Dear Friend,

I have been thinking and praying to the Lord about what to write to you in my letter this month. I know that the right words — written or spoken — have the potential to be like honey for your soul (see Proverbs 16:24). And I believe everyone needs such a word from time to time, as I know I do! It’s my prayer  that this letter brings refreshment to your soul and fills you with the sweet truths of God’s Word, preparing you for any opportunities the new month might bring!

I want to take a moment to say thank you for spending this time with me each month and for caring so much about RENNER Ministries and its many outreaches. You have been a significant part of our journey as a ministry — and you continue to be! I am truly grateful for your dedication to help us fulfill our vision of spreading the Gospel message across the globe. Your support does not go unnoticed!

*[If you started reading this from your email, begin reading here.]

What Does It Mean To Wait on the Lord?

I was reading my Bible recently, and as I kept coming back to Psalm 27:14, it got me thinking about the years following the grand opening of the Moscow Good News Church back in December 2014. For many years, Rick and I and our leadership team looked and looked for land or a building where we could establish a permanent home for the Moscow church. There was so much going on in our lives during that time, and at times, we felt discouraged. But for some reason, the Holy Spirit kept reminding me of the meetings I’d been holding with the women in the church, during which we would get together to hear from God through His Word, fellowship together, and encourage each other in the Lord. As I recently read Psalm 27:14 and reflected on these meetings, I began to remember one meeting in particular. During that meeting, I remember asking the question, “What does it mean to wait on the Lord?”

These women were so generous with their answers. I received many different insights from their honest responses. Some of the women were candid enough to say, “Waiting on the Lord is a little hard for me because when I have a desire for something, I want it when I want it!” Others expressed that to wait on the Lord means to have a continual attitude of prayer that we should maintain at all times.

When I reflect on these answers, I am so proud of these women for sharing their thoughts with such openness.

Waiting on the Lord can mean different things to different people. Ask yourself, What do I think it means to wait on the Lord? You may know right away what you think it means to wait on Him — or maybe nothing comes to mind! And that’s okay. In this letter, I will share with you what I have learned over the years about what it means to wait on the Lord.

Let’s begin by reading Psalm 27:14:

Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the Lord!

Each time I read this verse, I immediately sense its power in my body and soul. It’s as if someone is saying, “Okay, shoulders, you can relax now. You don’t have to be so tense and overworked! Stop trying to solve all your problems by yourself.”

This verse also serves as a bit of a “reality check.” When I read it, it quickens my realization of the abiding presence of the Lord. He made me, He knows me, and He loves me. And whether I’m dealing with a stressful situation or season of life, or just the everyday responsibilities of ministry, it reminds me that I need to place my attention on Him instead of putting so much focus on the circumstances or even on myself.

Turning Your Eyes Upon Jesus

For me personally, to wait on the Lord means to put everything else — distractions, to-do lists, the nonstop culture embedded into our society — “on hold” and to solely look at Jesus. It reminds me of the wonderful old hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” It reads:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus.
Look full in His wonderful face.
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Perhaps you’ve noticed your shoulders beginning to relax a little after reading Psalm 27:14 or the words to that beautiful hymn. As you intentionally turn your sole attention toward the Lord, His peace will begin to flood your soul and relax your body.

I believe it’s important to take special time that’s devoted to waiting on the Lord, but I also believe this is something that you can do continually throughout your day — in your everyday life. When you begin to wait on the Lord, you will first experience the fullness of His divine peace. Not only that, but you’ll begin to supernaturally draw strength from a source not your own — a source with greater power and greater possibility than those available to you in the natural before you determined to specifically focus on the Lord.

When you truly master waiting on the Lord, this supernatural peace and strength may take place in a matter of seconds! However, when you start renewing your mind and purposefully directing your focus on Him, you may have to remind yourself several times throughout the day to take your eyes off your weaknesses — and even off your own abilities — in order to completely turn to Him. But when you do this — when you wait on the Lord — you’re opening your heart to the things Heaven has in store for you instead of limiting yourself to the things you can accomplish with your own mental and emotional abilities.

Learning To Lean Not on Your Own Understanding

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

— Proverbs 3:5,6

Notice it says in verse 5, “…Lean not on your own understanding….” Now I’m sure you have heard this verse many times before, and the reason it’s such a frequently quoted verse is that it’s an important truth you must understand. It’s so easy to get caught up in your struggles and try to fix everything yourself, but when you start relying on your own strength and ability, it limits what the Lord can do for you and your situation.

The Bible doesn’t tell you to not lean on your own understanding so you can just throw your brains out the window! It says this because when faced with a problem, we oftentimes take more upon ourselves than we can or should handle in terms of using our natural thinking to figure out the answers we need.

When you try to rely just on your natural ability, you inevitably come up short of the wisdom needed to succeed — which leads to feelings of worry, anxiety, stress, and even obsession over the problem. Next thing you know, you’re meditating on your problem instead of on the things of God and His Word! And when you don’t wait on the Lord, it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to hear what He says about your situation.

Let’s go back to where verse 5 says, “…Lean not on your own understanding….” When you think of the word “leaning,” you might picture someone leaning up against something for support, such as a wall. If you’re leaning against a wall, you’re trusting that wall to hold you up — to keep you from falling down and getting hurt. In Proverbs 3:5, and in many other places in the Bible, the Lord is imploring us not to trust our own understanding to hold us up and protect us from harm in life!

In other words, just as you might lean on a flimsy wall in the natural realm, it’s possible for us to lean on our understanding in life. But God is telling us that our understanding can be imperfect — it won’t always stand and support us during times of difficulty. In fact, if we trust in understanding alone, it will most likely “collapse,” causing us even greater difficulty and pain.

I don’t say this to say anyone is unintelligent — you’re probably very smart! But no one is smarter or wiser than God. So when a problem pops up in your life, you need to ask the Lord for help. Tell Him something like this: “Father, I don’t know what to do. I’m already losing sleep over this problem in my life. I have been impatient and irritable toward my loved ones because I can’t solve this problem myself. I have been worrying and giving all my attention to this problem, yet I can’t find any clear answers. I need Your wisdom and strength to guide me and show me what to do.”

Have you ever had to admit something like this to the Father? I certainly have. But every time I go to Him about a problem, I always find the relief and answers I need! When you choose to put a stop to all the anxious thoughts and focus your attention on the Lord — when you wait on Him — you will find the peace and power you desperately needed all along!

But you have to wait on the Lord — you must be honest with Him and seek His help. The Holy Spirit won’t chase you down and say, “Pay attention to Me!” No. He waits for you to turn your attention to Him.

Maybe you’re experiencing trouble in your life right now and need to be in that special place of waiting on the Lord. Or perhaps you can just sense Him drawing you nearer. If you find yourself continuously looking to Him for peace, grace, and wisdom, do not stop! Don’t allow yourself to become “weary in well-doing” by turning your attention away from Him, even for one moment. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Keep humbling yourself before the Lord, filling your heart with His Word, and being obedient to trust it. You will hear from Heaven!

Before I close my letter, I invite you to join me for my program TIME With Denise Renner! This weekly program is such a special time for encouragement, inspiration, and spiritual quickening together. I’m so encouraged by the reception my program has received so far, and your kind words and comments are truly a blessing. To watch TIME With Denise Renner, join me on Facebook or YouTube each Wednesday at 12:00 p.m. to hear what the Lord has placed on my heart to share with you. I love this time together, and I hope to see you there soon!

The following are just a few of the many testimonies we receive daily from our wonderful friends and partners:

Denise had a word of knowledge about someone needing healing in a finger a few weeks ago during her Monday morning program. I had just cut my finger and required stitches. The worst part was that a tendon was cut, and I was told that only surgery would restore the use of my finger. I said, “Oh no, I receive my healing!” And then Denise shared a word about a finger being restored. It’s been almost four weeks, and I am able to use my finger more and more each day. I have nearly full mobility. Hallelujah!

— C.

I was healed from chronic back pain on Sunday, May 12 — Mother’s Day. Sister Denise was ministering at Eagle Mountain International Church and giving her testimony. I felt a warmth on my lower back and the pain disappeared. I can bend and move freely now — praise God!

— N.

I hope these words have encouraged you to wait on the Lord and trust Him in everything. I promise that if you don’t give up seeking His face, you will win!

We are moving forward together,

Denise Renner