Waiting often feels challenging in our fast-paced world. We want answers now and solutions quickly. Yet Scripture shows that waiting on God is a key part of spiritual growth. Waiting is not passive inactivity but active trust in God’s timing and purposes. In seasons of waiting, we learn perseverance, deepen our faith, and cultivate humility. The Bible describes waiting as an opportunity to lean into God’s promises, to draw near in prayer, and to allow God to shape our character. When we wait with hope, we position ourselves to receive what only God can provide at the right moment.
Biblical examples reveal that waiting may involve seasons of uncertainty, delays, or pain. Abraham and Sarah waited for the promised child. Moses spent years in the wilderness before leading Israel. David waited through trials before becoming king. These accounts show that waiting often precedes fulfillment of God’s plan. In waiting, we practice patience, pray for understanding, and keep our eyes fixed on the Lord. God’s timing is rarely our own, yet His timing is perfect. As we wait, we discover God’s faithfulness and His sustaining presence.
Whether you await clarity, healing, provision, or renewal, these verses will encourage and equip you. They remind us that waiting is part of the journey with God, a means of refining our trust and hope. Let these Scriptures guide you as you wait on the Lord and anticipate His faithful intervention.
Bible Verses About Waiting
1. Psalm 27:14
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
2. Isaiah 40:31
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not be faint.
3. Lamentations 3:25-26
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.
4. Psalm 37:7
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways.
5. Psalm 130:5-6
I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope. I wait for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
6. Psalm 62:5-6
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
7. Micah 7:7
But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
8. Habakkuk 2:3
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.
9. Romans 8:25
But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
10. Galatians 5:5
For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith the righteousness for which we hope.
11. James 5:7-8
Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near.
12. Isaiah 30:18
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him.
13. Psalm 25:3
No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause.
14. Psalm 33:20-22
We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.
15. Isaiah 8:17
I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the descendants of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.
16. Psalm 40:1-3
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
17. Psalm 145:18-19
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.
18. Romans 12:12
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
19. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(Enduring weakness involves waiting on grace.)
20. Philippians 1:6
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
21. Psalm 130:1-2
Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
22. Psalm 31:24
Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.
23. Isaiah 25:9
In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”
24. Psalm 52:9
I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good.
25. Isaiah 49:23
Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the Lord; those who hope in me will not be disappointed.
26. Psalm 130:7
Israel, put your hope in the Lord, for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
27. Hebrews 10:36
You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
28. Psalm 37:34
Wait for the Lord and keep his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are destroyed, you will see it.
29. Zephaniah 3:8
“Therefore wait for me,” declares the Lord, “for the day I will stand up to testify. I have decided to assemble the nations, to gather the kingdoms and to pour out on them my indignation…”
30. Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines… yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
(Joy in waiting when circumstances fail.)
31. Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.
32. Joel 2:12-13
“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.” Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.
(Returning to God involves waiting and repentance.)
33. Psalm 119:114
You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
34. Isaiah 40:29-31
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
(Reinforces the promise to those who wait.)
35. James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
(Praying in waiting strengthens faith.)
Our Thoughts On What the Bible Says About Waiting
Waiting is a sacred discipline that shapes our character and deepens our trust in God. Scripture teaches that waiting is not idle but involves hope-filled expectation, prayer, and rest in God’s faithfulness. In seasons of delay or silence, we learn perseverance, humility, and dependence on God rather than our own effort. Biblical examples show that waiting often precedes breakthrough and fulfillment of God’s promises.
As we wait, we draw near in prayer, meditate on God’s Word, and cultivate patience. Though waiting can be uncomfortable, it becomes an opportunity to see God’s kindness and timing at work. Our perspective shifts from impatience to confident expectation, knowing that God’s purposes unfold in his perfect time. When we wait with hope, we prepare our hearts to receive God’s best. Let these verses encourage you to embrace waiting as part of your journey with the Lord, relying on his steadfast love and trusting that he will act on your behalf.
Say This Prayer
Heavenly Father, I confess my tendency to rush ahead or become anxious in seasons of waiting. Teach me to wait with hope, to seek you in prayer, and to rest in your faithfulness. Strengthen my heart as I trust your timing and purposes. Help me to grow in patience and reliance on you. May my waiting produce perseverance, character, and deeper intimacy with you. I place my hope in your promises, confident that you will act at the right time. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Evang. Anabelle Thompson is the founder of Believers Refuge, a Scripture-based resource that helps Christians to find biblical guidance for life’s challenges.
With over 15 years of ministry experience and a decade of dedicated Bible study, she creates content that connects believers with relevant Scripture for their daily struggles.
Her work has reached over 76,000 monthly readers (which is projected to reach 100,000 readers by the end of 2025) seeking practical faith applications, biblical encouragement, and spiritual guidance rooted in God’s Word.
She writes from personal experience, having walked through seasons of waiting, breakthrough, and spiritual growth that inform her teaching.
Evang. Thompson brings 12 years of active ministry and evangelism experience, along with over 10 years of systematic Bible study and theological research.
As a former small group leader and Sunday school teacher, she has published over 200 biblical resources and devotional studies.
She specializes in applying Scripture to everyday life challenges and regularly studies the original Hebrew and Greek texts for a deeper biblical understanding.