How to find God’s will
So many people are afraid to do anything because they might miss
the will of God. They pray and pray and he never seems to answer.
What’s going on?
Is finding the will of God like reading a map – make a wrong turn and you can end up in a dead-end? Or is it like a big broad high…
By Seth Barnes
So many people are afraid to do anything because they might miss
the will of God. They pray and pray and he never seems to answer.
the will of God. They pray and pray and he never seems to answer.
What’s going on?
Is finding the will of God like reading a map – make a wrong turn and you can end up in a dead-end? Or is it like a big broad highway with guardrails on it?
I say it’s like the latter – there’s less of a penalty in life for making well-intentioned mistakes than we realize. We need to ease up on ourselves, take time to pray, and then take action. If your heart is right, there is no wrong. When trying to figure out the will of God, if your heart is right, it’s hard to mess up.
Here’s the deal: On so many issues in life, God has already expressed his opinion. Sometimes he’s given us a clear command as in “love one another,” or “Go into all the world and make disciples.” And other times he would really prefer that we put ourselves in motion and then allow him to help us course-correct as we go along. The Bible tells us, “Trust he’s the one who will keep you on track.” Prov. 3:6
Blog reader Teri Frana is currently testing God’s goodness as she moves out in faith, trusting that she’s in his will. She packed everything into an RV and left Iowa without a job or anything substantial ahead of her. She wrote this about the experience:
“I’m in the throes of being totally committed to an unknowable future –
waaaay outside the comfort zone as I try to be radically obedient to
God. I thought it would easier, more comfortable, more peaceful – but this
has taken me nose-to-nose with my fear. I’m so close to it, I can see
the pores on it’s face.I was reflecting on the face of fear this morning in prayer and I felt
God saying, ‘Your fear will not serve you where I want to take you.’ I
realized I would have never seen it if I hadn’t committed to an
unknowable future.”
You can take bigger risks with God than you may be taking. He’s waiting for you to test his goodness. And if you need some kind of a formula, these steps by George Mueller are as good as you’ll find:
1. Get your heart right. This is 90% of the task of finding God’s will in an issue.2. Listen to the Spirit and check the Bible.3. Pay attention to how may be speaking through circumstances.4. Ask God to show you his will.5. If your mind is at peace after several petitions, take action.
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Abba Father, please awaken young Africans to engage your dream for them like you just did for Teri Frana. I’m dreaming with you Abba… may today be that dawn for someone, somewhere, in the heart of Africa. In Jesus name! Amen!
1. Get your heart right. This is 90% of the task of finding God’s will in an issue.
2. Listen to the Spirit and check the Bible.
3. Pay attention to how may be speaking through circumstances.
4. Ask God to show you his will.
5. If your mind is at peace after several petitions, take action.
LOVE THIS. Thanks.
I wrestled for a long time asking for too many specifics. I had received general answers, but I thought I needed a specific word about a specific piece of land, a specific people. I was sitting back waiting to hear. One day tired of waiting I asked and what I heard was ‘get going and let me say NO to something’.
I finally had to realize I needed to take action and let God direct me as I went. It was time to stop waiting for yes’s and start giving Him opportunity to say no.
Great blog!
So true!! Thanks for sharing Seth!!!
agreed. if you love the Lord, you gotta work hard to get out of his will. miss ya’ll.
This is great Seth.
Stacy and I have been following up with the K squad since they have returned home and finished their race. There seems to be this overwhelming thought that the next move HAS to be the right one or all is lost. Sometimes we put WAY too much concern on OUR ability to succeed or fail.
A year ago I would have had a few arguments in the area of our generation’s inability to commit. In the past year my view point has changed. There is a serious problem going on here and this issue of “missing” his will is part of it…
I get this question a lot and my favorite passage to send people to is Romans 12:1-2. Most of the time when someone asks me this question, it is too late for that specific question (unless they are very patient). I think that Paul gives a great clue in Romans how to know God’s will. Not only how to know it, but also to know that it is good and pleasing and perfect.
Wow, Seth. This is an awesome blog post. This is something I have had a huge problem with as well. I get so caught up in trying to know what is and isn’t God’s will, that I stay inactive and never move. The first day of training camp, I was sitting in my room with not enough money for camp, asking God to show me His will. He didn’t. He just told me that there was nothing else He could do, and that it was all up to me now. So I quickly packed my bags and trusted Him to take care of some missing things as I went, a taxi to the airport, a cabin at camp, and He even threw in a pillow and a couple of blankets to sleep on. I put in the last money I had to cover camp.
I knew the money was going to be taken care of, I just had to step out on faith. I didn’t know when or how it would come through in the next couple of months, but I just had to trust that God would show up.
Thank you, Seth. You’ve pinged a raw place that was also addressed in Alpha last night and in the sleeping hours as I’ve approached K’s 18 birthday (today). I’m awake early with no scheduled run, God speaking or nudging, and the song, Your Love is Strong, singing through my thoughts. And your blog. And his word.
Hmmmm.
Joy.
Allie
I’m reflecting on these thoughts while soaking in the “sounds of silence”.
I love “if your hearts right you wont go wrong”! I was listening to Francis Chan the other day who mentioned his new GPS. As he is tooling along, and misses a turn, his GPS gently just gives him the next place to turn to get him there. He said something like, “Isn’t that how the Holy Spirit is with us?” …So true! If we are on the right road, and we look(listen) for the signs, we will get there!
Dear Seths,
Thank you so much for your blog. i came on it by what i will say divine chance. you have offerred a divine solution to a huge problem of God’s owned people on the face of the earth of which am chief among them. my hearth is right i know it. am stepping out with God in faith to rescue the marriage institution from the hand of satan. He called me to work with Him to build families in God for a virile human society.
Once again thank you so much.
always keep me posted.
Thanks for the encouragement, Torufinikeme.
This is really good.
Wish I had read something like this years ago, but now is good too.