Seven Ways to know God's Will
( The following is a good guide of how to know God's Will for our lives and how
to make decisions under His Guidance ...)
QUESTION: I'm presently facing a decision that will have a major impact on my life. I've prayed for God to show me what
He knows will work out best, but how will He do that? How can I make sure I get His answer?
ANSWER: If you've asked the Lord to help you make the right decision, you've already taken the first step in what is
essentially a three-step process. Second, you need to determine in your heart that you will believe and accept God's
answer--even if it's contrary to your own reasoning or desires in the matter. In other words, you need to sincerely want Him to
make the decision according to what He knows will work out best for you and everyone else involved.
This is often the hardest part because it requires you to surrender your own will to God, in favor of His. Once you have done
that, you are in the position to, third, receive His answer. If you sincerely ask God to show you what is His will for you in any
given situation, He will--and He will probably do it through one or more of the following seven means, which are listed here
in order of importance and reliability:
Number 1: God's Word. The first place we look to find the will of God is in His Words recorded in the Bible. He has put the
basic answers to nearly every question or problem we will face in life right there. When God speaks to us out of His Word, we
know it's right!
Number 2: The Voice of God's Word. Have you ever been reading the Bible when all of a sudden a verse or passage spoke
directly to you, as though it had been written just for you in regard to some situation you face? That is the voice of the Word.
The Lord applies His Word to you personally, and you get the answer you were seeking.
Number 3: Direct Revelation. God also speaks to us through messages received by the gift of prophecy, or through dreams or
visions. If such revelations are truly from God, they won't contradict His written Word. It's wonderful to be able to get our
answers straight from the Lord, and then confirm those answers with His Word, because then we know we're on the right track
and can proceed in full faith. That settles it! We've heard from Heaven!
Number 4: Godly Counselors. The Bible tells us that "in the multitude of counselors there is safety" (Proverbs 11:14; 24:6).
When you're trying to find God's will in a given situation, it is often wise to ask for the counsel and opinions of others who
are strong in the Lord, wise in His ways, and whose lives show the good fruit of following Him closely (Matthew 7:15-20).
Number 5: Circumstances and Conditions (also known as "open and closed doors"). If something is God's will, He will
usually open a door of opportunity that makes it possible. Or if something is not His will, He will often show us that by
creating or allowing circumstances and conditions that stop us from doing it. Circumstances and conditions, when relied on
solely, are generally a poor means of finding the will of God. They can, however, provide a confirmation of what the Lord has
indicated through the other more reliable means.
Number 6: Strong Impressions or Feelings (also known as "the witness of the Spirit" or "burdens"). Feelings can be
deceiving, but if God wants you to take a certain course of action, He will often give you an inner conviction that that is the
right thing to do. Or if He doesn't want you to do something, His Spirit will give you a warning not to. Either way, He gives
you a certain faith and peace that you're doing what He knows is best. It's best to then confirm this with one or more of the
other ways of finding God's will.
Number 7: Specific, Predetermined Signs in Answer to Your Requests (also known as "fleeces"). You can sometimes check or
double-check your decision by asking God to give you a specific sign, like Gideon did with his fleece, when he wanted a
confirmation that he'd gotten God's instructions straight (Judges 6:36-40).
Above all, believe that God loves you and is always ready, willing, and able to help you make the right decision -- the one He
knows will make you and others happiest in the long run. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find;
knock and it will be opened for you" (Matthew 7:7). That's a promise!
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Happy Decision-making and Thanks to Cassie and Family for permission
to repost these Christian truths here.
Love In Jesus
David Jay Jordan