What Do You Do When You Don’t Know What to Do?
Sometimes when we don’t know what to do we want to fly off in all directions and do something but it may be the time to do nothing. Different verses in scripture tell us to stand still and don’t move just yet. “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord” (Exodus 14:13) Moses told the people to fear not, and stand still—firm, confident, undismayed—The Lord will work it out for you in spite of the Egyptians, The Egyptians will never bother you again because the Lord would handle it. The Lord was telling them, “Don’t take matters into your own hands to do something just to be doing something.”
Ask for a fresh word from the Lord. I Samuel 3:7 said, “Speak Lord for thy servant heareth.” Samuel was a boy who was confused about God trying to speak to him. Eli said to him, “Go lie down and if you hear it again say, “Speak Lord for thy servant heareth.’” When Samuel didn’t know what to do, he focused on listening and hearing. Up to that point the boy didn’t know what to do, but when we are rattled by things around us we can get back the peace of God when we focus. Isaiah 26:3 says, “thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee,” Listen for a fresh word from the Lord and let him know you are listening.
Wait upon the Lord if the answer about what to do doesn’t come immediately. Psalm 27:14 says, ”Wait for the Lord, Be strong and let your heart take courage: wait for the Lord.” To wait means to stay where you are or delay taking any action until you are clear on what to do, We often get an idea for a solution and rush in and do something immediately, and when it doesn’t work out and falls apart we wonder why. It is more likely than not we did not wait on the Lord but jumped ahead of Him. What are we supposed to do while we are waiting? Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near?”
Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the lord.’
Waiting does not mean doing nothing. A verse says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Listen. While you are listening, God is working. What do you think He may be saying to you while you are focusing on him and waiting?”
Pray in the spirit. Scripture says “to commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass.” When you don’t know, pray in the spirit, “for we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the spirit itself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words, and he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Romans 8:27 ESV).
Praying in the spirit is controversial for many people but it is an added dimension of our prayer strategy. When you don’t know how to pray, let the Holy Spirit pray through you.
We will be more effective in finding out what to do when we don’t know what to do if will do these four things:
1. Don’t do anything until you have the green light to go.
2. Ask for a fresh word from God.
3. Wait on the Lord.
4. Pray in the Spirit.
