friendships. Can I just be honest? Disappointment in ministry and just going, jesus, what is going on?

And then on top of that, it's just, you know, there's like a lot of family drama. Can I just be real? So I'm like, lord, what are you doing? And so I just was kind of in this season, kind of, if I'm honest. I just was really like frustrated and trying to stay faithful, trying to keep my eyes focused on him.

And it's just very, very hard. So during Christmas time, I told Courtney, I said, you know what, I don't know what your plans for Christmas are, but we have to do something fun because the season's kind of hard. We're gonna do something fun. I'm like, we're not gonna get each other any expensive gifts. I'm like, but some's gotta give, you know what I mean?

And I'm like, and we'll invite people. Like, family members can come, but if they have a bad attitude, they can't come. Like, what I wanna do is I love the Lord, but if you can't laugh or goof off, like, you just, I'm sorry, this isn't the trip for you. You know what I mean? So I thought to myself, how can we just, how can my.

Don't judge me by what I'm about to say. I'm like, how can I just, you know, get some happiness here, Something, you know, kind of in the season. So I was like, we'll go to Disney World. It's the happiest place on earth, you know what I'm saying? We're going to spend money, might as well try to buy some happiness kind of in the season.

So, and I don't know, thinking about it now, if that was the best decision to go to Disney World on Christmas, you know what I'm saying? Like, I just was like thinking back at it now, like, I'm like, man, like, that was probably not wise. But we decided, we were like, we're gonna go. So we were like, let's. We made the plan, we reserved everything, we invited some family members, my mother in law, my sister in law ended up coming.

And it was just incredible. So I don't know about you guys, but sometimes like when I plan a vacation or I have something to look forward to, it's like, can't nobody steal my joy, you know what I mean? Because I'm just so excited. So for the next couple of weeks, I just was, like, really looking forward to going to Disney World during Christmas, having this experience, you know what I'm saying, with my boys. And I was just really, really excited.

To make a long story short, before we left to Orlando, we were in a Wednesday night service, and Pastor Nathan got up and just spoke and shared about Hanukkah. Now, I'm not going to, like, go into detail about kind of what he said, because I feel like I will lead you astray with my explanation of Hanukkah. I actually called him yesterday and was like, is this what you. You said? He was like, yes, that's what.

That was the takeaway. And he was just talking about Hanukkah. And of course, it was the time that we were celebrating Hanukkah. And to make a long story short, a long sermon short, he was saying that Hanukkah was God's provision for oil for the lamp in the temple, and that the lamp in the temple represented God's presence and how just God's presence. It was all about God's presence being there.

And so I'm sitting in the second row, and I hear the Holy Spirit whisper to my heart, turn the lamp on. In your own heart, turn the lamp on. And I'm like, what is that? What does that mean? You know, like, what are you.

And I just felt the Holy Spirit say, turn, turn the lamp on. Didn't really make a lot of thought about it or whatever. So I was like, okay. So I just kind of, like, prayed into it. Didn't really know kind of what that meant, you know?

You know, so we go to Disney World, and we're there, and I'm excited. But then I hear again, turn the lamp on. And I'm going, God, what are you trying to say to me? And God was saying to me, it's about my presence that even in the midst of you trying to have fun, can you just welcome me into. Come and can you just turn the light on?

Turn my. And by you inviting, you're just adding oil to the presence of God in your life. So I was just challenged. And I go, mm, God, okay, what does this mean? So the Lord, the Holy Spirit just said, just invite me into everything you're gonna do, and I'll.

And I'll. And I'll show you what I'm saying. So I said, okay. So I got up the next morning. We were getting ready to go into the park.

I was kind of combing my hair in the bathroom. And so I stopped, I closed my eyes, and I said, holy Spirit, will you join us today? Holy Spirit, will you just be with us? Now I feel like there's a disclaimer because I feel like I don't want to be weird in that. You know what I'm saying?

Like, I'm not praying, Holy Spirit, like, help us to be the grand marshals today and get the VIP experience. That's not what I'm saying. And I think sometimes I'm very leery of doing that. Okay. I mean, I don't pray that ever, but you know what I mean?

Like, I don't ever want to treat God that way, but there was an intentionality to just. Even in the midst of fun or happiness, to say, holy Spirit, just come on, come in. God, in every smile and every exchange with my kids, Holy Spirit, come in. And then what I would do is just. I would stop and I would wait.

I would just wait, and then I would go on with my day. There is something so beautiful about learning how to linger, because I feel like learning how to linger has a prerequisite. It first starts with invitation for the Holy Spirit to come waiting on the Lord. And we know that when we wait on the Lord, he shows up because he's faithful. And then we decide if we're gonna linger or not.

So I just wanna talk to you tonight using a story in 1st Samuel, chapter 13 about what it means to wait on the Lord. Is that okay? You guys here with me. Awesome. I'm gonna give you some background so that kind of.

In context, we know kind of where this story is going. So two things I want to mention that are happening in 1st Samuel 13. The first one is this, is that Jonathan saw sons. Saul's son defeats a Philistine garrison. And.

And the Philistines hear about it, and they're very upset. So they begin to rally the armies to go against the Israelites. The Bible tells us in the. In the previous verses that they muster about 3,000 chariots, 6,000 charioteers. And it basically is described that the army of the Philistine was as the sand of the seashore.

Now, how many of you guys know that if you're Israelite and your army's maybe not as impressive as that, you're gonna kind of begin to get a little afraid and a little intimidated. And it's probably just. You know what I mean? You really, really have to hopefully lean into the Lord. Okay, so that's the back.

The kind of. The contents of what's going on here. Another Thing that we kind of, I want to just make you aware of is that in 1st Samuel 10, before we talk about 1st Samuel 13, is that Samuel had given King Saul instructions on what to do. Okay. Because it's important.

So I'm just going to read it real quick. First Samuel, chapter 10, verse 8. Samuel says to King Saul, he said, then go to Gilgal ahead of me. I will join you there to sacrifice burnt offerings and peace offerings. You must wait for seven days until I arrive and I'll give you further instructions.

So here's what's going on as we're about to read. The Philistine army is growing. They're there. Does that make sense? But King Saul has been given specific instructions to wait.

You guys there with me? If you're there with me, say amen. Awesome. All right, so we're going to start in 1st Samuel 13. We're going to read 7 through 14.

Here we go. Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier. But Samuel didn't come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away.

So he demanded, bring me the burnt offering and peace offering. And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him. And welcome him.

But Samuel said, what is that you have done? I just want to stop there and just insert, you know, like some commentary. This reminds me of you ever growing up, like, are doing something that your parents told you not to do. And then when you're like, I'm going to go for it, you do it. And the moment that you're doing this, you know, I'm saying, is the moment they arrive.

That's the imagery that I see here, kind of in this story. Like he got busted bad. All right, I'm going to keep going. All right, start continuing. In verse 11, Saul replied to Samuel, I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn't arrive when you said you would.

And the Philistines are at Mikmash ready for battle. So I said, the Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal. And I haven't even asked for the Lord's help. So I felt compelled, everybody say compelled, to offer the burnt offering myself before you came. Verse 13.

How foolish. Samuel exclaimed, you have not kept the commands the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man because you have. Sorry for.

The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people because you have not kept the Lord's commands. What an interesting story that we find here that King Saul is really overwhelmed with, I think, what I would have to say, practical things that are happening. You're in charge of the army. You have men that you've called your enemy is.

Is gonna out. You know, you're outnumbered by so many. I mean, I kind of would be nervous too, but in the process of all that, we see just by reading this real quickly, that he was given instructions to wait. But the Bible tells us, and he uses a specific word as he explained it to Samuel, is that he felt compelled to offer the sacrifice. I.

When I was reading this a while ago, I kind of. The word compel. You know how sometimes things just pop out of you? And a part of it was, I kind of got convicted. Because a lot of times when I feel like I'm supposed to do something from the Lord, no joke, the word that I use is I'm like, I just felt compelled by the Lord.

So I was like, wait a second. I'm like, God, I use that all the time. I felt compelled. And so the word compelled really, really stuck out to me. So as I further studied it, I kind of just looked at my concordance to see kind of what the definition of this word meant.

So the word compelled is really used kind of like, I'm not a Bible scholar or like, you know what I'm saying, Some theological teacher. So I'm gonna give him my best shot. You gonna give me grace? Say amen. Thank you, guys so much.

You're the best. All right, the way that it's defined here, the word compelled is kind of used in two forms. It means to hold onto tightly or to be strong. So when I read that, I was like, what? I still didn't get it.

So when in doubt, go be the. Be the best theologian ever and the best Christian ever, and just read it in King James to see what it sounds like. Because when I read it in King James, it kind of made sense to me. Okay, you ready? So here's what the king.

So I'm looking at verse, verse 12 here in the King James. Therefore, said I. That's King Saul saying, the Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord. I forced myself, therefore, and offered the burnt offering. Hmm.

I forced myself, therefore, and made the burnt offering. So I started to think about it and I started to research it. Here's kind of how it went. Can I give you the aiv, the Abraham International version, real quick?

What he's saying here is this, is that King Saul knew in his head and in his heart that he was not supposed to do the burnt offering, right? It's written just in the law that they're not supposed. He's not a priest, he's not from the tribe of Levi. He's not supposed to do that. The way that the Bible describes it as he forced himself to do this was that in his mind, he knew it was wrong.

In his heart, he knew it was wrong also. And even knowing those two things, he forced himself in the situation and created a solution that wasn't the solution that God intended. So I want you to picture that. I want you to picture there's head knowledge, heart knowledge. I'm not supposed to do this, but I'm gonna kind of get past that, even though I know better, and I'm gonna force myself to do it anyway.

You talk about willing disobedience kind of here. So we know that Saul couldn't legally offer the sacrifice because of this. And because of this, he was rebuked. And essentially, it was the downfall of the kingdom kind of being stripped away from him. The reality of is this is that because King Saul was instructed to wait, but he let the pressure of the men leaving, right?

And the lack of just. Saul's not coming. And I'm kind of stressed out here because I know I'm supposed to wait. You know, I'm saying, but he's not coming. And so all of a sudden, in the midst of just stopping and waiting on Lord, he takes it upon himself to force himself into a situation that then cost him later because he refused to wait.

Saul, King Saul's lack of waiting caused him to treat the sacrifice like a good luck charm. You see, I believe that when we don't understand and know the power of waiting on the Lord, the things that are holy become very casual. Can I explain it to you this way? I love my kids. My kids are incredible.

Zion just turned 4, and Silas is 1. And so when Sion was a baby. And don't judge me, because there's many different versions of this song, okay? So before you correct me on what the correct version is, give me grace, okay? So when.

When Zion was a baby, when we would eat, you know, I would do the God, our Father, God our Father, we give thanks. You know what I mean? Don't you know there's many versions of that song. So Zion, very. At a young age, before we ate dinner, he.

He would learn that song. As he got older, I started teaching him how to pray and how to pray. So we. We do the Dear Jesus, thank you for this food. Bless it in Jesus name.

And Zion likes to throw a delicious after that. When. When I. So. So as Zion's.

You know what I mean? Gotten a little older, we've strayed away from the God our Father. You know, I'm saying songs to more just. And so sometimes we'll be eating and I'll go, zion, hit this food with the prayer, bro. And he'll do the Dear Jesus.

It's really cute. It's really cute. But when my boy is hangry when he wants to eat and he's overweighting, this is what the prayer sounds like. And especially if Silas is there because we'll make. We'll do the God our Father for a little Silas.

He'll go, God, our Father. God. Oh, we give thanks. We give him a minute blessing. Thank you.

Ah, man. Jesus blessed food. Amen. Delicious.

And I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, bro, what are you doing? I'm just saying the blessing, dad. No, buddy, but you've missed it. You've missed it, buddy. And you're impatience.

You're thinking that this is kind of just what we do as the Ortega family. So I have to stop him and go, wait, buddy, wait, wait, wait. Slow down. And let me tell you why you're praying first, buddy. We're not.

We're not praying or singing this song because we want, you know what I'm saying, our food to taste extra good. We're stopping and praying and blessing the food because we're recognizing that he's our provider and he blessed us and he's good. God doesn't bless us with food because mommy and daddy went to work. God bless us with food because God's good and we stop and we recognize God. It comes from you and nobody else.

So I have to stop him real quick, teach him that. And then I go, okay. Do you understand? Cool. Let's pray again.

It's a valuable lesson that I've learned from my little boy. Because when we're impatient, just like King Saul, we'll treat the Holy very casual. And we find ourselves that a lot of people that when God instruct themselves, maybe you're in this place and God's giving you clear direction on how to wait, and maybe you find the stress in your waiting or the pressure in your waiting. And if you don't really hold on to what God is saying you in the season of waiting, you can do what King Saul did and treat the holy as unholy. Because I feel like King Saul didn't recognize that it wasn't about.

In the essence, it was, for him, it was less about God and more wanting God's hand. And those are very. Two very distinct things kind of in our lives, right? Like, I don't know about you guys. I don't.

I'm so grateful for God's blessing. Thank you, Jesus. But I want him. I don't want what God can do for me. I want him.

I don't want to. I don't want to necessarily get a prophetic word or feel the goosebumps. No, God, I'm grateful for that stuff, but I don't want that stuff to drive me. God, I want you.

So there's a. There's a reality that we have to realize kind of in the story that when we don't wait, there's a danger of treating the unholy as casual. So I thought to myself, what causes us not to wait? So there are three thoughts that I have for you guys with this story. Three points that I want to make within each one of them.

Because I feel like. I feel really stirred to pray tonight. I'm going to say the point, and then there's a part where I said, so how do we pray? But it. With me, you good?

Awesome. Here we go. So what causes us not to wait? Number one, a lack of reverence, fear of God. What causes us to not wait on the Lord?

A lack of reverence or fear for the Lord. I think in our church culture, we really defined redefine, come as you are. You know what I mean? And to stay as you are. We really redefine, come as you are to stay as you are.

And God's good with whatever you do. Can I just tell you that that is so incorrect. It is so incorrect that when God opens his arms to us to come as we are, he's also calling us to not stay where we are. God's grace is not meant to make us feel good or to clear our conscience. God's grace calls us to be different, and it is supposed to empower us to do that.

So when we have a problem waiting on the Lord or waiting on his instructions or even making space to wait on the Lord is due to a lack of having a reverence in the fear of God. Can I just say this to you? I think I've said this to me you many times. The angels don't cry holy, holy. Excuse me.

The angels don't cry grace, grace, grace. They cry holy, holy, holy. And I think that in the church and in our culture, we've really, really forgotten that sometimes I love. I was at a wedding this weekend of someone in the church, and I just was like, man, I'm the only refuge person here, you know? And then, you know who pops up there?

Pastor Bill in Sylvania. My favorite people in the whole wide world because there's so much wisdom and experience in them in those areas, like having reverence for the things of God, God's word, honoring the Lord in trial, or when everything's really, really good. And can I say this for those of you that are in, that would fall under the category of young at heart. We need that reverence and fear of God today in the church like never before. And I'm not talking about, you know what I mean, like, being legalistic.

I'm talking about people that know what that means, that would get on their face and ask God to give us a heart, that we would humble ourselves before him again. Because how many of you guys know that when we see him correctly, like, we're going to receive from him correctly as well, it means that when. When God is asking when. When he's leading my life. Here's what I mean by it.

When he's leading my life, it means that he's in charge and I'm not.

I want to read a couple of scriptures to you real quick. Proverbs 1 through 7 says this. The fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge. But fools despise wisdom and discipline. Proverbs 9, 10 says this.

The fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy one results in good judgment. Proverbs 10:27 says this. The fear of the Lord lengthen lengthens one's life, but years of the wicked are cut short. I like that verse because I like.

I like to have my own interpretation of that, which is more like spanking saved my life, right? Like, like, listen, I grew up in the hood, right? And I didn't. I didn't participate. I didn't participate in certain things because I knew.

I knew my dad would get me. Like, just FYI, you know what I'm saying? The reason why I didn't join a gang because my dad would have snatched me up in Jesus name. Can you, like, there was a fear to go, uh, like, I'm not. I'm not doing that.

Like, uh.

And. Oh, that we've missed that in the church a little bit.

Oh, how we've missed it. That we think obedience is the buffet system and we can pick and choose what we want. Oh, that we've missed it in the church. That when God says something, it's an option for us to obey or not obey. I'll put it to you this way in context of what I'm saying.

Oh, what a sad thing that it's become in the church that when God says, wait on me for instruction, we don't wait, get impatient and force ourselves to create solutions that then cause a greater issue. And we see that repeated over and over in time in the Bible. I was on Instagram and I was watching this interview of this woman interviewing a guy that was a former Christian. And she said to him, man, I'm sad to hear that you're no longer a Christian. You're a Muslim now.

He goes, yeah, I'm a Muslim now because I went to Sudan. And when I went to Sudan, I realized how they fear Allah. And in there, you don't disrespect that false God. It's a false God. You don't disrespect that false God like Christians do in America.

And I realized in my time that I was there, that people don't play with that kind of stuff. And he said, I went and I felt it. He goes, you could feel it. There was something different.

And it's because those people who are lost have a fear of a false God. What would happen in the church if we had a healthy reverence and fear for the things of God again? What would happen? So what causes us not to wait? Not having a healthy fear and reverence for the Lord.

So how do we pray? We pray that we would humble ourselves. We have to pray and intercede. Oh, God, humble us again. I don't know.

I don't know why. Like, I just a little side note, I kind of don't like. Like when we come to the anniversary of 9 11, because my mind just begins to think of. Just like I will watch documentaries and hear interviews. I don't know why I did this to myself.

It's just, you know, like, I. And it just. It makes me just so sad. And I was telling my wife, I said, you know what makes me the saddest the older I've gone is just like how we have not honored the Lord and these things happen. How we've kind of just my way is better God than your way.

And Then we're surprised when his hands off our country. Like, I just was so grieved and so sober, and I said, oh, God, humble. Humble me. Humble me again, God, because I don't want obedience to be a choice. I don't want waiting on you to be a choice in my life, God.

And can I tell you, Can I be honest with you? I'm guilty of that. I'm guilty of that. So how do we pray? We pray that we would humble ourselves again.

All right, what else? Number two. What causes us to no longer wait on the Lord when we rely on yesterday's manna to feed today's hunger? When we rely on yesterday's manna to feed on to feed today's hunger? Now, I don't know about you guys, but in the Bible, right?

Manna was always only meant to. To feed you for the day. If you kept more than. Than you were supposed to, it would turn. It would rot and turn to worms.

Now, I want you guys to hear what I'm saying and don't hear what I'm not saying. I'm not saying that we're not supposed to follow through with the last thing God told us. Sometimes we need to digest that word. You know, I don't know about you guys, and I'm not. He don't like when I do this, but I love the series that Pastor J has been preaching on because it's really stirred me.

It stirred my heart, you know what I mean? And I was able even to pray with my brother today to pray for our father. My brother's not a believer, but we were able to over the phone today pray for my dad together because of that series. Praise God. It's been challenging me and the words that are shared.

Sometimes I think that we can tend to just munch on it and then just move away from them when we're called to digest those things, to digest the word of God. And some of us need to just be in that place where you need to do what God told you to do. But look at me. But we can't just rely on yesterday's prayer time or quiet time and think we're good today. Today has its own worries.

Today has its own needs. We have to really get to this place where we prioritize the secret place like never before on a daily basis.

I love how Jesus exemplified this. You know, I look through various stories in the Bible and in the Gospels when Jesus exemplified making a priority to get away and get along with God. And the one that stuck out to me I'm not going to read it for just the sake of time, but in Matthew 14, we see the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000. And it's this great, incredible miracle, right? Like he feeds the 5,000, then he gathers the 12, and.

And he sends them along so that he can get by himself to pray. Now, I thought to myself, I don't know about. Well, number one, I'm not Jesus. You know what I mean? So I don't know if I.

Sorry, Lord, I don't. I don't follow your example a lot, but I'm like, in my life, sometimes when there's great ministry, I'm like, awesome, great ministry. Let's go relax.

Great, powerful ministry. Awesome armor of God's been on. Let's go ahead and take it off because we can now it's. Now it's chill time. And I think the reality of it is.

Can I just give you a little secret? As, as it relates to warfare, the devil attacks us the most when we get the most comfortable. I love Jesus's example here. He does this incredible ministry, right? Like, but he doesn't sit there.

And, I mean, Jesus was incredible. He didn't sit there and celebrate and, and, you know, he goes, okay, great ministry. 12, you go, I'm going to get a loan.

There's something so beautiful about Jesus example and what it means to prioritize getting alone with God.

So can I ask you a question? Can you gauge your seek and what I mean by that? Because can you gauge your persistence? You're pressing in towards the Lord in this evening. Can you gauge it?

And by that, that I mean that, you know, when. When life's hard and we have curveballs thrown our way and we don't know what's going on, we tend to intensify our seek and our pressing in like never before. Is that just me? Can I get an amen? Can I ask you a question?

Are you as persistent and intentional when everything's going good? Are we as persistent to wait on the Lord when everything feels good? Are we as persistent to really seek him and pause and make space to invite the Holy Spirit to come when everything's going good? Because I think it's easy to say that we can really do that. And it's easy to do that when there's stress or anxiety involved.

We can't rely on yesterday's manna to feed today's need. Because today there's something beautiful. Today he wants to meet us. Today he wants to encounter us every day. He wants to journey with you.

Listen, I love the idea that Jesus not only died for the forgiveness of my sins, right? But he died to have relationship with me. So how do we pray? We pray that we would stop seeing the secret place as a chore.

I was telling one of our students today, I said, you know, the reality of it is. And I said, you know, the reality of it is, is sometimes I think a lack of repentance has to do with the lack of gratitude. Here's what I mean by that, is that when you realize that Jesus has rescued you and Jesus didn't have to, and Jesus has done an incredible work in your life, then for me, repentance is going to come. Because out of gratitude, I go, God, here's my life. Out of gratitude, I go, God, I'm not doing that no more.

I'm doing. I'm going to God. I want to live for you wholehearted. And repentance, right? Gratitude always is a predecessor to repentance.

We can't. We have to prioritize our quiet time if God's calling us to linger. Last thing, number three. We have forgotten that our wrestle. Why?

Why don't we wait on the Lord? Because we have forgotten that our wrestle is not against flesh and blood. This is the. This is the one that I'm on right now, if I'm honest. Why don't we wait on the Lord is because we have forgotten that our wrestle is not against flesh and blood.

And I think this is what Saul did. He, instead of seeking the Lord, right, he tried to bring a physical use, physical ways to resolve a spiritual matter. Like, he became king, and he thought, oh, well, I'm in charge of Israel. Hey, I'm king now. I'm responsible for the victory.

No, no, no, no, King Saul, you're not in charge here. God's in charge here.

He's in charge. And. And the reality of it is, is this is. This is not a matter that you can solve within your own capacity. It's leaning in and waiting for Samuel to give you instruction, right?

Because instruction, I believe, was gonna come after the sacrifice and burnt offering was done correctly. Everybody with me.

Ephesians 6:12 says this. For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers, authorities of this unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

We have to start recognizing that sometimes. Look at me. When you recognize that our wrestle is not against flesh and blood, it's going to cause you to pause and wait on the Lord and say, God, how do I handle this situation, it's going to cause you to wait. It's going to cause you to wait on the Lord to really lean in and go, God, I don't understand what's going on, because here's where we miss it sometimes. We make it.

We make it more about people than we do making it about the enemy. Because most of the time when you're. When there is stuff coming against you, right? It's really. People don't even know what they're partnering half of the time.

When I'm. When I recognize that my wrestle is not against flesh and blood, it causes me to stop real quick and go, okay, God, I need to make space. Holy Spirit, come and I'm gonna wait to show me. To show me, Holy Spirit, how I'm supposed to pray. Can I give you a practical way on what this looks like?

Okay, you're at your job place, right? And there's so much stress and chaos in the meeting, and you're like, God, I prayed for this job, and I don't know what's going on. Like, nothing's making sense. And sometimes you gotta excuse yourself. You go to the bathroom.

You go to the bathroom, look underneath and make sure there's nobody in the stall. You get in the stall and you go, holy Spirit, right now, I invite you to come. There's so much chaos in here, God. And God, what is your strategy? And I promise you that as you do that and you wait, he comes.

I feel like God's been testing me. No joke in this. Just yesterday, me and Silas have been living the bachelor life because my wife went to go visit her family. And so I was just like, silas, let's go get dinner. So we went and got dinner, and Silas was being cranky.

He's won. I started singing to him. That didn't help him. So I just do this thing. I was like, all right, bro, if you want to cry, let's just roll the windows down.

And we're just gonna touch the wind. So I roll the windows down, Stick your hand out. Touch the wind, bro. So I rolled the windows down. We started touching the wind.

We got in the driveway, and every window rolled up except for one. And I'm like, no, God, please. You ever had those moments? Maybe. Maybe everything in your life goes good, but sometimes I just have these moments where I'm like, you know?

And it's not even just the window thing. It's just kind of what it does in me. You know what I'm saying? Riddle. It's just what it does.

I'M like, oh, Lord, why? Why?

Like, so what do I do? No, I don't do the spiritual thing. I call a friend.

He didn't answer.

What does God say? Okay, Abe, what are you speaking on tomorrow? Learn how to linger, Lord. Okay, Holy Spirit, I'm frustrated. Silas is screaming.

This window. God is not rolling up. It's not about the window. God. I'm just frustrated.

Holy Spirit, come. Just going to wait on you. God, can you just. You care about all things. God.

God, I remember when I went to Disney and I was done, and you told me to invite you. God. You told me to light the lamp back on. God. I want to light it again.

God, come.