I keep a small bottle of mouthwash in my truck. One night, Cole was riding in the truck with me and decided to check out his surroundings. He looked at the newspaper I had sitting on the seat. He scrutinized a CD case. Then he reached over and picked up the bottle of mouthwash.

“What’s this?” he asked.

“It’s mouthwash,” I replied.

“What’s it for?”

“It makes my breath smell good.”

He took the half-full bottle and shook it furiously. He stared at the bubbles he’d caused to form. After a few seconds the bubbles had dissipated, so he gave the bottle another furious shaking. As the bubbles died down a second time, he turned to look at me and said, “Can I shake it?”

As if he hadn’t already done it twice!

Stifling a laugh, I told him it was fine if he wanted to shake it.

As amusing as this event was to me, it reminded me of how we often treat our heavenly father. Sometimes we purpose to do something and begin doing it, only stopping to ask God to bless what we’re doing after we’ve gotten well into that task!

At this point some might say, “You know the old saying, ‘It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than it is to ask for permission.’”

While I’ve been in a few situations where that was the case with Amy, I have never been in a situation where that was the case with God.

The wise person seeks the Lord’s will before acting, not after. This happened with King David in 1 Samuel 23. Word reached him that the Philistines had attacked the city of Keilah (verse 1). Remembering his victory against the Philistine named Goliath (1 Samuel 17), David could have easily said, “Let’s go to Keilah! God will surely give us another victory!” He also could have traveled to Keilah and engaged the Philistines in battle, only then asking God to give him the victory.

Yet 1 Samuel 23:2 says, “David inquired of the Lord” whether he should attack the Philistines and deliver Keilah.

Instead of acting first and praying later, David prayed first and asked God whether he should act. Only after receiving God’s permission, did he do so.

There’s true wisdom in David’s approach to this situation. Wisdom we can all learn from.

Parrish Myers is a local minister. His column appears biweekly in Sunday Life and on gainesvilletimes.com/life.