Do you feel as though your prayers are unanswered? Are you wondering if there are things to do while waiting on God? Do you often ask how long you should wait before giving up and moving on?
Or how you can enjoy life when the wait feels like it might last forever? This post addresses all these questions and concerns. And it focuses on what to do while waiting for God’s timing.
If you’ve ever had your heart set on something—whether it’s healing from a disease, that job promotion, or a prayer request—but God seems to be taking His time with your prayers, then you know what it can feel like to wait on God.
It can feel like one big No, leaving you frustrated and ready to throw in the towel on God altogether. You may wonder what to do while waiting for God’s answer when it feels more like waiting in vain. If this has ever felt true to you, here are ten things to do while waiting on God to answer your prayers.
1. Wait In Prayer
David, the great shepherd-king of Israel, in several places in the Bible, showed us some of the things to do while waiting on God. He wrote and sang of it often:
“I waited patiently for the Lord, And He inclined to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1, NASB).
“Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14, NASB).
“Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed” (Psalm 25:3, NASB).
The whole chapter of Psalm 130 is a prayer where David pours out his heart to God as he waits on the Lord:
“Out of the depths, I have cried to You, O Lord.
Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications” (Psalm 130:1-2, NASB). So if you have ever asked, ‘what should we do while waiting on God?’ We are expected to wait in prayer.
The time of waiting isn’t a time to stop praying or take a break from it while you wait on God. If anything, we should be more engaged in prayer as we wait for His response.
2. Meditate On God’s Promises
It is common to experience a sense of uncertainty while we wait on the Lord. We may feel like we are stuck at a dead end, just waiting for something to happen. And while we wait, our minds can start to race with worry and doubt.
But what if we changed our perspective on waiting? What if, instead of seeing it as a waste of time, we saw it as an opportunity to grow closer to God? By taking advantage of it to strengthen your relationship with Him.
Meditating on God’s promises is one of the things to do while waiting on God. Engaging in this helps us not to feel the pain of waiting on God and help us see it as an opportunity to grow our faith in Him.
When we are feeling anxious or doubtful, it can be helpful to read Scripture. God’s Word is a source of comfort and strength and can remind us of His goodness and faithfulness.
While waiting on God, it can be easy to feel like He’s taking His time. But it’s important to remember that God is always faithful to His promises.
While waiting for God to move, take some time to meditate on His promises. What has He promised you specifically? What does His Word say about His character?
Spend some time reflecting on who God is and what He has promised you. Doing this will help you to trust Him more fully as you wait for Him to act.
3. Express Praise And Gratitude To God
Expressing praise and gratitude is one of the things to do while waiting on God. However, this isn’t the easiest for most people because when we face difficult times, it’s easy to feel like God has abandoned us.
We may even start to question our faith. But the truth is, God is always with us, even when we can’t see it. Waiting on God can be challenging, but it’s important to remember that He always has a plan.
And even though it may not be clear to us at the time, everything always works out for the best in the end. In Psalm 34, David reminds us that we should praise God through the good times and bad.
Praise should fill our hearts every day, no matter our circumstances – especially when we are walking through seasons of great troubles. Praise God in the storms, through the battles, and when life gets hard.
4. Trust In The Lord, Not In Your Own Understanding
The Bible in Proverbs 3:5 – 6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
Why is it so tempting for us to depend on our own wisdom rather than the wisdom of our all-wise God? What makes us think that we know what is best for us better than he does? Trusting the Lord is one of the many things to do while waiting on God.
The Scripture speaks clearly about how to live life abundantly forever with Christ; yet, all too easily, we justify our sin, declare distasteful commands irrelevant, and do what is right in our own eyes.
Seasons of waiting reveal where we are placing our trust. When you wait on God, it is important to trust in the Lord and not in your own understanding.
While this can be difficult, it is important to remember that God is in control. When you trust in the Lord, you trust that He knows what is best for you and that He will provide for you.
Again, this can be difficult to do when you don’t understand what is happening, but it is important to remember that God is in control.
5. Be Still, Refrain From Anger, And Choose Patience Instead Of Fretting
When you find yourself in a situation where you are waiting on God for something, it can be easy to get angry and frustrated. However, it is important to remember to be still and choose patience instead of fretting.
Fretting is defined as “feeling or showing worry, annoyance, or impatience. When we fret, we are not trusting God to work out the situation according to His plan.
Instead, we are trying to take matters into our own hands and control the outcome. The Bible tells us in Psalm 37:7 the importance of being still and waiting on God,
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
When we are patient, we are trusting God to work in His timing. We are not worried about the outcome because we know that He is in control.
So, the next time you find yourself waiting on God, remember to be still, refrain from anger and choose patience instead of fretting.
When we decide to wait quietly, and with trust, we honour God and encourage others to put their hope in him as well.
6. Be Strong And Take Courage
Psalm 27:13 – 14 tells us, “I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord. In the land of the living. Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!”
The Psalmist in Psalm 31:24 says, “Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the Lord.”
As believers, part of the things to do while waiting on God is to be strong and courageous. Of course, it is normal to feel overwhelmed and discouraged when you find yourself in difficult circumstances.
But as Christians, we are called to trust in God and to have faith that He is always with us, even when we don’t understand what He is doing.
It can be hard to remain strong and take courage when waiting on God, but it is important to remember that He is sovereign and knows what is best for us.
His plan is always perfect, even when it doesn’t make sense to us. So if you are feeling lost or afraid, take comfort in knowing that God is with you and He will never leave you alone.
Trust in Him and believe He will work everything out for your good. Are you experiencing crises on every side? Are you expecting a miracle from God?
Have you asked yourself, what do I do while waiting on God? Then be courageous! While you wait on the Lord, it is important to take courage.
7. Hope For The Blessings Yet To Come
When you find yourself in the midst of a trial, it can be challenging to see beyond the current circumstances. You may feel like you’ve been waiting forever for God to bless you with His promised provision.
But take heart! God is faithful, and He will never leave you nor forsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6). His blessings are coming—you just need to wait on Him.
We must understand that God wants us to have our heart desires. He wants us to have the pleasures life can offer. He wants us to be comfortable.
When we know this, we know that it doesn’t matter how long we wait for the blessings of God to be seen in our lives. It doesn’t mean He doesn’t want us to have them.
So deciding to hope for his blessings yet to come is one of the things to do while waiting on God. If you have ever asked questions like, what to do while waiting on God for a job, or what to do while waiting on God for a husband?
Psalm37: 4 tells us, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you your heart’s desires.” The Bible instructs us to be delightful and maintain our hope in the fact that God will grant us our heart desires.
No matter what you are going through in life, know that God has not forgotten about you. There is hope for the blessings yet to come. When you wait on God, have faith and trust that He will come through for you.
8. Remember God’s Past Faithfulness
In Psalm 106:7-22, God lamented Israel’s forgetfulness of His past deeds on their behalf three times. Psalm 145 repeatedly tells us to remember His past deeds and tell others about His past faithfulness.
Remembering and testifying shifts our focus from our current excruciating delay to who He is (and who He has been) for us.
It is, therefore important to remember how God has been faithful in the past as part of the things to do while waiting on God.
Recognising specific prayers God has favourably answered and how you grew spiritually through times of affliction may instil the faith needed for current stressors, such as delays.
How has He provided financially? What relationships has He salvaged? What did He do in your heart and character during past episodes of waiting? All these are proofs of His faithfulness and reassurances of His unfailing grace.
When we wait on God, it is important to remember all the ways he has been faithful in the past. Doing so will help us to have hope for the future and trust that God is good.
9. Ask The Lord To Use Your Delay For A Redemptive Purpose
The ninth tip on some things to do while waiting on God is to ask the Lord to use your delay as a redemptive purpose.
Ask Him to show you your growth areas, any buried sins you need to repent of, and worthwhile service opportunities you can take while you wait.
While we wait on the Lord, it is easier for the Holy Spirit to have our attention. We’re usually more teachable and responsive to the Holy Spirit’s guidance.
In effect, you’re saying to Him, “Father, don’t waste this difficult delay. Use it for my long-term benefit and to enhance Your glory throughout my life.”
10. Open Your Heart To God’s Plans While You Wait
The waiting time is an opportunity to reflect on our lives and what we want for our future. It is an opportunity to connect with God and ask for His guidance.
The last tip on the things to do while waiting on God is to open your heart to God’s plans. If we’re open to God’s plans, He can use our waiting time to bless us in ways we never imagined.
When God takes us into a season of waiting, away from the busyness, noise, and chaos of our daily lives, it can be a time for us to press pause and consider God’s plans.
Sometimes, it is the only way He can get our undivided attention and turn our eyes from what we see right in front of us to the possibilities ahead.
Does waiting On God Mean Doing Nothing?
Does waiting on God mean doing nothing? On the contrary, from the ten things to do while waiting on God seen above and from the Bible, waiting on God involves actually doing something.
Waiting on God does not mean not doing anything. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Waiting on God means being patient and obedient.
It means having faith that God will provide what we need when we need it. It means trusting God’s plan for our lives, even when we don’t understand it. God wants us to know that waiting is far from a passive activity in which we do nothing.
In fact, Scripture teaches us that God wants us to participate in the work he desires to accomplish actively. Waiting strategically can cultivate good fruit in our lives, such as patience, perseverance, and endurance.
It can be difficult to wait on God, especially when we don’t know His plan. We may feel like we are just spinning our wheels and getting nowhere. But even when we don’t know what the future holds, we can trust that God has a plan.
Waiting on God doesn’t mean we sit idly by and do nothing. It means we are actively pursuing His will for our lives, even when we don’t know what that is. So don’t give up. Instead, keep seeking God and His plan for you.
How Should We Wait On The Lord?
What does it mean to wait upon the Lord? And how should we wait on the Lord? As believers we are to hope and trust in the Lord with faith, patience, and humility, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end while we wait.
Waiting upon the Lord can mean different things to different people, but ultimately, it is about having faith and trust in God.
What Does God Tell Us About Waiting?
Here is some Bible verse that talks about waiting on God. They are perfect to use for what to do while waiting on god sermon preparation.
1. Psalm 27:14- “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (ESV)
2. Isaiah 40:31- “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (ESV)
3. Lamentations 3:25- “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” (ESV)
4. 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.” (ESV)
5. Psalm 130:5-6- “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.” (ESV)
6. Psalm 33:20-22- “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” (ESV)
7. Exodus 14:14- “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (NIV)
8. Psalm 37:34- “Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on when the wicked are cut off.” (ESV)
9. Psalm 62:5- “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.” (ESV)
10. Psalm 37:7- “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!” (ESV)
11. Psalm 46:10- “Be still, and know that I am God.” (NIV)
12. Isaiah 64:4- “From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him.” (ESV)
13. Psalm 130:5- “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope;” (ESV)
14. Proverbs 20:22- “Do not say, “I will repay evil”; wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you.” (ESV)
15. Genesis 49:18- “I wait for your salvation, O Lord.” (ESV)
Examples Of Those Who Waited On The Lord
1. Abraham waited for a Promise to be fulfilled.
“Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised” (Hebrews 6:15).
2. Joseph waited in prison for a purpose.
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20).
3. Moses, Caleb and Joshua – waited in the wilderness in the Hope of God’s Promise.
“Because your men explored the land for forty days, you must wander in the wilderness for forty years—a year for each day, suffering the consequences of your sins” (Numbers 14:34).
4. Job waited through suffering. “You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:11)
5. David waited to be king at the appointed time.
“I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry” (Psalm 40:1).
6. Daniel -waited for Breakthrough in prayer.
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3).
7. Jesus waited to begin His ministry
“…the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son;
with you, I am well pleased.’ Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age….” (Luke 3:21-23).
Conclusion
In conclusion, remember that you should not idle your time while waiting on God. You can do many things to stay productive and keep your faith strong.
Pray, read your Bible, fellowship with other believers and practice the ten things shared in this article. By keeping yourself busy with God’s work, you will be better prepared when He does answer your prayers.
Save this for later!
