Anyone else out there telling themselves they are still praying about it? I don’t know what your ‘it” is, but you do. You know, maybe it’s about a huge change in your life like changing careers, moving to a new home, or pulling that trigger on retiring? If I’m honest with you, I’ve had more than a few changes that I’ve put in the I’m still praying about it file.

Often, we really are still praying about it. We’re waiting on God. We’re waiting for an open door. We’re waiting to know that we know that this is the best next step for us.
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​But sometimes…

Sometimes it’s easier to keep praying than to get moving. Sometimes there are sentences we use that sound like faithfulness but function like avoidance. Most of us don't know we are doing it.

​If that sounds familiar to you, then I want you to know that you’re not alone. We ALL have those things we say to ourselves with a fine line between faithfulness and having the courage to step out of the boat. Keep reading to discover four of the most common ones.

1. I’m still praying about it.

Praying about that change and waiting for an answer from God is good and right. But what happens when it’s easier to tell ourselves that we’re praying about it and really just avoiding making a decision. Our faith grows when we genuinely bring the decision to God. We are asking, listening, waiting for direction. We are staying in the conversation because the decision matters and we wants to honor God in it.

That’s different than hiding behind I’m still praying about it. It may be that you prayed about it three months ago or even last year. The praying has slowed. The sentence has stayed. It signals spiritual seriousness while deflecting follow-up. It buys you another month of not deciding.

Understanding the difference between the two can be challenging. When was the last time you actually prayed about it? Not thought about it. Not worried about it. Not turned it over in your head at 2 a.m. Prayed about it. If you need to think hard to remember, the sentence may be doing different work than you realize

Saying you’re praying about something and actually praying about it are two different things. Most of us have done both. The question is not whether you’ve used the sentence. The question is what it’s been carrying lately.


2. I just need more clarity first.

It’s wise to understand your next step before actually taking it. Needing clarity on direction, details, and what to expect is a part of every transition. Asking for clarity so you can make a wise decision is responsible.

On the flip side…

You may have been gathering information for months, sometimes years. You’ve read the books, taken the assessments, talked to friends, journaled the questions. It’s quite possible that more information is not what is missing. What you may be is missing is the willingness to trust God and act on what you know.

“I just need more clarity first” sounds like wisdom. But somewhere along the way, clarity stopped meaning enough understanding to take your next step and started meaning complete certainty that I cannot fail.

True confession? Clarity can come and we may still need to step into fear and do it anyway. Sometimes the clarity we are waiting for is information. And sometimes the clarity we are waiting for is a guarantee before we decide. Those are not the same.

3. I want to be sure it’s God and not me.

Every single one of us wants this for good reasons. We want to obey God and do what’s right. We worry that we are wrapping our desires into God’s plan. We want to follow His voice, not our own. This is faithfulness at its core, and it should not be dismissed.

On the other hand…

The sentence assumes that God’s voice and your voice are at odds. It assumes that God is almost playing hide-and-seek with us when it comes to his will. But God knit you together, shaped you, and wired you for His purposes. And quite frankly, He wants you to know Him and His next steps for you.

There is a difference between holding your desires loosely before God and assumingHe is always opposed to them. One is humility. The other is a quiet kind of control.

4. I don’t want to run ahead of God.

We’ve all seen it. That impetuous friend who leaps ahead, only to feel like she’s failing. Filled with regret, she back peddles to the places she started. Maybe you’ve seen what happens when people move on impulse and call it calling. You do not want to be that woman. You want to stay in step with God’s timing, not your own. This is wise, and it matters.

But what if…

“Running ahead of God” has become your default explanation for any forward motion. If you take a step and feel anxious afterward, you must have run ahead. If you take a step and it does not work out, you must have left God behind.

Before you know it, this sentence has stopped describing genuine impulsiveness and started describing any movement at all. Which means the only safe option is no movement. And no movement gets renamed as waiting on God.

Here is the quieter truth: discovering the difference between not wanting to run ahead of God out of obedience and feeling afraid of making the wrong move is challenging. I’ve been there and I see you. The game changer for me? I finally realized that feeling fear wasn’t always a sign to stop, but a sign to walk in faith, take one baby step, and trust God with the outcome.

There is good in these sentences. It is faithful to pray about a new next step, to desire more clarity before you move, or to not get ahead of God impetuously. It’s also good for us to contemplate whether these sentences have become an easy way to put off that next step that God is inviting us to take.

You don’t have to give up the sentence. You just have to know what you mean when you use it.

If you’re willing to share, I’d love to know which of these sentences you have used this week? And what were you really saying underneath it?”