I’ll be the first to say this: it’s hard not to know what’s next. It’s hard to be in a season that’s not what we expected and far from what we loved in previous ones. Because of this, we may find ourselves feeling stuck. It’s an interesting phenomenon that’s reminiscent of being stuck in traffic. You’re sitting in your car, tapping your fingers on the steering wheel to whatever song is playing on K-LOVE, and you can’t help but wonder how three minutes ago you were driving uninhibited at 70 miles per hour. And now, here you are—stuck, with nothing you can do about it.
I’ve experienced this feeling in my own life a few more times than I’d like. One of those times was last year. I quit a job I felt good at and left all my community to move 12 hours away with nothing waiting for me but a place to live. I had no idea what God had for me. I remember how stuck I felt those first two weeks as I waited to hear back from job applications. I knew this move was from God, but I didn’t know what was next.
Here are three things I did as I waited for direction from God.
1. Acknowledge your feelings to God.
When feeling stuck, it can be tempting to shove down all that’s occurring internally. We may feel discouraged if we’ve been praying for direction and open doors but haven’t seen any results. We may feel brokenhearted if we prayed for a different outcome to a job application or dating relationship. We may feel regret when we look back on what we were doing before compared with where we are now.
Through this time, resolve yourself to come before God and acknowledge these feelings to Him, just as the psalmist did in Psalm 42:4: “My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be; I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of great celebration!” (NLT, emphasis added). Here, thinking back on life before, the psalmist’s heart breaks and he expresses it to God. Later in this psalm, he talks about how he is “deeply discouraged.”
God knows what’s going on in our hearts. There is so much freedom when we release all our feelings to Him and invite Him into every moment.
2. Keep showing up—in prayer, in community, and in the Word.
You’ve probably heard it before, but there is a power in consistency that you won’t see until later. We don’t always see the fruit of our obedience to God or our prayers in the moment. Making the conscious choice to be transparent in community, connect to a small group, and attend church each week may not seem to make a huge difference. Waking up each day and reading through your Bible plan can feel mundane.
But we know this is transforming us. We see that “the Word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:8 NLT).
Our time in the Word, in prayer, and with community changes us by the power of the Holy Spirit. It helps us remember the truth about our circumstances and the God who walks with us through them.
3. Trust God with the things you don’t know.
When we remember God walks with us, we are empowered to trust God with what we don’t know. We will never know all the answers. We aren’t the ones in control—God is. And that is such a good thing.
We can trust God as a kind, loving, caring Father who sees what we are experiencing. He is all-knowing and all-wise, and He is working on our behalf to bring about His purpose in our lives. He has recorded every day and every step that we will take. We are reminded of this in Psalm 139:16: “Every day of my life was recorded in Your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed” (NLT). He is present and He is powerful. What a comfort to know that when we don’t know what will come next, God does. We can dare to trust God and dare to believe that He is working in ways beyond what we could imagine.
A Prayer for When You’re Feeling Stuck
Heavenly Father, I don’t see the end of the season I’m in. I don’t know how You’re going to work all this out. I don’t fully know what You have coming next for me, but I know what Your Word tells me. Lord, remind me that I can trust Your purpose and Your hand at work in my life. Remind me that even as I feel stuck, You’re still working. You are still with me. Increase my expectation for how You’re going to move and bring me peace as I wait for You. Amen.
