In the big picture of life’s ups and downs, how to know God’s will for our lives can feel like a giant puzzle. But before we dive into a few pointers of that, let’s break down what “will” really means. Will is the capacity or faculty by which a human being is able to make choices and determine their own behaviors in spite of influences external to the person. Will can also be defined as the faculty by which a person decides on and initiates action. The thing that one desires, intend, or wish. Will can also be described this way, a determined and persistent purpose or intent. When we involve God, the game changes. God’s will is an open invitation to team up with the divine and shape our life story by God’s guidance. While the following points are not the final and conclusive list of how to know God’s will, let us take this journey together and uncover the simple yet profound idea of understanding and going along with what God wants for us.
1. (Search) The Scriptures.
The first level of knowing God and His will is the written Word. Because God is that word and we cannot know Him outside of His word.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
Genesis to Revelation, reveals to us who God is and what God expects of us. Every other insight related to this topic for instance, comes from His very word. For every thing created in the heavenly and in the earthly realm, every decision we need to make, the word of God will have the direction or an answer for us. God’s will for our life will never contradict what is written in Scripture. So as we get to know God through prayer, we need to familiarize ourselves with His Word. The more we study the Bible, the more our desires will begin to reflect God’s will. And when this happens, we can confidently ask God anything—and He hears us and is faithful to respond.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
Joshua 1:8
2. Intimacy With God & His Word.
What is Intimacy? This is close familiarity or friendship. It is a feeling of being close, and emotionally connected and supported. Being and belonging together spiritually, personally, physically and in levels of marriage sexually.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, sinners, and purify your hearts, double-minded people!
James 4:8
The only way to know God’s will is by getting to know Him. It’s through drawing near to God that His guidance becomes evident. There isn’t one correct way to do that, but there are steps we can take that will help us. The closer we are to someone, the more we understand them, know them, trust them, can do more with them. Think about a close friend. If you’ve known them for a while, you know what they like and dislike without asking. The closer you are to someone, the more you understand them. The same goes for our relationship with God. Knowing God’s will comes from spending quality time with and in Him, which leads us to knowing what He wants at various levels of our intimacy with Him.
and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Hear me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
2 Chronicles 15:2
How do we build intimacy with God? We start by meditating on His word, worshiping Him, praise, worship, meditating on His goodness, prayer, fasting… the list is endless.
For I know the plans I have for you” — this is the Lord’s declaration — “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
3. Seek God’s Will Through Prayer.
“Therefore, you should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, Your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6: 9-10
Prayer: It is communication with God … Yes. & Obvious… Right? Prayer is pouring out our hearts to God in praise, petition, confession of sin, and thanksgiving. It is the act of asking God to do what he has already promised to do, which is modeled throughout the Bible by the patriarchs, the psalmists, the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles. As I read through that again, I realize that I cannot know what God has promised to do, if I haven’t been with Him, or I haven’t heard Him… Which brings us back to the first point. We find His promises in the Scriptures – The Word – The Bible.
“Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Matthew 7: 7-8
In continuation to Intimacy; The closer you are to someone, the more you understand them. The same goes here. Knowing God’s will comes from having honest conversations with Him. That’s why we need to get into the habit of talking to Him regularly, about everything. Remember, He has already spoken in & through His word. In areas where we get directions we need to comply, in areas where we are being encouraged we need to trust in Him and in others, claim the very promises that He has declared. Check out these two scenarios painted in the Old Testament. The first being a conversation between God and David.
Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”
The Lord answered, “He will come down.”
Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul? ”
“They will,” the Lord responded.
So David and his men, numbering about 600, left Keilah at once and moved from place to place. When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition.
1 Samuel 23: 10-11
In this other scenario, the children of Israel were suffering from poisonous snakes’ bites. This was as a punishment for grumbling against God because of their impatience. When they realized that they had sinned by speaking against the Lord and against their leader – Moses, They asked Moses to intercede with the Lord so that He would take the snakes away from them. We see the Lord instantly responding. Israelites knew that Moses was on another level of intimacy with God that he would speak to Him and God would respond. This God has not changed. We too can access Him with similar clarity and outcomes.
The people then came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that He will take the snakes away from us.” And Moses interceded for the people.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake image and mount it on a pole. When anyone who is bitten looks at it, he will recover.”
Numbers 21: 7-8
4. Listen to the Holy Spirit.
“I have spoken these things to you while I remain with you. 26But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit — the Father will send Him in My name — will teach you all things and remind you of everything I have told you.
John 14:26
Listening for the Holy Spirit often requires silencing the noise around us. When we get rid of distractions, like a fixation on fear & impossibility, you start to notice God’s peaceful presence in your present circumstances. So as you pray and search the Scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, and allow God to silence any distractions. Notice that distractions are not just limited to our fear and other destructive feelings or emotions. External distractions also play a huge role in blocking our sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. To hear Him, we need to reduce distractions.
In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings. And He who searches the hearts knows the Spirit’s mind-set, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8: 26-27
5. Seek Confirmation & be Alert for Confirmation from Wise people.
Consider inviting people who are further ahead in their faith journey to be your “wise counsel.” Ask them to seek God’s will for your life with you. This step is the last because it must be done alongside the previous ones. Seeking wise advice should confirm what you sense God is already telling you to do—it should not take the place of talking directly to God. I feel like that should be said again, seeking wise counsel, should confirm what we sense God is already telling you to do and it should not take the place of directly talking to God. Also we notice an interesting twist here with the case of Moses and his father in Law, who was a Midianite Priest.
“What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone. Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do. But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes. Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
Exodus 18: 17-21
The letters to the churches i.e. Corinth, Ephesus, Rome, Hebrews were all wise counsel directed to the people of the Lord in the early churches. You may not always get it right, but the more you try to understand God’s will, the easier it becomes. Even in the counsel, you can be able to sift what is wise and not, what is Godly and ungodly when you know what is written in His word, and who He is. When your desires align with God’s desires, He can trust you to do what is right. Applying these steps will help you as a foundation, but discovering God’s will is a lifelong commitment that requires seeking God every day.
I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the perception of your mind may be enlightened so you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the glorious riches of His inheritance among the saints,
Ephesians 1: 17-18
Grace & Peace.