Knowing God's Will For Your Life | How To Know
84Knowing God's Will
Many people wonder what God's will is for them. Knowing God's will for your life can be a puzzling question that we wrestle with for most of our lives.
Especially if you are in university, in the middle of a career change, or deciding where you should move, the question of how to know God's will can be a daunting question that brings a lot of anxiety and worry. No one wants to miss knowing God's will. It's normal, and it's human.
But sometimes when we venture to learn how to know God's will for our lives, it's not the case that we're not hearing the right answer, but we're not asking the right questions. So in this article, let me lay out of few ways to frame that question in a way that might get some answers in knowing God's will for your life.
Third Day Music Video About Wanting To Know God's Will
Truth #1 - It is God's will for you to be saved
The Bible says that God wills for all men to be saved. That's His heart and that's His will for all mankind. If you've not believed in Jesus to save you from sin and eternal damnation, you're out of the will of God. You can become very successful, wealthy, healthy, and help a lot of people, but if you're not saved, you are not in the will of God. It's that simple.
Truth #2 - It is God's will that you live in holiness
Making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled
with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:16-18). Knowing God's will definitely
involves us knowing that God wants us to be holy.
Secondly,
if you're a believer but not walking in holiness in this world, you are
not in the will of God. It is the will of God, according to Ephesians
5, that you live clean and filled with the Holy Spirit. Knowing God's
will means that we are walking in holiness.
Romans 12:1-2 - "Therefore, I urge you,
brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living
sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of
worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test
and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."
According to this verse, knowing God's will involves knowing that his
good, please and perfect will comes by us being transformed by the
renewing of our minds.
Again, if you're successful, doing the right things, helping a lot of people, but not walking in holiness, you are not in the will of God. You will never be sure in knowing God's will for your life if you're deliberately walking in rebellion. It's much more important to God that you walk in holiness than for you to know where you're supposed to go to university, or know what job to take, or know where you should live.
Truth #3 - Live your passion
What are you passionate about? There are an infinite number of things in this life that you could potentially be passionate about. Missions, discipleship, providing clean water for the developing world, alleviating poverty, church planting, preaching, worship, etc. The list goes on. Why are you passionate about the particular things you are passionate about?
The reason is because God put them there! It's not by chance or random encounters that we are passionate about what we are passionate about. It's by God's divine providence. If you're passionate about something, odds are it's part of God's will for your life.
If you want to start the process of knowing God's will for your life, begin to write down all the things that you're passionate about. I bet you'll be surprised at how the puzzle of your passions might fit together to reveal the bigger picture of God's will for your life.
I am very passionate about missions and fulfilling the Great Commission. I'm also very passionate about church planting because I believe the world will be changed primarily through the local church. I'm not quite sure yet what role I will play in these areas, but I know that whatever my roles are and will be, that I want whatever I do to impact these areas of passion. Because I have this passion, I can be confident in my knowing God's will for my life is to be a part of these things.
It's okay to not know exactly what you will do, but in order to find that out, you have to have a passion about something. Also, your roles will probably change over time.
For example, I'm very passionate about the local church. Because of my passion, I was willing to do whatever was needed at my church. If they needed ushers, I ushered. If they need a youth worker, I joined the youth worker team. Over the last 20 years, I've done everything from vacuuming in the carpet to preaching on Sunday morning. My roles change all the time, but my passion remains the same, and it becomes a guiding compass for knowing God's will in my life.
Truth #4 - It is God's will that you live your personality and your talents
If God made you into a circle, He doesn't want to cram you into a square hole. He created you uniquely and with a specific purpose. Each one has been created uniquely and our particular design points us to God's will in our lives. Knowing God's will for your life will include you knowing you God has made you.
For example, I'm a fairly gifted musician, I have a pastoral personality and I love worship (passion). It naturally led me to become a worship leader. I did not hear a voice saying that I should become a worship leader. All those components of how I am led me to become a worship leader. Me knowing God's will includes, partly anyways, is to serve the body of Christ with the musical abilities He's given me.
Another example is that I've always felt called to church plant. It was just something that was in my heart to do. I always figured that I'd be on some church planting team as a worship leader and just to help the lead planter. Well, recently, I discovered that I have a 'D' personality on the DISC personality profile and that D's are well-suited to become lead planters.
Not only that, but I also have a passion to preach as well as enough of an administrative ability to get a church or ministry started. One of my discoveries in knowing God's will has been to find that I might be good at planting churches.
If you don't know your personality or your gift mix, here are a few websites to help you find your strengths, gifts and personality. Taking these inventories will help you in knowing God's will for your life in how He's made you.
DISC Personality Profile
Spiritual Gifts Inventory
Myers Briggs - Personality Test
Truth #5 - It is God's will that you know God's will
Are you worried that you're missing God's will or you'll never figure it out? Don't worry! If your heart is to do God's will, He wants to show it to you more badly than you want to be shown. God doesn't want us to walk around not knowing His will or not knowing our purpose in life.
In John 13, Jesus told His disciples that a servant does not know what his master is doing, but friends do. Jesus continued saying they were His friends. Knowing God's will was a part of something Jesus wanted his friends to take part in. When we become believers, we become friends of God. And just like Jesus and the Disciples, we are God's friends who He was to reveal His will for us. He wants us knowing God's will for our lives. God's heart is that we know His will. He wants us to know His will for our lives more than we do.
God planned your days and your destiny before the foundation of the world. He knew you, called you and had a great plan for you to walk in the good works that He prepared for you long before you were born (Ephesians 2). So don't fret. God's will is stronger than any other will out there, including yours, including your parents' and including the devil's. Knowing God's will includes knowing that God's will is for you to know what some of that is.
Truth #6 - It is God's will that you surrender your life
God wants complete control of your life. Question: why do you want to know the will of God if you're not willing to submit to it? Another questions is, why would God want to reveal His will to you if you're not already decided that you will submit to it?
When we come to ask God what His will for our lives is, we need to come willing and ready to accept it whatever it is. Many times, we want to know the will of God to see if it's something we want to do. I guarantee you, if you surrender your entire life to Him, He will reveal His will to you. Again, why would God reveal His will knowing that you're veiwing it as an option rather than a commandment? He wouldn't.
God has revealed much of His will to me in my life. He has shown me near term, mid term, long term what He has planned for me. Sometimes it's a bit sobering to have your entire life laid out before you. But I believe one of the reasons God has shown me is because He sees my heart and that I will, by His grace, do my best to accept whatever His will is.
If God were to say that His will was to send you to an Islamic nation to preach the Gospel, what would you say? If you would automatically say 'no' and not bend to that will, you're probably not in a place for God to reveal your future to you. In fact, you wouldn't want Him to because often times He'll reveal a will that will take us on the same road as Jesus, to carry a cross and to lay our lives down.
God's will is not just about where to go next or what the next step is. It's infinitely more weighty than that. It has to do with your eternal destiny and your heart. If you're seeking God's will for your life, ask yourself, are you saved, are you walking in holiness, and are you completely surrendered to him? If you say 'yes' to all those things, God will be reveal His will to you, because He wants you to know God's will more than you do.
Truth #7 - Revelation
Although there is a direction we can point ourselves through the natural things in life like desire, personality and talents, but the ultimate in knowing God's will will come through revelation. Truth is not discovered, it is revealed. So ask God to reveal His will. It's something that only He can do and He loves us to confess our helplessness and His great ability.
Don't be afraid to seek Him for a revelation. Below is a music video by Third Day that I believe really hits the heart of knowing God's will and the fact that we can go to Him for this and He will honor our hearts. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, and one of His functions is to give us revelation in knowing God's will.
The Holy Spirit is very interested in us knowing God's will. The Holy Spirit will help us in our quest in knowing God's will if we make ourselves available to Him. Knowing God's will sometimes comes only by revelation. Sometimes knowing God's will won't just come by us figuring it out or by using our own wisdom. Sometimes, knowing God's will will only come by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
Truth #8 - Prophetic Word
This might be more unfamiliar to my Evangelical readers and more familiar to my Charismatic ones. One of the most exciting ways to know God's will is through a prophetic word, especially one that comes from someone who doesn't know you. I've seen it happen many times.
Someone, or I, get a prophetic word that either confirms a desire, something I already knew I was called to, or reveals something brand new that rings true in my heart. Getting a prophetic word can bring tons of encouragement and provide much needed direction for knowing God's will for you life.
Prophetic words were vital for knowing God's will for the people in the Bible. I don't even have to mention the innumerable times a prophetic word was given in the Old Testament to reveal God's will. There were many, many instances of the prophetic word helping people in knowing God's will.
Of course, Jesus had tons of prophetic words that revealed God's will, but so did most of the Apostles and there were even prophets in the New Testament church. A man named Agabus gave a prophetic word to the church to prepare them for a widespread, coming famine.
You still have to judge or evaluate the prophetic word with leaders in your church. Just because someone gives you a prophetic word does not mean it's from God. The Bible says that 2 or 3 other's should listen while one is prophesying to judge if the word is from God. In theory, this might seem difficult to do, but when it actually happens in real life, it's pretty clear cut in knowing if it was from God or not.
Truth #9 - Waiting On God
You will never FULLY know God's will for your life. You most probably will know at least some portion of God's will for your life. God will absolutely reveal His will for you according to His own wisdom. But sometimes, even if we know God's will, we'll have to wait on God to fulfill those promises. Just because you know God's will does not mean it's now up to you to make it happen. God's will cannot be thwarted by anyone.
If it His will, it will occur so don't fret. Read Psalm 119, there David repeatedly says he waits on God's word. David was waiting to hear God and was intent on knowing God's will for his life. He was willing to wait on God's word to come so that he would be confident in knowing God's will.
Knowing God's Will
Truth #10 - Fleecing God
In Judges 6:37, Gideon wasn't sure God was going to be with him in battle and so he asked God to do a miracle. He laid out a fleece on the ground and asked God to make the fleece wet and the ground around it dry the next morning to show that God was with him.
God granted his request and the next morning, indeed, the fleece was wet and the ground was dry. Then Gideon asked again, except this time, he asked that God would make the fleece dry and the ground wet. The next morning, indeed, that is what he found. Gideon wanted to know God's will. It was life and death for hundreds of people and for himself.
Although what we call 'fleecing' God is not an ideal way to ask God what His will is, it has been done in the Bible by Gideon and by others. Thomas doubted that Jesus was resurrected from the dead, so he asked to see Jesus' scars on his hands and side. Jesus granted Thomas' request and then rebuked him for his lack of faith.
There was a system of casting lots in the Bible as well. You see it all the way up to Acts where the 11 remaining Apostles set out to appoint another Apostle to replace Judas according to scripture. Many Bible scholars say correcting that this was the last time in Biblical history that we see this take place although it was commonly used in the Old Testament.
Many scholars believe casting lots stopped as a tool to know God's will because the Holy Spirit had come to direct and guide people and now it was the Holy Spirit who would reveal God's will to people. Christians don't really use casting lots anymore, but we do still 'fleece' God which is a form of casting lots I suppose.
Either way, the Bible doesn't say we can't fleece God, although it doesn't encourage it. God is gracious.
My Story
I remember when I was 14 years old and I was wrestling with surrendering all control of my life to Jesus. It was a difficult decision. I struggled with it for almost a year. And I remember one time as I was praying, I said these very words, "Lord, I'm afraid that if I surrender my life to you, that you will ask me to do something crazy like become a missionary to Africa."
Well, I ended up surrendering my life to God, and what happened next? Well, He didn't immediately command me to go to Africa. But in fact, 10 years later, I was on the floor of my apartment, with a heavy burden for Africa, and I remember begging God to let me go to Africa.
I remember being so afraid that God wouldn't let me go, that I couldn't share my heart about Africa with anyone. 5 years later, I stepped on the land of Africa. After a long journey of surrendering my life, I was beginning my journey into Africa, a place I once feared, but now I long for.
I believe if you surrender your life to Him, God will not only reveal His will for your life to you, but He will make it happen! Trust God. The most important thing in knowing God's will for your life is that He's good, and has a great plan for your life!
Other Hubs
Also, check out some of the other articles that I've written:
vote upvote downshareprintflag
- Useful (3)
- Funny (1)
- Awesome (4)
- Beautiful (1)
- Interesting (1)
CommentsLoading...
you're obviously a person who has experienced first hand what i was talking about. thanks for the testimony!
Well said Easyspeak. I especially liked your testimony at the end.
God Bless you in your ministry
ABR
Thanks Abrushing. hope it blessed ya.
A well-written hub. I especially liked the way you related God's will with your story. It's comforting to know that God's Sovereign will for our lives will ultimately prevail. His planned purposes for us in eternity past, cannot be thwarted. No need to see this as a threat, and "friends of God" need not fret. I can rest easy Easyspeak, in the knowledge that as I wait on God and His will be done in my life. God bless you, you have gained a fan.
Thanks Gicky. Yes, no matter how much we don't know, we can always know God's will won't be thwarted. We'll never know in fullness God's will until we're in glory.
Great hub, the videos you posted along with the article really helped to drive the point home good stuff!
Excellent Hub! Encouraging to me as I wait upon the Lord ... He says Be Still and Know That I AM GOD! Thank you for sharing your heart and His.
Great Hub...God's will for our lives has a way of revealing itself sometimes in our deepest fears. My will is not gong to be His, He takes our deepest fears and turns them into our greatest blessings. Thank You for sharing "Hub On" you have much to share.
thank you for this..wonderful hub
Nice points. Either you did great research or you are very insightful.
Thanks Betty. It's not as insightful as I went through a hard season like most college students trying to figure out what God's will is for my life. It's just the conclusions that God led me to by His grace.
Never heard of Dot theology, but it made sense to how some people are. Video never gave an answer on how to do the will of God? He is right, that is one of the biggest questions of all time. There does come a point in life, that we do want to do God's will, not ours...maybe that, is the point of the speaker?
apparently Haiti was not on God's list.
Opinionduck, you're assuming God owes us a good life, or even just life. God created us and he can do whatever he wants with us. It's his prerogative. We all deserve the same fate as the Haitians. None of us deserve to live...us being alive is God's grace and patience toward us. Anything good we have it's because God gave it to us as gifts not because we deserved it or are entitled to it.
Haiti is on God's list Opinionduck. Haiti isn't on their own governments list. When you have that kind of government that isn't "by the people, for the people. of the people," you have a government that doesn't care about the people. Don't blame God for the mess in Haiti. He loves all people. Now His people are sending people and goods to help in their time of need. There is always a bigger picture with God and something good will come out of this tragedy because He will take something the devil meant for evil and turn it for good.
Great Hub! Being smack dab in the middle of God's great plan for my life is where I believe I am finally. I will continue to pray for you and all of our sisters and brothers in Christ. This is again, a wonderful hub.
It's great to finally meet someone who's confident that they are in God's will! I think more people are in God's will than they realize. Like you, they should recognize it and celebrate it.
Easyspeak,
Thanks! for sharing and teaching what Gods will is in our lives. I met a prophet of God and he helped me find out what Gods will was for me a few years back. God can reveal his will to anyone willing to listen to him in prayer. I may have had a prophet reveal things to me but he said to me go and ask god what gifts I had and I did and I heard him better then ever in prayer. I encourage everyone here who does not know God's will to seek him in prayer and if you just listen he will talk to you.
I still dont know what God's will for me but I will trust in Him and hold tightly to His awesome Word!! Please pray for me!!!!!
raemay38, that's great you've discovered God's will for you too. God has a funny way of using prophets...God always leaves some stuff out so we'll seek Him instead of relying on people...even if they are prophets!
Thanks for the encouragement, for me and all the readers here.
sinner, I think the first thing God wants for you to do is see yourself also as a saint. as Martin Luther says, we are a sinner and simultaneously a saint.
Well,I'm bless by your writting,especially,Why would God reveal His will knowing that you're veiwing it as an option rather than a commendment?
Knowing Gods will for your life is not the issue. Its knowing the God of your life.
Perhaps everyone here has one verse or passage they consider their "Signature Verse." One that they believe says it all for them and one they aspire to. For me, it's Joshua 24:15. How is this applicable to the topic?
Joshua made a decision. The decision to serve the Lord. With that comes obedience. You can ask God, "Why?" though you may not get an answer immediately. You can most assuredly go to Him to reveal His purpose for you as He did Jeremiah. Once God knows of your faith and obedience, don't be surprised to see a vision coming your way. Now, is a vision part of God's Will for you or a fulfillment of your question as to your purpose? Why not ponder that a bit and pull together a Hub or two? You just might be surprised at the answer you come away with.
Unchained Grace, thanks for you insight and the verse. I always love it when people talk scripture. Joshua 24:15 is indeed a great verse to live by.
You wrote:
I am very passionate about missions and fulfilling the Great Commission. I'm also very passionate about church planting because I believe the world will be changed primarily through the local church.
I'm not quite sure yet what role I will play in these areas, but I know that whatever my roles are and will be, that I want whatever I do to impact these areas of passion.
also:
If your heart is to do God's will, He wants to show it to you more badly than you want to be shown. God doesn't want us to walk around not knowing His will or not knowing our purpose in life.
In John 13, Jesus told His disciples that a servant does not know what his master is doing, but friends do. Jesus continued saying they were His friends.
Love your articles . Thanks for sharing and nailing all the important things down which makes it real easy to digest.
Blessing.
Yes, He's good, and has a great plan for my life! Thank you Jesus! Nice Hub!
first I want to give thanks god for giving this day. because I have chanced to know the god will in my life.I am just living for my flesh body but from today I live for my soul.because from this webside I have know that what's the god has made plan for my life.N I beleive that from today my life has changed from the grace of god. n I will do the work of god.our jesus is good so that he always do good for us.we can not know the will of god without summiting our life. I have know about it after summiting my life. if u want to know the will of god u have to summite your life after that u can know the god's willing in our life.after knowing u will feel peace, joyness, happiness in any time. by the grace of the god.summite your life now n get the willing of god in your life. at last praise the lord!Amen
Great hub. I'm currently trying to discern whether our family should buy a house. Arghh! This finding God's will thing can be difficult, but I know He will show His way.
good one...may God Bless You for writing further!
I know that nothing is by accident that all things are ordered by the Lord. But, I was messing with Hub Pages trying to figure it out and ran across your hub. Just the place I am in and just what I needed to hear. Thanks
I linked my post to yours under the words:
God Has a Body
Yes he does have a shape and a physical presence, but he is invisible. God is a spirit, those worshiping him must do so with spirit and truth, or as aforementioned a belief that he is that he exists, and that he becomes a rewarder of those who seek him.
God is a spiritual Being (John 4:24) He is not material and cannot be seen or felt. His worship does not revolve around a physical temple or a mountain. Hence, Jesus referred to an aspect of worship that goes beyond the things seen. It’s like faith something unseen, but you can see my faith by my works.
When it comes to acceptable worship it also involves something unseen—holy spirit—God’s invisible active force. “This holy spirit searches into all things, even very deep, and unseen things.
(1 Corinthians 2:10)
Am so blessed by ur writings.V bin disturbed inside tryin 2 know God's will 4 my life.Alwayz v dis particular vision & passion.But d hapenins around tend 2 discourage me.1nt 2 b sure what am doin is what God wants me 2 realy do.But luv what u said dat we nid not fret,God will surely bring his will 4 our lives.All we v 2 do is 2 b in d rite path.God bless u & rememba me in ur prayaz.
About two months ago, my boyfriend of two years and I felt like God was telling us to end our relationship. We did... and God has made a change in my life that's unreal. I grew closer to him than I ever have been and I truly had joy and contenment in my life. Well a couple days ago, I felt like God telling me it was his will for us to get back together. I don't want this as i'm happy with my life and we weren't the happiest couple before. I talked to my ex about it and he said he'd felt God telling him that too but was afraid and didn't want to. We agreed that we would pray about it and ultimitaly if it was God's will it's what we would have to do. Well, I KNOW it's God's will for us to get together, there's no denying it... but He says he doesn't feel God telling him anything. I'm torn right now because I DESIRE to follow God's will but I don't feel like I can without my ex feeling it too. I know this is God teaching me to trust Him and wait on his timing... but it's hard. Please pray that I will stay faithful and accept His will, whatever it may be!
ok first off please do not make fun of my name or say this is not a name cause it is my birth name ok i need some advise ok ive went to church ive become a true christin and started to live a christin life i even prey first thing in the morning and last before i sleep at night i even help people when i can but i keep haveing these demonic dreams about hell and these sort of creature that has 6 horns and trys to eat me and people preaching gods word ive prayed and prayed about this ive asked god to help me i fill alone but i keep kicking what can i say the devil has to do more then that i am to sturburn to bow before that deciver i onley bow to god and jesus anyway i am reaching out to fellow brothers and sisters for help ive broken both legs so not able to get out to go to church so im reaching out here if any has advise i chould use it
drpastorcarlotta 2 years ago
I loved this part of your hub when you said: When we come to ask God what His will for our lives is, we need to come willing and ready to accept it whatever it is. Many times, we want to know the will of God to see if it's something we want to do. I guarantee you, if you surrender your entire life to Him, He will reveal His will to you. Again, why would God reveal His will knowing that you're veiwing it as an option rather than a commandment? He wouldn't. Praise God, now that's GOOD!!! Great Hub!