The best way to wait on God is to shift your perspective from passive waiting to active seeking. According to the Bible, waiting on God is not about doing nothing while you hope for a change in circumstances. Instead, it is a purposeful discipline of trusting in God’s character, staying obedient to His Word, and remaining expectant that He will act in His perfect timing. When you wait on God with a posture of prayer and patience, you find new strength for the journey.
Understanding the Biblical Definition of Waiting
Most people view waiting as a frustrating delay, like standing in a long line at the grocery store. However, the biblical concept of “waiting” is much richer. In the Old Testament, the word often used for waiting implies a sense of tension or expectation, much like a braided rope that gains strength as its strands are twisted together. When you wait on God, you are essentially “twining” your heart with His.
God rarely works on our preferred timeline because His primary goal isn’t just to give us what we want; it’s to make us more like Jesus. Waiting serves as a spiritual furnace that burns away impatience and self-reliance. Instead of seeing the wait as a “no” or a “not yet,” we can see it as an invitation to intimacy. It is in the middle of the silence that we often hear God’s voice most clearly.
Lessons from the Early Church
We can see a powerful example of the best way to wait on God in the book of Acts. After Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit. In their waiting, the disciples modeled three practical steps of obedience: connection, prayer, and scripture study. These spiritual disciplines are available to every Christian today, providing a roadmap for how to handle the “in-between” seasons of life.
The disciples didn’t isolate themselves; they gathered together in an upstairs room, choosing connection with other believers to stay encouraged. They also devoted themselves to prayer, keeping their hearts aligned with God’s presence. Finally, they engaged in scripture study to understand their situation through the lens of God’s promises. By focusing on these three habits, they turned a period of uncertainty into a season of spiritual preparation.
Acts 1:14 They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus.
Staying Active While You Wait
A common misconception is that waiting on God means hitting the pause button on your entire life. On the contrary, the best way to wait is to stay busy with the things God has already called you to do. If God hasn’t given you a specific answer for the future, continue being faithful to the “last thing” He told you to do. This keeps your heart soft and your spirit disciplined.
Consider the life of Joseph, who waited years in a prison for a promise to be fulfilled. He didn’t sit in a corner and pout; he served the warden and cared for other prisoners. He stayed active in his faith even when his situation looked bleak. We should follow that example by serving our families, staying involved in our local churches, and looking for ways to bless others while we wait for our own breakthrough.
Replacing Worry With Worship
When we are stuck in a waiting room, our minds naturally drift toward “what if” scenarios. This anxiety is a signal that we are trying to control an outcome that belongs to God. The most effective way to combat this is through worship. Worship shifts your focus from the size of your problem to the size of your God. It reminds you of His track record of faithfulness in your life and in the pages of Scripture.
Instead of complaining about the delay, try thanking God for what He is doing behind the scenes. We often forget that God is working even when we can’t see the evidence. Paul and Silas famously sang hymns while chained in a dark dungeon. They didn’t wait for the doors to fly open before they started praising God; they praised Him in the middle of the mess, and that is when the breakthrough happened.
Resting in the Sovereignty of God
Ultimately, the best way to wait on God is to surrender your “right” to a specific timeline. We have to believe that God is not only powerful enough to answer our prayers but also wise enough to know when to answer them. His sovereignty means He sees the beginning from the end. He knows the dangers we might face if we get what we want too early, and He knows the growth we will experience if we have to wait a little longer.
Trusting God’s timing is a direct reflection of how much we trust His heart. If we believe He is a good Father, we can rest easy knowing He isn’t withholding things to be cruel. He is preparing us for the blessing just as much as He is preparing the blessing for us. When we stop fighting the clock and start resting in His grace, the weight of the wait begins to lift.
Isaiah 40:31 But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
The Takeaway
Waiting on God is never wasted time if it draws you closer to Him. The best way to wait is to remain prayerful, stay obedient to what you already know to do, and fill your mouth with praise instead of complaints. Remember that God is more interested in what He is doing in you during the wait than what He is doing for you at the end of it. Trust His heart, lean on His Word, and watch how He renews your strength while you wait.
