6 Reasons to Wait On God Despite Pain

While waiting for God, I heard God’s voice audibly say, “If I hadn’t made you wait, you wouldn’t have prayed. Make sure you pray from now on!” (Listen to my story here.) This command from God made me aware that God makes us wait on purpose. Waiting is painful, but God wants to prepare you for what’s to come.

You may be in a difficult situation right now, and everything may be going wrong. So what should you do? Continue to wait, even when waiting on God hurts. If you trust in God, He will be good to you, even if it looks impossible. God’s timing is perfect.

God has a plan for your life. He knows where you will end up, and He wants to make sure you get there. The waiting is never meant to hurt you. The waiting is meant to prepare you.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9.

Why does God make us wait?

1. Waiting Helps Us To Learn God is GOOD In Tough Moments!

God wants us to wait so that we can learn more about Him and become better people in the process. Yes, waiting is painful, but it has a purpose.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him,” and “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” – Lamentations 3:25 & Romans 5:3-4

God wants to be our everything, but He has to remove everything so that He can become our everything. He has to remove all of our unhealthy emotions, emotional crutches, and the things we make idols in our lives. He has to remove all the things we do to make ourselves feel better because He is the only one who should ease our burdens.

We shouldn’t need a man, money, food, a job, friends, etc., to make us happy, feel less lonely, have confidence, and be strong. The only thing that can make us feel better forever is God. If we are using anything but God to feel better, we are walking in idolatry and generational cycles of brokenness.

When we use things to feel better, we are missing out on knowing God as a provider, father, and best friend. He can truly be all those things in our lives if we let the waiting process help us get there.

For me, waiting exposes all my fears and dysfunctions. It causes me to see what is really within me. I realized that I was clinging to men, status, the applause from others, and pride to soothe my insecurities, pain, and lack of identity.

Do you need help navigating waiting? I can spiritually mentor you and help your wait feel a little easier!

2. Waiting Exposes Our Unhealthy Emotions!

Most recently, I have been waiting to see what God is doing with my love life. I have went from emotions of joy to moments of believing that God is not real. Prior to this, my wounds were left unnoticed or avoided (by me!).

The waiting exposed my insecurities of not feeling beautiful, my fear of not being able to keep a man’s attention, pieces of my heart that does not trust God, co-dependent behaviors, a need for control, dysfunctional/depressive ways of dealing with pain, and my need for approval from others.

I’m sure, I missed a few ugly parts of my heart that woke up during this time. Though, the point is not to highlight that I’m DEEPLY flawed — which I am. Instead, I want to highlight how the waiting allows us to understand that “… we all have sinned and are in need of the glory of God.” – Romans 3:23

Waiting forces us to see the chaotic emotions we have not noticed or avoided. Then, when those emotions arise we have the choice to allow God to heal them or let them negatively direct our life. Allowing God to heal them is the best choice. We become better people when we allow him to do his healing work in us. God’s constant healing prevents us from becoming nasty, negative, and bitter people!

 Related Article: Do you have a positive or negative atmosphere?

When the chaos within us is dealt with properly, God can trust us with the desires of our heart. Internal health allows us to become mature enough to receive & steward the things we want.

If you need help, you can download the free Heart Detox to have a healed heart. Also, you can sign up for empowerment coaching by me — it includes spiritual discipleship to help you walk in your God-given purpose! You get the first 20 minutes FREE!!!

3. Waiting Exposes Our Motives!

Waiting exposes our motives. What is the real reason that you are seeking God to answer your prayer? 

 When we are controlled by our sinful, negative, and chaotic emotions, we ask for things that are not in God’s will. We may ask for things that we feel are good, but they might not be. Or, things to make us feel safe. God wants us to feel safe with him not objects or earthly things. 

“You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” James 4:3

4. While Waiting, God Prepares Us to Do Great Work For the Kingdom!

God allows the wait to prepare us! In the wait He teaches us what to pray for. Also, He gives us nothing that will destroy us or that we cannot bear.

For example, you do not just give a child a car. First, you ensure they have the wisdom necessary to take care of a car and drive a car. Then, when the parent feels the car will not damage the child; The parent releases the car to the child. A maturation and learning process happens before the child receives the car. Is there growth that happens after receiving the car? Yes! However, before receiving God’s promise he gives us the most important and foundational knowledge necessary to ensure safety!

Related QUIZ: Are You Carrying Emotional Baggage?

5. Waiting gives God time, to clear the destruction on the road ahead!

Ultimately, God knows what we need to get safely from point A to B. Sometimes waiting is just preparation for times to come. God withholds NO good thing from us. He only withholds things when it isn’t time or harmful to us. 

The Bible states: We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously. – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Are you able to emotionally heal so that you can keep trusting God’s plan? 

You can download the free Heart Detox to help you have a healed heart. Also, you can sign up for empowerment coaching by me — it includes spiritual discipleship and equipping to walk in your God-given purpose! You get the first 20 minutes FREE!!!

Though I deeply desire a relationship… I realized that he uniquely designed a plan for me that has allowed me to grow significantly without being in a relationship. For me, God knew that it would be hard for me to deal with certain things in a relationship without him building me up first. The choice to surrender to God’s dating plans for my life is allowing me to grow in trusting myself, hearing the voice of God clearer, trusting God more, believing I’m worthy of a good man, and dealing with my pain apart from the comfort of a man.

Related Articles: Am I Hearing God’s Voice? 4 Biblical Secrets to Ensure You Are!

6. Waiting Builds Godly Character! We are being pruned!

Though waiting sucks… I’m far more grateful that I’m becoming healthier. I’m learning to be content and trust God even more. Receiving the desires of my heart or not receiving it, I can say I’m a stronger and better person. I was able to build this website in the waiting, with all the things I learned. And, I’ve grown in my love and intimacy for my good good God.

We will always be waiting for something in life… But, No enemy or person can take away the progress that WE ARE making my friend. Now, you and I are able to confidently deal with difficult things that life throws our way without the same pain that tried to crush us before!!

Soon, I will say, “I waited patiently for the lord and he gave me a man of God as a husband!” 

READ MORE: Pain & Trauma: Does God Care About Me?

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Can I trust God with what I’m waiting on? Yes, you can let go and trust God. Here are 10 promises that God will not break.

What are the consequences of not waiting? If you are not waiting on God it will cause different consequences. God gives us commands in the Bible and speaks to us, to guide us into safety. Here is the #1 way God keeps us from harmand protect us. The consequences of not waiting on God can be avoided if you follow God’s order, steps, and voice.

Who in the Bible had to wait on God? David was told he would be King since he was a little boy. However, he had to run away from King Saul. King Saul wanted to murder David because He was jealous. David had to learn to wait and listen to God. I’m sure there were moments He thought he would never be King. But, I’m sure God worked the doubt out of him and strengthen his ability to believe.

How do you wait patiently on God? Patience is a fruit of spirit that we must pray for God to gift us with. Also, we should take steps to stand firm in our faith till our promises become a reality.