Proverbs 3:6In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths
Have you found yourself feeling lost or with a sense of no direction or lack of peace? Proverbs 3:6 tells us to acknowledge God in ALL our ways, and He will direct our paths. If we want God to direct our steps, we need to learn how to continue to be mindful and acknowledge Him even in the middle of living. In the midst of distractions, work, family, issues, etc.What is the first thing that comes to mind when you read “Acknowledge God in ALL your ways”?
To acknowledge means to recognize the importance or existence thereof. Acknowledging God can be as simple as a one sentence prayer throughout your day, “Thank you Jesus”, “Lord, please help me God”, “Guide me Lord”, etc.
We can acknowledge God in our decision making, from basic things to big things. By studying His Word and praying to understand what it is He is telling us specifically. Then when we believe He’s spoken and is directing us, we need to actually do it.
Having a grateful and thankful attitude is another way of acknowledging Him. I have found that one thing that helps me is being mindful and intentional at all times (as much as it’s humanly possible).
By that I mean thanking Him first thing in the morning. Some days my prayers are lengthier and more joyful than others, but I still manage to acknowledge Him. I also imagine not having the things that I already have (and a lot of times complain about [material, family, work, etc.] ), and that helps me put things in perspective. I realize that things could be worse or that I could actually have none of those things and desire them.
A small group of us try to meet a few minutes every morning via zoom to pray. After that, I play a sermon in the background as I get ready for my day and take it with me on the road to work.
That’s all good, but then my day actually starts and distractions, work, emails, people, etc. happen and my acknowledgement tends to take a back seat. I will touch on this in a later blog but the bible says to let the peace of God rule in our hearts (Colossians 3:15). When I’m not in His will, I’m not at peace. It makes me uncomfortable.
Because of that, I often find myself putting my feelings aside and doing things out of obedience that I don’t necessarily want to do. I’ve learned that (at least in my life), disobedience always leads to not only lack of peace but also a delay in something I am praying for. In the end, God always gets His way for He is not mocked (Galatians 6:7).
I don’t want to make this sound easy. It’s very hard and I don’t always get it right. If I were keeping scores, I would probably have less points on the acknowledging side of the board. However, the more I grow, the more I make a conscious effort to be more like Him, the more I can see Him guiding and directing my steps.
What about you, in how many ways do you acknowledge God throughout your day? What are some of your practical ways of doing this?
My prayer is that if we haven’t done so, we pray and ask Him to help us continue to grow in Him, shape and mold us into what He actually created us to be.
May we learn how to acknowledge Him in all our ways, that He may direct our steps.
Be encouraged!
Proverbs 16:3
Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
