God, Please Tell Me What to Do! 7 Questions to Cure Indecision

Inside: Get a free printable guide with 7 revealing questions for your next step, so you can stop praying, “God, please tell me what to do!” on repeat while confusion and overwhelm nip at your heels.

I almost lost my faith over wanting God to tell me what to do, but not getting directions from Him that were as clear as the nose on my face.

Here’s what happened.

I needed to make a decision that would influence my life for years to come. So I prayed, “God, please tell me what to do,” and waited for Him to drop the answer into my spirit.

I didn’t feel a thing. So I prayed again, “Hey Lord, what should I do about this?” and waited for a sign.

Still nothing, so I went back to praying and waiting, praying and waiting…until I straight-up demanded a burning bush moment from God. Can’t get clearer than that, right?

But God still seemed silent. So I got mad at Him and decided to go my own way.

Worst. Decision. Ever.

It led me away from God and into years of heartache. All because I didn’t know the right way to find out what God wanted me to do.

Bonus: As a bonus for joining my weekly newsletter, get this free printable download—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity. It gives you 7 revealing questions to help conquer your confusion and know what to do now.

But First, Let’s Be Honest

Do you wanna know what’s ironic? The whole time I was begging, “God, please tell me what to do!” He’d already answered me.

Yep, even when I prayed for a burning bush—and got mad when I didn’t get one—I already knew way down deep what He wanted me to do.

But His answer didn’t include a roadmap and detailed plans for every step of the journey. Plus, I didn’t see how what God wanted me to do could lead to the outcome I wanted. And honestly, it looked a little weird and I was afraid people would judge me.

So I ignored what He’d put in my heart and kept begging, “Lord, what should I do?” while wondering why God wasn’t talking to me.

You see, the truth is, often when you’re asking God what to do, you already know the answer. But you tell yourself you don’t know because you’re scared to face what the answer will require of you—usually faith, trust, and courage.

Sounds crazy, right? I mean, why would you be trying to avoid feeling faith, trust, and courage? Those are great emotions!

Except, they’re also super uncomfortable emotions since they require you to go beyond who you are and what you believe is possible right now.

It’s why most people shy away from these emotions while telling themselves they’re living lives of faith, trust, and courage. And it’s why they abdicate their decision-making responsibility by waiting in vain for a miraculous answer from God.

It’s for sure why I kept asking, “Lord, what should I do??” on repeat and getting frustrated when no comfortable answer came.

And it’s likely why you’re feeling confused.

But great news! You can cut through your fog of fear and confusion, and know exactly what to do now.

How Can I Get God to Answer Me?

Sometimes, God will answer your prayer, “Lord, what should I do?” with an inner knowing. Sometimes, He’ll answer through wise mentors or friends. Or He may even answer by planting a new desire or dream in your heart.

But at other times, you’ll need to get super practical and discover the answer for yourself.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.
2 Timothy 1:7 (CSB)

At those times, you need quality questions to help you cut through the fear causing you to feel unsure, indecisive, and confused. Only then will you get to the answer for what to do next.

These expert questions are what any good Christian life coach would ask if they were coaching you in real time.

Whether you’re dealing with a relationship crisis, you’re at a career crossroads, or you’re wondering how to reach a big goal you’ve set for yourself, these questions will guide you to the answer you’re looking for.

A Word of Warning

You need to know two important things before I give you the 7 questions that will help you work through what to do now.

First, I can ask you quality questions all day long. But they’re useless unless you answer them. So don’t treat these questions like they’re rhetorical, because they’re not.

They’re meant to help you go deeper with yourself than you probably want to. Be brave and answer them honestly. Because the true value of these questions lies in the answers you allow yourself to explore.

Second, be kind to yourself as you face what you uncover.

Self-judgment, self-derision, self-pity, and meanness towards yourself have no place in this process. Indulging in them will only derail you and keep you stuck in indecision.

Instead, wrap yourself in the grace and love of Jesus as you explore what comes up when you answer these questions.

OK, now you’re ready to get the answer to your prayer, “God, please tell me what to do.” So let’s go.

7 Quality Questions to Help You Decide What to Do Now

When you find yourself confused about what to do now, it’s usually because you’re afraid of something. Unless you identify the fear, probe into what’s at its root, and process its implications, you’ll stay stuck in confusion.

As you ponder each of these questions, don’t fall back on the excuse of “I don’t know”. You do know; it’s just your fear trying to keep you confused and stuck.

Below, you can get this free printable guide to work through at your own pace as you get with God so He can tell you what to do.

Pre-Work: Braindump of the Situation

Start by journaling the situation that has you asking God to tell you what to do.

Get it all out of your head and onto paper where you can see your confusion and angst in black and white. Keep what you’ve journaled in mind as you answer the 7 questions that come next.

Question 1: What are you afraid of?

Fear is one of the biggest reasons why people stay stuck where they are, even though they’re dying to take the next step. So don’t bypass this question.

List every single thing that comes to mind, like fear of:

the unknown
failure
making the wrong choice
not being in control
other people’s judgment
feeling stupid
not being good enough
being alone

Be sure to call out the exact fear or fears standing in your way. Don’t just leave your answer at “fear.” You need to know the enemy you’re up against. And calling it by its name is your first step in winning the war against it.

Question 2: What if the thing you fear happens?

Now, choose one fear from your list above, and let’s dig into it. Don’t worry about choosing the wrong one. You can dig into the next one later.

Once you choose the fear you want to dismantle first, think through what it will mean to you and for you if the thing you fear happens.

I could tell you that your fear is unfounded and won’t happen but I won’t lie to you.

It could happen. But when you’ve already faced and felt the possibility of it, then the reality—if it should happen—loses its power over you.

Plus, by facing it now, you diminish some of its potential impact ahead of time.

The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity download — Get your FREE printable download to help conquer your confusion—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity.

Question 3: What do you gain by hanging onto this fear?

Again, don’t bypass this question. And don’t answer it with, “Yeah, she’s right. God hasn’t given me a spirit of fear and I have no reason to hang onto this one!”

You’re clinging to the fear because it’s serving a purpose in your life. It’s benefiting you somehow, even if it’s in a way you wouldn’t consciously choose.

For example, maybe your fear is keeping you safe in your comfort zone—which is called a comfort zone for a reason. Discomfort feels terrible!

Whatever your reason for clinging to this fear, get to the bottom of it so you can see the truth of what’s going on with you. Then you’ll be able to move beyond it.

Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns.
Psalm 139:23 (CSB)

Question 4: How do you feel about this?

Pinpoint how you feel about your reasons for hanging onto your fear.

Do you feel enlightened? Surprised? Curious? Do you feel embarrassed? Disappointed? Sad?

Whatever you feel when you look back over your notes from Question 3, write all of it.

But be warned: This is a prime spot for self-judgment to rear its ugly head.

Beat it back! Don’t let it get the upper hand. Or you won’t keep moving forward so you can decide what to do about your situation.

Question 5: Which is heavier right now—the fear keeping you stuck or the desire to take a step forward?

At this point, stop and check in to see which emotion has the upper hand.

Is the fear you’re dealing with bigger than your desire to decide and move forward? Or is your eagerness to take your next step bigger than the fear holding you back?

Be honest here, and don’t give a great-sounding answer. I’m not judging you and neither is God. Besides, He already knows the truth of what’s in your heart, even when you’re hiding it from yourself.

Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart.
Psalm 51:6 (AMPC)

Unless you tell yourself the truth, your prayer of, “God, please tell me what to do!” will be fruitless. You’ll stay stuck in confusion, wondering why God doesn’t talk to you, while your faith erodes bit by bit.

Question 6: If any decision you made was the perfect choice, what would you choose to do? Why?

This question can be a game-changer…if you answer it.

It requires you to look beyond your fear and allow your imagination to play in the land of possibilities.

Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.
Jeremiah 32:17 (ESV)

This question asks you to imagine that you can’t choose wrong. But don’t miss the second part of it.

Getting into the “why” of your answer to the first part will help you dive even deeper into what’s keeping you stuck and asking, “God, what should I do?”

Question 7: If you chose to, what one small step could you take towards making your perfect choice real?

This question helps bring what may seem impossible into the realm of possibility—even if only just to the edge of it.

As a high-achieving woman, you’ll probably be tempted to answer this question with a whole list of big things you could do to take a step toward the choice you want to make. But please avoid doing this.

Otherwise, you’ll find yourself mired in overwhelm fast, which will only dig you even deeper into your pit of confusion. All you’ll end up doing is giving yourself an excuse to stay stuck while you wait for God to zap you with a magic answer.

Instead, choose one small step you could take. Only one, and make it small so you don’t scare yourself even more than you’re already scared.

The Result: Your Decision

And now, it’s time to decide.

Looking back at your notes—and knowing, in most cases, you can always re-decide later—what decision are you going to make now?

My darling, don’t keep abdicating your decision-making responsibility to God. He’s given you everything you need to make a decision.

His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3 (CSB)

Staying stuck in confusion and fear is just as much a decision you make as choosing your next step is.

Get Your Free Printable Guide for What to Do Now

Sometimes when you’re praying, “God, please tell me what to do!” you can miss the answer right in front of you—especially when you’re scared or confused.

Use this printable guide to cut through your fear and confusion. So you can get to a decision about what to do now.

Get the free guide. You’ll get the printable guide and join my weekly newsletter. Just click here to get it and subscribe.
Print the guide and put it to work. Use the 7 coaching-style questions to help conquer your confusion and get some answers about what to do now.
Act on your decision. Keep your eyes focused on what you’ve decided and go after it.

Here’s a sneak peek of the free printable guide:

God, Please Tell Me What to Do: Your Next Steps

Looking back now, I can see the truth about why I asked God for a burning bush when I needed to know what I should do.

I was scared of the answer I knew He was giving me. Plus, I wanted certainty, since I thought it was the only way I could feel confident in whatever decision I made. I sure didn’t want to have to flex my faith and trust muscles.

Then when God didn’t tell me what to do in the way I wanted Him to, I stormed off in a huff. That was the first brick in the wall I built between Him and me. It would stay in place for decades to come, even as I prayed for a closer relationship with God.

But you don’t have to let how God chooses to answer your plea, “Lord, what should I do?” come between you and Him. He’s given you everything you need to find clarity so you can make a wise, godly decision. Grab your free printable guide to help you decide.

Once you make your decision, you’ll need to do 2 things:

Pray for and practice courage. It’s how you’ll act in spite of your fear.
Act. Love yourself and trust God enough to commit to and act on the decision you’ve made.

When you take this approach, you’ll look back and be glad about how you responded to the Lord’s answer when you prayed, “God, please tell me what to do.”

Before you go, get your FREE printable download to help conquer your confusion—The Essential Guide to Finding Clarity.

God, Please Tell Me What to Do! 7 Quality Questions to Cure Indecision