What To Do When You Are Waiting On God

by Nichole Minott

Waiting in this generation seems to be a lost art. No one wants to wait for anything, we want it right now. We have become accustomed to having everything at our fingertips. We expect when we ask God for something it should happen right away or we give up. What to do when you are waiting on God…be patient.

What does it mean to wait on the Lord?

In my experience, there are two situations where you could find yourself waiting on God.

In your quiet time with the Lord when you sit in his presence and wait for Him to speak to you through his word. Or as you meditate on His Word, the Holy Spirit will give you revelation.
When you are praying and asking for something such as healing, deliverance, finances, a new job, direction…etc.

Both require patience and commitment, but my focus will be on the second point when you are waiting for God to answer your prayer.

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Benefits of waiting on the Lord

I have had countless situations when I was waiting on the Lord to provide for me. I remember I wanted a work from home job because my travel time per day to work was about 3-4 hours depending on the traffic.

I was praying and seeking the Lord and while I waited some opportunities came my way, but because I was sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit I knew it was not for me. However, when the right job came along I knew right away and the best thing that I did was wait. If I had jumped ahead and taken the others that came along I would have regretted it because it would have been out of God’s will.

A benefit of waiting on the Lord…it can draw you closer to Him and make you more sensitive to His leading. Waiting on the Lord keeps you from making mistakes and getting into situations based on emotions and desperation.

Best of all waiting on the Lord ensures that you are in His will. Jeremiah 29:11 for I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Wait on the Lord, His plan for you is good!

Those who waited on the Lord in the Bible

Many waited on the Lord in the Bible, but let’s take a look at Abraham, Sarah, and David.

Abraham and Sarah

Genesis 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing. According to Genesis 12:4, Abraham was 75 years old.

God promised Abraham that he would make of him a great nation, but Abraham had to wait. While waiting he listened to Sarah and had a baby with Hagar, Genesis 16, but that was not God’s will. Ishmael was not the promised one it was Isaac. It wasn’t until Genesis 18:10-15 that the Lord appeared confirming that Sarah would have Isaac. Abraham was 100 years old when Isaac was born Genesis 21:5.

If we get impatient, we can design our plan and no longer be in the will of God. Abraham waited 25 years for the promise to be fulfilled in his life. When waiting on the Lord we must be patient and continue to have faith in what God has promised regardless of what the outside factors look like. We walk by faith, not by sight, 2 Corinthians 5:7.

David

David was anointed by Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:10-13. It is believed that David was around 15 years old when he was anointed.

King Saul’s jealousy for David began when David killed Goliath and the women began to sing…”Saul has slain 1,000’s but David 10,000’s, 1 Samuel 18:5-9.

David could have given up on the promise of becoming King in the midst of all of his adversities, with Saul’s attempts and the manhunt to take his life. David was faithful and waited on the Lord, he was 30 years old when he became king over Israel 2 Samuel 5:1-4.

These are two great examples of waiting on the Lord in the Bible. We need to stay in the will of God to fulfill the plans he has for our lives.

What Does God say about waiting on Him?

Bible verses about waiting on God

Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him.
James 5:7 Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord.
Psalm 33:20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.
Psalm 130:5 I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.
Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

What to do while you wait

Pray – Ensure that what you are praying and asking God for lines up with his word.
Praise & Worship – As you worship and praise the Lord, thank Him for what He has done and thank Him for what He is going to do. Praise Him in advance for answering your prayers. When you Praise and worship the Lord you can’t feel sad…his joy begins to creep into your life! Nehemiah 8:10, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Read the Bible – Reading the word of God builds your faith. Romans 10:17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. It’s not only about reading, but also understanding, ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand as you read the word of God.
Meditate on Scriptures about God’s Goodness – Psalms 139, Jeremiah 29:11, 1 Corinthians 2:9-12, those are just a few.

Waiting on God

It’s imperative that we do not become frustrated while waiting on God. This frustration can cause us to step out of God’s will for our lives. This is what Satan wants.

The word of God says that Satan came to steal kill and destroy, but Jesus came that we would have life and have it more abundantly, John 10:10. Let’s choose to have the abundant life that God has planned for us.

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Prayer

Heavenly Father, I ask that you would give me revelation into your word, give me understanding because then I will pray according to your will. Holy Spirit lead and guide me into the direction that God has for me. Teach me to have the fruit of the spirit according to Galatians 5:22-23 love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Help me to always stay in the will of God, in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Prayer For Salvation

If you are not a believer and you want to receive forgiveness for your sins or if you were a believer and you strayed away from God, repeat this prayer.

Dear Lord Jesus, come into my heart. Forgive me of my sin. Wash me and cleanse me. Set me free. Jesus, thank You that You died for me. I believe that You have risen from the dead and that You’re coming back again for me. Fill me with the Holy Spirit. Give me a passion for the lost, a hunger for the things of God, and a holy boldness to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. I’m saved; I’m born again, I’m forgiven and I’m on my way to Heaven because I have Jesus in my heart. Amen.

Congratulations you are saved! Now that you have accepted Jesus into your heart, find a Bible-believing church, and attend regularly, so that you can grow in your knowledge and faith in God. Pray daily, read the Bible, go to church, and tell someone that you accepted Jesus into your heart. Please email me at nichole@rosemariesheart.com and let me know so that I can pray for you.

Now that you know what to do while waiting on God, I wanted to add one more thing...you can add praying the scriptures to your prayer life while waiting on God.

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Let me ask you a question:

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