What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
Maybe you need to make a decision and you don’t know which way to go. You’re asking God for direction, but you still don’t have the answer. Maybe you can’t stop overthinking what might happen, fear keeps taking over, or you’re waiting on God and wondering why nothing seems to be changing.
When we don’t know what to do, our first instinct is often to look everywhere for an answer.
We Google it.
We ChatGPT it.
We text our friends.
We ask everyone what they think.
We replay every possible outcome in our minds.
But what if, before all of that, we learned to go to God first?
Matthew 6:33 says:
“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
That word first matters.
Going to God first doesn’t mean you can’t seek wise counsel, talk to a doctor or counselor, or ask someone you trust for advice. God uses people.
It’s about order.
Before everyone else’s voice gets louder than His, stop and ask:
God, what do You say?
In this episode of Go to God First, I’m sharing practical biblical steps for what to do when you need wisdom, when your mind won’t stop circling, when fear is talking, when you know what to do but don’t feel like doing it, and when you’re waiting on God for an answer.
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When You Don’t Know What to Do, Ask God for Wisdom
James 1:5 tells us that if we lack wisdom, we should ask God.
I love how simple that is.
You need wisdom?
Ask God.
But sometimes we pray for wisdom and then immediately go right back to trying to figure everything out ourselves.
When I need God’s direction, these are some of the questions I come back to:
What do I actually know to be true?
What am I assuming?
What is fear telling me?
What does God’s Word say?
What is God asking me to do next?
That last question is important.
We often want God to show us the entire plan when He may be showing us only the next step.
Proverbs 3:5–6 reminds us to trust in the Lord rather than leaning on our own understanding and to acknowledge Him so He can direct our paths.
Sometimes the hardest part isn’t asking God for direction.
It’s trusting Him when He doesn’t give us the entire map.
Put It on the Altar
You can pray.
You can ask God for wisdom.
You can search His Word.
You can even know what your next step is.
And still want to control what happens next.
This is where something I’ve been practicing has helped me so much.
I call it putting it on the altar.
Throughout Scripture, the altar was a sacred place where people came before God to worship, sacrifice, and make offerings to Him.
When I say, “Put it on the altar,” I’m using that biblical picture to remind myself of complete surrender.
I actually picture myself laying the situation before God.
The fear.
The decision.
The person.
The timing.
The outcome I desperately want to control.
And then I picture myself walking away.
Not because I don’t care.
Not because I’m giving up.
But because I’ve given it to God.
I do whatever God is asking me to do, but I stop taking responsibility for the part that belongs to Him.
And when my mind tries to pick it back up?
I remind myself:
No. That’s God’s. It’s not mine to carry.
Surrender is not doing nothing.
It’s doing your part and trusting God with His.
Stop Circling the Same Mountain
Here’s what can happen even after we surrender something to God.
Our minds go right back to it.
Same thought.
Same conversation.
Same fear.
Same what-if.
In Deuteronomy 2:3, God tells His people that they have circled the mountain long enough now go north.
When I read that, I couldn’t help but think:
How many mountains do we keep circling in our minds?
And I don’t want to make changing the way we think sound easy.
If you’ve rehearsed the same fear or replayed the same situation repeatedly, your mind may go there almost automatically.
Taking a thought captive doesn’t necessarily mean you deal with it once and it never comes back.
Sometimes you have to take the same thought captive again and again.
Second Corinthians 10:5 tells us to take our thoughts captive and bring them into obedience to Christ.
So when you notice yourself circling again, ask:
Is this true?
Does this agree with God’s Word?
Am I trying to solve something God hasn’t asked me to solve?
You don’t have to believe everything you think just because you thought it.
Taking our thoughts captive is a practice.
And this is why knowing God’s Word matters so much.
You can’t replace a lie with truth if you don’t know the truth.
What to Do When Fear Takes Over
What if the thought you keep circling is fear?
What if something goes wrong?
What if this doesn’t work out?
What if the thing I’m afraid of actually happens?
Isaiah 41:10 reminds us not to fear because God is with us. He promises to strengthen us and help us.
Notice what God doesn’t say.
He doesn’t tell us not to fear because everything will happen exactly the way we want.
He points us back to His presence.
That changes everything.
My peace doesn’t have to come from knowing the outcome. My peace can come from knowing Who is with me in it.
Going to God first doesn’t mean pretending you aren’t afraid.
It means bringing what you feel under what you know to be true.
When You Know What to Do but Don’t Feel Like Doing It
Sometimes the problem isn’t that we don’t know what God is asking us to do.
We know.
We just don’t feel like doing it.
Maybe you need to forgive someone.
Maybe you need to take care of yourself.
Maybe God has already shown you the next step, but you’re waiting to feel ready before you take it.
This is something I’ve had to learn:
I cannot make my feelings the boss of my obedience.
Philippians 2:13 reminds us that God is at work in us, giving us both the desire and the ability to do what pleases Him.
You can bring your lack of motivation to God too.
“God, I don’t feel ready. I don’t feel motivated. But if this is what You’re asking me to do, work in me. Give me the desire and the strength to obey You.”
Sometimes we think we need more motivation.
Maybe we need to take the next obedient step with God.
Stop Asking God for Tomorrow’s Manna
And then there are seasons when you’ve done everything you know to do.
You’ve prayed.
You’ve obeyed.
You’ve taken the next step.
You’ve put it on the altar.
And now you’re waiting.
Waiting can make us obsessed with tomorrow.
In Exodus 16, God provided manna for the Israelites in the wilderness. He gave them what they needed for the day.
And I wonder:
How often are we asking God for tomorrow’s manna?
We want tomorrow’s answer.
Tomorrow’s certainty.
Tomorrow’s outcome.
Meanwhile, God has given us today.
His presence today.
His Word today.
His grace today.
The strength we need today.
How much of what God has given you today are you missing because your mind is somewhere in tomorrow?
Instead of continually asking, God, when is this going to happen? try asking:
God, how can I be faithful with what You’ve given me today?
You don’t have tomorrow yet.
But you have God today.
What Does It Really Mean to Go to God First?
Going to God first isn’t a slogan.
It’s a way of living.
It means when you need wisdom, you ask God.
When your mind starts circling, you take the thought captive and bring it back to truth.
When fear starts talking, you answer it with God’s Word.
When you’ve prayed and done what God asked you to do, you put it on the altar and stop picking it back up.
When you know what to do but don’t feel like doing it, you ask God to work in you and take the next obedient step.
And when you’re waiting, you stop demanding tomorrow’s manna and become faithful with what God has given you today.
So let me leave you with one question:
What are you carrying right now that you need to take to God first?
You don’t have to know everything.
You just need to know where to go.
In This Episode
- What to do when you don’t know what to do and need God’s direction
- How to ask God for wisdom and discern what He’s asking you to do next
- How to “put it on the altar,” surrender control, and trust God with the outcome
- How to stop overthinking, take your thoughts captive, and bring fear back to biblical truth
- How to obey God when you know what to do but don’t feel like doing it
- How to wait on God without worrying about tomorrow and be faithful with what He’s given you today
Scriptures mentioned: Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 11:6, Exodus 20:1–3, James 1:5, Proverbs 3:5–6, Deuteronomy 2:3, 1 Corinthians 2:16, 2 Corinthians 10:5, Isaiah 41:10, Philippians 2:13, Exodus 16, and Isaiah 66:1–2.
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Share This Episode
Do you know a woman who doesn’t know what to do, is overthinking a decision, struggling with fear, or waiting on God for an answer? Share this episode with her. Because when we don’t know what to do, we don’t have to know everything.
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Remember, whatever you’re facing, go to God first.
With so much love, God bless.
