When God Gives Invitations Instead of Answers

Hey, my friend. Can we name something that feels really hard sometimes?

When you’re desperately asking God for clarity… and instead of giving you a clean yes or no, He offers you something that feels a whole lot messier.

Not an answer, but an invitation.

I think we all know that tension. You’re praying for direction—Lord, just tell me what to do. And instead, you sense Him nudging you toward trust. Or stillness. Or surrender. Or showing up in a way that feels small and unimpressive.

And if you’re anything like me, that can be frustrating.

Because answers feel efficient and powerful. Invitations feel so incredibly slow.

I know I’ve felt that way these past few months as I seek God’s guidance about my work here at Love Does That. I want clear-cut answers, yet so often He simply invites me to trust Him, to take one step at a time.

But here’s what I’ve been learning: God’s invitations are rarely about the situation itself. They’re more often about the formation of our hearts.

Invitations like:

• “Come sit with Me.”
• “Bring Me that fear.”
• “Stay close.”
• “Take one tiny step.”
• “Let Me hold this with you.”

They’re softer than answers. Less defined. But they pull us nearer to Him.

Okay, I have kind of a tough-love question for you. Are you ready? When you ask God for answers, what are you really hoping for?

Relief?
Certainty?
A break from the pressure of choosing?
A guarantee that you won’t mess things up?

Those desires aren’t wrong. They’re natural. But sometimes God knows that giving you an immediate answer would shortcut the deeper work He’s doing in you—the trust He’s building, the peace He’s growing, the dependence you’re learning.

So instead of telling you exactly what to do, He invites you into relationship. Because being led with Him changes you more than being told by Him. Have you experienced that?

Journal Prompt

So here’s your journal prompt for this week: What invitation might God be offering you in the place where you’re craving clarity?

And if you ever want help discerning God’s voice in your journaling, that’s exactly what we do inside Journal Gently. You can learn more at lovedoesthat.org/journalgently.

Friend, God isn’t withholding answers to frustrate you. He’s forming you through the invitations He gives. He loves you so much that He wants a relationship with you. The question is, do you want a relationship with Him, too?

Psalm 27:8 is one of my favorite verses. It says, “My heart has heard you say, ‘Come and talk with me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming’” (NLT). God wants you to talk with Him. So go, draw near, and see what He has to say to you today.

RELATED EPISODES:

• Episode 187: Clarity Comes with Action
• Episode 184: Could This Be Why You’re Not Hearing from God?
• Episode 181: Does An Open Door Mean God Approves?

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