5 Benefits Of Waiting On The Lord

What are the benefits of waiting on the Lord? Scripture points to five: soul wholeness, Christlike character, a strengthened heart, new perspective and a great reward that no eye has seen.

Waiting on the Lord isn’t always easy and it’s something I want to keep growing in. It takes discipline to shut out all the noise and be still before Him. We live in a culture of noise and speed, which makes waiting on the Lord all the more important.

Quick Answer

Waiting on the Lord means being still before God in trust and expectation, giving Him time and space to work in you. The Bible promises that those who wait on Him become whole in soul, grow in Christlike character, receive strength in their heart, gain heavenly perspective and store up a reward beyond imagination (Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 27:14, 1 Corinthians 2:9).

What Does It Mean to Wait on the Lord?

The Hebrew root word for wait is qavah which means “to bind together (perhaps by twisting)”. To wait is to intertwine. Waiting on the Lord is active, expectant stillness before God, not passive delay. It looks like quieting your heart, lingering in His presence and trusting Him to move. If you want to soak in more of what Scripture says about stillness, these Bible verses about being still are a beautiful place to start.

Here are 5 benefits we receive from waiting on the Lord.

1. Soul Wholeness

When we wait on the Lord, we are intertwining with Him, meaning that we begin to experience wholeness. Waiting on the Lord helps us become whole in our soul. By waiting, we give Him space to do a deeper work of healing and deliverance in us. Everything in us that’s not of Him is brought to the surface and evicted.

I have personally experienced so many times when tangible strongholds and trauma that was lodged in my heart and soul were suddenly broken off of me during times of waiting on the Lord. His light exposed and expelled the darkness that was attached to me because of the spiritual warfare that was against me for so long.

I really hope this encourages you that waiting on the Lord, simply being still before Him, will help you experience real healing and deliverance from your past or the warfare of the enemy. I give all glory to God and I thank the Holy Spirit for always bringing about my deliverance!

James 1:4 says,

But let patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

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2. Character Change

Waiting on the Lord not only helps us become whole personally in the areas where we need deliverance, but it also helps us intertwine with God. In other words, we become like Him when we spend time with Him. We give Him time and space to fill us with His attributes, the fruits of the Spirit. We begin to see areas where we need to grow and our waiting helps us develop more Christlike character.

Jesus said in John 15:5,

I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

As we abide in the True Vine (Jesus Christ), we begin to bear much fruit for the Father. But we can only bear this fruit by staying connected to Christ. Waiting on the Lord is like letting grapes grow on a vine.

Taking time to wait on the Lord also helps us get more wisdom, revelation and strategy for our life and destiny.

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3. Strength in Our Heart

Waiting on the Lord renews our strength. Specifically, it strengthens our heart.

Psalm 27:14 tells us,

Wait on the Lord;
Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!

When we feel weak or heartbroken, it’s the time to wait on the Lord. He promises to strengthen our heart as we wait in His presence.

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4. New Perspective

Perhaps the most famous verse about waiting on the Lord is Isaiah 40:31,

But those who wait on 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.

Isaiah 40:31 promises we will gain new strength as we wait on the Lord. We will be able to walk and then run without weariness into all God has called us to. Waiting on the Lord not only helps us walk and run, it helps us fly. We are able to fly like an eagle, soaring far above our challenges. We gain the bird’s eye view, a new heavenly perspective about our circumstances. Like an eagle, we are victorious and soar above the storm.

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5. Great Reward

There is an immeasurable reward for those who wait on the Lord.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says,

Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

This verse is quoting Isaiah 64:4 which uses the word waits in place of the word love. This means that no one knows the great reward in store for those who love God through waiting upon Him, because waiting is a form of loving God.

Isaiah 64:4,

For since the beginning of the world
Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear,
Nor has the eye seen any God besides You,
Who acts for the one who waits for Him.

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Friend, if you are in a season of waiting right now, take heart. None of this stillness is wasted. Just like Mary who chose the good part to sit at Jesus’ feet, waiting on the Lord brings us eternal rewards that will not be taken (Luke 10:42).

I pray these verses encourage you to make it a regular and intentional practice to set aside time to wait on the Lord. Our lives begin to change from the inside out as we pray and be still before Him.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to wait on the Lord?

To wait on the Lord means to be still before God in trust, prayer and expectation. The Hebrew word qavah carries the picture of binding strands together like a rope, so waiting is intertwining your heart with His. It is active dependence on God, not passive delay.

How do I wait on the Lord practically?

Set aside unhurried time to be still before God without an agenda. Worship, pray, read Scripture and then simply linger in His presence, listening more than speaking. Even a few quiet minutes each morning can become the anchor of your whole day.

What does Isaiah 40:31 promise to those who wait?

Isaiah 40:31 promises that those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength, mount up with wings like eagles, run without growing weary and walk without fainting. Waiting exchanges our limited strength for God’s unlimited strength and lifts us above our circumstances the way an eagle soars above a storm.

Is waiting on the Lord the same as doing nothing?

No. Biblical waiting is active trust, not idleness. While you wait you keep obeying what God has already said, keep praying and keep expecting Him to act in His perfect timing. The stillness is on the inside, a heart at rest in God even while your hands stay faithful.