How to know God’s will for our life is one of life’s great mysteries. It’s not like you can pick up the phone and give God a call. It takes practice and a willing heart to have ears that hear God’s will for you. However, the Bible gives us clues on how to establish that relationship, for you were created to worship God.
Stilling the Human Mind
Having accepted Christ as our Saviour we must train ourselves to ignore the ‘spirit of the world’. This is not locking ourselves away from the world, for we are to be in it, but not of it, John 17:14,15.
Our natural, human mind is obsessed with this world. We have to still our mind and learn to reach into the spiritual realm. This means knowing and understanding the principles of the Bible. Only then can we learn to judge the spirit of the world against the Word of God.
To do this accurately, we need to have knowledge of the whole counsel of God. Nothing replaces the true study of the Word. Only then can the Holy Spirit bring to the mind scriptures for our guidance.
We need to gain a fuller understanding of the Old Testament as well as the writings of the New Testament. The New Testament is the revelation of what was concealed in the Old Testament. It takes time to achieve this, as the Bible is library of books, and nothing can replace time spent with a good Study Bible.
The Holy Spirit Teaches us How to Know God’s Will
Jesus said the Spirit of truth would guide the believer in all truth, John 16:13. As we still the human mind and earnestly seek the face of God, the Holy Spirit will minister to us and teach us how to know the will of God. You will often find the Spirit nudging you as you go about your day-to-day living.
We need to train ourselves to listen to that still small voice. God does not shout directions from the roof top or places an ad in the local newspaper. He speaks to the inner man, for the Holy Spirit witnesses to our spirit, Romans 8:16.
Spend some time reading the story of Elijah in 1Kings 19:1-13. Alone, depressed, fearing for his life, the man who had worked miracles in God’s name, is very human. He learned that God spoke not in the thunder, earthquakes, fire, or the stormy tempest, but was a still small voice. It’s like a parent learning to listen to and interpret the soft breath of a new born baby. The difference is that a parent is on the side, whereas the Father, Son and Holy Spirit make their abode in us, John 14:23. and are ever with us.
God is Always Speaking
God is always speaking we just need to be still enough to hear Him. That is one of the things that makes following Christ so unique.
We need to train our mind to listen for that still small voice. This is not easy, as the world is full of noise, chaos and turmoil and Satan is the master of distraction. We are constantly pulled in different directions. Yet, if we are persistent, we will learn to hear the voice of God.
Jesus told a parable about a persistent woman and an ungodly judge. Because of the woman’s refusal to give up, even the ungodly judge gave her legal protection, Luke 18:5. How much more will a loving Heavenly Father heed the cry of His children if they are prepared to seek Him.
Human Errors
As human beings we all make mistakes and throughout our lifetime we make many mistakes. Yet, God is supreme. He knows what we will do long before we do it and how we will react. God is always at work, including in the lives of unbelievers.
God knows the decisions we will make, whether right or wrong. If we are prepared to yield our lives into His hands He will bring good out of what would otherwise be a total disaster, for He knows the end from before the beginning, Isaiah 46:9.10. If only we will learn to trust Him.
God’s one aim is for the created to be in a loving relationship with Him, which is why He gave of Himself through the Son. Adam failed, but God had a plan from eternity. Calvary was not ‘Plan B’. Your name was written in the book of life, before the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4, Revelation 13:8.
Learn to be Content and How To Know God’s Will
Paul tells us that we are to learn to be content no matter what happens. Philippians 4:11-13. That contentment is contingent on us having total trust in our loving Heavenly Father. That includes when standing at the coffin of a child, receiving a death sentence from a doctor’s diagnosis, staring into the face of a hurricane, or any other dire circumstance. God will not and cannot fail us. There are times when His answer is no or not yet, but He always answers.
Such trust is only built through relationship. Jesus said we are to come to Him as little children, Matthew 18:3. That is developing a deep, simple, helpless, trusting dependence on God. Those who have this kind of faith are ‘wealthy’ beyond belief. It is all about a relationship that is built and strengthened over time.
Just as you learnt to walk as a child with small steps, so you can learn to know how to hear God’s will for your life. God is always there, always working on your behalf. Faith is a gift, Ephesians 8,9. To know God’s will is to receive the gift of faith, learn to operate it and learn to live by it, as you seek Him.
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