Avoid Regrets – Pray Before Taking Action

I’ve love to say my usual response is the latter but that wouldn’t be totally true. All too often I’ve rushed forward only to regret not seeking God first. In one case, impulsivity nearly resulted in marrying a guy who would have been the worst possible life partner for me.

Wait a minute, Saul

King Saul did the same thing within the context of going to war. 1 Samuel 14 tells of a battle between the Israelites and the Philistines. As the day draws to a close, Saul isn’t ready to quit.

“Let’s chase the Philistines all night and plunder them until sunrise. Let’s destroy every last one of them,” he says. His men reply, “We’ll do whatever you think is best.”

Here’s the part that grabs my attention:

“But the priest said, ‘Let’s ask God first’” (1 Samuel 14:36).

Great advice

Yeah for the priest! His words are loaded with wisdom for those of us who tend towards being impulsive and doing whatever we think is best, especially when our emotions are involved. They tell us to slow down. To pray first and act later. To do things God’s way rather than doing whatever makes the most sense in the moment.

Granted, sometimes the necessity for split-second decisions doesn’t give us the luxury of spending hours or days in prayer. When that happens, a basic “Help, God!” works well. We can trust the Lord to guide us at all times when our hearts are in tune with Him on a consistent basis.

Taking that advice to heart

We can apply the priest’s counsel to every aspect of our lives. For instance…

Next time you’re faced with a decision, take the priest’s advice to heart. You might be tempted to do whatever seems best in the moment, but ask God first. He’ll guide you in the way you should go.