Expecting God’s Wonder – With Holy Anticipation

The second in a three-part review of the new book “Wonderstruck” by Margaret Feinberg.

Have you ever prayed this prayer?

What would you expect if you did?

As I continued to read the pre-release of Wonderstruck, this excerpt from page 17 caused me to reflect on what I really expect from God on a daily basis:

“Though God had been at work in my life in countless ways—revealing so many wonders—I realized that deep down inside I still backed away from living each day with holy anticipation.”

I wondered if I’ve also backed away from “living each day with holy anticipation.”

Do you live each day with holy anticipation?

I mentioned in my first “Expecting God’s Wonder” post that I’ve been a fan of Margaret Feinberg’s books for the last few years, so it was exciting to receive the insider’s scoop recently about her new book. Here are some highlights from the interview:

Q: “Where did the inspiration for the Wonderstruck book and Bible study come from?”

A: “Have you ever had one of those seasons where everything goes wrong, and when you think it can’t get worse, it somehow finds a way? Most people who have worked in ministry have experienced those seasons—some may be in one right now.”

“My husband, Leif, and I had just gone through one of the roughest years of our lives. In the aftermath, as we processed the pain and loss, I had an unexplainable desire in my heart. I began praying for the wonder of God. In essence, I said, “God reveal yourself, your whole self to me. I want to know you as Wonderful. I want to know you as I’ve never known you before and see you in places I’ve never recognized you before.”

“God did not disappoint.”

Q: “What do you mean by “the wonder of God”?”

A: “Sometimes talking or writing about wonder feels like tying kite strings to clouds. It’s ethereal, and you can never quite get a grip on it. But if you look in the dictionary, the two main definitions of wonder are: “being filled with admiration, amazement, or awe” and “to think or speculate curiously.”

“Those definitions come together beautifully in our relationship with God. That’s why I define the wonder of God as those moments of spiritual awakening that create a desire to know God more.”

“In other words, the wonder of God isn’t about an emotional experience or having some cool story to tell your friends, but the wonder of God makes us want more of God—to go deeper and further than we’ve ever been before.”

Q: “Why are you calling people to #LIVEWONDERSTRUCK?”

A: “If you look in the Gospels, what you’ll discover is that those who encountered Jesus were constantly left in wild amazement. They were awestruck by the teachings of Christ, the healings of Christ, the mind-bending miracles of Christ. Within the Gospel of Luke we see words like “awe” and “wonder” and “marvel” at every turn. If this is the natural response to encountering Christ, how much more should it be for you and I—who are invited to live in relationship with Christ as sons and daughters of our God Most High?”

“We’ve created a free PDF that looks at some of these Scriptures. For a free copy, email us at wonderstruck@margaretfeinberg.com and we’ll send you one.”

Margaret Feinberg‘s new book and 7-session Bible Study called Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God is a personal invitation for you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. What if you could:

Recognize the presence of God in the midst of your routine
Unearth extraordinary moments on ordinary days
Develop a renewed passion for God
Identify what’s holding you back in prayer
Discover joy in knowing you’re wildly loved

Where has God revealed His wonder in your life?

Do you want to live each day with holy anticipation?

This is the second of three posts I’m writing in my review of Wonderstruck. My next and final review post will be on December 23. If you missed it, you can read the first “Expecting God’s Wonder” post by clicking here.

Since I love a bargain as much as I love reading Margaret’s books, I’ve already taken advantage of the wonderful pre-pub offer and ordered the book for $7.57 ($14.99 retail) at Amazon, and I got some great free downloads. You can find out more about Wonderstruck by visiting www.margaretfeinberg.com/wonderstruck where she’s offering some incredible promos right now with up to $300 of free stuff.