The Bible Teaches 5 Steps to Find God’s Will
Do you know for sure that you are in the center of God’s will for your life? Most people can’t say with absolute confidence that they have found the will of God for their life, and this is tragic. Finding God’s will is what will bring you the ultimate satisfaction, purpose and joy that you were created for. If you are content to live without knowing God’s plan for your life, you will. But when pursuing His will for your life becomes something you can’t live without, the plan will begin to take shape and clarity will come.
Here are 5 Steps to Find God’s Will that the Bible Teaches:
1. Continue in His Word
Jesus said that those who continue in His Word are the ones who are His disciples (John 8:31).
Many people start out reading their Bibles when they become a Christian, but soon drift away from being a student of the Word.
They start relying on the pastor, or motivational speaker, or other Christians to teach them.
There’s nothing wrong with learning from others- we should definitely do this! But we have to stay committed to reading the Word for ourselves as well.
God’s Word is His will. As we become students of His word, we learn His will in all situations.
You must continue in His Word if you want to find God’s will for your life. His Word is what sanctifies you and sets you apart for His will (John 17:17).
As you continue in the Word, you learn God’s ways. You learn who He is and how He operates. You learn to think like Him.
This is the renewing of the mind that Romans 12:2 talks about. Renewing your mind is critical. This is how we are transformed.
Renewing the mind is how you see God’s perfect will come to pass in your life (Romans 12:2).
In 2 Timothy, Paul says that the Word of God is able to thoroughly equip us for every good work. God uses His Word to equip us and train us for His will.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Learning to think in agreement with God is a major key to walking with God and fulfilling His will. How can two walk together except they be in agreement? (Amos 3:3)
If you want to partner with God and find His will, you have to learn to think like Him!
2. Learn Your Identity in Christ
You will never fulfill the perfect will of God in your life until you are secure in your identity in Christ. There’s no bypassing this step.
Everything we need in life comes from the inside out. If you have received salvation, everything you will ever need is inside of you. You are a new creation in Christ!
But if we don’t know what’s inside of us, it will hinder us. The Bibles teaches us that the communication of our faith becomes effective when we acknowledge every good thing in us in Christ.
that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. Philemon 1:6 NKJV
You won’t be able to effectively walk in the will of God for your life if you don’t understand who you are as a new creation. Satan will be able to attack you with condemnation and hinder your calling.
Being confident and established in who you are in Christ makes you unshakeable. You won’t be moved by the rejections or the praises of people.
Persecution is going to come if you live godly (2 Timothy 3:12). The fear of man is a trap (Proverbs 29:25).
Knowing who you are in Christ at a heart level will keep you standing through every situation and attack that comes against you.
3. Surrender Your Life to the Lord
The majority of people, even Christians, are not truly surrendered to the Lord.
Romans 12:1 tells us to become a living sacrifice. This means that our own carnal desires take a backseat to the leading of the Lord. This means we cast down our own opinions when they are in opposition to the truth.
When we truly surrender to the Lord, we let go of our desire for worldly things. The Bible teaches that we can’t serve the world and serve God. We can’t love the world and love God (1 John 2:15-17). We’ve got to make a choice.
Sadly, there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians who really aren’t committed to following the Lord. They profess Him in name only, but there heart serves other thing.
Jesus said “Why do you call me Lord yet don’t do the things I say?”.
The word “Lord” means Master or Owner.
If Jesus is truly Lord, that means we are surrendered to Him in every area of our life. He has our heart. We’ve given our future to Him. His Kingdom is the most important thing to us.
4. Keep Your Eyes on Jesus
Stay the course. Grow in grace and in the knowledge of Jesus. So many people get off course. You need endurance to stay the course. Even if things don’t happen as fast as you want, don’t fall from your steadfastness by deception. Don’t look for other doctrines.
Stay faithful to what the Lord has taught you. Let your heart become established in the truth. There is a growing time where you keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and you become like Him (2 Corinthians 3:18).
So many people won’t stay faithful during this season. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and developer of your faith. He will get you to where he wants you if you refuse to go off course. Don’t look to the right or to the left. Stay on course.
There may be some things in your character that need to be developed. This is for your protection. God is not going to throw you into your calling when you have serious character issues that the enemy can use to destroy you. God loves you. He’s your protector. Trust the process.
5. Follow His Leading Step by Step
Jesus’s mother knew the secret. She said to the disciples “whatever he (Jesus) says, do it” (John 2:5).
The same secret will work for us. Whatever Jesus says, do it.
Make a decision that whatever the Lord tells you to do, whether by His word or by His Spirit, you will do. Even if it doesn’t always make sense. Even if it costs you, it’s worth it. Even if it seems impossible.
We make the decision to do the right thing before we are ever in the situation. We don’t wait until the heat of the moment to decide. We make a commitment to listen and obey before He ever tells us to do something.
Jeremiah 10:23 says that the way of man is not in man. We can’t chart our own course. We are created to be led step by step.
One way I have found to be led by the Lord is to follow peace.
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. Colossians 3:15 NKJV
This verse is instructing us to let the peace of God rule in our hearts. If you have peave you move forward. If you don’t have peace about something, don;t move forward.
Learning to follow Jesus is a day by day relationship. He doesn’t give you 10 steps at once. He gives you the first step. After you follow the first step, he gives you the next.
God will lead you into His perfect will for your life step by step as you continue in relationship with Him. He is committed to getting you there!
for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Phillipians 2:13 NKJV
Finding God’s Will Has to Be Priority
The Lord has a specific and unique plan for you.
He’s had this plan in mind before you were even born (Psalm 139:15-16)
But, you are not going to accidentally fulfill God’s will for your life.
Unless you are intentional about finding God’s will, you’re probably going to meander through life without a lot of purpose or fulfillment.
It doesn’t have to be that way, though.
God wants you to seek Him and find his will for your life so that you can experience the incredible life He created for you. A life full of meaning, purpose, and joy.
God has a purpose for you. He created you for a reason.
Make a commitment to pursue God’s will for your life! Our heart commitment is what matters most. When you have decided in your heart that His will is the most important thing to you, then you can trust that you will find it.
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13 NKJV