In Step with God: Learning to Slow Down and Walk at His Pace

Recently, I sensed God prompting me about my pace - about whether I was really walking with Him or just asking Him to keep up with me.

I wanted direction. I wanted clarity. I wanted to hear His voice about a situation - but if I’m honest, I wanted it quickly. I was rushing through quiet moments, multitasking through prayer, trying to sort things out on my own, hoping God would somehow adjust to my tempo.

But He doesn’t rush to fit into our schedule.

If we want to hear His voice, we must slow down enough to match His rhythm.

God speaks at His pace, not ours

One of the clearest pictures of this is found in Elijah’s story. After his powerful victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah found himself weary and afraid, hiding in a cave and desperate to hear from God.

Then came a wind, but God wasn’t in the wind.

Then an earthquake, but God wasn’t in that either.

Then a fire, but still no voice.

And finally, “After the fire came a still small voice.” 1 Kings 19:12

God didn’t shout over Elijah’s noise and anxiety; He whispered. And whispers are only heard when we slow down and lean in.

That’s why Scripture says:

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Stillness is not inactivity; it’s alignment. It’s choosing to move at God’s pace rather than forcing Him to move at ours.

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Walking with God, not ahead of Him

The apostle Paul wrote:

“Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25

To “keep in step” means that God leads and we follow - step by step, not sprinting ahead or lagging behind.

When we slow down to walk in step with the Spirit, our reactions begin to change. We stop reacting from fear, pride, or panic and start responding with calm discernment. Instead of rushing to fix everything ourselves, we begin to filter our thoughts, decisions, and emotions through the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” John 10:27

Notice the order: hearing → knowing → following.

We hear before we move. We slow down before we step forward.

When slowness looks like weakness

Walking at God’s pace can seem strange to a hurried world. Others may think you’ve lost momentum or become indecisive.

You might hear things like:

• “You’re too slow to make decisions.”

• “You’re missing opportunities.”

• “You’re not taking enough initiative.”

But stillness with God is not stagnation - it’s strategy.

The Lord told Israel:

“In repentance and rest is your salvation,

in quietness and trust is your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

That’s the paradox of walking with God: strength is found in stillness, and clarity is found in quietness.

When we wait on Him, He gives us supernatural strategies - divine insight and timing that lead to what looks like sudden acceleration. But true acceleration in the kingdom often follows a season of holy stillness.

Peace is in the pace

Isaiah also wrote:

“You will keep him in perfect peace,

whose mind is stayed on You,

because he trusts in You.” Isaiah 26:3

Peace isn’t found in completing everything on our to-do list - it’s found in fixing our focus on God.

When the mind stays on headlines, fear grows.

When it stays on people’s opinions, insecurity grows.

But when it stays on God, peace anchors the soul.

Habakkuk captured this same posture when he said:

“I will stand at my watch

and station myself on the ramparts;

I will look to see what He will say to me.” Habakkuk 2:1

That’s what it means to walk in step with God — to stand, to watch, and to listen before moving.

The Holy Spirit sets the rhythm

The Holy Spirit is not just our Helper; He is our pace-setter.

He reminds us of Scripture, gives us wisdom in real time, and restrains us from reacting in haste.

When we rush, we often respond from emotion.

When we pause, we respond from discernment.

Every time we yield to His rhythm - when we pray before reacting, listen before speaking, or wait before deciding - we are learning to keep step with Him.

A daily surrender

Learning to walk in step with God is not a one-time achievement. It’s a daily surrender.

Some days, we’ll get it right. Other days, we’ll rush ahead, stumble, or get distracted. But even then, grace waits for us to return to His pace.

It’s a journey of progress, not perfection - an ongoing rhythm of listening, slowing, trusting, and obeying.

How to walk in step with God

1. Start your day slowly. Like Jesus, take time early to withdraw and pray (Mark 1:35).

2. Pause before decisions. Ask, “Holy Spirit, what would You have me do?”

3. Guard your inner stillness. Don’t let busyness silence the whisper.

4. Keep your mind stayed on Him. Meditate on Scripture and truth throughout your day.

5. Trust His timing. What feels delayed is often God’s preparation for something greater.

6. Journal impressions. Sometimes God speaks slowly; writing helps you catch it.

   
   

Final thought

Being in step with God doesn’t always mean moving slowly - it means moving in rhythm with His Spirit. Sometimes He leads you to pause; other times He calls you to move quickly. The key is staying close enough to sense the shift.

Hurry says, “God, follow me.”

Surrender says, “Lord, I’ll follow You.”

May our hearts echo this prayer:

Lord, align my pace to Yours.

Quiet my spirit so I can hear Your whisper.

Keep me in perfect peace as I keep my mind on You.

Teach me to walk - not run - in step with Your Spirit.

In Jesus’ name, amen.