Waiting isn’t something humans do well. When we pray, we like to know that we have been heard, and that God is working on our needs! Follow along with this plan to learn about how waiting can in fact be beneficial, and how even when we can’t see our prayers being answered, God is encouraging and strengthening us as we trust Him and His timing.
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Day 1
Scripture: Psalms 130:5
Waiting Is Never Wasted
Waiting is hard. It abrades our obsession to be in control, prolongs uncertainty, exposes our vulnerabilities, and often leaves us feeling powerless—thus, the idiom of “doing something is better than nothing.” What if we viewed waiting not as wasted time, but as a valuable period to take stock, contemplate, then engage in meaningful prayer? Then waiting would become an active exercise in cultivating patience, trust, and reliance on God’s timing and provision.
When introduced to the Japanese tradition of “ma,” my hierarchy of productivity was inverted. “Ma” refers to the space or interval between things. It’s the pause between musical notes, the silence between words in a conversation, and the stillness between movements in a dance. In “ma,” there’s a sacredness—a recognition of the value that silences or spaces present to us. In traditional Japanese gardens, “ma” holds that the space between the objects is as important as those objects.
In today’s psalm, David presents waiting as the active anticipation of God’s goodness to be revealed. David is not merely idly twiddling his faith-thumbs but intentionally being open and receptive to God’s goodness in his life.
Just as the intervals between musical notes reveal melody and emphasize rhythm, waiting on God prepares us to receive His promises.
When the waiting seasons come, God invites us to resist filling the space with anxious business. Instead, we can quiet our own voice and listen attentively for His.
Day 2
Scripture: Psalms 27:14
The Gift of Waiting
Waiting is an inherent part of human experience. It can be frustrating, but it’s in these periods of seeming stillness that God actively works within us, shaping our character and deepening our faith. In the verse above, David captures the dual challenge and blessing embedded in the act of waiting. It’s not a passive resignation but a dynamic state of expectation.
David doesn’t merely tell us to wait–he tells us to “be strong” and “take heart” and implies that waiting is an active, courageous choice. It requires strength, not just to endure the present uncertainty but also to trust in God’s timing and plan.
In our fast-paced world where instant results are often expected, waiting on God can seem counterintuitive or counterproductive. We might feel like nothing is happening, but the spiritual reality is far different. Waiting can be transformative–deepening our reliance on God as we learn that His timing is perfect, even when it doesn’t align with our schedule. What does waiting look like? It means praying persistently and not giving up hope when answers seem delayed. It means meditating on scripture and letting it fortify our hearts against doubt. It means serving others, focusing outwardly and enriching our faith as we step beyond our concerns. Today, embrace waiting as a gift, not a hindrance. As we wait for the Lord, may we be strengthened in our faith, courageous in our trials, and joyful in our expectation. May our waiting be an active, vibrant testimony to the faithfulness of our God who is present in the silence.
Day 3
Scripture: Deuteronomy 2:7
There Is a Purpose
“Waiting time is not wasted time.” That’s an old saying that a friend of mine is very fond of. We live in a cultural moment that disagrees. Society often emphasizes our autonomy: the only thing you need is ambition! Reach out and take what’s yours! This is absolutely true in some cases. Sometimes God gives us what we need to action His plans for our life and releases us to do that. However, we also sometimes find ourselves at crossroads–times between now and what comes next.
As I write this, my wife and I are waiting for the arrival of our second child. The due date was a few days ago, but our first arrived two weeks late. It’s an in-between moment where we have clear schedules, but no baby yet. It’s had me thinking a lot about the Israelites following Moses in the desert. They spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness on a journey that should only have taken a couple of weeks. It must have been so frustrating to know the promise that lay for them over the Jordan, yet to be stuck in the desert. Indeed, they complained a lot! Yet the verse above reminds us of an incredible truth!
The wilderness generation witnessed some of the most incredible feats of God’s power and provision like parting the sea, manna from heaven, the events at Sinai, and God’s presence by day and night. It was a time of waiting, but what a time to be alive! I pray their story is a reminder to you that time in waiting is never wasted.
Day 4
Scripture: Psalms 40:1
God Is in The Waiting
I’m ashamed to admit, but waiting and patience aren’t two words that work well for me. Yet that’s what we’re called to do–to wait on the Lord. We’re called to lift our eyes higher than our struggles and wait on Him. Paul talks of “light and momentary troubles” (2 Corinthians 4:17), which, in fact, were much heavier and more permanent than my actual light and momentary troubles. Yet, Paul learned to wait on God.
David, too, waited, despite “troubles without number” surrounding him (Psalm 40:12). The Israelites also knew waiting, having been enslaved in Egypt for 400 years, then roaming the wilderness for 40, waiting for the promised land. And their attitude unfortunately resembles my own–grumbling and complaining. They even wished they had died back in Egypt–that’s how short their memories were.
Friends, God is with us in the waiting! Psalm 40 tells us that God hears (v1), God acts (v2), and God redeems (v3). God is always working in our waiting. As He brings us into freedom in Him, He gives us a reason to rejoice (v3). Why does God do this when we are so painful? Well, He does it despite our attitude. He does it for Him. For His name’s sake, so that people would “see and fear the Lord and put their trust in him” (v3).
My prayer for all of us is that we choose (and it’s always a choice) to not have the attitude of Job, who needed humbling (Job 38). But let’s choose to wait in humble obedience to God, who always has a plan. And His plan is that He be honored, so let’s rejoice in our waiting.
Day 5
Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
While You Wait
What are you seeking for when you are waiting on God? Is it clarity on a decision about a relationship, a new job prospect, or a move? Is it guidance on what your next step will be? Waiting on God can take patience, but frustration or anxiety can easily come up. So, what can you be doing while you wait?
Seek God’s perspective: When faced with disappointment or uncertainty, take time to meditate on God’s Word. Allow His promises to renew your faith in your current situation.
Serve others: Waiting on God does not imply idleness or passivity. Use this season as an opportunity to serve others and extend God’s love and grace. Look for ways to be a blessing to those around you–knowing that God is faithful to reward those who wait upon Him.
Let go to let God: Take a step back and remind yourself to trust in God’s timing. Use these moments as opportunities to surrender our weariness and weakness. This verse tells us that, in return, our strength is renewed.
Just move: Sometimes we can be paralyzed by indecision. In those moments, it’s better to just move in any direction. Clarity can come with action because the “wrong” decision might be your answer to prayer. It can be better than no decision at all. So, just go for it! More important than the answer to your prayers is who you become through it.
It is in the waiting that our character is refined, our faith is strengthened, and our hearts are aligned with God.
Day 6
Scripture: Hebrews 11:1
Patience and Trust
In the waiting seasons, our faith and trust in God can be tested. The promises of God, as they wait to be fulfilled, can be brought into question, and we can doubt that God plans to fulfil them at all.
One of the easiest ways the enemy can impact our faith is by making us doubt what God says. It’s the same pattern he used in the garden of Eden, and he continues it today with us. If the enemy can make us doubt God’s words and promises, we pull away our trust and faith in God and who He says He is.
The Bible says, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for, and assurance about what we do not see” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith is the stopgap between what God has said will be fulfilled, and what we are seeing now. Our faith in God helps keep our spirits filled with hope, trust, and assurance even in the waiting seasons. It reminds us that God’s goodness exists and that His promises will be fulfilled, even if we can’t see the fruit of that right now.
Keep your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith. Remember above everything that this world could over give us, He is the center and foundation of our existence, and our love for Him will sustain us.
Day 7
Scripture: Isaiah 40:31
The Sacred Invitation
In our fast-paced world, waiting is often seen as a passive and unproductive state. However, in the Bible, waiting is portrayed as an active and essential practice in our spiritual life. This is certainly not the perspective I take when I’m in a season of waiting. I like to be in control. I like all my ducks in a row. When I’m in control, I feel I can avoid disappointment and pain.
Enter the many circumstances in life that see us waiting; whether it’s a diagnosis, an employment offer or that positive pregnancy test, waiting is frustrating and can feel like wasted time. But I believe there’s a sacred invitation for those in seasons of waiting. This was revealed to when I was in the dreaded two-week pregnancy test waiting period after IVF implantation. My husband and I had been going through IVF for 6 years, and I was fed up with the uncertainty. I just wanted to KNOW. I felt that even if God spoke to say we wouldn’t have a child, it would be less painful than the waiting.
Isaiah 40:31 reminds us that waiting on the Lord is not about idleness but about expectation, a dynamic and hopeful stance that God will act in His perfect timing. It’s a sacred time when we can lean into the mystery and romance of our Father, which would never be possible if we knew the conclusion to every aspect of our stories. Yes, waiting on God requires patience and trust. But it creates an opportunity for us to deepen our faith, pray more earnestly, and listen more intently to what God might be saying. Yes, it’s a period when our strength is tested, but it’s also a time when strength is renewed because we’re found in His strength. Just as an eagle uses the wind to soar higher, our times of waiting can lift us to new heights of spiritual insight and understanding.