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What do you ask God?

Sometimes we want God to give us an answer when what He really wants first is our attention.

Jennifer Collins
What do you ask God?

Have you ever been in a situation where you desperately wanted an answer, and the more you tried to figure things out, the more confused you became?

Sometimes, the problem is not that we don't have an answer. The problem is that we are looking everywhere except in the right direction.

Jehoshaphat understood this.

One day, news came that a great multitude was coming against Judah. Imagine being the king and hearing, “Sir, the enemy is already on the way.” This was not a small problem he could solve with a meeting or a clever strategy. Fear entered the camp, but Jehoshaphat did something very important. He sought the Lord.

The Bible says, “And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.” 2 Chronicles 20:3.

I love that. He was afraid, but he knew where to take his fear.

He didn't first call his soldiers. He didn't first depend on his connections. He didn't start calculating how powerful the enemy was. He turned his face toward God.

Then he stood before the people and said something powerful:

“O our God, wilt thou not judge them? for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee.” 2 Chronicles 20:12.

That is a prayer for somebody today.

“Lord, I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on You.”

We ask, “God, should I take this opportunity?” But have we asked, “God, what do You want?”

We ask, “Lord, should I marry this person?” But have we first asked, “Lord, what kind of person are You making me?”

We ask, “Which door should I enter?” But sometimes the deeper question is, “Am I walking with You?”

And look at what happened to Jehoshaphat. God gave them direction. They did not have to fight the battle in the way they expected. God handled what they could not handle.

That is why Proverbs 3:5–6 says, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Maybe you are standing at a crossroads right now. You want an answer. You want clarity. You want to know what to do next.

Slow down.

Before you ask God for the answer, seek God Himself.

Because sometimes the greatest answer God can give you is not a detailed explanation of tomorrow. It is His presence giving you enough peace to take the next step.

When you seek God first, you may not know everything, but you will know Who is leading you. And when God is leading you, you don't need to understand every step before you take it.

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