The Day I Stopped Asking God For “Clarity”

I held my tongue as I listened. It seemed like ages that I waited and then…. nothing came. I stared longer over the cliff, and down at the ocean waves, across the deep, dark, ever-stretching expanse of water. An expanse that has always intrigued me since the first day I dipped my toes into it….Since the first time I walked beside it under the moonlight, listening to the waves and thinking about the God who made them.

But here I am 20 years later sitting above the same expanse wondering why the God who made it in all of its enormity couldn’t give me, His beloved daughter, the direction and answers that I feel like I need in one of the most pivotal seasons of my life. If He cares why doesn’t He give me clear direction and certainty? I continued to pray and alternate my words with silence, listening to the waves and praying for a “sign”. Preferably in the form of big flashing lights telling me exactly the direction I need to take. None came. And eventually after all of my talking I began to assume I was speaking to silence and nothing more. Why pray if He isn’t going to answer? I’ve heard people say my whole life, “just ask God for clarity”. As if the “just” belongs in that sentence and it is all “just” that easy. As if I can ask Him and then in a split second He whispers in my ear the exact steps to take.

As my prayers turned to doubt I finally felt like I heard Him whisper something to me. “Trust me.” That’s it. “Trust”?… What does that even mean?

…After a few moments sitting and pondering that word I remembered a story I had read years before in the book Ruthless Trust by Brennan Manning that challenged my perspective of God immensely. Instead of attempting to paraphrase, here is the exact excerpt that I was reminded of in that moment.

“When the brilliant ethicist John Kavanaugh went to work for three months at “the house of the dying” in Calcutta, he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life.  

On the first morning there he met Mother Teresa.  She asked, “And what can I do for you?” Kavanaugh asked her to pray for him.“What do you want me to pray for?” she asked.  He voiced the request that he had borne thousands of miles from the United States: “Pray that I have clarity.” She said firmly, “No, I will not do that.”    When he asked her why, she said, “Clarity is the last thing you are clinging to and must let go of.”  

When Kavanaugh commented that she always seemed to have the clarity he longed for, she laughed and said, “I have never had clarity; what I have always had is trust.  So I will pray that you trust God.”

TRUST. That is God’s answer. And in that moment I realized just how beautiful and perfect that answer is. I realized exactly why He hadn’t given me the clarity I had so desired. Because of His enormous love for me and because it is the last thing I actually needed in that moment. Every deep, intimate relationship is rooted in Trust. Of course Love is at the core of the relationship but without trust you can’t have love. I realized God is about relationship. He is about love ultimately. He wants to go on the journey WITH me. 

In that moment a weight lifted. And I felt so much freedom because I didn’t feel the weight of having to “make the right decision” anymore. It made me realize God is all about the process exactly because that is the part that draws me closer to Him. And for the first time I was able to exhale and learn to simply enjoy the process and the experience of real life giving trust. I realized that clarity will come eventually but not without first walking the path of trust. Furthermore I realized that God doesn’t require that I always have perfect trust or perfect faith. All He asks is that I simply be faithful. And it is in that revelation that I have gained freedom. Freedom to love and live fully. Freedom in making trust the aim and enjoying the beautiful and sometimes even painful process it takes to get there. 

Mandy is a holistic health coach, educator, wife, mama, & outdoor enthusiast - passionate about holistic health and an approach to wellness that views food, clean living, spiritual health, relational health, and movement as medicine. You can find her in her free time paddle boarding Lake Tahoe or hiking a trail with her husband and son.

138 Comments

  1. Thank you for writing this! As someone who is almost a year into figuring out “how” to navigate this post-grad life, I found myself asking God that same question. But, like you found, it was so frustrating. Yet, everyday I’m learning that all He really asks of us is to step out in faith, let Him set the pace, and trust that He’ll steady the limb underneath our feet.

    Reply

      1. hey mandy, in what context did you write this? I mean, it’s very simple and good. what kind of clarity were you looking for?

        Reply

          1. Just reading this because I’ve been praying for the same thing. If you don’t mind me asking did it work out between you two?

          2. Hello Anonymous, thanks for writing in. 🙂 I’m not sure who you’re asking about, but I’ll attempt to answer. I wrote this blog post several years ago while searching for direction in a relationship with a past boyfriend, and I did make the decision to end that relationship. Which I am incredibly thankful for because it led to me meeting and marrying my now husband. 🙂

          3. Wow!! I kept looking back online to see your response. I have been going back and forth with a relationship and I had to switch from praying for clarity to praying for trust. After reading your blog it makes so much sense. To just trust God. To trust that whatever decision I will be happy and that I am being led. So, thank you so much for this blog and thank you for responding to my post😊

  4. Thank you for writing this. All I’ve been looking to God for over the past 2 years is a sign that I haven’t received. Instead, I’m gonna have faith that He won’t let me fall.

    Reply

  6. Perfect timing, perfect word, I too needed this reminder. Thank you for always seeking the “answers” in Jesus. You’re a freedom fighter my friend and a piller of truth and light… Like a little lighthouse you are:). Your vulnerability is stunning. Thank you again for your transparency. Love you.

    Reply

  7. Beautifully rendered, i must say. Hearing from God is a very big issue in our faith and as you rightly pointed out, it becomes frustrating when you are not getting the desired answers. As you said, trust is a central issue in our relationship with God. I will just like to add that God deals with each and everyone differently. He make speak to one in a certain way the the other in another way. We must pay attention to this. Personally speaking i have never heard “A Voice from heaven” or seen a strike of lighting or anything dramatic in my walk with God. I hear God speak to me in my thoughts. Another way God speaks to me is through His word. This usually happens when i go to His word with questions in my mind. So as children, i believe that discovering the way God speaks to us is critical. And again, there is no hard and fast rule. God is dynamic..

    Reply

    1. Completely agreed @seunstrueself. Thanks so much for pointing that out! He speaks to me also more in my thoughts or through His word. And that’s very true that He speaks to others in completely different ways. I suppose this is more meant to be an encouragement for those who assume He isn’t speaking simply because they don’t have clear direction now. Also to point out our role in it all, to seek trust before clarity. Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply

      1. Thank you very much for your transparency and openness in this article. I’ve been praying for about 1-2 years for job/relationship/church/dog guidance. Sincerely waiting……(Psalm 27:14) and open to obey. It blew my mind that God would not even guide me to a church! Looks like praying for “trust” is a common thread. (Perhaps all of our earthly fathers were deficient in the “trust” area — then that gets subconsciously planted onto God?)
        My unemployment ‘Succoth’ [KJV reference …. lol.]. Please say a prayer for me to “trust” God and get my life back on the road to success. I will right now — and encourage others also — to pray that you trust God and get positive answers [Eph. 3:20] re: your concerns.

        Reply

  8. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! for writing this. Last year was one of the most devastating year of my life. And in a conversation with some friends I had shared how urgent and imperative was for me that God would finally give me clarity on what to do, to what my friends replied: “How about if God doesn’t want to give you clarity, but, he wants you to step out in faith”. This post is so powerful, its all about trusting Him, his goodness and ability to care for us.

    Reply

  9. Ah. I come to my journey to God late. My father was an immigrant’s son who was probably a bit appalled by his parents. So religion was not on the menu and that was passed to me.The result is what I call a sort of spiritual laziness that involves distraction, anger, frustration…
    And a desire for clarity. A way to make decisions. A practical road map for what, after reading your wonderful post, is not a practical journey. Tying up the loose ends, crossing the “i’s and dotting the “t”s (pun intended) now seems an unworthy goal in a relationship with God. That’s what I hire an accountant for.
    One of the things that have happened to me lately now that my ears are open is that more conversations occur regarding issues in my spiritual life than ever before. Or at least I’m noticing them. Just yesterday I had a discussion with a woman who told me that she had discussed prayer with her son and he said, “Thank god for all the unanswered prayers” (I think it’s a song). What she meant was praying for the wrong thing is a waste of time and probably does the prayer more damage than good, something that a wise woman like Mother Theresa would know.
    So today I come upon this post. Until I read it I had been following the the “ask God for guidance” mode of prayer”. My wife does it. My friends do it. And now I see that the practical, “do I change jobs” or “should I move” kind of prayers might be missing the point. Why would we want to find out about those things in our relationship with God? It seems to be off the point.
    Thanks for this. I will be thinking and praying about trust. I am also in a difficult season in my life also which may result in my moving away with my wife from my current home. I now have to question whether there might be something in the conflict or even the possible move that God wants me to experience or learn.
    I guess maybe my prayers for clarity weren’t unanswered since in two days I got my butt kicked by two major revelations. Thanks. To say I needed to hear this is an understatement.

    Reply

    1. Thanks so much for sharing all that God is teaching you @fig000. It’s such an encouragement to hear. I wish you and your wife the best on your journey and as you grow in trust in your walk with God 🙂

      Reply

  11. I can relate very well with this…with 2014 starting in a way that will take me more than a page to describe. But on one of the mornings of my deepest anxiety and confusion, I found Psalm 139:16…’All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be’.Remembering this doesn’t make things perfect.But it does make it better. Anxiety is a terrible thing.To everyone in trying situations, remember the night is darkest just before dawn.

    Reply

  14. This is such a wonderful, well-written, and relevant piece. Thank you for sharing and allowing myself and others to be blessed by this revelation.

    Reply

  15. Wonderful text.

    I believe that we, sometimes, complicate the simple things. I believe that God gave us a life where we must decide, learn, make mistakes and grow. Not a super spiritual life where God tells us about every tiny detail of what we have to do.

    Anyway…

    Sorry for the grammar mistakes, and thanks for the inspiring text.

    Reply

  18. Always the message appears when I need it most. Couldn’t be more clear. I ask for clarity and this article appeared in my news feed. Okay, God. You have my attention.

    Reply

  19. Sometimes, clarity may take time for an answer. If what we are asking for, or watching for, does not take place promptly, we may sometimes incorrectly assume it means God’s answer is “NO”, or that he doesn’t have time to hear. My dearly departed Neva wrote a poem worth my thought.

    In His own time, in His own time,
    He took the fabrics of my prayers and made them rhyme.
    In His own time, in His own time,
    What I took for “NO” became a “YES” in His own time.

    God bless your journey.

    Reply

  20. As another person on the comments was saying that the night is darkest before the dawn. But what if it is true that maybe some of us have been dealt a set of cards in life which we’re just not able to take anymore. Been holding on and playing it for a good part of my life. If you’re at your lowest, it can only go uphill right? Wrong… Still stuck in the valley… still waiting for it all to be worth it. But slowly losing faith…… a parent would want to reduce their child’s pain as much as they can…. But if God really loved us… why do i feel so helpless and in the dark… For a good portion of my life.

    Reply

    1. I won’t say I know how you feel…Because I probably don’t. But I know a few things. One, God will never let you go through more than you can handle. That was made clear in 1 Corinthians. I mean no flattery but if you are going through something so tough it is clear evidence you are very strong because God has always known you were strong enough to handle it and I’m sure he hopes you don’t give up on it. You are probably going through something that some of the rest of us will probably break under and you’re still standing. Why you instead of us? Probably because God knew you had the strength for it while some of us don’t. About whether or not he loves us to allow such happen-HE does. Why does He allow it? The Bible said it develops perseverance in us. Is that the best way for Him to increase our perseverance? Well I don’t know. But He’s perfect and we’re not so He definitely knows better. I hope you are able to read this message. It’s tough. ..maybe more than I can think. But God is still on your side for All things work together for good for them that love Him.
      Be strong

      Reply

      1. That was a wonderful answer thank you @less-talk I’ve been going thru alot of confusion myself but each morning when i get up I thank him for allowing my to get thru another day no matter how long ive been stuck i never gave up on my faith and i never will because i know this will come to pass

        Reply

    2. Hey @Anon. Thanks for sharing and being so honest. All I can say is look towards the life of Christ. Can I suggest that God never promises that you will get your answer and your prize in this life? Jesus didn’t…neither did the apostle paul and many other stories of people of faith in scripture. :/ My prayer for you is that you would. What God does promise you is that it will be worth it eternally. Perhaps the “dawn” as you mentioned in the quote for many Christians who have vowed a life of service to Christ is eternity.

      I can promise you, you are not alone. There are millions of Christians across the globe for whom every day is a trial and battle of faith and the will power. I think it is hi-lighted in America because it is a nation of comfort and is so easy to compare our lives with others around us who seem to have so much comfort, solidarity, and clarity. I can’t say I know what you are experiencing or going through right now but I can speak from what I’ve experienced. There have been 1 time in my life that seemed to be unending that I can look book on that seemed nearly unbearable. I was asking for answers and began losing faith. In that time I was reminded of the story of the apostle paul. One of my favorite passages that He wrote while is prison is this, “But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him…One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:7-14

      I wish I could tell you that your “dawn” is just around the corner but I can’t. It might be. But that is never a promise in this life. That quote, “it’s always darkest before the dawn” I suppose is just more of a great quote and a great thought than it is actual truth. I will pray for you that you would have faith in God like you have never experienced before. And that through the experience you would be shaped and formed into a man(?) with unwavering trust and strength whether it is darkness or dawn.

      I’ll end with one of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis, “If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.”

      Reply

  21. Without clarity and emptiness of thought or understanding we will not know, realize, or understand the will of God. If we can’t experientially know and understand the will of God, how are we to accomplish that will? It is why James tell us to ask for wisdom and explains how:

    James 1:5-8
    5 If any of you is deficient in wisdom, let him ask of [a]the giving God [Who gives] to everyone liberally and ungrudgingly, without reproaching or faultfinding, and it will be given him.
    6 Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering (no hesitating, no doubting). For the one who wavers (hesitates, doubts) is like the billowing surge out at sea that is blown hither and thither and tossed by the wind.
    7 For truly, let not such a person imagine that he will receive anything [he asks for] from the Lord,
    8 [For being as he is] a man of two minds (hesitating, dubious, irresolute), [he is] unstable and unreliable and uncertain about everything [he thinks, feels, decides].

    We can have the mind of Christ and hold His thoughts, feelings, and purposes! If you don’t know how to do that our have never been taught how, the abide project can disciple you in this way.
    1 Corinthians 2:16
    For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart.

    Christ knew everything His Father had to say, His Father was not silent.
    John 15:15b
    “…I have made known to you everything that I have heard from My Father. [I have revealed to you everything that I have learned from Him.]”

    He did not know those things in the capacity of God, he set His divinity aside, which means He knew those things as a Spirit filled man, the same state in which we reside.
    Philippians 2:5-7
    5 Let this same attitude and purpose and [humble] mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus: [Let Him be your example in humility:]
    6 Who, although being essentially one with God and in the form of God [[a]possessing the fullness of the attributes which make God God], did not [b]think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped [c]or retained,
    7 But stripped Himself [of all privileges and [d]rightful dignity], so as to assume the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became like men and was born a human being.

    It is right to trust Him, but we can and should also expect that we can know everything God has for usin His will. The abide project can help disciple you in this activity of knowing the heart, thoughts, and feelings of our Abba Father.

    Reply

    1. Hi @msacbury!
      Thanks for writing and sharing your thoughts and wisdom. Really great stuff. I actually agree. It’s a good addition to this discussion. Thanks also for sharing the scriptures. I think perhaps you missed an important point I made at the end when I said, “I realized that clarity will come eventually but not without first walking the path of trust.” I was most definitely not saying that God won’t or doesn’t want to give us clarity. He most definitely does! 🙂 I know 100% that God brings wisdom and understanding to those who seek Him as you pointed out. I was merely saying that we should pursue a life of trust and faithfulness above pursuing clarity because clarity comes through the path of trust and all in God’s time and way. Just as we see in the passage you shared, James 1:6. God desires to give us wisdom liberally…”Only it must be in faith that he asks with no wavering…” God is a personal God so He longs for us to lean on Him and not on our own doing or understanding,
      Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all of your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight.”

      I’m not trying to pretend like I have it all figured out. I hope it didn’t come of as that. All I can do is speak from what He has shown me in my short 30 years of life. I think we’re saying very similar things. I’m just pointing out my personal experience of how I always sought God first for clarity instead of first learning to be faithful and trust. It’s been a joy gaining wisdom and understanding through the process of trust.

      Thanks for sharing! And God bless!

      Reply
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  23. Hi! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! This is a question I’ve been asking myself a lot this past year. During grad school my plans for the future completely fell apart and I had no choice but to trust God. One of the most encouraging things I learned is that God gives us enough for each day (our daily bread, if you will). As the Israelites were in the desert, God gave them enough manna for the day. Manna, in Hebrew, means “what is it?” I found myself asking God that question a lot. He’d show me something and my response, “What is it?” That daily manna was a couple more footsteps God laid out for me to follow. As I look back, I can see that those footprints were wending a way to where I am now, about to begin a job teaching. If God had never changed my plans, I wouldn’t have found teaching. Learning to trust God is so difficult, but it makes the journey so worth it when you finally reach the end (or maybe midway point would be more accurate?). Thanks again!

    Reply

    1. Wow. I never knew that @Chris. Just looked it up. You’re right! I love that. Such a cool analogy. I’ve never thought about it that way. Thanks so much for sharing! And I wish you the best at your new teaching job!

      Reply
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  27. Love this post. Can’t tell you how many times I have received that same word “Trust” when praying for direction. Love reading the comments too. Thank you.

    Reply

  29. Thank you! This is just what I needed to hear. This phrase really stuck out to me – “he was seeking a clear answer as to how best to spend the rest of his life.”. Maybe it’s not about ” the rest of our life”, maybe it’s about this day, or even the next step. We don’t want it this way – our culture fights this whole concept – but, how much happier would we be if we didn’t worry about the rest of our life and gave it all to God?

    Reply

  30. This is a great post. So many are stuck in place ‘waiting’ to hear God’s direction and will for their lives. And this is a beautiful reply. Trust Him and move forward. Thanks for this reminder.

    Reply

  31. This is a very thought provoking piece. I enjoyed reading it and I agree with you, trust is the key. I think the following example will illustrate it best. In the garden, God wanted trust and man wanted clarity. Well look where that got us!

    Reply

  36. Check out “Just Do Something…” by Kevin DeYoung. It’s really helped me as I’m getting close to graduating college

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  41. Thank you, it has been a difficult few months and I only recently changed my prayers from “help me, show me, tell me” to “thy will be done”.

    Reply

  44. Reblogged this on Hope Surrendered and commented:
    I am “re-blogging” this post today, because it is EXACTLY the mindset I’ve been striving for in 2014. My Year of Trust (see http://hopesurrendered.com/2014/01/09/finding-hope-in-the-year-of-trust/ ) verse is Romans 15:13. Learning to TRUST in His promises, in His Word and in Him provides us with a sense of clarity which is far more valuable than just seeing where one needs to go on their journey through life.

    I hope you enjoy this one!

    Reply
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  52. Thanks! This is exactly what I was looking for. I am/was also looking for clarity regarding a long term relationship. I will have to follow my gut and trust that God will put the “right” person in my life.

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  59. This has definitely been one of the best post I have read in a long time. may God bless you for sharing this. I have had issues with asking God for a definite answer concerning my life partner and I realized that even after fasting and praying, He did not give me the answer I thought I needed. Now in all truth, I have discovered that it has been about me trusting God to give me His will. “trust” that great feeling in every lasting relationship. Now I go around like a child all joyful and unbothered because I know for a definite my Father is able to do exceedingly above all I could ever ask for according to His great might. I just love the Lord and I thank God for kindred spirits like you.

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  60. Pingback: The day I stopped asking God for “Clarity” | mypaperaeroplanedream

  62. Thank you for this and to all the people have shared via comments. Just like you Adeola, I’ve been praying to God for a definite answer concerning my life partner and I am yet to get the answer I think I need. While searching for prayers on guidance and clarity, I stumbled on this. As I continue to wait on him, I have decided to lay it all on him and trust completely that only his perfect will shall be done.

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  64. I simply can not tell you how much I needed to hear (read) this. A friend included the link to this on her facebook and I felt like I needed to read it. I am currently teaching and living in The UAE with my wife and daughter. I have been praying for the last 6 months for clarity from God to show me if we should be staying here or going back to the United States. I am overwhelmed with fear, anxiety, sadness, and depression at times. Trust in God is something I have not been practicing. Thank you for writing this.

    Reply

    1. Wow. Thanks so much for sharing @Scott. I am so glad to hear that this article could be an encouragement to you. I will pray right now for continued strength and trust for you in your current situation. God Bless!

      Reply
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  67. If you don’t mind my asking, what ended up happening with that relationship? I have a feeling of what you’re going to say, but I’ll wait for your reply. I don’t want to be judgmental.

    I am currently experiencing something similar. I am afraid to trust God because of what He might show me and tell me. While I can say that He has indeed shown me things and spoken to me regarding my situation, I’m still quite skeptical of His intentions.

    I know He speaks to all of His children in a myriad of ways so that we’ll understand. Regarding my current situation, I’ve personally heard things audibly, He’s had me remember things, I’ve had people send me an email about something out of the clear blue sky that confirmed an idea/thought or “Word” I thought I heard from the Holy Spirit, I’ve had one woman warn me not to do something, then the next day it was confirmed why I shouldn’t do it. But, I’m still so skeptical and afraid. Sometimes it feels like “Well, God couldn’t have possibly been that clear. That just would make too much sense. Must not have been Him then”, and I go about my business being fearful.i guess it’s ironic that I’ve prayed for clarity, received it but then assume it was too clear. I’m a silly humsn.

    I don’t want to be so starved for signs that I don’t consider trusting Him. Trust SHOULD be the main objective. I don’t want a bait and switch: God gets me one way then flips everything around and has me doing another thing. Maybe that’s not how he operates. I’m just so scared. . . Please pray for me. . .

    Reply

    1. Hello Kies, thanks for sharing your story and for being so open and honest. To answer your question regarding what happened with that relationship, I ended up breaking things off with my boyfriend. As I mentioned in the article, God didn’t give me any blatant or obvious signs in the choice I was supposed to make but He did give me peace in my spirit in one direction so I stepped out in trust. And quite honestly it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I can look back on that relationship now with great respect for my previous boyfriend but also the acknowledgement that we weren’t meant for each other. This is definitely a situation where clarity came after first stepping out in trust.

      And regarding your situation, it definitely sounds like God is providing you with pretty clear direction. I’ll pray that you will continue to grow in your ability to trust Him in those situations but also when the answers aren’t so clear. I wish you the best! And I will pray for you right now. God Bless!

      Reply

  69. When I came across this post..it was like speaking to me. I am currently in a very confusing situation on love and career. I asked God for clarity and discernment. One moment there were things that lead me to a decision but another moment thing will make me think otherwise which brings me more confusion. But when I clear my mind of thoughts and listen to inner voice which I believe comes from God, it was saying “Just trust me, I will never leave you.”

    Reply

  70. This article speaks to me right now. I’m in a relationship situation and I prayed for clarity and also came upon this article. I will definitely pray for trust in God. Thank you for sharing your experience it gives me great hope and sense of peace. keep me in prayer that I may trust in God always for all things. Thank you.

    Reply

  71. Hi Mandy. You wrote: “enjoy the process and the experience of real life giving trust.”

    The lack of punctuation makes this read two ways. Which did you intend?
    1. real, life-giving, trust? (trust that gives life)
    2. real-life, giving trust? (as in giving him our trust)

    The irony in this: I’m asking for clarity. hahaha
    It’s right to read it both ways because both are true. That is how trust works.
    Thank you so much for both writing and posting this! =D

    Reply

    1. Hey Sky! Thanks for writing in. What I meant was trust that gives life. ie “real, life-giving, trust” I hope that helps. 🙂 Thanks so much for your encouraging words. God Bless!

      Reply

  72. I am in tears. This has deeply blessed me. God led me to this article…. I have been fasting and praying and seeking him earnestly for a long time …. and I believe this brings a closure to my quest for clarity…. Thank you and God bless you. (And as I write this I hear the noise of the building gate close outside… ha)

    Reply

    1. Hey Mae, Wow! That’s pretty incredible. I am so glad to hear that God used this article to speak to you right where you are at. I will pray that He continues to give you strength as you trust and follow Him. Thanks so much for writing in and sharing your story. God Bless!

      Reply

  73. Thank you SO much for this!! It is EXACTLY what I needed and I praise God for using you (and google, lol) to get this message to me. It is exactly what I’m going through right now (big decision needing clarity to help me know which path to take). Over and over again He’s been giving me the answer and I have listened until NOW. Until your story matches mine exactly!! TRUST and FAITH are the two words that have been coming up over and over again in evening I read and everything I hear! He wasn’t ignoring me at all. I just wasn’t listening!

    Reply

    1. Twana, I am so sorry I am just now responding to this. But thanks so much for writing in! I am so glad to hear that this article was an encouragement and a guide for you. 🙂 I would love to hear an update if you have one on how everything turned out! Either way, take care and God Bless!

      Reply

  74. This is so true. If we really trusted him, we wouldn’t need clarity or specifics. We would know that he has it all worked out and will not leave us hanging. I trust God with my life, my job, to keep a roof over my head. I find that I do not trust him with my love life or lackthereof. I had been asking for clarity concerning som recurring dreams about a guy I met years ago. I’ve been so frustrated by not getting an answer because I’m afraid I’ll get hurt again or be alone for the rest of my life. I really wish I had never gotten to this place of distrust. I will seek prayer.

    Reply

    1. Alove, thanks so much for writing in and sharing a bit of your heart. I can absolutely relate! Before I met and married my husband, one of the hardest things for me to do was to trust God with my love story. But I can tell you now, looking back that is the best thing you can do. I will pray right now for you, for strength to trust. God sees you and your circumstance. Cling to him 🙂
      Much love!
      Mandy

      Reply

  76. Thank you so much Mandy for this encouraging piece. I am personally going through a phase whereby I needed clarity on where my relationship for 4 years is going , but that has changed , instead of clarity I will trust that God is in control😊

    Reply

    1. Tad, thanks so much for writing in!! I am so glad that this article resonated with you and even gave you some guidance in just learning how to trust God more deeply in this season. I will pray for you right now for strength to do that, and ultimately as you trust, He will give you peace in the way you need to go. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  77. Pingback: Life Update, Why I Stopped Asking God For Clarity, And Thoughts On Identity | Mandy Black

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