Waiting for that special someone to come into your life is tough. Why hasn’t anything come yet, you wonder, from your waiting? Is God holding off a little? Do you think He’s disappointed in you? Sometimes the waiting becomes the focus of our lives, almost to the point where God comes in second. In fact, God desires for us to seek Him during this season. Fortunately, the following practices can help you find peace when the waiting feels overwhelming.

“So the LORD must wait for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for his help.” Isaiah 30:18

1. Pray For God’s Wisdom

God says for us to ask and it will be given to us. I’ve never heard of God trying to quiet us down from praying too much. He’s a giving God, but He’s the wisest giver of all time – even when he gave Abraham and Sarah a son at such an old age. He will give you what you need in the time He knows is perfect for you. I don’t believe God sees aging the way our natural, humanly bodies do. We see wrinkles setting in; God sees exaltation.

2. Be Still

In our time of waiting, it’s good to be still sometimes. Often, God calls us to solitude and quietness before Him in order to listen and hear His voice. We simply can’t do this while shopping for groceries, watching TV or picking the kids up from school. He desires for you to come before Him alone with time set aside purely for Him; that’s when He’ll unveil great and hidden truths to you (Jer. 33:3). It’s good to be still and know that He is God. You can find peace in that truth alone.

3. Pursue Godly Things

Pursuing Godly things doesn’t have to mean filling your schedule to the brim with volunteer opportunities to the point of exhaustion. Not that those aren’t wonderful, but sometimes, it’s simply reading His Word on a rainy Saturday or having a coffee date with a friend in need. God calls on us in different ways to serve him, so it’s important to look for ways to answer that call in our daily lives.

4. Resist Despair

Waiting can also feel like trekking up a mountain. It’s a mighty hike, and little by little, you can begin to feel weathered down. It could even begin to feel like a snow storm has buried you in complete hopelessness. Yet God tells us to not give into despair and to wait patiently before Him. Though the wait may seem long, God may not see long and short amounts of time – just the appointed time. We just have to hold fast to His promises and His timing and not grow weary during the wait.

Ours is a faithful God, which is why we can trust in Him to care for us as we wait for our soulmate to arrive. Remember these four steps the next time you feel weary of the wait. They’ll help you keep your mind on the most important thing: God’s love.

“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Lamentations 3:25