8 Helpful Verses for When You Don't Know What to Do

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you” (James 1:5).

Wisdom isn’t held back or reserved for the elite. It’s given to those who ask for it. Like with King Solomon, our Father is always willing to grant wisdom to those who earnestly seek it. So go ahead and let God in on those big questions that are filling your heart. Let Him speak into the things that cause your heart to waffle back and forth. He’s got some answers and He’s not holding back the truth unless we are holding back from asking Him.

2. A Verse to Trust

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

It’s difficult in a culture like we are living in to know who we can truly trust. Do we listen to what we read and hear? How do we know what is true? It’s a struggle that has never been more difficult because of the expansive amount of information we have access to. But we have one person who promises to guide and direct our hearts toward trust and toward the right path of life. Not only does God offer wisdom, but He also offers direction in a directionally challenged culture.

For more encouraging verses on trusting God, click here.

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“And to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you” (1 Thessalonians 4:11).

In seasons like we are in right now, it can be so easy to jump on a bandwagon and rally behind others. What if we each did exactly what God prompted our individual hearts to do? If we all carried the weight of the Gospel to the people in our sphere of influence and worked to lead others with love and grace and mercy, how different our culture might look. We can do a better job in moments that we don’t know what to do by simply doing the work God has called each of us to do. It might be reaching out to a neighbor, being kind in the car pickup line, listening to a loved one share their heart about days gone by, or feeding the ones who might not get dinner tonight. Whatever it is that God is prompting you to do, do it.

4. A Verse for Perseverance

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).

There is a harvest coming soon. We might not be able to see it, but don’t let that make you quit. Even if you are not sure which way to turn right now or you are not positive what God is telling you, you can surrender your heart right now in this moment and God promises He hears when His children call. His direction and instruction isn’t fluttering in the wind waiting for us to find it. It’s in the Bible. It’s found in daily dedicating our hearts to His glory. Cling to that hope even when you don’t know what to do next.

For more Bible verses about not giving up, click here.

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“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

I love the feeling of a completed project. Sometimes everything feels undone and incomplete. Maybe you feel it too. There is sweet assurance we find in God’s Word that gives us the motivation to keep on keeping on. If you are feeling less than confident because things don’t seem complete or projects are not getting done, remember where your confidence comes from. When we don’t know how things are going to work out, we do know where to turn. 

6. A Verse for Hope

“Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:23-24).

Hope is one of those words we use a lot in Christian circles. It’s kind of the one thing we all hold to as we wait to see what will happen next. We expect God to answer and work things out for our good. But on the other hand, we know there will be trials and struggles along the way. When those roadblocks come and you find yourself asking, “What should I do now?” Keep doing what you know to do. Keep encouraging others that God is absolutely faithful. He already knows what is going to happen, so keep holding onto to hope.

For more Bible verses about hope, click here.

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“I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth” (Psalm 34:1).

There is never a wrong time to honor God. Even now in moments when we cannot see the future and we don’t know exactly what to do, bless the Lord. Give Him praise! Lift him up! As we lift Him up, His glory is known and seen. We experience God as much as we want to experience Him. When we don’t know what to do next, praising God is always a good idea. 

8. A Verse to Taste and See

“Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him” (Psalm 34:8).

When we choose to praise God, the Bible says, “Taste and see.” I love that the psalmist uses the senses to describe what it is like to experience God. It’s a metaphor, yet a realistic description of what it is like to be in tune with God. It’s a satisfying feeling, as if we can taste it. It’s a clarity as if we can see God at work. When we don’t know what to do and we choose to praise Him, we get the gift of tasting and seeing Him. Try it for yourself. Praise God in the way you know how. Try singing, or listening to a worship song, or maybe lifting your voice in a prayer of praise. However you do it doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you choose praise even when you feel powerless over what to do next. 

Whatever you are walking through right now will not be the last time you wrestle with the question, “What do I do next?” It’s a constant question that comes up over and over again. With these verses we have a good place to begin as we seek to move forward in faith even when we aren’t sure exactly what to do.

For more verses about worship, click here.

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