“GRASPING THE CRUCIAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXPECTANCY AND EXPECTATION IS REVOLUTIONARY. .” - Gil Hodges

Expectancy primes our spirit for receiving. It is a broad, flexible mindset, encompassing the infinite positive potentialities that Father has for us. Let's suppose we fully trust in the benevolent nature of our Father, believing he always has our best interests at heart. In this belief, expectancy guides us through all situations with the confidence that we can trust our Father for an advantageous outcome. It allows us to accept His bountiful gifts without limiting Him with our preconceived expectations.

On the other hand, expectation is the faith in a definite outcome, which we consider to be the right one. This could even be what we believe to be a "word of God". Yet, if we think a "word of God" implies one thing and we encounter a different result, it poses the question: Who's more likely to err? God, or our interpretation of His message?

We must tread carefully. Our own ego and obsession with correctness can sometimes eclipse the true workings of the Father in our lives. The insistence on being correct often stems from our own insecurities. A confident individual, secure in their identity in Christ and not reliant on their belief system, is unfazed when proven wrong. Their readiness to modify their previously-held beliefs exhibits an effortless process of repentance – simply a change of mind.

Expectation implies harboring a specific anticipated outcome. It's somewhat amusing or perhaps audacious to think that when our expectations of God don't align with reality, we tend to accuse God. Interestingly, this is the root of most of our disappointments with our Father - our unfulfilled expectations that we imposed on Him.

To better align myself with the Father's will, I have realized the following helpful practices:

1. Hold Everything Losely - In other words, while I may believe I understand something, I always leave a space for the possibility that I could be mistaken. Even though I might have a general expectation, I refrain from imposing it on God. In a state of expectancy, I simply trust that He has my best interests at heart and the outcome will be for my ultimate best.

2. Regularly communicate with Father and Holy Spirit to reaffirm my belief in His unwavering love and good intentions for me. If I lack trust in Him, it will mirror in my level of expectancy. Such mistrust will affect the overall sense of what I expect to receive from Him. We often construct mental obstacles, idols, and barriers in our hearts that hinder us from freely accepting what Father desires to work within us. If you find yourself believing anything contrary to His love, REPENT! Appeal to the Father for His truth and disassociate yourself from any falsehoods that contradict the Father's heart in the Heavenly court.

3. Oneness - We have moved beyond the era of the church into the Kingdom Restoration Age (KRA). KRA aims to teach us how to function as ONE with Him and all of creation. Our goal is to restore Kingdom - not contemporary governments, but the Kingdom Government on Earth. This requires us to align ourselves with the Father's will, His heart, and His Kingdom plans. We must learn to trust Father as we all move collectively in Him, fulfilling our roles in His body. It's a beautiful dance that we all perform together as One, both giving and receiving from Him and all creation. The process can become exceptionally challenging when we're obstructed by our own expectations.