Do you find yourself praying for clarity? Are you praying for it often?
Clarity is a wonderful and noble thing to ask of the Lord. God knows your beginning from your end. He knows your life– start to finish. It is true that He knows all things and can give you clarity and direction– and he does. But just because you’re asking for clarity, doesn’t mean you need it. And just because you’re asking, doesn’t mean He’s going to give it.
Waiting on clarity from God may be holding up your future. I know, you’re probably not convinced that clarity is something you don’t need. Let me explain:
The Story.
I’m going to throw myself under the bus to help you out! Let me paint a picture of how my prayers went for quite some time. I’ll give you the shorthand version:
Me: “Lord, what should I do?! What are you calling me to?”
The Lord: “You will need to write.”
Me: “What am I supposed to write?” (The Lord lays a billion ideas on my heart)
Me: (Forgetting those ideas) “Lord, what do you want me to write? When should I write it?”
Me: “Where should I post my blogs? What platform do I use?”
Me: “Lord, what courses should I take to better my writing skills?”
Have you noticed anything yet? After a while, I noticed that I was talking to myself! One day, the Holy Spirit dropped something in my spirit. I was praying for clarity in my writing pursuits (AGAIN), fixed my lips to say “clarity”, and before the word could leave my lips I stopped myself. “No! I am not praying for clarity anymore! Lord, I want to take action.”, I declared. (Sometimes, I really think the Holy Spirit be like, “Girl, hush!” in the middle of my prayers!)
In that moment something clicked. I realized the Lord already told me what to do! He told me to write. Period. He put ideas in my heart and now it was up to me to move.
So what did I do? I sat down and wrote something. I didn’t think hard about anything else. I just did what he told me to do with the ideas he already laid on my heart. When I did that, the next steps just started flowing. I was producing fruit.
You don’t need clarity because He’s already given you your first step.
I’m reminded of my 4-year-old. She’ll ask me for a snack and I’ll tell her “no” because lunch is coming or because she just had one 30 seconds ago. In the very next moment, she’ll ask me for a snack again! And I’ll have to remind her of what I already said.
What has God already said to you? Have you forgotten? Did you decide that what you heard wasn’t an instruction? Go back and remind yourself of what God has told you and do it. Do it with the knowledge you have right now. I promise it’s enough.
You don’t need clarity because He’s teaching YOU to dream.
Have you ever prayed this prayer? “Lord, what’s the destiny you have for me? Tell me, Lord, what do you want me to do with my life?” This is indeed a clarifying prayer. It would make life so easy to navigate if God would answer this prayer, in full detail, for all of us. Straight up! The truth is, the details of our destinies are hidden in Him.
It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.
Proverbs 25:2 NKJV
God conceals a matter for many reasons. One reason God conceals a matter is that He’s challenging you to dream. God has given us permission to dream!
I will stand my watch And set myself on the rampart, And watch to see what He will say to me, And what I will answer when I am corrected.
Habakkuk 2:1 NKJV
Just write the vision, sis. Bro. What have you seen? What have you heard? What is already in your heart? What does your heart desire to do? That’s a vision from God, family! That’s YOUR dream. Your dream is what God is saying to you.
Write down what’s already in you then you bring it to God so that He may correct your vision. Don’t worry if the dream in your heart is “right”. God will let you know but you have to dream it “out loud” first for it to even have a chance of correction. When you present that dream to God, He will lead you into His “good, pleasing, and perfect will”.
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:2 NKJV
That’s freeing, isn’t it?! Go forth and dream, my friend! Like, go crazy and know that if you get too crazy, He’ll bring you back :). Be free. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there’s liberty. Freedom. (2 Corinthians 3:17) Loosen up!
You don’t need clarity because He’s waiting on you to produce fruit.
“Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.
Mark 11:12-14 NKJV
Don’t be the fig tree, giving the appearance of fruit but not actually producing any. Produce “good fruit”.
Miracles follow obedience and more fruit follows obedience. Do it. You know you’ve produced good fruit when it turns into more good fruit. More good fruit usually looks like a positive impact on the lives around you. I’ve noticed how God will allow opportunities to see how your fruit has multiplied as an encouragement for our faith.
And please know, that if you are currently in a season of seeking clarity from God, this is not shade on you. It is a warning to not make seeking clarity a prolonged pursuit.
If you’re feeling a tug in your heart as you pray for clarity– a sense of eagerness, it’s because God is calling you to action. Listen to that voice. If you’re still enough, God will reveal that first step he’s waiting for you to take.
If you’re looking for my encouragement, check out my blog, Adulting is Hard | Lighten the Load.
