Seeking God’s Wisdom: Are You Praying or Ruminating?
Do you ever feel afraid of making the wrong decision and messing up your life? Maybe you need to choose between two jobs, two future spouses, or two different houses. In your uncertainty, you’re afraid you’re going to choose incorrectly and derail your life. You’ve been seeking God’s wisdom, but for the most part, heaven seems silent.
A few years ago, I was desperate for wisdom and direction from God.
I wasn’t sure whether to continue fervently pursuing my writing career or slow my writing and consider the possibility of having a third child.
I reached out to a mentor and asked for advice. Secretly, I hoped she would tell me exactly what I was supposed to do. Instead, she encouraged me to draw close to God and roll the weight of the heavy decision onto him.
I was disappointed she didn’t tell me what I should do next, but I took her advice. I sought God’s heart on the matter. Much to my surprise, I felt led to pursue both writing and pregnancy—all while trusting in God’s perfect timing.
Are You Really Seeking God’s Wisdom—or Are You Ruminating?
All too often, I get stuck in my head, obsess over decisions, and call it prayer. In reality, I’m ruminating—not praying. At some point in your life, you’ve probably ruminated over a heavy decision and spent days analyzing your options. You might have told yourself you were praying about it; however, you were mostly just worrying about it.
All too often, I get stuck in my head, obsess over decisions, and call it prayer. In reality, I’m ruminating—not praying. #prayer #Godhears #SeekingGod Share on XMeanwhile, God wants us to turn to him for wisdom. Ruminating is not the same as asking God for wisdom.
Scripture tells us to directly ask God for wisdom: “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5 NIV).
Have You Actually Asked God?
Have you directly approached God and asked for wisdom regarding your current decisions?
God wants you to draw near to him in prayer and ask for wisdom through the power of the Holy Spirit. He has also given you the Bible as a source of wisdom and direction. More mature believers are excellent sources of wisdom as well. But don’t be disappointed if these friends point you back to Jesus instead of offering direct answers.
God wants to direct your steps and help you follow him. He is also capable of putting you on the right path when you lose your way. Ask God for wisdom, and he promises to provide it.
When I catch myself ruminating, I try to slip away to a quiet place and pour my heart out to God. I let him hear everything I’m thinking, and then I ask for his wisdom.
Often, God gives me a deep sense of “knowing” which decision to pursue or shows me a step I need to take.
I often sense him leading me to stop stewing and ruminating over a decision, make up my mind, and leave the situation alone. Every time this happens, he replaces worry with peace. (More on hearing from God right here.)
Do you need God’s wisdom for any decisions you are currently trying to make? Have you directly asked him for wisdom?
He is waiting to give you wisdom.
Your Invitation to Seek God’s Wisdom:
Set aside a few minutes and ask God for wisdom on a matter that is important to you.
God’s wisdom always aligns with Scripture.
As you make your decision, find at least three Bible passages that confirm your decision. When we spend in God’s Word, God renews our minds, and our wisdom grows.
Ask God to give you a deep sense of “knowing” which decision to make, and then stick with your choice. Set a boundary in your mind and refuse to ruminate over the options once the decision is made.
Calling All Parents and Grandparents!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 7, 12, and 16, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. I also recently released a teen devotional called Anchored, designed to help teens learn key biblical narratives and apply them to their lives. You can find these books here or read more below. 
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Devotions for Boys by Boys
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
These Books Are Free on Kindle Unlimited: God Wants to Heal, Restore, and Refresh You
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. He also wants to help you establish a rhythm of meeting with him daily as you trust him with the hard parts of your life. Click here to explore two books that will guide you: Be Still and Trust and Lean Into Grace. They are free on the Kindle Unlimited program and for sale in print.
Download Your Free Devotional Here
Set Free: Let God Do What You Cannot explores ten realms in which most of us need God to work in our lives and bring deliverance. We’ll talk about finding freedom from fear, worry, insecurity, bad habits, emotional pain, and more. This short online devotional will bless you as you let God accomplish what you’ve been unable to achieve through willpower. Get your download for free with promo code GRACE or for a donation of 3.99 here. Thank you. This small gift helps keep this ministry running.
I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
