Understanding “God’s will”

I believe there are many Chris­tians who strug­gle with under­stand­ing “God’s will” for them.  This strug­gle going on in the Chris­t­ian world does not appear to be well known.  I notice it more, per­haps, than oth­ers because I have had a keen inter­est in God’s will for my life.  I have spent time in God’s word seek­ing to under­stand “God’s will.”  I noticed and was attract­ed to Jere­mi­ah 29:11: [KJV] For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expect­ed end.  And the NIV ver­sion:  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.

As I stud­ied, look­ing for “God’s will, it became appar­ent to me that God has a plan for me, and for every­one.  I remem­ber, many, many years ago hear­ing peo­ple say, “You must find God’s will for your life.  Find out what He wants you to do.”  I heard sim­i­lar con­ver­sa­tions in church and out.   My moth­er said to me one time, “God has a plan for you, a call­ing.  He may want you to become a preach­er.”   I nev­er heard any voic­es telling me to become a preach­er.  In my ear­ly years as a Chris­t­ian I came to think of “God’s” will for my life was some kind of mys­tery and I must pray and pray until He reveals His will  to me.

Over the years I have learned the truth about God’s will.  I believe “God’s will,” and “being called of God, “ are two dif­fer­ent mat­ters.

I spent years con­fused about God’s will; par­tic­u­lar­ly per­tain­ing to pray­ing.  I heard many, includ­ing preach­ers, and min­is­ters end their prayers with the words “if it be thy will.”  I over­heard dis­cus­sions where it was said “Maybe it is not God’s will.  Maybe he is test­ing you.   Maybe God is try­ing to teach you some­thing?”  I won­der when I hear those words, “What kind of faith is that?”

As I stud­ied God’s word, and prayed about this, it was revealed to me that God’s will for my life was NOT some kind of mys­tery.  It was not, for me or for any­one, a secret.  It is there in God’s word.  One could say, “It is just wait­ing to be read, learned, and act­ed on.”  It was revealed to me that God’s will for my life is His word.

I found, not just one or two scrip­tures, but a mam­moth amount of infor­ma­tion in the bible con­cern­ing “God’s will.”  Fol­low­ing are some of the many scrip­tures that came to my atten­tion as I stud­ied God’s will.  I want­ed to know God’s will for me.   I have also learned one must know God’s will before pray­ing.

 I have used under­lined and bold words to help clar­i­fy God’s will that will sure­ly dis­pute the erro­neous think­ing in the words “if it be thy will.”  Hope­ful­ly these scrip­tures will help to clar­i­fy God’s will includ­ing what is God’s will for you and God’s will for ask­ing when you pray.   I do not pre­tend to have the last word, nor have I pre­sent­ed all scrip­tures per­tain­ing to God’s will.  All of Gods words are His will.

Faith in God’s word in para­mount in learn­ing His will.  The next scrip­tures will reveal why faith is nec­es­sary in find­ing God’s will as it per­tains to you.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the sub­stance of things hoped for, the evi­dence of things no seen. 

Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto right­eous­ness; and with the mouth con­fes­sion is made unto sal­va­tion.  What we do and say and pray comes from our heart, and must line up with God’s word.

John 5:14–15 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.  We should learn what is God’s will for ask­ing?

John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  

Math­ew 18:19 Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth con­cern­ing any­thing that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heav­en.

James 1:6–8 But let him ask in faith, with no doubt­ing, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea dri­ven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man sup­pose that he will receive any­thing from the Lord; ⁸ he is a dou­ble-mind­ed man, unsta­ble in all his ways.

Mark 11: 23 For assured­ly, I say to you, who­ev­er says to this moun­tain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have what­ev­er he says.  This scrip­ture is a good Faith les­son from Jesus.

Mark 11:24 then Jesus con­tin­ues on say­ing:  There­fore I say unto you, What things soev­er ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.  Note:  It does not say “what God Desires.”   This scrip­ture is a good les­son in prayer.

James 4:2–3 You lust and do not have. You mur­der and cov­et and can­not obtain. You fight and  war.  Yet you do not have because you do not ask.  You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your plea­sures.   Amiss here means per­verse, wicked, and evil.  Of course these things are NOT God’s will.

When we know God’s word, we know God’s will.  God’s will is His word; His word is His will.  For me, and I hope for you, the real proof can be seen in the Lord’s Prayer when Jesus prayed “Our Father in heav­en, Hal­lowed be Your name.  Your king­dom come.  Your will be done on earth as it is in heav­en.”  Math­ew 6:9–13.  I some­times end a prayer with the words “Thank you Father, let it be thy will in Jesus Name, amen.” In Faith with No doubt, just a request.

Jesus Prayed that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heav­en.   May God’s will be done in your life.  I should note:  Today we are under a NEW COVENANT which is God’s will estab­lished for us all and sealed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Our prayers should be “in Jesus name.”

Bless­ings,

Fol­low me next time as I bring you more of God’s Design for Man.