How can I know God’s will for

my life?
It is important to know God’s will. Jesus said that His true relations are those who know and do
the Father’s will: “Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (Mark 3:35). In
the parable of the two sons, Jesus rebukes the chief priests and elders for failing to do the will of
the Father; specifically, they “did not repent and believe” (Matthew 21:32). At its most basic, the
will of God is to repent of our sin and trust in Christ. If we have not taken that first step, then we
have not yet accepted God’s will.

Once we receive Christ by faith, we are made God’s children (John 1:12), and He desires to lead
us in His way (Psalm 143:10). God is not trying to hide His will from us; He wants to reveal it. In
fact, He has already given us many, many directions in His Word. We are to “give thanks in all
circumstances; for this is God’s will for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). We are to do good works (1
Peter 2:15). And “it is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual
immorality” (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

God’s will is knowable and provable. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” This passage gives us
an important sequence: the child of God refuses to be conformed to the world and instead
allows himself to be transformed by the Spirit. As his mind is renewed according to the things of
God, then he can know God’s perfect will.

As we seek God’s will, we should make sure what we are considering is not something the Bible
forbids. For example, the Bible forbids stealing; since God has clearly spoken on the issue, we
know it is not His will for us to be bank robbers—we don’t even need to pray about it. Also, we
should make sure what we are considering will glorify God and help us and others grow
spiritually.

Knowing God’s will is sometimes difficult because it requires patience. It’s natural to want to
know all of God’s will at once, but that’s not how He usually works. He reveals to us a step at a
time—each move a step of faith—and allows us to continue to trust Him. The important thing is
that, as we wait for further direction, we are busy doing the good that we know to do (James
4:17).

Often, we want God to give us specifics—where to work, where to live, whom to marry, what car
to buy, etc. God allows us to make choices, and, if we are yielded to Him, He has ways of
preventing wrong choices (see Acts 16:6–7).
The better we get to know a person, the more acquainted we become with his or her desires.
For example, a child may look across a busy street at the ball that bounced away, but he doesn’t
run after it, because he knows “my dad wouldn’t want me to do that.” He doesn’t have to ask his
father for advice on every particular situation; he knows what his father would say because he
knows his father. The same is true in our relationship to God. As we walk with the Lord, obeying
His Word and relying on His Spirit, we find that we are given the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians
2:16). We know Him, and that helps us to know His will. We find God’s guidance readily
available. “The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight, / but the wicked are
brought down by their own wickedness” (Proverbs 11:5).

If we are walking closely with the Lord and truly desiring His will for our lives, God will place His
desires in our hearts. The key is wanting God’s will, not our own. “Delight yourself in the LORD
and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

How Can You Know the Will of God?

Faith Eng and Evangeline Vergo 24 Minute Read

 God's Will

Should you marry the person you’re dating? Should you take that job offer in a different
city? Which college should you attend? Should you adopt a child?

At some point in your life, you have probably faced a major decision and wondered how
to know which option to choose. If you have a relationship with God, you also probably
hoped you were doing what God wanted you to do.

Some aspects of God’s will are very clearly spelled out in the Bible. Instructions are
clear about giving thanks (1 Thessalonians 5:18), avoiding sexual immorality (1
Thessalonians 4:3) and doing good (1 Peter 2:15) for example.

But other things, like knowing the right time to buy a house or whether you should go
back to school, are not covered in the Bible.
If you’re facing a big decision, you may wish God would just write His will for you on the
wall or speak with an audible voice. But He rarely chooses to make His will for your life
that obvious. Instead, He wants you to be persistent in seeking His guidance.

As Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He
will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33, New Living Translation).

God knows that the process of seeking Him is as important as the answer He might give
to any question. As you take steps of faith and learn to recognize His leading, you grow
spiritually and strengthen your relationship with Him. It is not always a simple process,
but in the end, it’s worth it.

Paul, the early Christian leader who wrote much of the New Testament, prayed this for
the church in the city of Colossae: “We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His
will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will
always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit.
All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9-
10, NLT).

Use the links below to go straight to any of the following topics you can explore
on this page:

 What Is God’s Will?

 The Holy Spirit Is Your Guide
 How to Seek God’s Will: Six Principles
 Look at the Big Picture
 Taking Action and Responding to God
 Where Do I Go From Here?

What Is God’s Will?

When the Bible talks about God’s will, it is usually referring to one of two different
things: God’s sovereign will or God’s prescriptive will.

God’s sovereign will

In one sense God’s will is something that will always happen no matter what. This is
sometimes called God’s sovereign will. When God states that something will happen, it
does. No person could have stopped Jesus from dying on the cross for the sins of the
world. That was God’s will, and it was going to come to pass no matter what.
When we make big decisions, we can take comfort in His sovereign will, because no
matter what we do, we cannot ruin God’s ultimate plans. In times of uncertainty, you can
remember God’s permanent will that once you become a child of God, nothing can
separate you from His love.

The apostle Paul put it this way: “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height
nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of
God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39, New International Version).

God’s prescriptive will

The other aspect of God’s will is what He asks His people to do. This is often referred to
as His prescriptive will.

God has given many commands to His people, but He also allows people a choice:
whether or not to obey His commands. There are many specific instances of God’s will
recorded throughout the Bible. There are not specific commands for every possible
situation in your life, but understanding God’s character through His words and specific
commands enables you to seek His will in any situation.

When you do know God’s will, you can choose to obey or disobey Him, but ultimately,
God is still in control. Our disobedience cannot derail God’s ultimate plan.

The Holy Spirit Is Your Guide

Before we explore six guiding principles for knowing God’s will for your life, there is one
fundamental truth you need to know. God is not just guiding you from outside of you. If
you have entrusted your life to Jesus, His Holy Spirit lives within you.

After Jesus was raised from the dead, He appeared to His closest followers. They were
afraid of what lay ahead of them, and Jesus knew that He was about to return to His
Father in heaven.

But rather than leave them with detailed instructions about everything they needed to do
from then on, He gave them the ultimate gift and source of guidance. He promised that
His Spirit, the Holy Spirit, would come and guide them.

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together,
with the doors locked for fear of the Jewish leaders, Jesus came and stood
among them and said, “Peace be with you!” After He said this, he showed them
His hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending
you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you
forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are
not forgiven.” (John 20:19-23, NIV)

Jesus has given this same gift, His Holy Spirit, to all who have believed in Him since.

It’s vital for you to remember that God the Holy Spirit lives within you. This is the
foundation upon which the principles we are about to explore make sense. The Holy
Spirit tells you what He hears from God and makes it known to you.

It will take time to learn how to listen to the Holy Spirit, and the following principles will
help you grow in doing that. But without understanding this first, you will be trying to do
everything in your own strength rather than using the greatest resource God can give
you: Himself.

Find out more about the Holy Spirit and how you can experience God’s presence in
your life.

How to Seek God’s Will: Six Principles

There are many ways to seek God’s will. The best thing to do is to use more than one
method and look for agreement among them.

The following six principles for seeking God’s will in any situation are intended to be
used together rather than individually.

As you spend time working through your options, consider the whole picture. It can be
dangerous to make a decision based on one principle you feel strongly about while
ignoring the other five.

1. Surrender your personal desires

As you seek God’s will, it’s important to be sure you are fully open to whatever God
wants. If you have actually already decided what to do and are only coming to God so
He can approve your decision, you are not really seeking His will.

You may have something in mind that you think is best or that you want to happen.
That’s OK; just make sure to acknowledge that you are biased toward a certain decision
or outcome. Think through why you feel more drawn to one particular option. Don’t
mistake your own thoughts, desires and plans for God’s voice.

To really understand what God is saying to you, be open to God guiding you in any
direction. When your desire to follow God outweighs your desire for a certain outcome,
you are ready to hear from God.

Psalm 37:4 (NLT) says, “Take delight in the Lord and He will give you your heart’s
desires.” This verse does not mean you will get what you want in every situation. But if
your ultimate desire is a closer relationship with God, you will always get that desire
when you genuinely seek His will.

Don’t ignore your emotions and desires when seeking God’s will. God gives you
emotions and desires, so listening to them is part of this process. But you shouldn’t let
them cloud your vision as you consider different sources of guidance.

Also, learn to surrender your desire to please other people. The apostle Paul says,
“Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people
were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant” (Galatians 1:10, NLT).

Consider how your choices will impact other people, but don’t make a decision just to
please someone else. Following God will not always make everyone else happy, so be
willing to disappoint others in your pursuit of God’s will.

2. Meditate on God’s Word

Psalm 119:105 (NLT) says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my
path.” The Bible can light the way as you choose your next steps.

When you make a decision, it should line up with, or at least not contradict, what God
has said through the Bible. As you read Scripture, you will understand more about
God’s character and be better able to know what He wants. Just as you know the things
that please your close family and friends, you will learn what pleases God as you get to
know Him better.

Resist the temptation to randomly open the Bible expecting to find the answer in
whatever verse you read first. You may or may not find something that seems relevant,
but it’s not the same as understanding God’s word and applying its direct commands
and underlying principles to your decision. When you find a relevant verse, read the
other verses around it or the rest of the chapter — or even that whole book of the Bible
— for context, to make sure it really applies to your situation.

3. Spend focused time in prayer

The most obvious answer to the question, “How can I know God’s will for my life?” is to
ask Him. Turn to God in prayer and ask Him what He wants you to do.

If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him, and He will gladly tell
you, for He is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask
Him; He will not resent it. But when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect
Him to tell you. (James 1:5-6, The Living Bible)

God wants you to go through the process of seeking His will without believing the lie
that He is trying to hide it from you. If you believe that, you will struggle to see God as
your loving Father. His desire is for you to know His will. So when you ask, expect Him
to answer.
Making big decisions can cause a lot of anxiety and worry, but you can turn to God with
all your fears and uncertainties. The Bible tells us, “Don’t worry about anything; instead,
pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all He has done”
(Philippians 4:6, NLT).

As you pray and ask God what to do, write down the sense of direction you get from
Him over time. This will help you avoid being overly influenced by your most recent
thought.

“Too often our most recent thought will dominate our thinking and have the most
influence, whether or not it merits that privilege,” says Keith Davy, former director of
research and development for Cru's campus ministry.

4. Seek other people’s advice

Find mature, dedicated Christians and ask them what they think you should do. The
pieces of advice you receive may conflict, but they should give you another perspective
to think about. Talk to your mentors, parents, friends, pastors or church leaders.

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success. — Proverbs 15:22,
NLT
Ask people you trust to pray about your decision. Follow up with them to see if they
sense God’s leading in a certain way. It can also help to go through some or all of these
steps with someone who can help you sort out everything you are considering as you
make a decision.

You are ultimately the one responsible for your decisions, and you cannot rely
exclusively on what other people say. They may have biases of their own clouding their
vision, even if they are strong Christians. They care about you, so they will care about
what you decide.

As with surrendering your desires, you need to concern yourself more with pleasing
God than pleasing people or following their advice. Seeking advice is wise, but don’t let
someone else make your decision for you.

5. Consider your circumstances

God can open and close the doors of opportunity in your life. You may have heard
someone say, “God closed the door on this opportunity,” or “God was opening doors to
give me the job.”

God, not circumstances, should guide your decision-making. But God may use events
in your life to point you in a certain direction. Sometimes, your decision is made for you.
For example, when a job or college application is rejected, God has likely closed that
door.

On the other hand, not all obstacles are closed doors. Some are just things you need to
overcome as you follow God. Similarly, just because a door is open does not mean God
always wants you to walk through it. This is another reason to consider a number of
sources when seeking God’s will.

“Many Christians follow the illogical and unbiblical closed door policy, often with
unsatisfactory and frustrating consequences,” writes Bill Bright, the co-founder of Cru, in
the Bible study “Five Steps to Knowing God’s Will.” “God’s work in our lives does not
exclude such experiences, but the closed door policy refers to a careless hit or miss
attitude that does not include evaluation of all the issues.”

6. Think through your decision logically

God’s Spirit can direct your mind and reasoning. Sometimes Christians are so focused
on hearing from God that they forget to use reason and common sense. Just as the
Holy Spirit can influence your emotions, He can also influence your mind.

Jesus promised that when the Holy Spirit came, He would teach us and help us
remember Jesus’ teachings: “When the Father sends the Advocate as My
representative — that is, the Holy Spirit — He will teach you everything and will remind
you of everything I have told you” (John 14:26, NLT).

The Holy Spirit helps us to understand God’s Word and follow God. As the apostle Paul
told the Galatians, “Let the Holy Spirit guide your lives” (Galatians 5:16, NLT).

Using Spirit-filled reasoning and wisdom, create a list with all of your options and write
out the benefits and drawbacks of each. Using reason or a pros and cons list is not
unspiritual. God created reason, and He gave us minds so we could use them. But as
with all of the principles, you should not rely exclusively on this kind of logical exercise.

“The prudent carefully consider their steps.” — Proverbs 14:15, NLT

It’s also important to apply your reason with God’s values rather than using the values
of our culture. In our culture, doing the thing that will be the most successful or
prestigious is logical. But God does not value success and prestige for their own sake
the way we do, although He sometimes puts us in positions of influence.

He cares about helping you grow and using you to help others know Him and
experience His love. This may come with worldly success, because God can use
success and prestige for His purposes, but His purposes may be accomplished better
by something that is less impressive in the eyes of others.

Look at the Big Picture

Try journaling as you work through each of these six principles so you can more easily
see a pattern emerging. If all six principles are pointing in the same direction, prayerfully
move forward, trusting God to guide you as you go.
If, after going through the six principles, there is no clear pattern and you are still
confused, you may need to wait before making a decision and continue thinking through
these guidelines.

Sometimes you may need to make a decision before you have a very clear pattern. If
you are truly seeking God’s will, He will guide you, whether or not you realize it at the
time.

Taking Action and Responding to God

Once you discern God’s will, the next step is to actually do what He says. Remember
Philippians 2:13 (NLT): “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power
to do what pleases him.”

God will give you the strength and courage to do whatever He calls you to do. You are
not alone.

Whatever the outcome, remember God is still in control. Proverbs 16:9 (NLT) says, “We
can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

Again, even if you choose the wrong thing or knowingly defy what God is calling you to
do, “You can make many plans, but the Lord’s purpose will prevail” (Proverbs 19:21,
NLT).

So take a deep breath. Work through the six principles, and remind yourself that what
you choose to do matters to God, but God is ultimately the one in control.

Where Do I Go From Here?

Some things to read:

 “The Art of Discerning God’s Will”

 “How to Trust God, Even in Difficult Times”
 “A Practical Guide to Hearing From God”

Some things to reflect upon:

 Are you truly open to going wherever God leads you, or are you coming to God simply to
get approval for your own plans?

 What do you need to do to fully surrender your desires and be open to God’s will?
  Looking back at your life, have you ever experienced a time when God was guiding you
in a specific direction but you didn’t realize it until much later? How does this reassure
you as you make choices and take steps of faith?

Something you can do:

 What decisions or choices are you facing in life? Ask a friend to pray with you as you go
through the six principles to seek God’s will.

 Share this article with a friend who can encourage you and help you process the steps.