Determining the will of God

For the last couple of years I have struggled with having to make one of the biggest decisions of my life. I wanted to get it right and agonized over what the Lord wanted me to do. Indeed in WFTD I have often lamented the fact that God does not just appear and say, “OK here is what I want you to do…” No we must determine God’s will for our lives through prayer and thoughtful meditation. We must patiently await His answer which will come to us in His own way within His timetable. Not long ago I received my answer and finally made my decision. I know that I made the right decision, because once again I am enjoying peace of mind. While I struggled with it and as I leaned towards making a decision that was the exact opposite of what I eventually decided to do, I could not find peace. It is important to note that I sincerely wanted to do what “God” wanted me to do without selfish motivation or relying upon fleshly wisdom and my own frailties. I know in my heart that God appreciated and appreciates that attitude.



I am reminded that the Bible teaches us that peace is not possible apart from God. Admittedly it is very difficult to determine God’s will for our lives. I believe that this along with everything else the Lord does is by design and was deliberately setup that way. I believe He wants us to diligently search for His will for our lives and to come to Him in prayer often. All too often we think of ourselves first and God second.
This is just wrongful thinking, as we were created for God’s pleasure, not vice versa. I cannot tell you how many sleepless nights I spent praying about my decision and asking God to give me an answer. Literally I struggled with this decision for over two years. Finally He came through. No God did not shout down to me, nor did He whisper, (at least not out loud), as to what He wanted me to do. Nevertheless I got my answer.



Exactly how I got my answer is hard to put into words. I established criteria that I felt would need to happen if I went one direction, and criteria that would spur me to go another. Actually I was leaning towards the direction that I did not go. I’m glad I did not, because once the decision, (that I believe to be the one “God” wanted me to make), was made, it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from me and my demeanor immediately changed for the better. Since I have made my decision things literally could not be going better and I have the best frame of mind and attitude that I have had in years.



I share all of this to encourage you, if you have not already done so, to look for what “God” wants you to do rather than what “you” think may be best for you in your own lives. Maybe the answer will be the same, maybe not. The important thing is to seek counsel from Him on what “He”
wants you to do about the situation. He will not counsel you in person, rather in Spirit, but I will assure you that when you hit upon the right direction, you will know with certainty in dramatic fashion. If you are struggling with finding God’s will for your life and are uncertain, be patient. He will answer in due time on His timetable. This was my biggest downfall. I wanted my answer right away and God wanted me to wait. Wait I did, (for over two years!) Keep praying about it and do not make the decision until you achieve peace of mind. How will you know when you reach that point? You will know! Peace with God over an important matter is easy to discern…



I close with saying that without question God wants to be involved with every decision of our lives. We are assured in His word the Holy Bible that he loves us more than anyone else is even capable of loving us. He wants us to succeed in life. His definition of success is accomplishing His goals, not ours and His goals more than likely will not coincide with the way the world defines success. If we make a conscious effort to do God’s will and pull it off, we can achieve a degree of God’s definition of success and what heaven will ultimately offer us for the rest of eternity, a close walk with God and a peace of mind that surpasses all understanding.







Romans 8:14

For as many as are led by the

Spirit of God, these are sons of God.





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