What's Next, Lord?

For a little while now I have felt that I have been in a holding pattern of sorts. About a year ago I felt the Lord saying, "Slow down. Here's the road I have for you. It's a slower pace, and you are going to have to trust Me on this!" He did answer a couple of HUGE prayers in my life by helping us see His plan for our daughter as far as school goes, and the start of the Special Needs ministry at the church. It has given me the chance to serve Him and those that I really have a heart for, but at a slower pace.

Now I am at a point of "What's Next?" I feel that He has given me a starting point, but I almost don't know which steps to take next. Sometimes it's easy to feel that He has brought me here and just sort of left me. Thing is... that's not His style (to just up and leave me) AND I can not (and do not) live this life based on feelings.

I was praying about this in the shower this morning (do you do that? Pray in the shower?) and I was asking the "What's Next, Lord?" questions and He whispered, "Not until you get in My Word will you know."

Huh?! I have my quiet time every day. I pray every day. And then it hit me... since school has been out I have also been sleeping in a little later. I HAVE had my time alone, but it has been with the TV in the other room in the background as I try to entertain my daughter so I can have some time with the Lord. Sometimes I have to "fight" for the time by stopping to answer a question or fix the TV just to pacify her so I can make it through.

I do not want to just "make it through" my time with the Lord. It needs to be a time where I sit at His feet and willingly listen and worship and pray. Not rushed. Not meeting a quota for the day. A time of resting in Him. A time of hearing His direction and knowing His voice.

There was a time when I was trying to discern His direction not long ago and He brought me to a scripture today that I had prayed during that time. It's out of Philippians 1. Starting in verse 9...

"And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,
Phl 1:10
so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,
Phl 1:11
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ–to the glory and praise of God."

In order to hear His voice we have to fall in love with Him. His voice is intimate. His plan for me is only to be heard by me. In order to hear that still small voice I have to be willing to place Him as the priority and allow His insight to be given to me through His Word.

I don't know if you are struggling with "What's Next" but if you are will you join me? At the feet of the Father? Will you seek Him in your life the way that I need to seek Him in mine?

Lord, I thank you that you never leave me at the door step of "What's Next?" You are here waiting on me to discover, through Your Word, what You have planned. You will not allow me to move ahead without You! To be honest, Lord, I don't want to move ahead without You! I DO love you , Jesus, but I have so much that I need to surrender to Your will. Forgive me for holding on to it for so long. Help me to listen and be reminded of Your love each morning as I spend time in Your word. Lord, wake me up and help me to be committed to my time with You.. without distractions. Amen.