EquipHer Vol. 28: "How to Identify Divine Opportunities"ਨਮੂਨਾ

Day 4 – Patience for The Perfect Timing

A divine opportunity often requires patience; teaching us to trust His timing over our own.

After recognizing that divine opportunities confront our weaknesses, challenge our logic, and require us to make choices aligned with Kingdom values, today we explore another key indicator: they often require our patience.

In a fast-paced world where instant results are often expected, waiting can feel like a waste. Especially in the business world, we are taught that whoever gets there first wins, but that is not the standard God uses.

The fourth indicator that can help us discern whether an opportunity is truly from God is having patience in God’s perfect timing.

Sometimes, God gives us a glimpse of the direction to go in, yet, the opportunity does not immediately present itself. Typically, this situation indicates that He is still preparing us or something about the situation, before bringing the two together in His perfect timing. If you find yourself wondering: “why do I have to wait,” remember this: you are in the space between promise and fulfillment. During the “wait,” God works deeply on our character - shaping us - to be ready for the very moment He has prepared.

The story of Hannah, mother of the prophet Samuel, shows us how God uses a waiting season for our good—including the painful and confusing ones. Hannah longed for a child with all her heart, but for years her prayers seemed to go unanswered. However, even in the waiting and what seemed like silence from God, she never stopped seeking Him. Every year she returned to the temple, and Scriptures tell us that “in her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly... and made a vow” (1 Samuel 1:10–11, NIV).

Her waiting was not passive—it was an active surrender to God’s will. A time when her faith was refined and made resilient, and her resolve was strengthened. That season of waiting was not wasted. It was the space where God prepared her not only to become a mother, but to raise one of the most influential prophets in Israel’s history.

If the opportunity of having a baby had happened sooner, perhaps Hannah would not have had the same unwavering faith in God’s promises. Perhaps she would not have had the same consecrated heart, or the same clarity of purpose that God had entrusted to her—far beyond what she could have expected (Ephesians 3:20).

We may find ourselves in similar “waiting” seasons. Maybe we receive a vision, idea, or new opportunity, but everything around us suddenly falls quiet. We feel ready and called, yet God has not instructed us to “Go.” It is in these “seasons of stillness” where wisdom and discernment are sharpened. It is in these seasons that we must confidently remember that our “wait” is never wasted. In fact, we are being prepared to receive an eternal opportunity that outweighs the goodness and power of any earthly opportunity.

In what ways are your patience being tested to trust God’s timing instead of your own? What might you lose if you force open a door that God has not yet opened?

Prayer:
Lord, teach me to honor Your timing with trust. When everything inside me wants to rush ahead and take control, help me remember that You are good and faithful, and that Your silence is never absence—it is preparation for the promise You have spoken. I want to honor You in the waiting, praising You each day, not just after the outcome arrives. Amen.