Are you in God's waiting room? Have you been praying for something, on hold for an answer, hoping for your circumstances to change?

I confess, waiting is not my favorite activity. And right now, I'm waiting for something especially critical: test results of a loved one's cancer scan.

During this time of uncertainty, I started to wonder, Is there a proper way for Christians to wait? Should we be doing something while we wait, or is waiting, well, just waiting?

For the Christian, waiting is not a passive experience. Even though this may sound contradictory, waiting is active.

Here are four things the Bible tells us to do while we wait on the Lord: 

Do It With Courage

Waiting takes courage. As Christians, we don't cower in fear over what may happen. The future may be uncertain, but we belong to the One who not only knows the future, He holds it in the palm of His hand! David phrased it this way in Psalm 27:14 (ESV): 

"Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!"

Stay in His Word

During times of waiting, we can be bombarded with advice that may sound good. It may even be what we want to hear. But if we're not careful, we can be influenced by well-meaning advice that is not consistent with God's Word. Use this time to soak in what God has said, both to be encouraged and to be prepared for whatever answer the Lord brings. As the psalmist reminds us in Psalm 130:5: 

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope."

Wait in Silence

This one can be difficult for me. During our times of waiting, it's easy for us to make our request the topic of conversation in every conversation. We whine about our pain, complain about the injustice and throw ourselves pity parties. However, King David reminds us in Psalm 62:5 

"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."

That doesn't mean we shouldn't share our concern and ask for prayer. But it does mean that once we do, we should spend our time seeking God's heart, growing in quiet intimacy with Him.

Persevere in Your Waiting

This one can also be difficult if we're in an extended time of waiting.

During this time of waiting, do what the Lord has called you to do. Are you in ministry? Continue to serve. Are you working? Work heartily (Colossians 3:23). The prophet tells us in Hosea 12:6: 

"So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God."

The answer will come. Still, it may not be the answer we want. That's when we need to remember God is sovereign. Although our short-term circumstances might not appear so, He is always at work for our ultimate good and His eternal glory. As God's children in Christ (John 1:12), we can rest in this assurance from the prophet Isaiah:

"From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him" (Isa. 64:4).

 Ava Pennington is a writer, speaker and Bible teacher. She writes for nationally circulated magazines and is published in 32 anthologies, including 25 Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She also authored Daily Reflections on the Names of God: A Devotional, endorsed by Kay Arthur. Learn more at  AvaWrites.com.

This article originally appeared at avawrites.com. 

To contact us or to submit an article, click here.

Get Charisma's best content delivered right to your inbox! Never miss a big news story again. Click here to subscribe to the Charisma News newsletter.