Pause To Pray And Then Proceed

My hair loss had taken a turn for the worse and I was in was in need of something—fast. The beautician told me it was medical glue and the hairpiece would look natural. The price was ridiculous but she began to ramble off a list of names of celebrities whose stylists used said “medical” glue to get them picture ready. I was desperate and gullible—a bad combination. After the consultation, I went home and asked begged my husband to let me get it. On credit that is, because we did not have that amount of cash lying around. Not once did I consider praying about it. As far as I was concerned, it was clear that this was a godsend.

Seeing my panic and desperation, my husband agreed to let me put this SUPER EXPENSIVE hairpiece on credit. Within a few weeks, the medical glue began to produce unmedical results. I broke out with sores on my scalp because of an allergic reaction to the glue and had to have the hairpiece removed. She offered no refund. I was left with a head full of sores and a very expensive lesson on the detriment of not pausing to pray before proceeding.

Admittedly, I have jumped headfirst into many decisions that seemed like a good idea. I am learning and, by the grace of God, I don’t want to continue to make the same mistakes. I find it dizzying going around the same mountain. This week, another test came. I learned of an opportunity to grow in my gift as a writer. The program is legitimate. I read article after article and watched numerous videos of testimonials on the success of the program. I wanted in! The class had a large price tag attached to it, and rightfully so, it is an EXCELLENT class. We are actively trying to get out of debt and be good stewards of our finances, so putting this class on a credit card was not an option.

I mentioned the opportunity to my husband and, this time around, we paused and prayed before proceeding. I inquired via email about scholarships and different payment plans; all requests were denied. On one hand, I was disappointed because I really wanted to take the class. On the other, I was also encouraged (I participated in the teacher’s free webinar which was excellent) because I knew that I had made the right decision and passed the test.

This principle of pausing to pray before we proceed with making decisions is echoed in Proverbs 3:5-6. This passage tells us that we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart, and not to lean on our own understanding. We are to acknowledge God in all that we do and allow Him to direct our path. Too many times we don’t stop to consult God before making decisions and inevitably we end up bumping our heads.

What major decisions are before you? No matter how good the opportunity may look, I encourage you to pause to pray. Allow the Lord to direct your path, and once He responds, then you can proceed in faith! Are you quick to make decisions without first consulting the Lord? Leave me a comment, I would love to hear from you.

Anika Jones

About the Author

Anika Jones

Anika Jones is a speaker and author of the book Lessons Learned Along The Way: A 40 Day Devotional. She blogs about faith and family at LivingForLater.com and posts weekly videos on her YouTube channels, Living For Later (@livingforlater) and Living Life Now (@livinglifenow). Anika loves speaking about developing intimacy with God and understanding who we are in Christ. She serves alongside her husband in ministry. They live in Illinois with their 6 children.