Finding God's Will: How to Know and Follow His Direction
Have you ever had to make a decision where you weren't 100% sure it was the right one? Perhaps a job change, a relationship commitment, or relocating your family? These pivotal moments leave us wondering: How can we know God's will for our lives? How can we be confident we're following His direction and not just our own desires?
When Even Biblical Heroes Struggled with God's Will
Moses, before becoming God's chosen deliverer, tried to take matters into his own hands. He killed an Egyptian who was abusing an Israelite, thinking this was how God would use him to deliver His people. But when his actions were discovered, Moses fled into the wilderness for 40 years.
Even after God clearly spoke to him through the burning bush, Moses made excuses: "Who am I that I should go? What if the Israelites won't listen? I don't speak well." Despite hearing God's direct call, Moses struggled to accept God's will for his life.
Paul's Journey and Discerning God's Direction
In Acts 18, we find Paul completing his second missionary journey. In Corinth, amazing things were happening—Paul had met Aquila and Priscilla, worked as a tentmaker, and preached in the synagogue. When opposition arose, he moved his ministry elsewhere, and many Corinthians came to Christ.
The text mentions something curious: "Before he sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken." Why would Luke include this detail? Paul had taken a Nazarite vow, which involved refraining from wine, not cutting his hair, and avoiding uncleanness. This vow, rooted in Old Testament tradition, would have opened doors for Paul to reach his Jewish brothers and sisters.
Paul explained his approach in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23: "Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone to win as many as possible... I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some."
How Did Paul Know What Was God's Will?
When Paul arrived in Ephesus, the people asked him to stay longer, but he declined, saying, "I will come back if it is God's will." How did he know it wasn't God's will to remain in Ephesus when the people were receptive to his message?
The Chess Game Analogy
Think of God's will like a chess game. A beginner might focus on taking as many pieces as possible, but the true point of the game is the king. Similarly, what God orchestrates in our lives is bigger than our individual situations
By the time each player in chess has moved just five pieces, there are 69.3 trillion (TRILLION!) unique move sequences possible. Now imagine what God is orchestrating with billions of people, each with countless possible actions!
When We Miss God's Will
There are times when we wonder if we've missed God's calling, when we question if we recognized His will correctly. There are also times when we leap ahead of God, taking matters into our own hands like Moses did.
But we can find comfort in Romans 8:28: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
Even when we miss God's will, He can work our missteps into something beautiful that glorifies Him and furthers His kingdom.
How Does God Reveal His Will to Us?
Hebrews 1:1-2 tells us: "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son."
Many of us pray things like, "Lord, stop me if I'm wrong and bless me if I'm right" or "Close the door if it isn't your will." But that's not the biblical example.
If we want to know God's will, we must cultivate a loving relationship with Him. God wants to be known. He wants us to know:
Him
His purposes
His ways
God Reveals Himself
When God speaks to us, He often reveals something about Himself that's exactly what we need in that moment:
To Abraham at 99 years old, still childless despite God's promise: "I am God Almighty" (Genesis 17:1)
To Jesus' followers facing persecution: "I am the living bread... whoever eats this bread will live forever" (John 6:51)
God Reveals His Purposes
God wants us to know what He plans to do. When God came to Noah, He didn't ask, "What do you want me to do?" He revealed what He was about to do—destroy the world in a flood—and invited Noah to join Him.
As Proverbs 19:21 says, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
God Reveals His Ways
God's ways are different from our ways (Isaiah 55:8). His ways will always draw people into a loving relationship with Him. They are redemptive.
When Jesus told His disciples to feed 5,000 people, their solution was to send everyone home. Jesus' way was to have the people sit down, bless what little food they had, and perform a miracle.
How God Invites Us to Join Him
God invites us to join Him in four primary ways:
1. Through the Holy Spirit
Many struggle with aligning with God's will because they haven't received the indwelling gift of the Holy Spirit. As Peter said in Acts 2:38, "Repent and be baptized... and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
We can't live according to God's will on our own strength. We must first die to ourselves by joining Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection.
2. Through God's Word
The Bible is "God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). If we want to know God's will, we should start by studying His Word.
You cannot live consistently according to God's will if you are not consistently in His Word.
3. Through Prayer
When we seek God for wisdom, He opens the floodgates. As Paul wrote in Colossians 1:9, "We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives."
4. Through Circumstances
Rather than choosing a direction and asking God to close doors if it's wrong, God opens doors and invites us through them. Sometimes He gives us just one step at a time, opening one door after another as we follow Him.
5. Through Fellow Believers
Though God's Word prepares our hearts, it's often the call from a brother or sister in Christ that gets us off the bench and into the game.
This is why it's important not just to attend church but to participate actively with fellow believers who know us well enough to speak God's will into our lives.
Jesus: The Embodiment of God's Will
Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God's will for us. As John 14:6-7 says, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
If you want to know the will of God, come to Jesus. If you want to align yourself with that will, make Him your focus.
Hebrews 12:1-3 encourages us to "fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith," who endured the cross and now sits at God's right hand.
Life Application
This week, consider these questions to help align yourself with God's will:
Am I actively cultivating a relationship with God through His Word, prayer, and fellowship with other believers?
Where might I be trying to figure out God's will on my own terms rather than seeking Him first?
Is there an area where I've been asking God to "close the door if it's not Your will" instead of waiting for Him to open a door?
How can I better fix my eyes on Jesus this week, making Him my focus rather than my circumstances?
Is there a door God has opened that I've been hesitant to walk through?
Remember, God's will isn't complicated—He wants you to know Him, His purposes, and His ways. Like a chess game, it's not about your individual moves but about the King and His ultimate plan. Trust that even when you feel uncertain, God is orchestrating something beautiful through your life as you seek to follow Him.