A Prayer for Patience in the Waiting Season of Life - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - September 27, 2026
"Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains." - James 5:7 NIV
I recall waiting to get married and have a baby. Then I waited for her to sleep through the night, sit up, speak, and walk. I remember waiting for new ministry doors to open. As I grew older, waiting became harder because the season I waited in was often filled with pain or discomfort. Whether we are anticipating happy moments or the day when relief finally appears, God wants us to know how to wait well. Here, in the epistle of James, God introduces us to a farmer who plants his seeds. He knows how much time will pass as he waits for the autumn and spring rains, but the farmer has valuable knowledge.
Although he sees nothing popping up from the soil, he knows something is happening beneath the soil. Friend, we need to look at that farmer and his crops. We can gain great wisdom from him. Under the soil of our lives, God is working. Something is growing, perhaps within us. While we wait, God renews our inner being. He may be renewing the inner being of the spouse you will meet or your next boss. God may be working on someone else who will intersect with you. God is working in many different places, just waiting for His precise time. Don’t be disappointed by the waiting season. God is working in the roots of our lives, and we will see the results one day.
The farmer also knows his plants must ripen, and that takes a precise amount of time. God has a perfect timetable for us, and we need to trust Him with His timing. We may be miserable in a season of grief or pain, but we shouldn’t try to rush God, as much as we want our current circumstances to change. Instead, we should use this season as a time for growth, asking God what He wants us to do while we wait. Rather than asking God when this will end, we can ask Him how we can be obedient today.
How do we get through this time of waiting, especially when we don’t know when it will end? Do we pray for patience? I waited nine long months for a surgery that ended my crippling pain. Then I had to wait for healing after the surgery. I thought I would have graduated from the school of patience after all that, but I honestly don’t feel I have any more patience than I did before. Don’t feel like a failure if you lack the patience you think you need. We are humans living in a world of fast food and convenient microwave dinners, and we don’t wait well.
Let’s take these lessons from our farmer friend and make the best of our difficult days, even if they linger on into months and years. When you feel restless and disappointment makes you complain, remember that something is happening beneath the soil. Pray for the work God is doing even though you can’t see it. Trust God’s timing and remember it is perfect. This strengthens our faith. Lean on God’s promises and believe He will bring you through this season.
Ask God what your next step is? What does He want you to do while you wait? We are not sitting in a rocking chair in a waiting room, putting our lives on hold. Biblical waiting is active, and God has something for us to do right now. Ask God what He wants you to do today. Please don’t give up during this time. God hasn’t abandoned you any more than He has abandoned that farmer and his crops. He hasn’t turned a deaf ear to your prayers. He still loves you and sends you mercy and grace daily to help you shuffle through this time. How can you lean into His presence daily as you wait? How can the lessons of the farmer make your wait less difficult? God is available to help you through this time.
Let's pray ...
Heavenly Father,
I do need patience to navigate these days. I pray for the work You are doing that I cannot see. I pray that You show me what to do today as I wait for tomorrow.
In Jesus’s name.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Feel like digging a little deeper? Here is a wonderful resource to meet you right where you are. 9 Prayers to Gain a Heart for Heaven + Daily Prayer Journal
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/AaronAmat
Carolyn Dale Newell is a best-selling author and certified speaker. She knows the bitter taste of suffering from blindness to chronic pain. Her passion is to encourage women to keep their eyes on Jesus and not their circumstances in her devotional, Embers of Endurance: Rising Above Chronic Pain and Illness. You can connect with Carolyn on her website and her women’s ministry group on Facebook.
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Like what you hear? Be sure to follow I Wish You Could Hear This on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an episode!
