How To Discern A Pregnant Pause.

Have you been experiencing a pregnant pause? How can you tell that you are in a pregnant pause? And how do you navigate that season? Today this is what I want us to talk about. But before we do I would like to first define what a pregnant pause is. 

Pregnant pause definition.

A pause that gives the impression that it will be followed by something significant.

And to explain it further let’s look at the origin. 

(Metaphor.) Some pauses resemble literal pregnancies in that they are filled with meaning, as a pregnant body is filled with the offspring to be born; and they are forward-looking–that is, they have the listener waiting for the next utterance–in something of the same way that a pregnancy portends the forthcoming birth. The Oxford English Dictionary gives examples of the word “pregnant” used with the sense of “full of meaning” beginning in the 15th century.

So as we can see from the explanation above a pregnant pause has meaning tied to it. It is not just an idle pause that lacks purpose or significance.

This then begs the question, how do you know that you are in a pregnant pause? And to do that let’s look at the life of Jesus.

Discerning a pregnant pause

Jesus did not start his ministry until he was 30 years. But just because His ministry had not yet started does not mean that he did nothing. And to just give us a glimpse of what Jesus was doing in the season of waiting, the Bible tells us that He was focused on His Father’s business. 

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. He amazed everyone who heard him at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him, they were astonished.

His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.” “Why were you searching for me?” he asked. “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?” But they did not understand what he was saying to them. Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. Luke 2:41‭-‬52 NIV

So although we are not told in detail what Jesus did prior to the start of His ministry, we can see He used that time to establish and grow His relationship with God. That’s why He had such power while on earth. Because the Bible makes it clear that Jesus relinquished His God nature while on earth. This simply means that He was fully Man while on earth. And for Him to have the power to do everything He did, He had to have a close relationship with God. 

So let’s bring this point home and help you understand what a pregnant pause looks like and what you can do in the process.

Signs you are in a pregnant pause.

The first sign is when you know what you are called to do but are unable to do it because of one or more limitations.

You see, God has given each one of us a divine destiny. And this said destiny He placed inside us before we were born. He predestined us before He formed us in our mother’s womb. And it might take a while for you to know what it is. But once you do, you could experience limitations that prevent you from pursuing the very thing God purposed you to do. And to explain it further I would like to give you the example of David who experienced a pregnant pause. God had Samuel anoint him to be the next king of Israel but it took David 10+ years before He could become the king of Israel.

So inside him, he knew he had been called to be great, yet his circumstances contradicted that. In fact, at some point, he lived in caves because he was running for his life. And to top it all up, at the time the people who followed him were those that were broken, rejected, and hurt. Can you imagine that? He must have wondered of his promise would ever come to be. But the entire period was simply a pregnant pause. He did not know it but God was preparing him to be king. He lacked the normal training that maybe kings had to go through and so through the pause, God prepared him for his role. 

The second sign is when God reroutes you.

Maybe you were going in one direction and suddenly chaos come the way that forced you to move in a different direction. So an example would be you studying for a certain career and not get a job in the same field. But deep down, you know that God called you to it. It could be that you have a passion for nursing but fail to get a job after completing your studies yet you know the passion came from God. This could also represent a pregnant pause. You see, God makes it clear that every good and perfect gift comes from you. And He is the one who puts those desires in our hearts.

We might not know it at the time but when what you do comes easy to you in a way or there you experience favor in that area, it is because God graced you for it. It is God who gives you the grace to do everything. It does not happen by chance. He set it all up that you would do that course and even pass those exams. You might think it was your effort. And while it’s true that your effort does count, God is the One who gives you the grace to do Excell in it.

And to give you an example of someone who experienced this kind of pregnant pause, let’s look at the life of Abraham. God gave Abraham a son who was his promise from God. And then after a while, God told Abraham to go and sacrifice his son. Now, wait a minute! God was the one who gave him the child and now the same God wanted him to sacrifice his son. It must have been scary for Abraham. Losing the very thing God had promised him. And although we know in the end that God provided a ram, Abraham did not go. He obeyed God and was willing to sacrifice his son.

And it was in that moment that he went through a pregnant pause. He was confident that although he was having to face a difficult decision, his son would come back. That was why he even told his servants that they would both come back. Talk about faith. So let me ask you this, is there anything that God is asking you to give up yet you know He was the one who gave it to you in the first place?

Can I encourage you to give it up anyway? God is not a sadist. He promises to give back better what you give to Him. He is the God of restoration. And just to give you an ex mole, look at the story of Job. He literally lost everything. God in His kindness restored more than double what Job lost. And not only that God ensured that Job had time to enjoy his gifts from God.

You see, you might feel like life is passing you by when you are in a pregnant pause. But today I want to encourage you to hold on and never forget That everything you give up for God He repays. And He does this because He is your loving father who wants the best for you and because of His love for you. 

Whether it is a relationship or a career that God is asking you to give up, do that and remember what you give to God He will sustain and protect. And it is when you lose that you can gain. His plan for your life is  greater than you can ever imagine.. And He will always do exceedingly, abundantly, above and beyond anything you could ever ask, think or imagine. 

So now that you know these 2 signs, how then can you position yourself when you are on a pregnant shift?

Go blind.

When you are in a pregnant shift, you rarely know what God is doing. And it can be frustrating waiting on God when you don’t even know what He is doing or how everything will play out. But you know what! It is in that period that you should let your faith in God lead you and give you the confidence to go on when you don’t even have the strength. Jesus went through a pregnant pause. Right before He was about to be crucified He experienced fear. He did not want to go through the pain of the cross. He even cried out to God and asked Him to take away the cup from Him. But God did not.

And it was at that moment He left it all to God and just follow what God was doing. The same case can apply to you. In that surrender and confusion, God wants you to trust Him. Yes, it looks scary, yes, you might have to go without for a while. And you might even look crazy to those around you. But it is in those moments that God wants you to fully trust Him and allow Him to be your strength and your light to guide you every step of the way. You know, the only way your faith can be built is when you are going through something blind. God promises to make up for your inadequacies. But He can only do that when you are willing to take the first step and that is trust Him.

 Hide in Him. 

When you are in a pregnant pause, the best course of action is to develop and establish a relationship with God. He is the only One who can help you birth your promise properly. So it will require you to fully trust Him and in so doing you will experience His faithfulness and redemption in the end. Use the time to get to know God for yourself. Have a personal relationship with Him. Anchor yourself in His word and let Him be the dominant voice in your life.

When you are in a pregnant pause you might feel abandoned by God. And all these lies might bombard you and have you quit going through the process. But when you hide in God you will experience supernatural peace and grace that will help you navigate that season. God is not denying you or hanging you out to dry. He is simply preparing you because He does His best work when you are in isolation. Always remember that He is a good father who loves you so much and has a beautiful plan for your life. 

Keep going.

Don’t lose hope. It is easy to want to stop because nothing seems to be working. But God wants you to do what you can do. It does not matter how small the task is, as long as you keep moving forward, you will be okay. Remember even in the pause, there is a purpose for you. There is something that God wants you to do in that space. Ask Him what it is and do that. Because when it is time, everything will happen so fast you will not even have a break.

In the same way, a new mother gets to tend to her newborn day and night, once you give birth to your promise, it will be going time and you will not stop. So right now, do the thing that God wants you to do now and keep your focus on Him. Don’t lose heart as it will all make sense. And the beauty is that when He is all done people around you will also experience deliverance and freedom because of your resilience.

Scriptures to anchor you when you are on a pregnant pause. 

Psalm 27:14  Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Psalm 33:20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.

Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope.

Proverbs 20:22 Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.

Isaiah 30:18 Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him.

Isaiah 64:4 Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

Hosea 12:6 But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.

Romans 8:23 The Spirit makes us sure about what we will be in the future. But now we groan silently, while we wait for God to show us that we are his children. This means that our bodies will also be set free.

Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Conclusion.

God works everything for our good. And even in the waiting, He is always working. Yes, there is a pregnant pause, but what is coming is so grand that you will be glad you went through the season of waiting. Even when you cannot see it, God is working. He wants you to get to the other side fully prepared and filled with His glory to navigate your season of plenty and promise.

Do not grow weary in the waiting for in due season you will reap if you faint not. There will be such rejoicing when you finally experience the manifestation of your promise. Also, remember God is not taking it away, HE is preparing you for the better He has for you. And when He restores, it will be better than it ever was. What part of this word spoke to you the most? Are you in a pregnant pause? Comment down below. I am rooting for you.