"the instructions" vs. "instructions"

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi

I just used the sentence in a different thread,

1- We are awaiting instructions.

Should I have written the instructions? If the is not required, then why not–when the speaker and the listener both know which instructions?

Awaiting answer or maybe the answer
Tom

2

Awaiting instructions means awaiting some/your (any) instructions. We don’t know exactly what instructions we will be given.

Now the use of the definite article implies that the instructions have already been mentioned or that we know what instructions to expect.