HOW TO KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS - Part Two

Last time, we considered the first two steps in knowing what God wants.  This time, we consider the final step, which is practical in nature.

The Scriptural Practices

I believe there are five activities which contribute to the discovery of God's will.

1. Prayer

The first is prayer.  The most important attribute for making right decisions is wisdom.  If your life is to be aligned to the will of God, then you need wisdom, and James tells us that the way to obtain wisdom is to pray (James 1:5).  The hardest time to make good decisions is when you are under pressure and this was the situation that James addressed in his letter.  He wrote to people under pressure, enduring trials, and told them that wisdom to make the right response to their circumstances was available through prayer.

Prayer not only provides a right perspective, seeing our circumstances from God's point of view, but it also promotes a right disposition and sensitivity to God's will.  Philippians 4:6-8 teaches that prayer produces peace and the presence of such peace can confirm the direction undertaken.  Do you ask God for wisdom in decision making?  Is prayer an integral part of your search for divine guidance?

2. Bible Study

The second is the study of the Bible.  In order to know the biblical principles, which relate to the decision at hand, you need to study the Bible.  I am not suggesting taking a spiritualising approach to the Bible where verses are taken out of context and applied to current circumstances without regard to their original intent.  What is needed is a growing understanding of legitimate life principles as found in the Scriptures.  Paul, in writing to the Corinthians, highlights a significant principle governing Christian conduct, "All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable.  All things are lawful, but not all things edify." (1 Cor. 10:23).  The Bible is full of these principles, and they will often guide us into the will of God.  How well do you know these principles?

3. Spiritual Giftedness

The third is an analysis of one's spiritual giftedness (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12-14).  If you are to be confident of God's will for your life, especially in the matter of ministry, then you need to develop an understanding of your spiritual giftedness, the spiritual equipment that God has given you.  It has been said that God's calling carries with it God's enabling and this is true.  But it is also true that one's ministry abilities narrow the scope of service in God's work.  For example, if God has not equipped you to preach, then He has not called you to preach.  How aware are you of the spiritual equipment God has given to you?

4. Godly Counsel

The fourth is the seeking of godly counsel (Prov. 11:14).  Another person's perspective can bring objectivity into the assessment of God's will.  God has ordained authority structures, which each Christian comes under, whether at home, or work, or in the community or in the church.  The counsel of those in authority over you is critical to making wise decisions and a protection against foolish ones.  If Rehoboam had listened to the godly advice of the elders of Israel, he would have avoided a rebellion against his position as king (1 Kings 12:6-15).  Although not outside of God's sovereignty, he violated divine principles by following the advice of his arrogant associates and forfeited most of his kingdom.  Who do you consult when making important decisions?

  5. Circumstances

The fifth is an assessment of the surrounding circumstances.  I am not advocating "woolly guidance," using the proverbial fleece, which was valid for Gideon but hardly possible for today, considering the miraculous nature of the contrasting requests (Judges 6:36-40).  Too many believers have based a decision on a subjective interpretation of circumstances, only to find out by later consequences the error of that choice.  The reality is that life is prescribed by circumstances, but circumstances alone cannot be our guide.  It is too easy to view our circumstances through the grid of our own agenda and so satisfy our conscience concerning the will of God.  But circumstances do provide open or closed doors of opportunity which assist in determining God's will.  

As a personal testimony, when my family and I were planning to go overseas to America for further study, a number of circumstantial factors had to be resolved if such were to happen.  Two primary needs were housing and schooling.  Both of which were difficult issues, but both of them were provided, giving a green light to proceed.  If either of these could not be met, then it would have indicated that God did not want us to move at that time.  The critical nature of these needs dictated the will of God for us and it may be that similarly critical circumstances provide positive or negative indicators concerning God's will.

CONCLUSION:

The Holy Spirit can guide us today if we are willing to follow the explicit and implicit instruction of Scripture, maintain a living relationship with our God and desire above all else that He be glorified by submitting our will to His in all of our decisions (James 4:13-15).  I hope you can experience His guidance for each day as you live for God's glory.