A Prayer for the Wait We Cannot Shorten

By David M Clark

We’ve checked our messages. We’ve gone over the conversation again. We’ve prayed, and we’re still waiting.

Most of us know how that feels. We’d welcome an answer, or even a little clarity. Instead, another day comes, and nothing seems to have changed.

Waiting can wear us down, especially when we’ve done everything we know to do. We can’t make someone respond. We can’t settle every concern. And checking one more time won’t necessarily bring the news we’re hoping for.

Where do we turn when we can’t shorten the wait?

Romans 15:13 points us to the God of hope. Paul prays that God will fill us with joy and peace in believing, so that through the Holy Spirit’s power we may abound in hope.

That’s a comforting place to begin. We don’t have to pretend we’re feeling strong. We can come to God honestly and say, “Lord, we want to trust You, but this is hard.”

Let’s remember His faithfulness

In chapter 10 of Divine Gratitude, I invite us to remember how God has cared for us. When we’re focused on an answer that hasn’t come, we can overlook the help we’ve already received.

Perhaps a friend called when we needed someone to listen. Perhaps a familiar Scripture brought comfort during a restless night. Maybe someone sat beside us and held our hand when there wasn’t much to say.

Those moments didn’t necessarily resolve what troubled us. But they mattered. Someone cared, and we didn’t have to carry the concern alone.

Let’s take a moment to remember one of those occasions and thank God for it.

We’re not asking Him to repeat every answer in the same way. We’re remembering His faithfulness as we bring Him the need we have today.

We don’t have to hide what we want

Sometimes we wonder whether we’re praying the right way. We’ve brought the same concern to God so many times that we hardly know what else to say.

We can tell Him that, too.

We can ask for healing, a restored relationship, or clear direction. We can admit we’re disappointed. We don’t have to cover our feelings with words that sound more confident than we are.

God knows the burden we're carrying.

Still, we need to be careful about treating the answer we want as something He’s promised. We can pray sincerely for a particular outcome without claiming to know how or when it will come.

Our hope rests in God’s faithfulness and in the living hope we have through Christ’s resurrection. That gives us a foundation even when there’s much we don’t understand.

We can trust Him and still cry. We can be thankful for His care and still ask for relief.

What can we do today?

Hope isn’t passive waiting. It’s active trust.

That doesn’t mean we need to fill every moment with activity. Sometimes we’re so busy trying to force an answer that we neglect what’s right before us.

There may be a responsibility we need to finish, someone who needs our attention, or help we’ve been reluctant to accept. We may simply need to rest.

We don’t have to resolve the whole future before we can take a faithful step today.

And while we’re waiting, let’s remember that others are waiting, too. A friend may be carrying a concern we know little about. We could call and ask how they’re doing, then give them time to tell us.

We don’t need to explain their circumstances or promise that everything will change soon. We can listen. We can share a meal. We can sit quietly and hold their hand.

Then we can check on them again. Our care shouldn’t end because there’s nothing new to report.

Let’s pray

Father, You know what we’re waiting for. You know the answer we want and how difficult it’s been to face another day without it.

We’re bringing You our concern again. We don’t have this figured out, and we need Your help.

Thank You for the ways You’ve cared for us. Help us remember Your faithfulness when discouragement fills our thoughts. Give us wisdom to recognize what’s ours to do today and help us entrust to You what we can’t control.

When we need help, make us willing to receive it. When someone beside us needs comfort, help us slow down and listen.

By Your Holy Spirit, fill us with joy and peace in believing. Strengthen our hope as we wait, and help us respond faithfully to the day You’ve given us.

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s reflect: How has God cared for us during a difficult wait? Who might welcome our company while they’re waiting today?

For more on biblical hope, read chapter 10 of Divine Gratitude: Joy Beyond This World. Visit davidmclarkauthor.org/books and choose “Order Ebook” to purchase the eBook.

Scripture references: Romans 15:13; 1 Peter 1:3–4.