The Best Thing to Do When We Wait for God

Friend, do you wonder what to do when you don’t know how to go on? What is the best thing to do when we are still waiting for God’s intervention?

The road to healing and recovery can be very long. I sit with my journal in the morning and pour out my heart and questions to God. There are situations and people I have prayed for years, and I still don’t see a visible change. This can be quite disheartening.

I have been struggling with grief and depression for years after losing my husband. Will it continue to be this way until the end of my life? And what about my family member struggling with addiction that is getting worse instead of better? Will my dear friend battling a chronic illness ever get better? What am I supposed to do while still waiting for God’s answers to my prayers?

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What to Do When You Don’t Know How to Go On 

Sometimes, it is really hard to wait for the Lord. What are we supposed to do when we feel weary and don’t know how to go on?

We find a two-fold recipe in this verse: “I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands.” (Psalm 119:166, NIV)

Here is another translation: “I hope and wait [with complete confidence] for Your salvation, O Lord, and I do Your commandments.” (Psalm 119:166, AMP)

Let’s explore together what this means and how we can apply it.

Hoping for God’s Salvation

What does it mean to hope and wait with complete confidence for God’s salvation? It means remembering where our hope comes from and that ultimately things are not up to us. We are not the ones in control and in charge. God is. He is eternal and absolutely trustworthy.

We are not the ones in control and in charge. God is. He is eternal and absolutely trustworthy. #hope #trustGod #encouragement Share on X

Daily we can declare: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2, NIV)

Second, our Lord Jesus Christ is a Savior and Redeemer – Salvation is His name. The Bible tells us: “That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10, NIV)

Third, waiting with complete confidence for God’s salvation means we trust the Lord. We trust He will intervene and answer our prayers in His perfect time and according to His will. The Lord never stops working in human hearts. A lot of His work is invisible, but a time comes when we suddenly experience change and transformation; we witness miracles and answered prayers.

So, never stop hoping, and never stop waiting for Him. Because “as surely as the sun rises, He will appear; He will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth.” (Hosea 6:3, NIV)

Following God’s Commands

Hoping and waiting for God’s intervention is a posture of the heart manifested in our words and actions. The best thing we can do when we don’t know how to go on and don’t see the next step is to continue following God’s commands.

Obedience to God and His commands is a natural response of our reverence and love for Him. Jesus says, “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15, NIV) Why is it important to keep God’s commands?

It is important because it means we walk in alignment with the Holy Spirit. Following the Spirit and doing what pleases God opens the way for God to change our hearts, condition, and situations. When we are disobedient, we block His work or at least make it very hard.

Obedience itself is a road to holiness, healing, and restoration. The more we follow God’s commands, the more we gain in strength, clarity, peace, and wholeness. This is a path to character transformation and change in families, relationships, and culture.

Practical Application

Here is how we can practically apply this recipe for waiting on the Lord in our daily lives.

1. Declare in prayer or in our journals our hope in the Lord. We can say, “Lord, I put my hope in You, and I wait for You to work in my life today and in the lives of all the people You have placed in my life. I hope and wait for Your salvation. I surrender all.”
2. Write down this verse on a piece of paper and put it in a visible place where you can see it, read it, and declare it every day: “God is with me; He has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases Him.” (John 8:29, paraphrased)

Finding Satisfaction in the Waiting

What if fulfillment and happiness aren’t found in getting everything we prayed for? SATISFIED is a raw, compassionate memoir about infertility, unanswered prayer, and discovering a faith that endures when the miracle doesn’t come. This book is for anyone learning to trust through the unanswered.

More Encouragement for You

If you need more resources, encouragement, and comfort when you go through pain, grief, and despair, I can highly recommend these books. Check them out.

Draw Near: How Painful Experiences Become the Birthplace of Blessings by Hadassah Treu

Trusting God in All the Things: 90 Devotions for Finding Peace in Your Every Day by Karen Ehman and Ruth Schwenk

The Night Is Normal by Dr. Alicia Britt Chole

Make Up Your Mind: Unlock Your Thoughts, Transform Your Life by Denise Dubois Pass and Michelle Nietert

Life Can Be Good Again by Lisa Appelo

It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lisa Terkeurst

Hope When Life Unravels: Finding God When It Hurts by Adam Dooley

Restoration Year – a 365 Days Devotional by John Eldredge

All Things New by John Eldredge

Hope for the Hard Days by Sarah Geringer

Lean into Grace by Stacey Pardoe

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Your Turn

How can you apply these instructions in your life? Share in the comments and on social media if you found this article helpful. Thank you!

The more we follow God’s commands, the more we gain in strength, clarity, peace, and wholeness. #trustGod #healing #hope Share on X

A reminder of who I am

A certified human flourishing, post-traumatic, and spiritual growth coach helping trauma survivors find deep mental and emotional healing through a faith-based approach. An award-winning bilingual author of 5 books and co-author of 14 more, I love encouraging the broken-hearted to partner with God so they can heal, endure, and grow in the dark valleys of life. Featured on nearly 100 faith-based platforms and podcasts, I am a hope-bringing speaker and writer at onthewaybg.com, a Top 100 Faith Blog ranked by Feedspot in 2025 and 2026.

I send my newsletter “Keep the Faith” every two weeks. I share with you first the newest blog post, recommended books and articles, and the newest freebies and resources to keep the faith.