How to know the will of God – list of 20 things that are the will of God
How to Know the Will of God – part one
What is the Will of God?
How to know the will of God! What is the will of God for me? How do I know what the will of God is? These are probably the most often asked questions I get? The good news is – You can know the will of God! He is not trying to keep it from you or hide it from you. EVERY believer can KNOW God’s will and DO it. (Ephesians 1:9 & 5:17, Colossians 1:9-10 and Hebrews 13:20-21)
The Devil Wants to Keep You from the Will of God
However, the devil IS trying to keep you from knowing the will of God. He wants to keep you in the dark. He works hard to create doubt. confusion, questions, distractions, and fear in your life and in the world around you just to keep you from God and from knowing His will.
How to Know God’s Will
So, how do you know what God’s will is? Maybe a better way to put it is not “to know God’s will”, but to “discover God’s will”. You can and will discover His will by diligently seeking Him and studying His Word. The more you study and meditate on His Word the more you will know Him. The more you know Him the more you will know His will.
Stay Focused on His Will
Not only do you need to read and meditate on His Word to know His will – you must remain focused on that Word. If you don’t read His Word, you will never know His will. If you read His Word but focus on the circumstances of the world around you – you will lose focus of His will.
Do His Will
I can promise you, if read, meditate, and stay focus on the Word of God and spend time with God you will discover His will. The real challenge becomes in – doing His will. God is always far more willing to guide us than we are to be guided. Generally, most people are self-willed by nature. We do what we do because we want to. However, as a believer we are not to be directed by self, but rather by God.
Not Your Will – His Will
To do God’s will requires us to surrender our will. “Not my will be done, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42) God never forces us to do anything. He gives us the choice. Whether you do God’s will or not is your choice. Commit yourself to follow and to obey everything He makes known to you. Stay in a vital relationship with God daily. “… choose today whom you will serve… But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
The Real Issue is Trust
Doing the will of God is really a question of trust. Do you trust the Lord? It can be hard to trust someone you don’t know. Knowing God is the key to trusting Him. When you really know God, you will know He is always faithful and that He is a one hundred percent trustworthy. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
There are Two Types of God’s Will
Broadly speaking there are two types or aspects to the will of God.
- His General Will and
- His Specific Will.
General Will
God’s general will is His revealed will. They are the things that apply universally to all mankind. They are the direction and purposes He has for all people. They are clearly and expressly revealed in the Bible.
Specific Will
God’s specific will is His plan for you individually. They are all the things He has prepared for your life personally. Things like who should I marry, what school should I go to, what job should I take, should I buy this car or this house, etc.
Focus on God’s General Will
To begin with, put your focus on knowing and doing what God’s General Will is! Most of us, however, are more focused on trying to know God’s specific will for our life is. We want to know what God’s specific will is while we ignore or even walk contrary to His General Will. To discern His specific will for your life begins with knowing and doing God’s General Will. Start with doing God’s revealed will.
20 Things that are the Will of God
To help you get started I have listed 20 things that are God’s will for your life. Are you doing them? God’s will for you is to –
- be a witness for Him. (Mt. 5:13-16; Lk. 16:15)
- be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 5:18)
- rejoice always and be joyful. (1Thes. 5:16)
- pray without ceasing. (1Thes. 5:17)
- give thanks in everything. (1Thes. 5:18)
- give generously and cheerfully (2Corinthians 9:6-7)
- forgive others
- to prosper. (3John 2, Jeremiah 29:11)
- to praise and worship Him. (Hebrews 13:15, Rev. 4:9-11)
- not be anxious. (Phil. 4:6
- not worry. (Mt. 6:25)
- fear not. (Is. 41:10, 2Tim 1:7)
- love your enemies. (Mt.5:24)
- cast your cares on the Lord. (1 Peter 5:7)
- live by faith. (Rom. 1:17, Gal.3:11, Heb. 10:38)
- be sanctified. (1This. 4:3)
- be fruitful. (John. 15:16)
- take dominion. (Genesis 1:28, Lk. 10:19)
- be victorious always. (1Cor. 15:57, 2 Cor. 2:14)
- walk in love. (Eph. 5:2)
There are many more things that are clearly the will of God for our lives. These are just the tip of the iceberg. As you renew your mind with the Word of God, the Spirit of God will help you discover and understand all of the good things He wills for your life. (Rom. 12:2)
Part 2
I know you really want to know what God’s specific will for your life is. You may have a specific question or situation that you are asking God to reveal His will about. In Part 2 we cover several keys to discerning what God’s specific will is. Until then focus on knowing and doing His general will.
