Maybe you clicked on this post with great anticipation: “Finally, something that is relevant. I need direction. I have been praying and praying, but I feel like I am spinning my wheels. I don’t think I am getting anywhere. Is there a secret to getting direction from the Lord in my life?”
Most every Christian has Proverbs 3:5-6 underlined in their Bible, memorized, and on the tip of their tongue:
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6
It seems straightforward—but why do I struggle so often to get direction from the Lord if it’s that simple?
By the way, you may even have these verses hanging on your wall! But does that make it any easier to get direction from the Lord? The secret may lie in one small word in the verse.
All.
All your heart.
All your ways.
Do I acknowledge Him in all my ways? Or do I have pet areas of my life where I am taking my own way, doing my own thing, pleasing myself, and justifying it as Christian liberty?
Is all my heart trusting the Lord? One rendering of the verse is: “Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.”
Can I open up to the Lord every aspect of my life and acknowledge Him in every detail? We need to root out the little pockets of rebellion in our lives where we have agreed to please ourselves rather than please the Lord. We all have them! We try to convince ourselves that it’s legitimate and perfectly okay—nothing that would hinder us, and certainly nothing significant enough to offend the Lord.
The last thing we want to do is change. We justify, rationalize, legitimize, and spiritualize what we like doing and stare anyone down who might dare question whether it’s Christ-honouring or self-pleasing. We need to be honest with ourselves and with the Lord. When I deal with “that” in my life, direction from the Lord may begin to flow.
Jesus was able to say: “I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” John 8:29
Making Choices and Decisions – A Spiritual Discernment Framework
“Lord, my request is for strength today to do what pleases You. I confess I struggle with this because I like to please myself. This is my sin. Help me to be more like Jesus today in my efforts to please You at any cost. With all my heart. In all my ways.”