12 Monthly Challenges to Elevate Your Faith | June's Faith Challenge | Cultivating Patience in Expectation

This month, our faith challenge draws inspiration from the enduring stories of the TANAKH. Many of the patriarchs and prophets faced long periods of waiting, uncertainty, and seemingly unanswered prayers. Yet, through their experiences, we can glean profound lessons about the power of patience in expectation.

Consider figures like Abraham, who waited decades for the promise of a son, or Joseph, who endured years of slavery and imprisonment before seeing GOD's plan unfold. Even the Hebrews spent forty years in the wilderness, learning dependence, faith, patience, and trust.

In our fast-paced world, immediate gratification is often the norm. This month, let's intentionally lean into a different rhythm – one of patient anticipation and trust in GOD's perfect timing.

The Challenge:

For the month of June, choose one area in your life where you are currently waiting on GOD. This could be a prayer you've been lifting up, a difficult situation you're navigating, a desire for guidance, or even a personal growth area.

Here's how to engage with the challenge:

1. Identify Your "Waiting Place": Spend some time in prayer and reflection to identify one specific area where you are actively waiting on GOD. Be specific.
2. Daily Affirmation: Each day, choose a scripture from the Holy Scriptures (Old Testament) that speaks to patience, GOD's faithfulness, or His timing. Meditate on it and affirm its truth over your "waiting place." Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
• Psalm 27:14: "Wait for YAH; be strong and take heart and wait for YAH.”
• Principle: Patient waiting on GOD involves both endurance and courage.
• Isaiah 40:31: "but those who hope in YAH will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
• Principle: Placing our hope in GOD is the source of supernatural renewal and sustained strength during times of waiting.
• Lamentations 3:25-26: "GOD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of YAH.”
• Principle: GOD's goodness is experienced by those who actively seek Him and patiently, quietly await His deliverance.
• Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in GOD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
• Principle: Complete reliance on GOD's wisdom, rather than our own, leads to clear direction and divine guidance in our lives.
3. Practice Mindful Waiting: When feelings of impatience, doubt, or discouragement arise, acknowledge them, then consciously redirect your thoughts to GOD's character and His promises. Remind yourself that waiting is not passive, but an active posture of faith.
4. Journal For Your Journey: Keep a simple journal throughout June. Note down the scripture you focused on each day, any insights you gained, and how you felt. Observe how your perspective shifts as you intentionally practice patience.

Why this matters:

GOD's timing and faithfulness are worth patiently trusting, and our strength is renewed when we hope in Him rather than relying on our own understanding. Patience isn't merely enduring; it's believing that GOD is working, even when we don't see immediate evidence. It's an act of worship that declares our trust in His sovereignty and His perfect love. By leaning into this challenge, we can deepen our faith, cultivate resilience, and draw closer to the heart of GOD, just as countless faithful individuals did throughout the Old Testament.

Join us this June as we embrace the transformative power of patient expectation!

I hope this blog post has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Shalom