Knowing the Will of God, Pt. 3

As a parent, you don't expect your children to do what you want when you haven't told them. God reveals His will for all of our lives.

Knowing the Will of God, Pt. 3

"For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding."

(Colossians 1:9)

This week we are examining a very important subject in the Christian's life: knowing and doing the will of God. If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ, God has a wonderful plan for your life that only you can fulfill. I think that is amazing. God loves us so much and wants to include (not exclude) us from two major endeavors: bringing God glory with our lives and helping others. As you praise Jesus and serve others, we will find your true calling and purpose in life. You may counter and say, "That sounds great spiritually, but what about who I am to marry, what job I should take, and a host of other questions I have for my life?" Those are important questions. God has a plan. This reminds me of Matthew 6:33: "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." When you and I line our lives up with God's great plan for us to walk with Him and serve Him, He makes it plain what we are to do in all aspects of our lives.

Pastor Stanley said in his message entitled "God Will Show You His Will" that, if necessary, God will move heaven and earth and go to every extreme to show us His will. He desires to reveal to us His will for our lives, so how do we find it? Now, that is the question so many followers of Jesus are asking. I will provide for you the answers that Stanley gives to this question of how we can know God's will for our lives. I will also share some of my own thoughts, as this is a topic I am most interested in. God has been so very kind and faithful to show me His will for my life in every aspect. I hope this teaching blesses you and helps you discover God's will for your life.

Read God's Word. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." If we neglect the Word of God, then we will step out of the will of God and not know what His next step for our lives is. God's primary way of speaking to us is the Bible. Stanley said that God will lead you to the verses to give you the direction you need. Someone might tell you, "Here is what I would do," but they are not you! The Lord knows all things, and it would be inconsistent with who He is if He did not show us His will. First and foremost, let us go to the Bible, the anchor for the Christian's life. As Proverbs 3:5-6 instructs us, when we trust and seek God, He will direct our paths.
Pray. Ask Him, and then listen to Him. 1 John 5:14-15 says, "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him." As a parent, you don't expect your children to do what you want when you haven't told them. If you are reading the Word and praying but not hearing the Lord, then look on the inside. God is not withholding the truth, but there is something in us, perhaps our thinking or some prejudice. Stanley's pointed advice is this: look in your heart. Ask God to search your heart, as Psalm 139:23-24 teaches us, and He will. Perhaps He is waiting for something else to be right before He shows you your next step.

We will pick up tomorrow with more practical advice on how we can know God's will for our lives.