When Worship Grows in the Waiting Room

We don’t like to wait. Whether it’s a line at the grocery store or a delay in our dreams, most of us rush through life wanting answers now. But what if the waiting room isn’t a punishment—it’s preparation?

Read Psalm 27 (Optional: also read Isaiah 40:31 and Romans 5:3–5)

Psalm 27 is written by David, God’s anointed king—but not yet God’s appointed king. Instead of ruling from a throne, he’s hiding in caves, surrounded by enemies, betrayed by those he trusted. But David doesn’t let fear drive him. He lets worship lead him. Rather than praying for an exit, David presses into God’s presence. “One thing I ask... to dwell in the house of the Lord… to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord.” (Psalm 27:4). The “one thing” David desires isn’t success, safety, or strategy—it’s intimacy. He worships not because life is good, but because God is.

Psalm 27 begins with “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?”
Why do you think David starts with this declaration instead of asking for deliverance? How does worship shift our focus from fear to faith in your own life?

David was anointed as king, but not yet appointed. Instead of sitting on a throne, he was hiding in caves. How does that shape your understanding of his confidence in verses 1–3?

In verse 4, David says, “One thing I ask… to dwell in the house of the Lord…”
What does it look like for you to prioritize God’s presence over answers?

Waiting doesn’t mean God has abandoned you. It means He’s strengthening you. Isaiah 40:31 says those who “wait on the Lord” will renew their strength. That Hebrew word for “wait” literally means to entwine yourself with the Lord. That’s worship.

 How have you seen God work in your life during a season of waiting?

Jesus modeled this kind of waiting. He waited 30 years before ministry. He endured 40 days in the wilderness. He wept in the garden. He waited in a borrowed tomb. And yet, He never wasted a moment. Even His waiting was worship.

How does Jesus’ surrender in Gethsemane (Luke 22:41-43) shape how we approach waiting?

Maybe today you feel stuck waiting for healing, breakthrough, clarity. Don’t let the waiting steal your worship. Let it deepen it. Because when we worship in the waiting, we’re not just asking God to move—we’re learning to move with Him. “Waiting time isn’t wasted time when it becomes worship time. "Let the wait be what prepares you. Let the delay become a devotion. And let your worship rise before the breakthrough ever does.

Verse 14 ends the Psalm with: “Wait for the Lord; be strong and let your heart take courage.”
What would it look like for you to “wait well” this week?