How to know the will of God for your life is the one thing everybody wants to know. In this short post, we will give tell you how to know God’s will and give you 4 rules that will help guide you to determine is it God, or is it just me! In the last teaching we shared with you what the will of God is and that there are two aspects to the will of God- 1) His General Will and 2) His Specific Will.
God’s General Will
God’s general will is His revealed will. These are the things that apply universally to every person. They are clearly and expressly revealed in the Bible. I gave you a list of 20 examples.
God’s Specific Will
Today we are going to be sharing on how to know God’s Specific or Individual Will for your life. These are the things that are unique to the individual plan He has prepared for your life personally. God is concerned about every little detail of your life and He will lead and direct you in all of them. He will help you with every decision and the choices you have to make.
3 Foundational Keys to Knowing God’s Specific Will
There are 3 foundational keys to knowing God’s specific will for your life. These keys are critical for you to be able to discern what His individual will for your life is.
First,
before you can discover God’s individual will for your life you need to be DOING His general will. We often want to know God’s specific will while walking contrary to His General Will. You will not be able to easily discern God’s will for your life until you are walking in His general will. You discover His general will through your relationship with Him. So, spend time with Him and in His Word.
Second,
you must believe God wants you to know His will. If you question or you’re not sure God wants you to know His will, you will not be able to discern His will. It takes faith to hear and do what God tells you to do. You can’t have faith for something that you doubt or question.
Thirdly,
you need to be willing to do his will, not your will. Too, often as Christians we are praying and trying to convince God to help us do our will. Until you do what He has told you to do God will not show you the next step in your life. Surrender your will to His will. His will is the best.
Knowing God’s Specific Will for Your Life
While God reveals His general will through His Word, He reveals His specific will through His Spirit. Romans 8:14 tells us, “The true children of God are those who let God’s Spirit lead them.” In other words, believers are to be led, directed, or guided by the Spirit of God. To know how to know the will of God for your life follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
The way this happens is – the Spirit of God leads you through your spirit. “His Spirit speaks to your spirit.” (Romans 8:16) Proverbs 20:27 says, “the spirit of man is the candle (lamp) of the Lord.” That means that God will illuminate and guide you through your spirit.
The Still Small Voice
However, most of us seek direction for our lives in every other way except the way God said we should seek His will. We are hoping and praying, we’re asking everybody else for advice, or doing our own thing, instead of listening to God. We don’t take time to be quiet and listen to what God is saying to us. He is speaking to you. Just take time to listen and then obey. Pay attention to that “still small voice” on the inside of you. (1Kings 19:12)
The still small voice is your conscience. Your conscience is the voice of your spirit. Have you ever done something wrong and you knew you were wrong and then you get a bad/ugly feeling inside? Maybe you lost your temper, said something you shouldn’t have said, or did something that wasn’t right.
That ugly feeling inside that keeps bothering you is that still small voice and it will keep bugging you until you admit you were wrong, and you ask for forgiveness. If you don’t – your spirit will begin to harden – become calloused – less sensitive. When this happens it becomes more difficult to hear that small voice. We must be quick to obey the voice of our spirit.
4 Rules (guidelines) To Help Know the Will of God for Your Life
1. Does it agree with the Word of God?
The specific will of God for your life will not violate His general will – there are no “exceptions to this rule,” God’s will for your life will never contradict His Word. Find verses that confirm or agree with the direction or decision you are making. “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119: 105)
2. Does it produce peace?
Never do anything that you don’t have the peace of God about. When making decisions look at the options you are considering and look for the one that brings peace. When trying to decide between the voice of God and the other voices that compete for your attention, listen to see which voice or message brings the peace of God into your heart. Don’t do anything that does not bring you the peace of God. Whenever I have violated this rule I have regretted it. “Let the peace of Christ [the inner calm of one who walks daily with Him] be the controlling factor in your hearts [deciding and settling questions that arise]. To this peace indeed you were called as members in one body [of believers]. And be thankful [to God always].” (Colossians 3:15)
3. Does it bring glory to God?
Whatever the Spirit of God speaks to you it will ALWAYS exalt Jesus. (John 16:14) The choices you make and the things you do should bring honor and glory to Jesus. Everything we do is to be done for His honor and glory. Ask the question, Will the decision I making or what I am about to do exalt Jesus? “…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Corinthians 10:31)
4. Does it pass the test of Godly counsel?
Seek the counsel of wiser more experienced Godly people. However, be careful who you listen to. Don’t take counsel from the ungodly or the scoffers. (Psalm 1:1) Wise counselors will always point you to the Word of God. There is safety and wisdom in a multitude of Godly counselors. (Proverbs 15:22) Wise people will and do seek Godly counsel. They will not act on their own. That is what fools do. However, we should never be led by people or circumstances, but we need them to help confirm what we believe God is speaking to us or for them to provide input that can keep us from making a bad decision. “Get all the advice and instruction you can, so you will be wise the rest of your life. You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail.” (Proverbs 19:20-21)
God has a great plan for your life and He knows every little detail. He is not trying to keep you in the dark. He takes pleasure in seeing you live out your destiny. Believe God and trust Him. Use these 4 guidelines to help you discover His specific will for your life.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 NIV