How to Find and Know the Will of God

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People struggle to find out God’s will for their lives, but God’s will for our lives is easy to find in Scripture.

God’s Will and Ours – Matthew 6

People struggle to find out God’s will for their lives, but God’s will for our lives is easy to find in Scripture. For example, when we pray, we must pray for God’s will above our own since His will is perfect and our will is less than perfect.  I don’t know about you, but I tend to pray that my will is done on earth as it should be done in heaven, not the other way around.  And I could not be more wrong.  Notice that Jesus was teaching the disciples about how to pray.  It’s not meant to be a prayer to repeat.  They’re told to “pray then like this” (Matt 6:9), not “pray this. same prayer.”  The Lord’s Prayer is fine to say out loud in church or elsewhere, so don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a prayer that should stand alone. God wants to know in specific detail the things we’re praying for or in desperate need of. But, above all, we must pray to God, “your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:10). If we have good sense, we’ll know it’s best to pray for His will and not ours.

Discerning the Will of God – Romans 12

A believer is better equipped to discern the will of God when they’re not conformed to this world, but instead, are transformed by a renewed mind. That renewal comes from the Holy Spirit, essentially converting dead sinners into live, saved children of God (Eph 2:1-5). We must not “be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom 12:2). By the Spirit’s renewing our mind (this is a daily occurrence), we can more easily determine what is right and what is wrong, thereby, knowing God’s will more easily. Charles Spurgeon said discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong; it is knowing the difference between right and almost right. A renewed mind can discern the difference.

Knowing God’s Will – 1 Peter 2

You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination“ (Lev 18:22).

Living a life that pleases God, like not living in the flesh, is the will of God, so God’s will is not something He hides from us or some mystery we must figure out. It is plainly revealed in Scripture. For example, we’re commanded to respect those in authority (1 Pet 2:13-14), even if they’re evil, “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people” (1 Pet 1:15). To submit to and respect authority is the will of God. Only when man’s law conflicts with God’s Law do we obey God over man (Acts 5:27-29).

We know that this is “God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God” (1 Thess 4:3-5). There’s nothing ambiguous about that. If you or someone else you know who claims to know Christ is living in sexual immorality, they are outside of God’s will.   It’s plain as day.

Accepting God’s Will – Matthew 27

If Jesus had not accepted God’s will, we would still be in our sins, and we’d die in our sins, and that means the wrath of God would abide on us for all time, so doing God’s will, even though painful, must always be done. Three times Jesus prayed to the Father to have this cup of Calvary pass from Him, but above His own feelings, He still said, “your will be done” (Matt 28:42). Jesus accepted God’s will that He die for ungodly, wicked enemies of His (Rom 5:6-10). This is why we call grace, not just grace…but amazing grace. That Jesus would die for unworthy sinners…that He Himself was without sin, spot, or blemish…is something we should be thankful to God for. To thank God for such a great salvation is the will of God.

Giving Thanks is God’s Will – 1 Thessalonians 5

Christians give thanks to God for all of the good things He’s done, and that’s a lot, but it’s actually God’s will for us to be thankful at all times, no matter what the circumstances are. We are commanded to “Rejoice always [and] pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:16-17), but no matter what things look like, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thess 5:18). To be thankful “in all circumstances” is not very easy to do. Sometimes God’s will is not easy to do, but it is more pleasing to God when we thank God, even while we’re going through a great difficulties.

Conclusion

We know that the will of God is that none should perish apart from Jesus Christ (Ezk 33:11; 2 Pet 4:9), but that’s just what sinners will do if they reject their only hope of salvation (Acts 4:12). There is no other way made possible by God except through Jesus’ sacrificial atonement (Acts 16:30-31). To reject Christ today is to take chance for eternity since no one has any guarantee that their tomorrow will ever come and if you die without Christ, judgment is sure to come (Heb 9:27). Today is the day to choose Christ (2 Cor 6:2). If you refuse again and again, there is the danger that your heart will harden against the gospel over time and you will not hear the Spirit’s voice any longer (Heb 3:7-19). Jesus will either be your Savior (John 3:16) or your Judge (Rev 20:12-15). Whichever He is to you, is entirely up to you.

Here is some related reading for you: How to Find God’s Will in Your Life

Resource – Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version^® (ESV^®), Crossway Bibles. (2007). ESV: Study Bible: English standard version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Tagged as: God's Plan, God's Will, Salvation, Will of God