Finding God’s Will

Finding God’s Will

Question:

More than anything else I want to know that I am in God’s will for my life; what are some principles for finding His will?

Answer:

This is really a great question since the previous question I answered was regarding making Jesus the Lord of my life. If Jesus really does sit on the throne of my life then I should want His, and not my will, for my life.

First of all, for the Christian there is a lifetime struggle that takes place between want­ing to do things MY way and wanting it also do it GOD’s way. Most, if not all of us, find ourselves vacillating back and forth finding it, at times, difficult yielding to God’s plan for my life. We are afraid that He is going to send us to some remote island, and we will never see the “comforts” of home again! If we are honest with ourselves, we are often willing to do it God’s way as long as it is comfortable.

There are some principles I have found helpful when I have been seeking God’s will for my life. Let me suggest a number of these to you with some passages of Scripture that I would suggest you look up in your Bible.

1. Lordship (willingness)—Am I willing to do God’s will, whatever it may be? This is the indispensable foundation for finding His will. Romans 12: 1 & 2; Luke 9:23
2. God’s Word—What principles, commandments, or prohibitions apply? Has He given me any motivating verses or promises on the subject? John 8: 31 & 32; Psalm 119: 105, 130
3. Prayer—Have I prayed adequately about this? As I pray in a certain direction, do I continue to have freedom in prayer of lack of it? Philippians 4:6; James 1:5 & 6a
4. My God-given priorities, gifts, and calling—What gifts and abilities has God given me and how does He want me to use these to accomplish His purpose in the world? Mat­thew 28: 18-20; 1 Corinthians 10: 31 & 32.
5. The Holy Spirit’s inner prompting—Does He motivate me toward or away from a particu­lar course of action? John 16: 13; Galatians 5:16.
6. Godly counsel—What is the prayerful counsel of someone who knows me and is some­what familiar with the factors in the situation? Am I disregarding or avoiding counsel that I should consider? Proverbs 12:15
7. Providential circumstances—Has God arranged circumstances to give me positive guidance, or to stop me or to slow me down? Revelations 3: 7 & 8; Romans 8: 28
8. Peace—Do I have continued inner peace as I consider the above 7 factors in prayer? Or do I experience restlessness, impatience, or inner conflict? Colossians 3: 15
9. Faith—Is now the time to proceed (or halt) by faith, to respond to the light He has given through one or several of the above principles? Psalm 37:5; Proverbs 3: 5 & 6

Prayer, spending time in God’s Word, and seeking godly counsel are all ways in which I have sought to know God’s will for my life. Give it a try!