While I'm Waiting
by John Waller
Theology & Meaning
While I'm Waiting was written for the film Fireproof but has outlived its original context to become a genuine congregational song of waiting. The theological claim at its center is that waiting on God is not passive inactivity but an active posture of trust — 'I will serve You while I'm waiting, I will worship while I'm waiting.' This recovers the biblical understanding of waiting found in Psalm 27:14 and Isaiah 40:31, where waiting on the LORD is a strengthening discipline rather than merely a delay to be endured.
Worship Leadership Tips
This song speaks directly to the common and rarely named experience of faith in a holding pattern — unanswered prayer, delayed healing, circumstances that have not changed. Use it in series on waiting, on the Psalms of ascent, or in pastoral care contexts where individuals are in seasons of prolonged difficulty. The song is more effective when introduced with the honest acknowledgment that waiting is genuinely hard — which validates the congregation's experience — before affirming that God is still being served in the waiting.
Arrangement Tips
The gentle tempo and folk-rock feel call for a clean, understated arrangement. Acoustic guitar is the natural primary instrument with light percussion and a warm keyboard pad. John Waller's recording has an honest, unpretentious quality that is exactly right for the content — emulate that sincerity rather than trying to scale the production up. The song works well at a slightly slower tempo than the original if your congregation needs more time to absorb each phrase.
Scripture References
- Psalm 27:14
- Isaiah 40:31
- Lamentations 3:25-26
- Romans 8:24-25