Can we do this without God?

So, I was praying today and I started to feel extremely convicted about “doing things” by my own power and strength. So, as probably everyone reading this knows, I started a new job as a small groups coordinator (and possibly Pastor, we will find out next Monday) and I thought, you know, I just need to sit down for about an hour, and just pray that the Lord blesses this ministry, and the work He does through me.

Well, it’s been 3 days now since I started, and I haven’t done that. So I was praying, and having a quiet time, and I just got extremely convicted, so here are my thoughts:

Why is it that we try to do things without asking God for His direction, and to completely bless them? Like, check it, do I really think I can lead His Kingdom? Seriously, how ludicrous a thought! But, that is what I am doing right now (and what you probably do too!) by not begging Him to use me and to bless this. I am trying to lead without even knowing where He is going!!!

So often we begin to do some work, and then ask God to bless it, as if that is honoring to Him. Let me see, the last time I checked the Bible, we need to be following Him, not the other way around! When the Israelites were in the desert, what did God do to lead them? “And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.” (Ex. 13:21-22).

First off, that’s an amazing miracle there for the Israelites, and extreme grace, but my point is, that the Lord went before them, or in front of them, He didn’t follow them, they followed Him. So why is it, that we are trying to do things by ourselves and not surrender and allow God to be the one leading us?

Our works produce bloody rags (Is. 64:6), and please imagine, you offering God a bloody rag as an offering of incense before the Lord… that is just convicting! And so, why do we try to do things, without allowing God to speak to us, and bless us first? Just some thoughts, but I was seriously convicted to allow God to work instead of me. I mean, would it be so bad as to instead of “working” for an hour, pray for an hour for our ministries, knowing that the only way good work can be produced is if God is in it, because every good gift comes from Him (Jas. 1:16-17)? Don’t get me wrong, He wants to use us, so that we can better know Him and His grace, but by no means can we do this without pleading with Him to move before us. Feel free to comment.