Waiting on God: Four Habits for Patience and Peace

Editor’s note – Most of us know the ache of praying for something and getting silence in return. JM Troppello writes here about the ordinary, unglamorous work of waiting well – not forcing an answer, not spiraling into discouragement, but staying close to God while the circumstances stay the same. We’re running this piece because it’s less about a dramatic breakthrough and more about the daily choices that keep a heart soft toward God during a long season. If you’re in a waiting room of your own right now, this is for you.

Waiting isn’t always easy, especially when you’re waiting on something that’s important to you.

Maybe you’re waiting for an answer to a prayer, direction on a decision you need to make, healing for yourself or someone in your family, or for a difficult situation to finally be resolved. You know God is faithful and that He’s working, but sometimes it’s hard when you can’t see anything changing.

I can certainly relate to that.

Throughout my walk with the Lord, I’ve experienced times when prayers were answered quickly, and other times when I had to wait much longer than I expected. There have also been times when the answer wasn’t what I initially hoped. And if I’m being truthful, patience hasn’t always been one of my strongest qualities.

I think I’ve become much more patient as I’ve gotten older and continued growing in my relationship with God. But that doesn’t mean waiting is always easy for me now.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what we can do during those seasons when we’re waiting on God. I’ve learned that while I can’t control when or how He answers my prayers, I can be intentional about how I respond while I wait.

Four things I’ve been working on have helped me.

1. Don’t React Out of Frustration

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that I don’t have to react immediately just because something isn’t happening as quickly as I’d like.

In the past, I’ve become impatient and wanted to make something happen on my own. I thought if I could just find the right solution or take another step, I could move things along faster. But sometimes acting out of frustration or desperation can lead us in the wrong direction.

When we’re tired of waiting, it’s easy to convince ourselves that we need to do something, even when we’re not sure it’s the right thing to do. We might make a decision too quickly, pursue an opportunity that isn’t right for us, or try to force a situation that needs more time.

I’ve learned I need to be careful when I’m feeling impatient. That doesn’t mean we should sit around doing nothing while waiting on God. We still have responsibilities to take care of and wise steps we can take.

But there’s a difference between taking the next right step and trying to force an outcome because we’re frustrated with the timing. I’m learning to pause, pray, and ask myself whether I’m responding from peace and wisdom or simply reacting because I don’t want to wait anymore.

Editor’s note – This distinction matters more than it sounds. Scripture is full of people who got tired of waiting and tried to engineer their own outcome – Abraham and Hagar come to mind. The line between faithful action and anxious manipulation is often thin, and discerning it takes exactly the kind of pause Troppello describes.

2. Don’t Allow Discouragement to Control Your Mindset

The second thing I’ve been working on is not allowing discouragement and negative thinking to take over.

I’m generally pretty even-keeled. I don’t usually get overly stressed or upset, but that doesn’t mean I never struggle with discouragement. Sometimes, when you’re in the middle of a difficult situation and nothing seems to be changing, it’s easy to start questioning everything.

Why is this taking so long?
Am I doing something wrong?
What if nothing ever changes?

I’ve had moments when those thoughts started creeping in, and I’ve learned I need to be intentional about not letting them control my perspective.

It’s okay to acknowledge that waiting is difficult. We don’t have to pretend everything is wonderful when we’re struggling. But I also don’t want to spend my days focusing only on what hasn’t happened yet.

When I notice myself becoming discouraged, I try to redirect my attention toward God’s faithfulness. I remind myself of the prayers He’s answered in the past and the difficult circumstances He’s already brought me through.

Isaiah 40:31 says:

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]

I love that verse because it reminds me that waiting on God doesn’t have to be a season of spiritual exhaustion. We can continue finding strength in Him, even when our circumstances haven’t changed.

That doesn’t mean we won’t have difficult days. But we can keep bringing those difficult feelings to God instead of letting them convince us He’s forgotten us.

Editor’s note – Isaiah 40:31 has comforted believers through centuries of delayed answers, and it’s worth noticing the verse doesn’t promise the circumstances will change on our schedule – only that our strength will be renewed while we wait. That’s a different kind of promise than most of us want, but it may be the more durable one.

3. Be Intentional About Staying Calm and Trusting God

My word for this year has been Intentional, and it’s interesting how often I keep coming back to that word. One thing I’ve been working on is intentionally choosing to remain calm when I’m facing uncertainty.

I’ve realized that to avoid reacting out of frustration or getting overwhelmed by negative thoughts, I need to stay close to the Lord on purpose. For me, that means continuing my morning devotional time, reading Scripture before bed, praying throughout the day, and reminding myself that God knows what He’s doing.

I don’t always know what He’s doing. I don’t always understand His timing. And I certainly don’t always know what the next few weeks or months will bring. But I can trust that He sees what I cannot see.

Sometimes we make waiting harder on ourselves by trying to figure out every possible outcome. We want to know exactly what’s going to happen and how everything is going to work out.

I’m learning that I don’t need all those answers today. I need to focus on doing the next right thing.

If God has already made something clear through His Word or the responsibilities He’s given me, I can be faithful in that. If I need wisdom about a decision, I can pray, seek wise counsel, and take time to think things through. And when I can’t do anything more responsibly about a situation right now, I can entrust it to Him.

That’s where I’m learning to find peace. Not in having every answer, but in knowing that God is still in control.

4. Make Time for Stillness in God’s Presence

The fourth thing I’ve been doing is making time to be quiet. This has become one of my favorite parts of the day. After dinner, before I start cleaning up the dishes, I like to go outside and sit on our deck for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Sometimes I put my earbuds in and listen to quiet praise and worship music. Other times, I’ll read a book or simply sit there and enjoy the peacefulness around me. I’m not always praying the entire time.

Sometimes I’m just being still.

I’m allowing myself to slow down, focus on the present moment, and spend time in God’s presence without feeling like I need to be doing something else.

Psalm 46:10 says:

Be still, and know that I am God. [Psalm 46:10]

I think that’s such an important reminder, especially when we’re waiting for something. We can become so focused on asking God for answers that we forget to simply enjoy being in His presence. I don’t want every conversation with the Lord to be about what I need Him to do for me.

I want to spend time with Him because I love Him. I want to worship Him because He’s worthy of my worship. And I want to make room for quiet moments when I’m not rushing from one responsibility to another.

I don’t always come away from those moments with a specific answer or a clear direction about what to do next. But I often feel calmer and more settled because I’ve taken time to redirect my attention toward Him. And sometimes that’s exactly what I need.

Editor’s note – Psalm 46:10 is often quoted in crisis, but it was written as an invitation to rest in God’s sovereignty, not just a command to calm down. Making room for silence before Him, with no agenda beyond His presence, is a discipline that’s easy to neglect and hard to recover once lost.

Learning to Trust Him in the Waiting

Something else I’ve been thinking about is that everyone handles waiting differently.

Some people are naturally more patient. They can deal with uncertainty without becoming overly frustrated or discouraged. Others, like me, may need to be more intentional about working through those feelings.

I think it’s important to understand how God created us and recognize the areas where we still need to grow. God knows us completely. He knows our personalities, our strengths, our weaknesses, and what we’re struggling with, even when we don’t know how to put it into words.

He isn’t surprised when we find waiting difficult. But I also believe He can use those seasons to help us grow in patience, trust, and spiritual maturity. I don’t know what you might be waiting for today.

Maybe it’s something you’ve been praying about for a few days, or maybe it’s a situation you’ve been bringing before the Lord for years. I don’t want to tell you that your answer is right around the corner because I don’t know that.

But I do want to encourage you to continue trusting God.

Don’t allow impatience to push you into a decision you may regret. Don’t allow discouragement to convince you that God has forgotten you. Be intentional about staying close to Him, and make time to rest in His presence. And remember that even when you’re waiting for something to change, God can still be working in your heart.

I’m still learning these lessons myself.

I still have moments when I want things to happen faster, and I still have to remind myself to be patient. But I’m thankful that God continues to work in me as I grow in my relationship with Him. The waiting may not be easy, but I don’t have to go through it alone.

And neither do you.

What do you do during the waiting times in your life? Is there something that helps you stay patient and focused on God while you wait for an answer?

A Word from the Editor
Waiting on God has never been a passive thing in Scripture; the psalmists who waited were still crying out, still watching, still trusting while nothing visibly moved. Troppello’s four habits – refusing to force an outcome, guarding against discouragement, staying intentionally close to the Lord, and making room for stillness – are really one habit practiced in different moments: trusting that God’s timing is not God’s absence. If you’re waiting on something today, let this be the reminder that the waiting itself can be holy ground.

Editor Comment: Thank you for writing so honestly about the discipline it takes to wait well – this is a word a lot of readers need right now.

This article appeared on Medium and is reprinted with modifications and by permission.