How to pray for clarity in your path
Especially when you have no idea what to do next
“Clarity is reasonable.”
There is an organization that digs through the web pages, sermons, graphics, social media posts, etc. of churches to create a composite of their theological points.
In certain areas there are a plethora of churches who don’t have a defined stance that is made public.
This organization, called Church Clarity, says it is because it is entirely reasonable for people to know what a church stands for before attending.
For some people, their stance on the eucharist (communion) is critical. For others, they want to know about their stance on LGBTQ+ issues.
But, no matter how you feel about those issues, they’re right.
Clarity is reasonable.
So when I started my own journey of figuring out what to do next, I wanted to find some clarity. Because I believed that it was reasonable for God to give me clarity on what is next.
To a point.
We don’t need to know what we are eating tomorrow or what exact date that big promotion is coming…but we do deserve to know the direction we are going, we deserve to know which path God is planting us on.
And praying for that clarity is both bold and humble.
It takes a balance of being able to say, “Father, I know nothing about what is coming, but I need to know which direction you are taking me.”
We don’t need the nitty-gritty details, but we need to know our direction.
Because it is reasonable to ask God, “Which direction do I go next?”
Ultimately, The Lord’s Prayer teaches us to pray, “May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” but we are also taught to pray, “May your kingdom come soon” and that part of The Lord’s Prayer means we play a part in helping God accomplish God’s will on earth, bringing about the Kingdom.
And understanding the direction we are going only benefits both us and God in order to better serve the Kingdom.
So pray boldly and humbly for clarity.
My prayer for today
Our Father, thank you for your patience as we pray boldly. Jesus, continue to point us in the direction you have for us. Spirit, give us peace when clarity doesn’t feel like enough to keep us going. Amen.
Remember
God is totally Other, but that doesn’t negate God’s desire for us to be a part of the coming Kingdom. So we should pray expectantly while still praying reverently.
But it’s better to pray too boldly than let our prayers be simple lip service!