Bible verses about waiting
Bible verses about waiting include Psalm 27:14, which tells you to wait for the Lord and take courage, Lamentations 3:25-26, which says it is good to wait quietly, and Habakkuk 2:3, which speaks of a vision with an appointed time. Most are written by people who were stuck in the middle of something. All eleven are below.
Free to read, no account. Last updated November 9, 2026. Scripture: King James Version and World English Bible (public domain).
1.Psalm 27:14
Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.
In the World English Bible
Wait for the LORD. Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the LORD.
David tells himself and you to wait for the Lord and take courage. Short enough to repeat on a bad day.
2.Psalm 37:7
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
In the World English Bible
Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
Rest and wait, and don't get worked up over people who seem to be getting away with things. Good advice at midnight on your phone.
3.Psalm 130:5-6
I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.
In the World English Bible
I wait for the LORD. My soul waits. I hope in his word. My soul longs for the Lord more than watchmen long for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning.
Night watchmen wait for morning. The psalmist says he waits for the Lord with even more longing than that.
4.Lamentations 3:25-26
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
In the World English Bible
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Written from a ruined city. Even there the writer says it is good to wait quietly for help.
5.Micah 7:7
Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.
In the World English Bible
But as for me, I will look to the LORD. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.
The prophet looks around at a messy society and decides to watch, wait and pray anyway.
6.Habakkuk 2:3
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.
In the World English Bible
For the vision is yet for the appointed time, and it hurries toward the end, and won’t prove false. Though it takes time, wait for it, because it will surely come. It won’t delay.
God tells the prophet to write his message down plainly. It speaks of an appointed time, and says to wait even if it feels slow.
7.Psalm 40:1-2
I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
In the World English Bible
I waited patiently for the LORD. He turned to me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay. He set my feet on a rock, and gave me a firm place to stand.
A look back at being stuck in a pit. David waited patiently, and says he was lifted out and set on firm ground.
8.Isaiah 30:18
And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him.
In the World English Bible
Therefore the LORD will wait, that he may be gracious to you; and therefore he will be exalted, that he may have mercy on you, for the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him.
The verse says the Lord waits to be gracious, so the waiting runs both ways.
9.Psalm 33:20
Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
In the World English Bible
Our soul has waited for the LORD. He is our help and our shield.
Spoken by a whole community in one voice. They wait for the Lord, and call him their help and shield.
10.Psalm 62:5
My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.
In the World English Bible
My soul, wait in silence for God alone, for my expectation is from him.
David talks to his own soul again. Wait quietly, because hope comes from God.
11.Romans 8:25
But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.
In the World English Bible
But if we hope for that which we don’t see, we wait for it with patience.
Paul links hope and waiting in a chapter about all of creation groaning for something better.
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Read today's verseQuestions
What is a good Bible verse about waiting?
Psalm 27:14 is a good place to start. David tells himself and you to wait for the Lord and take courage. Short enough to repeat on a bad day.
How long do I have to wait on God?
The Bible doesn't give a timetable. Habakkuk 2:3 speaks of a vision that waits for its time, and Psalm 130:5-6 compares waiting to a watchman who is longing for morning. Several of these writers say plainly that the wait felt long.
What should I do while I wait?
The verses here suggest a few things. Psalm 37:7 says to rest and not fret, Micah 7:7 says to keep watching and praying, and Lamentations 3:26 says to wait quietly. Psalm 40:1-2 is a look back by someone who did all that and was glad of it afterward.
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Made by Lamplight, a small Sarvixo product. Notes on each verse are ours, written with AI tools and checked against the passage. The verses are printed exactly as published.