25 Bible Verses About Waiting on God

The date you circled has passed. You prayed. You checked again this morning, and the thing you asked for is in the same place it was last month.

These verses are for mornings like that. A long night of watching. Two more days. A promise that still has a set time.

If you are staring at two open doors, God’s will and direction is the closer page. If the story still will not add up, read trusting God when you don’t understand. For a longer walk through what waiting does in a soul, five benefits of waiting on the Lord is there.

Bible Verses About Waiting on God

1. Psalm 27:14 — Wait, and Take Courage

Wait for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD.

The line says wait, then says it again. Between the two, the heart is told to take courage. Say it once when you open the same unanswered thread.

2. Isaiah 40:30-31 — Even the Youths Faint

Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; but those who wait for the LORD will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.

Youths faint. Young men fall. Strength comes back to the people who wait for the LORD: wings, then a run, then a walk that does not faint. Take the walk you can still take today.

3. Lamentations 3:25-26 — Quietly, in a Ruined City

The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

The book is set in a city already broken. Goodness is promised to the person who waits and to the soul who seeks, and a quiet hope is called good. You can seek Him in a kitchen that still looks the same.

4. Psalm 130:5-6 — More Than Watchmen

I wait for the LORD. My soul waits. I hope in his word. My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.

Have you been awake for a morning that will not hurry? Watchmen know that hour. They long for light, and they stay at the post. Hope here is placed in His word while the sky is still dark.

5. Psalm 37:7 — The One Who Is Already Ahead

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.

Someone else’s life looks finished while yours is still on hold. The psalm says rest, wait patiently, and leave the fretting. Put the phone down when their news makes your chest tight.

6. Habakkuk 2:3 — An Appointed Time

For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come. It won’t delay.

A vision can be true and still be for a time you have not reached. Wait for it.

7. Psalm 40:1-2 — The Pit, Then a Rock

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.

He waited patiently. The LORD turned and heard. Then a horrible pit, miry clay, feet set on a rock, a firm place to stand. If you’re still in the pit, God hears you.

8. Micah 7:7 — Look, Wait, He Will Hear

But as for me, I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Look to the LORD. Wait for the God of your salvation. He will hear.

9. Isaiah 30:18 — The LORD Waits Too

Therefore the LORD will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.

The LORD waits, so that He may be gracious to you, and so that He may have mercy. Blessed are all those who wait for Him. Your waiting meets a God who is willing to wait.

10. Psalm 62:5 — Tell Your Soul

My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him.

Speak to your own soul the way the line does. Wait in silence for God alone. Expectation comes from Him. Try it with the phone in another room.

11. Psalm 5:3 — Morning, Then Watch

LORD, in the morning you will hear my voice. In the morning I will lay my requests before you, and will watch expectantly.

In the morning, lay the request down, then watch. The watching belongs to the prayer. Set the mug down and say the thing you have been carrying, before the day starts talking.

12. James 5:7-8 — Early Rain, Late Rain

Be patient therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it, until it receives the early and late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

A farmer waits over fruit he cannot hurry, through the early rain and the late rain. Be patient. Establish your heart. The coming of the Lord is at hand.

13. Romans 8:23-25 — The Groan, and the Patience

Not only so, but ourselves also, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in hope, but hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for that which he sees? But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.

People who already have the first fruits of the Spirit still groan. They are waiting for adoption, the redemption of the body. The hope is aimed at what they do not see yet, and the waiting that goes with it is patient. Let the groan be a prayer.

14. Isaiah 64:4 — He Works for the One Who Waits

For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen a God besides you, who works for him who waits for him.

From of old, no ear has perceived and no eye has seen a God besides the LORD, who works for the one who waits for Him. The working is His. Bring Him the request you have stopped saying out loud.

15. John 11:5-6 — Loved, and Two Days

Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When therefore he heard that he was sick, he stayed two days in the place where he was.

Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus. When He heard that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two days in the place where He was. Love and the delay sit in the same story. You can be inside the two days and still be loved.

16. Daniel 10:12-13 — Heard on the First Day

Then he said to me, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel; for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard. I have come for your words’ sake. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days; but, behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me because I remained there with the kings of Persia.

From the first day Daniel set his heart to understand and humbled himself, his words were heard. The prince of Persia withstood the messenger twenty-one days, until Michael came to help. The prayer was already heard while those days were still being walked.

17. Isaiah 8:17 — A Hidden Face

I will wait for the LORD, who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him.

He will wait for the LORD who hides His face from the house of Jacob, and he will look for Him. A hidden face can still be met with looking. Keep the prayer you have been praying into that hiddenness.

18. Numbers 9:22 — Two Days, a Month, a Year

Whether it was two days, or a month, or a year that the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, remaining on it, the children of Israel remained encamped, and didn’t travel; but when it was taken up, they traveled.

Two days. A month. A year. While the cloud stayed on the tabernacle, Israel remained encamped. When it was taken up, they traveled. If the cloud over your life has stayed, staying is the obedience for now.

19. Psalm 123:2 — Eyes on the Hand

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD, our God, until he has mercy on us.

Servants watch the hand that holds what they need next. A maid watches her mistress the same way. Eyes stay on the LORD until He has mercy. You can keep your eyes there while the mercy is still on the way.

20. Hosea 12:6 — Kindness While You Wait

Therefore turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God.

Turn to your God. Keep kindness and justice, and wait continually for your God. The kindness and the justice are for today, while the waiting goes on. Do the fair thing you have been postponing.

21. Proverbs 20:22 — Leave the Payback Unsent

Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for the LORD, and he will save you.

The payback line is easy to draft. Wait for the LORD, and He will save you. Leave the message unsent.

22. Luke 2:25-26 — Simeon, Still Looking

Behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.

Simeon was in Jerusalem, righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel, with the Holy Spirit on him. It had been revealed that he would see the Lord’s Christ before he died. He was still looking when the child was brought in.

23. Acts 1:4-5 — Stay in the City

Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, “Don’t depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

He commanded them to stay in Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father. John had baptized in water. They would be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now. Some waits have an address: remain where you are until the promise arrives.

24. Hebrews 6:13-15 — Abraham Obtained the Promise

For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he could swear by no one greater, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” Thus, having patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

God made the promise to Abraham and swore by Himself, since He could swear by no one greater. Abraham patiently endured, and obtained the promise. The years between the oath and the obtaining were still years inside that promise.

25. Genesis 21:1-2 — At the Set Time

The LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did to Sarah as he had spoken. Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

The LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and did for her as He had spoken. She bore a son in her old age, at the set time of which God had spoken. The set time arrived on a calendar He already knew.

While the Cloud Stays

Say Psalm 27:14 out loud once today. Wait. Let your heart take courage. Wait again.

In the morning, lay the request before the LORD the way Psalm 5:3 says, and then watch.

Keep one act of kindness or justice while you wait. Hosea 12:6 puts both of those beside the waiting.

If nothing has moved, stay encamped. Numbers 9:22 has Israel remaining while the cloud remains, and traveling when it is taken up.

If the practice you need is quiet, Bible verses about being still sit next to this.

A Prayer for the Wait

Father, the person reading this is still waiting. You are good to the soul who seeks You. Jesus, You loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus, and You stayed two more days. Holy Spirit, strengthen the heart that has to wait again today. Keep them in kindness and justice while the cloud stays. Bring them to the set time. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I wait on God when nothing is changing?

Psalm 27:14 says wait, be strong, let your heart take courage, and wait again. Psalm 5:3 has you lay the requests down in the morning and then watch. Hosea 12:6 keeps kindness and justice going while the wait continues.

What does waiting look like on an ordinary day?

James 5:7 pictures a farmer patient over a field until the early and late rain. Numbers 9:22 has Israel remaining encamped while the cloud stays, and traveling when it is taken up. Waiting keeps you where God has you, ready for the moment He moves.

Why would God delay if He loves me?

John 11:5-6 says Jesus loved Martha, her sister, and Lazarus, and then stayed two days. Daniel 10:12 says the words were heard from the first day. Isaiah 30:18 says the LORD waits, so that He may be gracious.

What if I am tired of waiting?

Psalm 130:6 longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning. Isaiah 40:30 says even the youths faint and the young men fall. Lamentations 3:26 calls a quiet hope good. Tell your soul to wait in silence, the way Psalm 62:5 does, with your expectation from Him.

What if someone else already received what I asked for?

Psalm 37:7 says rest in the LORD, wait patiently for Him, and leave the fretting over the person who prospers. Their timeline is in that verse as a temptation. Your assignment is still to wait for Him.

Scripture quotations in this article are from the World English Bible Protestant Edition (WEBP), a public-domain translation.