There's an old adage attributed to Abraham Lincoln that goes, "Give me six hours to chop down a tree, and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe." This wisdom speaks not just to the value of preparation but to the necessity of it. In recent months, I've felt God teaching me a similar lesson about the importance of prayer. Like many of us, I often find myself eager to start chopping down trees—to act, to do, to get things done. Yet, I've come to realize that without first sharpening the axe through prayer, my efforts can be misguided, tiresome, and less effective.
Waiting as an Act of Faith
One of the themes that keeps surfacing in my time with God is the concept of waiting. The Psalms, in particular, are full of calls to "wait for the Lord." Psalm 27:14 says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!" This waiting isn’t about sitting idle. It’s about an active dependence on God, like a baby who cries out for its mother, trusting that she will come. The baby isn’t passive; it’s continually expressing its need, expecting the mother to respond.
In the same way, our waiting on God is not passive. It’s a posture of expectancy and readiness, acknowledging that we need Him to move, to guide, and to empower. It’s a cry from our hearts, a recognition of our dependence on Him.
The Parable of Persistent Prayer
This brings to mind the parable Jesus told about the persistent widow and the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8. The widow, powerless and without resources, kept coming to the judge with her plea until he finally granted her justice, not because he cared, but because of her persistence. Jesus uses this story to teach us about the importance of praying and not giving up. He ends with a poignant question: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Will He find us persistently seeking, trusting, and waiting on Him?
The Tension of Waiting in a Hustle Culture
Our culture today is obsessed with hustle. It tells us that to be successful, we need to constantly be on the move, achieving, striving, and doing more. The idea of waiting can feel counterproductive, even wasteful. But God’s ways are not our ways. Waiting on the Lord is an act of faith. It’s an acknowledgment that we are not in control, that we need God to lead us, and that in His timing, He will accomplish what He has set out to do—often in ways that exceed our expectations and bring Him greater glory.
Prayer as the Work
Prayer is not just preparation for the work; prayer is the work. When we take time to pray, we are sharpening the axe, preparing ourselves for what God has called us to do. It’s in these quiet, unseen moments of prayer that we align our hearts with God’s, that we receive His strength, His wisdom, and His direction. So, when the moment comes to act, we do so not in our own power but in His.
A Personal Challenge
This is a personal lesson I’m learning, but I want to challenge you as well. Are you just running around, trying to chop down trees for God? Or are you taking the time to sharpen your axe through prayer, waiting for His guidance, His timing, and His power? Remember, God is not in a hurry. He is building something in us that goes beyond our immediate understanding.
So, let’s take a step back, slow down, and commit to being people who wait on the Lord, who sharpen the axe, and who trust that in His perfect timing, He will lead us to accomplish things that only He can take credit for. In doing so, we honor Him, we grow in our faith, and we prepare ourselves to be vessels of His glory in this world.