Can I be honest? Waiting on God patiently is probably one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. How many of you have ever felt completely overwhelmed, like you were surrounded by broken pieces you never asked for? Maybe you’re right there now. Let me tell you, you’re nowhere near alone. I’ve walked through seasons where all I could do was sit in the ashes and breathe, and building authentic Christian community can help sustain you through that season Building Authentic Community: Finding Connection With God and Others in Adversity.
We all live in a world that pushes us to rush, to fix, to always be moving. But what if waiting on God patiently is right where He wants us, right in the middle of the mess? What if there’s grace in just sitting down with the Lord and letting the tears fall?
What Does Waiting on God Patiently Actually Look Like?
I remember a day not long ago—I was quietly wrestling with God about why He hadn’t moved faster. My prayers sounded a lot like questions. "Lord, why am I still here? Why is this still broken?" I kept thinking waiting meant I was doing something wrong. But the more I open my hands, the more I see that waiting on God patiently is less about fixing and more about Trusting God Through Waiting When Healing Takes Longer Than Expected. It’s not passive. It’s a softer, quieter kind of faith, hearing God's voice daily.
Letting Go of the Pressure to Fix Everything
If you’re holding onto every shattered piece, just trying to look strong—can I encourage you to breathe? Our recent podcast episode, "From Overwhelmed to Overflowing," reminded me it is completely okay to sit in brokenness and not rush the healing. Sometimes the most faithful thing we can do is admit, "God, I do not have a plan. I just need You."
- Release the need to rush your healing with spiritual self care tips.
- Ask Jesus to sit with you, right there in the mess
- Breathe in the truth that His timing is always better, even if it doesn’t make sense right now, mental health and faith.
The idea of waiting on God patiently is woven all through Scripture and our faith, a theme echoed in finding God in hard times. Psalm 27:14 (CSB) says, "Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart be courageous. Wait for the Lord." That encouragement isn’t a suggestion to grit your teeth and tough it out alone. It’s an invitation to stop trying so hard to fix your world and just let your tired heart rest. You can sit right down, let the jars be smashed, and trust that God’s heart is for you, deepening relationship with God.
Why It’s Okay to Not Have it All Together
Let me ask you, how often do we believe God only wants us when we’re living in overflow, belonging beyond motherhood? Can I tell you something? He cherishes you right where you are—in the hard seasons and the easy ones. If your life feels like a heap of ashes, you don’t need to force yourself up so quick. I think waiting on God patiently sometimes means letting yourself be seen in weakness, because He never turns away from honesty. He sits down beside you. He holds your hand and calls you loved, not less-than.
Learning to Sit in the Waiting Season
There was a moment during my own time of emptiness where I imagined God smashing every cup I thought I needed. No leftover expectations, no pressure to catch every single blessing or lesson—just emptiness. Pure space for Him to wash over me. I didn’t have to muster up strength. I didn’t have to find a way forward right then. All I had to do was let Him love me in the middle of waiting.
- It’s okay if your only prayer is "help me"
- Some days, sitting down is a form of worship
- Healing can be slow, but God is never in a hurry with our hearts
How Waiting on God Patiently Shifts Our Perspective
If you caught our recent podcast, you know we talked honesty about expectations—especially how they can weigh us down. The process of waiting on God patiently nudges us to lay down old expectations of ourselves and others. You don’t need to carry what you did in the last season. It’s okay if you’re not giving, leading, or producing the way you used to. If all you can do today is be faithful in small things, that’s enough. God asks for obedience, not performance.
What Faithfulness Looks Like in the Ashes
Malachi 3 reminds us to keep giving our hearts to God, even when we feel we have nothing precious left to bring. Sometimes faithfulness is bringing Him all we have—messy, raw, or unfinished. He’s not counting what’s in our hands, He’s looking at our hearts. That’s the kind of offering that ushers in His peace and moves us from overwhelmed to overflowing. Waiting on God patiently isn’t about sitting still in misery. It’s about opening up space for hope to come in, even if it’s just a little at a time.
- Ask God to help you let go of the pressure to rush healing
- Stay present—don’t miss today while wishing for tomorrow’s answers
- Let God be enough for you right here, not just when life is perfect
What Can We Do While Waiting on God Patiently?
I think a lot of us get stuck because we think waiting on God patiently means doing nothing. That just isn’t true. Even in the quietest seasons, we can still pour out faith in small ways. We can worship when we don’t feel like it. We can keep an honest conversation going with God, even if it’s just a few words. We can show up for one another in vulnerability. We can say hallelujah, even in the middle of the ashes.
Practical Ways to Wait on God Patiently
You don’t have to have a five-step plan for every emotion. Here are a few small ways I’ve seen God meet me and others (and maybe you, too) in the waiting:
- Spend five quiet minutes talking honestly with God each morning
- Play a worship song that reminds you He’s present in your pain
- Take a walk and look for one thing that speaks hope
- Share what’s actually going on with a trusted friend
- Keep your heart open to what the Lord wants to teach you here
I like how, in the podcast, we used a simple picture from real life: when toddlers make messes, sometimes it’s best to just let the mess be until it’s time to clean it up. Your broken season is not a mistake. Sometimes it is just not time to clean it all up yet. You can rest in that.
God Moves in the Waiting, Even When You Can’t See It Yet
Does this sound familiar? You keep waiting on God patiently for something to change, but it feels like nothing is happening. You wonder if He’s forgotten. But here’s the thing—God isn’t ignoring you. He is working, shaping, and preparing you in ways you might not see at first. His promises still stand. His love isn’t based on your performance.
Choosing to Trust Even When It’s Quiet
Sometimes the only thing we can do is say, "God, I choose to trust Your timing, even though I don’t understand." In my life, that’s when peace finally starts to come in. Not all at once, but in the quiet, honest moments. That is where waiting on God patiently begins to feel less like punishment and more like grace.
Next Steps: Finding Community in the Waiting
Don’t do this alone. One thing I’ve learned is that community makes all the difference. Share with your people (family, friends, church group, or even someone from our podcast community). Sometimes having someone who sits with you in the ashes is all you need to start feeling a little less alone. And you can be that for someone else, too.
I want to invite you to listen to our full podcast episode, "From Overwhelmed to Overflowing." We share stories, truths, and practical help for waiting on God patiently when it’s hard to see the way forward. Remember, even small shifts in perspective can lead to big change. You don’t need to force yourself up before you’re ready. Be gentle with yourself, trust His timing, and know He’s holding you close, even now.
Let your heart rest right where you are. Waiting on God patiently is enough. You are enough. And the promise of overflow? It’s still coming.
If this encouraged you, send it to a friend who needs hope today. And let’s keep putting our perspectives into practice, together.
