A Prayer for When You Really Don’t Know What to Do - Your Daily Prayer - October 12

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A Prayer for When You Really Don’t Know What to Do
By Tammy Darling

Bible Reading
“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” 2 Chronicles 20:12b, NIV

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What do you do when you don’t know what to do? What do you do when life throws you a curveball that you didn’t see coming? Or when circumstances beyond your control leave you unable to change things? What do you do when hope seems lost, when the road seems blocked, when God seems MIA? What do you do then?

I’m in such a season. Past mistakes have come back to haunt me in a way I never saw coming. And there’s not a single thing I can do about it. I repented. Changed completely; I’m obviously no longer who I once was. I’ve apologized and asked for forgiveness. Repeatedly. Sought reconciliation. All to no avail. To this person, none of those things matters.

While the most recent punishment for my past came as a shock, and I can’t get into details because it’s not my story alone, I will say that I am crushed. Unable to move forward. Not sure what to do.

I woke up this morning truly not sure what to do. Literally. A soul paralysis has overtaken me, and I can’t seem to make myself do anything. But maybe that’s the point; maybe I’m not supposed to do anything…at least not in my own strength.

The Lord Almighty, through Zechariah (4:6, NIV), has this to say: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit.” And in John 15:5 (NIV), Jesus directly states, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

While I don’t know what I can possibly do to rectify the situation, I do know that I must keep moving forward. Here’s how I’m doing that:

Remembering. I’m going to remember the faithfulness of God. Throughout the Bible, we are instructed to “remember the deeds of the Lord” (for example, Psalm 77:11). And truly, I have so much to remember. God has moved mightily in my own life, as well as in the lives of those who have gone before me. God’s faithfulness is a sure thing. Therefore, I will spend this season remembering.

Trusting. When I don’t trust God, I try to “fix” things myself. Maybe I don’t trust God’s timing. Or perhaps I don’t trust that He’ll truly take care of this situation. And here’s the thing: God probably won’t move in my timing. But God does promise that “at the right time, I, the LORD, will make it happen” (Isaiah 60:22, NLT). That I can trust. And maybe things won’t turn out the way I want them to, but God does promise to “work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them” (Romans 8:28, NLT). I’m purposefully choosing to trust God when I don’t know what else to do.

Hoping. I need more than a “I hope the weather’s nice this weekend” kind of hope. I need hope that’s real, that goes beyond superficial wishful thinking. I want the deep kind of hope that comes from knowing God will move in a way that blesses our whole family. Biblical hope is a confident expectation rooted in God’s character and His promises—that’s the hope I’m holding on to. After all, “we have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure” (Hebrews 6:19, NIV).

Grieving. There are many things in life that need to be grieved, and for me, this is one of them. I get that choices have consequences; however, I do not believe that a person should have their mistakes held against them for the rest of their life. That said, I know I need to grieve. I don’t want to push down those painful emotions that have surfaced. I want to grieve and grow. And so, I will grieve what could have been, all the while hoping for what will be again one day.

Praying. When I don’t know what to do, I can pray. And when I don’t know what to pray, I know that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans” (Romans 8:26, NIV). Tears are prayers, too; I pray that way. And I have the comfort of knowing that Jesus is interceding for me before the Father (see Romans 8:34). I shall join Jesus in praying.

Praising. Praise and worship are tools for spiritual warfare, and I am facing a huge battle. And so, when I don’t know what to do in the meantime, I will focus on the Lord and not my circumstances. I will praise and worship the Lord, for He is worthy, no matter what I am facing. This is how I will fight my battle, for this battle “is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12, NIV). When I don’t know what to do, I will praise the Lord!

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father,

We are grateful that nothing takes You by surprise. You know all and are in control of all, so when life blindsides us, and we don’t know what to do, we can come to You with full confidence that You have everything, including us, in Your very capable hands.

May we relinquish control and the need to “fix it” all the while keeping our eyes on You. You do all things well, and this, too, will work out for our good. Thank you.

In Your Mighty Name, Amen.

Go Deeper: Does it Feel Like You Can't Hear God? Practical Steps to Increase Spiritual Sensitivity

Does it ever seem like God is silent when you're most desperate to hear from Him? Does it seem like others hear Him more easily than you? Do you worry you’re doing something wrong or that the silence you sense means He's upset with you for something? In this episode, author and speaker Susie Larson shares from her painful seasons of unanswered prayer and her relentless persistence when she sought healing for chronic lyme disease and sensed God "thundering" a reply in her chest. She explores how we can recognize God’s voice, respond when He seems silent and move from a transactional relationship to knowing His heart. If this episode helps you face fear with God's confidence, be sure to follow Faith Over Fear on Apple or Spotify so you get new episodes every week!

Discuss today’s devotional with others in the Your Daily Prayer thread on the Crosswalk Forum.

Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Petri Oeschger

Tammy Darling is the author of 1,600 published articles and three books. She writes from her home in rural Pennsylvania.

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