When Not in Doubt, Pray Harder

I've often heard the expression, "When in doubt, pray." It makes sense. It's not customary to pray when we're not doubting, yet it's important that we do.

Something that illustrates this clearly is the story of Joshua and the leaders of Israel when they met the people of Gibeon. They listened, looked, and believed the evidence of their eyes only to find that they were deceived (Joshua 9:3-21). I can relate. I have lost count of how many times I have been deceived by my own logic and what I could see.

Not everything is as it seems. "The men of Israel looked them over and accepted the evidence. But they didn’t ask God about it. So Joshua made peace with them and formalized it with a covenant to guarantee their lives. The leaders of the congregation swore to it." (Joshua 9:14-15)

Joshua went against God's command concerning the inhabitants of the promised land when he entered into a covenant with the Gibeonites. One could expect God to be angry with him, yet God was merciful and this covenant with Gibeon led to one of the greatest miracles ever recorded. Joshua had to honor his covenant with Gibeon and fight against their enemies. This is when Joshua commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stay in its place. God heard, and acted accordingly. There has never been a day like this before or since. Moreover, God sent hail that killed more of the enemy than died in the battle (Joshua 10:9-15).

Our failures and hasty decisions don't have to be the end of the story when God is involved. He can redeem them, sometimes in dramatic ways we could never orchestrate ourselves. I have seen this many times in my own life.

I have, on numerous occasions, trusted in my own judgment and wisdom. I weighed all the evidence and carefully considered every angle only to find that I had been duped. Time and again, I suffered hurt, disappointment, and loss. More often than not, the losses negatively impacted my finances. Other times I pressed to get my own way and in the end found that I had grabbed handfuls of air. I had nothing but disappointment to show for it.

The Bible clearly tells me to acknowledge God in all my ways. He will direct my steps and cause my plans to succeed (Proverbs 3:5-6). Despite this, I tend to jump in with both feet when it looks right to me. Fortunately, God's grace and mercy never run out. Just as He had been with Joshua and turned things around for his good, He did for me.

No, I didn't get off scot-free. I had to live with the consequences of my actions, but what could have destroyed me was turned around for my good. God often used these adverse circumstances in my life to do miracles for me. However, this only happens once I humble myself, pray, and acknowledge my own stupidity and inability to do anything about the situation I created for myself.

At other times I argued with God about the direction in which He led me. I thought I knew better and told God how mistaken He was and how much trouble His plans would create. One such instance was when I met my husband. I didn't want a relationship and only saw problems, yet God insisted and today I'm blessed with the most wonderful husband I could have wished for, and I wouldn't exchange him for the world. He is the greatest blessing I've ever had. Thank God for knowing so much better than I do.

Yes, His thoughts are higher than mine, and His ways are different from my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). I have often stumbled following my own way, but have never gone wrong following His way. Jesus Himself said that if we follow Him we will walk in the light, but if we don't we will stumble in the dark. Somehow, I often have to stumble first before I turn to the light.

Proverbs says that pride will come to a fall (Proverbs 16:18). What pride is greater than thinking we know better than God? I wonder how long it will take me to learn this lesson. I seem to enjoy falling over obstacles I have erected myself.

Note to myself: When in doubt, pray. When not in doubt, pray harder. Don't be wise in your own eyes.

© 2026 Rina Schultz.

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