
Finding God’s Will is not about programs or methods; it is about a person. Asking the question, "what does God want me to do", is the starting point to finding His Will for your life.
Matthew 6:33 (HCSB) But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.
Christians sometimes find it difficult to determine God's will for their lives in certain situations. It can be very confusing and frustrating when you can't find clear direction. It's at those times you really want to know God's will for you. It's right in front of you in His word, the Bible. The Bible contains God’s “Revealed Will” and, from His “Revealed Will” we will respect His “Determined Will” and then we can discover His “Specific Will” (see my post “How can I know God's will for me?”). In the Bible you will find principles that will help you find God's will for you.
God's will is “good, pleasing and perfect”
Romans 12:2 (HCSB) Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
God has great plans for your life
Jeremiah 29:11 (HCSB) For I know the plans I have for you”--⌊this is⌋ the LORD’s declaration—“plans for ⌊your⌋ welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
We were created by God, in His image, for a purpose. Just as God set apart Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Paul from birth
Isaiah 49:1 (HCSB) Coastlands, listen to me; distant peoples, pay attention. The LORD called me before I was born. He named me while I was in my mother’s womb.
Jeremiah 1:5 (HCSB) I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.
Galatians 1:15 (HCSB) But when God, who from my birth set me apart and called me by His grace, was pleased.
God's will, first, is that we have a relationship with Him through His Son, Jesus Christ
1 Timothy 2:3-4 (HCSB) This is good, and it pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
God wants us to be Christ's disciples
Luke 9:23 (HCSB) Then He said to ⌊them⌋ all, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.
Christians must be committed to following God's will daily, whatever the cost.
The Bible will help us to know God's will
Psalm 119:105 (HCSB) Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
God promises to give us wisdom if we just ask Him in prayer, believing that He will give it
James 1:5 (HCSB) Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him.
Sometimes we need to just ask God to give us wisdom to discern His will.
Philippians 4:6 (HCSB) Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.
God tells us that we can pray about everything.
God has given us the Holy Spirit for guidance
John 16:13 (HCSB) When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
We should listen to the advice of godly men and women that God has placed in our lives
Proverbs 12:15 (HCSB) A fool’s way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise.
Proverbs 15:22 (HCSB) Plans fail when there is no counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
Many times the advice of a parent, pastor, or a spiritually mature person is just what we need to hear to help us decide what God wants us to do.
The Bible says that there is a peace that comes when we are pleasing God with our lives
Isaiah 32:17 (HCSB) The result of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quiet confidence forever.
When deciding between two alternatives that you have been praying about, sometimes one of the options will give you a greater peace. That option is probably God's will.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (HCSB) Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding;
think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths.
Philippians 1:6 (HCSB) I am sure of this, that He who started a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
God has given each of us gifts and abilities to use in His service
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 (HCSB) Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different ministries, but the same Lord. And there are different activities, but the same God activates each gift in each person. A demonstration of the Spirit is given to each person to produce what is beneficial:
God always equips us to do what he calls us to do. If you aren't gifted in a certain area, God is probably not calling you to minister in that area.

1. Prayer. In order for God to speak to us, we need to be in his presence listening for his voice. As we spend time in prayer, we may sense God's leading in our lives.
2. His word. God speaks to us through his written word as we study and meditate upon his holy scripture.
3. Circumstances. Many times God will cause doors to open, or others to close. If we are walking in obedience to him, we have to assume that events in our life are ordered by God. They don't just happen by chance. Maybe the reason why a door has opened up to us is that God wants us to go through it!
4. Our heart. Sometimes the Holy Spirit will minister to our spirit and reveal God's plan for us. We will have an assurance deep in our heart. We will feel God's voice guiding us.
5. Others. God can use other believers to bring us his direction. Sometimes we will be singing a song in church, or we will be reading a Christian book, or hear the Pastor's message, or one of our friends will say something that will show us God's will. God can reveal his direction to us through any of these five ways. But even when he does, it's sometimes difficult to discern that what we sense or feel is truly God's plan for our lives.
God will confirm His direction the same way He revealed it to us
Initially, you get the direction from one of the five ways I mentioned above, God will confirm His plan to you in the mouth of two or three witnesses. The principle is these two scriptures:
Matthew 18:16 (HCSB) But if he won’t listen, take one or two more with you, so that by the testimony of two or three witnesses every fact may be established. (emphasis mine)
Deuteronomy 19:15 (HCSB) “One witness cannot establish any wrongdoing or sin against a person, whatever that person has done. A fact must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. (emphasis mine)
In other words: one or two more things will confirm God's direction for you. When you see this confirmation, then you will know it's time to step out in faith.
He confirms his direction for us the same way he revealed it to us in the first place — through one of these five ways:
1. Prayer. We need to seek God in prayer.
Luke 11:9-10 (HCSB) 9 “So I say to you, keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
2. His word. Sometimes while we're struggling for God's guidance, a scripture that we are reading will seem to pop out at us confirming which way God wants us to go. I mentioned this scripture earlier in this post.
Psalm 119:105 (HCSB) Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
3. Circumstances. Events will sometimes indicate God's direction for us. Paul wrote about such a circumstance in his life in his letter to the church in Corinth.
2 Corinthians 2:12 (HCSB) When I came to Troas ⌊to preach⌋ the gospel of Christ, the Lord opened a door for me.
4. Our heart. God will sometimes speak to our heart. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would help guide us.
John 16:13 (HCSB) When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.
5. Others. God will many times use others to confirm his will. Sometimes its in a song or a sermon. Sometimes a friend will speak to us and, not knowing that we are struggling with a decision and seeking God's will, will say something which will help confirm our decision for the Lord. God uses His church body to minister to one another.
Colossians 3:16 (HCSB) Let the message about the Messiah dwell richly among you, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, and singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God.
As I said in my post "God Is Not Hiding His Will From You", God wants us know His will and plan for our lives. As we earnestly seek Him, we find truth in Ephesians 1:9 (HCSB) He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure that He planned in Him
Ask yourself these questions
- Are you faithfully seeking Him on a daily basis through Bible study and prayer?
- Are you sharing your faith?
- Are you doing your best to live apart from sin?
- Are you seeking satisfaction in Christ instead of the world?
- Are you honestly living for him, seeking him, and doing your best to obey his commandments?
If you can honestly answer these questions Yes, then guess what, pinch yourself, you’re in God’s will.