A Prayer for When You Feel Uncertain of God's Leading
By Christine Perry
"I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them." - Isaiah 42:16 NKJV
As I write this, I am preaching this truth to myself. Just this week, I said to a family member, "I don't know what the Lord is doing. I genuinely believe I've done my best to follow His leading, but I don’t know what He wants, and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do."
Have you ever felt this way? You're following the Lord, and He will lead you straight into the wilderness. As time passes, you begin to feel stripped, barren, and forgotten. The business is failing, your children are struggling, you can't have children, you've been diagnosed with cancer, you just lost your spouse, you have an ongoing illness with no answers, or you're single and waiting for a spouse. It's hard. Tears threaten to pour out. Bitterness is biting at your heels. Despair is crouching at your door, and discouragement is knocking on the window of your heart.
Isaiah says that God will lead the blind (Israelites) in ways they don’t know. It is God who is guiding them. Yet, He promised to turn the darkness into light and to make the rough places smooth.
God's ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9); we are rarely, if ever, privy to His plans. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." When we are following the Lord, we follow by faith. And just like in this verse, God often leads us in ways we don't know. Why? Because He wants us to trust His character and in His Word. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” God never forsakes us. It may "feel" like He has, but we are never to let our emotions dictate the truth of God's Word. He is leading, and He is guiding; even if it seems like nothing is happening in this season. The Lord knows the perfect environment for us to be in in order to grow.
He is worthy of our trust, even when we are in uncharted territory.
Let's pray:
Dear Heavenly Father,
In Psalm 115:3, the Psalmist writes, “But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.” We know that You are in charge of our lives and the direction it is heading. We are asking that You would help us to trust You when the storm rages and the circumstances are grim. We ask that You be our anchor. We need You. Help us to be still and know You are God. You’re the same God who led the Israelites with a fire by night and a cloud by day and fed them for forty years. So today, we ask that You would help us to look to You for all of our needs and for direction and wisdom with decisions that need to be made.
God, Your Word says that You are for us and not against us. You say that nothing can separate us from Your love. Your Word also says that You will lead us in paths of righteousness for Your name's sake and that You will guide us with Your eye. Father, You say that your eyes range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to You. Please help us to be completely devoted to you. We are unworthy. We mess up constantly. We fight against You but I ask that You would soften our hearts and make us attentive to You and what You want to do in and through us. We are Yours. Help us to trust you when we are uncertain where You’re leading us. Amen!
Christine is just a lady who was given the gift of being raised in an incredible family. For reasons unknown to her, God has blessed her with an amazing life full of beautiful friendships, remarkable experiences, and a love from Him that is completely underserved. She desires to encourage others and share hope as we journey through the highs and lows of life. Christine is the author of How I Met Peace and For the Weary Life Traveler, a 31-day devotional. Check out more of Christine's work at her website: Learning to be fearless and her Patreon.
Editor's Note: We're proud to announce we've just launched a new nighttime companion to Your Daily Prayer: the Your Nightly Prayer devotional. You'll soon be able to subscribe to receive Your Nightly Prayer via email, or as a podcast, but for now you can find it on the website at crosswalk.com/devotionals/your-nightly-prayer. We hope it's a relaxing and soothing way to wind down your day with rich meditations on who God is.
Related Resource: Jesus Calling - Stories of Faith
Kerry Washington. Andrea Bocelli. Reba McEntire. Mark Wahlberg. Tony Dungy. Matthew McConaughey, What do all of these people have in common? They are all people of faith who have leaned on God in both the good and challenging times—and they’ve shown up to tell their story of faith on The Jesus Calling Podcast. The Jesus Calling Podcast provides a place for people from all walks of life to share the heartaches, joys, and divine moments that keep them going.
Inspired by Sarah Young's classic devotional book, the Jesus Calling podcast has brought encouragement and peace to millions. New episodes drop every Thursday! Listen today on LifeAudio.com or wherever you find your podcasts.
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Originally published Thursday, 13 June 2024.
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