When You Need to Know if Something is From God
Today’s post is the #1 most popular post here at Counting My Blessings. It’s been read more than 400,000 times. I pray it blesses you!
In case you missed any of the first six posts from the Countdown to #1 Series – you can check them out here:
7 of the Best Verses to Inspire Your Worship of God
25 of the Best Ways to Love Yourself the Way God Wants
The Best Ways to Teach Your Child Humble Confidence
12 Things You Need to Know About God that Will Make You Humble
How to Trust God’s NO When You are Suffering
5 Verses that will Help When You Need to Be Still and Listen
Verses that will Help When You Need to Know God’s Will
And now …
When You Need to Know if Something is From God
Do you ever wonder whether you are following God’s will or plan for your life?
Do you worry that you might be heading in the wrong direction?
Do you wish God would clearly write out His to-do list for your day so you could plan in advance?
Yep, me too!
Throughout his years in ministry, Rev received a number of offers to serve at a variety of churches and non-profits. And I had to decide whether I should go back to teaching full-time, part-time or if I should stay at home with our children.
But career choices were just the beginning!
There were also decisions like…
How many children should we have? Where should our children go to school or should we homeschool? Where should we live? Is that the right house for us? The right church family? When should we retire? How should we plan or prepare for the future?
What should we do?
The questions can seem endless, don’t they?
Sometimes it’s easy to tell if something is from God, if it’s His will, other times are harder.
Life decisions can be one of the greatest causes of stress in our lives.
So the question we all ask is this…
“How can I know if something is from God?”
There are things you and I can do to help when we want our decisions to be in line with God’s will.
Steps to Knowing if Something is From God
♥ Pray
Always begin with prayer. It sounds simple but too often it’s the last thing you and I do, rather than the first. I believe God wants us to turn to Him in prayer right away, asking for His help and guidance, and trusting He will direct us according to His will.
Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. Jeremiah 42:3
♥ Glorify God
Ask — Will this decision glorify God?
“God will never guide you to do something that will not give Him glory.”
Other questions to help you know if a decision will glorify God are: “Does this bless my relationship with my family? Does it make it possible for me to serve others? What will my attitude be if I do this? If I don’t do this? Etc.”
Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Romans 6:13
♥ Agree with Scripture
Will the demands of this decision align with God’s will as He revealed it in the Bible?
God’s Word clearly communicates the things that are important to Him. Read it. Study it. Pray it.
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16
God’s will always includes love … love for Him and love for others. If your “something” doesn’t include love, it’s not God’s will!
♥ Be Willing to Wait
Be patient. God’s will is always worth the wait. You can trust His timing.
If something is God’s will, He will help you while you wait. It’s okay to slow down. Don’t rush into things – when the timing is right God will let you know.
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
♥ Trust God to accomplish His will in your life
God will fulfill His promises and accomplish His will for you.
The truth is I’ve been impatient more often than I care to admit. But I’m learning I can watch and wait . . . God will do what He says He will do, and He will accomplish His will in His timing.
Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Ephesians 3:20
It’s important to know that there will be times when you will do these things and still be uncertain about God’s direction for you.
That’s okay.
You can trust that if God wants something specific in your life He will make it clear.
If you’ve prayed, asked, studied, waited and trusted and still have no clear answer … just keep moving forward.
The good news is if you are trusting and glorifying God with your life you can move ahead confidently.
Rev and I have had times when the choice was clear . . . so clear in fact, we had to change our plans midway.
Occasionally, we’ve asked God to clearly show us His will through specific events that helped to make it easier for us to make a decision.
And I will honestly tell you, there have been a few times when after doing all we knew to do, we still felt uncertain.
So, we just lived each day…
And you can too!
Trust God’s love and lean into His grace and mercy. You can be confident that God will make any specific plans He has for you clear. You don’t have to live in fear of His displeasure when you sincerely seek His will.
Trust God! He is with you!
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11–13
Seek God’s will and live your life for His glory.
Your Father wants the best for you and He is able to accomplish it!
Thank you Deb, wow 400,000 times! Jeremiah 29:11-13 is a favorite of mine too!
Jennifer
God is so good! I never dreamed I would become a writer. God’s plans for us so often come as a surprise. I absolutely love being able to tell others about Him. I once had a friend tell me that God would use the pain and heartache we had experienced to bless others. He is able to turn our worst into something He can use for our good and His glory. What an awesome God we serve! God bless you!
Amen
I can see why this post is so popular, Deb. It has your trademark honesty, humility and deep reverence for God’s Word, along with practical help. Gladly sharing it today!
Sarah, your kindness is both humbling and a blessing! Thank you! God has worked so many miracles in my life and I feel so very blessed to be able to have this place to tell others about our awesome and gracious Lord! God bless you as you serve Him today!
I’m blessed tonight, may the Lord continue to bless and reward you.
Thank you so very much for your kindness! God be with you!
Thank You Deb❤️????. I always feel a gracious connection when I read your posts. Thank you so much for being who you are and doing what you do. You touch my soul and you are a blessing.
Oh, Becca, I am truly blessed and encouraged by your kindness. Thank you so much for visiting and for stopping to say “hello.” God be with you and bless you!
Hello Deb. This post is special. I believe this is one of the best posts I’ve read all year. I will definitely be sharing. It is packed full of biblical truths and Godly wisdom. I cannot tell you how much this article blessed me today. Thank you for sharing. Have a wonderful weekend and may God continue to bless you and yours.
Oh, Horace, what humbling and kind encouragement! Thank you so very much! May you enjoy a beautiful weekend as well!
I can see why this is such a popular post, Deb! Thanks for your commitment to point others to the truth! I shared this on FB today!
Thank you so much, Stacey! I so appreciate you! Blessings!
Deb,
It’s been a loooooong time since I’ve had time to linkup! Great to see the smiling faces of all my blogging friends. This post is wonderful. Such wise counsel and encouragement. Praying God allows this post to reach abundantly more people than you could ask for or imagine 🙂
~Sherry Stahl
xoxo
Yay! I’m so glad you visited today! And thank you so very much for your kind encouragement! Blessings!!
It is humbling to realize what we do can glorify God! What an awesome privilege He gives us and I hope I can be a good steward of what He’s given me.
I agree, Kathy! And I’m especially thankful for the help of His Holy Spirit. I can never steward the way He wants on my own. Blessings!
Great post, power packed with truth! So good, Deb. Thanks for sharing. I know many more will be blessed by reading it. This is one question my husband I get asked all the time as pastors… “How do I know it’s God?” You answered so very well. Blessings
Thank you, Debbie, that really means a lot! Blessings to you as you continue to serve Him in your ministries. <3
I am not one bit surprised this post was read so many times. It is excellent. I loved it the first time and still do. It is filled with great wisdom. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much, Maree! Your kind encouragement totally blessed my day! Blessings and hugs to you!!
“If something is God’s will, He will help you while you wait. It’s okay to slow down. Don’t rush into things – when the timing is right God will let you know.” Oh, this is so rich, Deb. Waiting is one of the hardest things we do. But can always be one of the most beneficial.
Thanks for sharing my post from last week! Blessings to you.
I agree, Lisa! I typically want God to answer my prayer yesterday! But one thing I’ve learned through experience is that rushing His timing by taking things into my own hands never results in His blessings. His blessings in His timing is always best! It’s like a memorized verse I have to repeat every day! Blessings and hugs to you!
Great words of wisdom on a tough topic. laurensparks.net
Thank you so much for this article. I am walking through some things in my life that are requiring Abraham or Noah sized faith and what I want more than anything is to glorify God. He has delivered me from so much and given me such an amazing story to tell. I thank you dearly for this post. You are truly doing Gods work and I pray that he bless you and your family in some way only he can. I cannot Express how deeply in need of this I was today. GOD BLESS YOU AND THANK YOU.
my First Time with Your Ministry
I Am More Than Bless
Keep God Work
Be Daily Bless
Sister Dominique
I’m so glad you visited, Dominique. Thank you so much for the blessing of your kind encouragement. God be with you!
Woow I’m truly blessed. Thank you and God bless you.
I’m so glad, Kevin. Thank you for taking the time to let me know! God bless you!
Hey Deb,
Came across this post and I have saved it too…I so loved it, our real struggles of waiting for GOD’S reply and taking things in our hand… Temptation to give up soon in that waiting period is at peak. But then your post which says to keep going and
doing work…then you also mentioned at times you had to make change in plans midway…. Wow, so beautiful to see life dependent on GOD just like Old Testament and also being practical..
I so love that. Thank you so much for this inspiring post.
Thank you so much for your kind encouragement. I am blessed by your visit and your words. God be with you and bless you!
Dear ma’am , thank you so much for your encouragement, and the powerful words of God to equip my life in the lord to extend His kingdom on earth.
I have done BD theological studies in india, kindly do pray for us to begin His ministry for the glory of God. Kindly do remember us in your prayers and do lead us for the glory of God.
Thank you so much!!!
Congratulations, Paul. We’re praying for you and asking the Lord to guide you, give you strength, and bless you as you share His love. Thank you for joining us and for taking the time to introduce yourself. God be with you and bless you.
Hello Deb. Am just blessed by clicking on your site. Sharing the word of life ( HOLY BIBLE) is one of greatest gift ever. Ive enjoyed all the verses and i love them too. May GOD continue to bless you always. Much love????????
Thank you so much for visiting, Aisha. God bee with you and bless you!
Hi Deb,
Thank you so much for this post! As with everyone else, it blessed me immensely! I’m one of those with “waiting syndrome”. I’m not sure how or where I got it, I just know I have it. But, thankfully Jesus (my Physician), is working with me on a cure through wonderful people like you! And please know how sincerely I appreciate you both!!! I will be sharing your thoughts to as MANY PEOPLE as I possibly can, because I think the more people that read it, the better!! Thanks again and much love, Lora Riggs
Thank you so much, Lora! God used your kind words to bless and encourage me. May He be with you and bless you!
I came across this post just when I needed it – today (II Samuel 22:31). God used the content to speak to my heart and increase my faith. Thank you.
Hi, Mark. I’m so glad you were blessed! Thanks for visiting and for taking the time to let me know. God be with you!
Yes I have been praying for my daughter to find the right man and she just keeps getting the ones that will not love her in the right way.She has three beautiful daughters herself please help me to pray for her a healthy happier home than what she is doing for herself now.Thank you in advance .
We’re praying for your daughter and granddaughters, Kathryn. And praying for your tender mother’s heart as well. God bless you!
Blessed!
Failure is a bruise, not a tattoo.
God is working in our lives. Glory to His name
Amen! Thanks for visiting, Jack. God bless you!
I really like the teachings you’re giving us because it helps me to draw closer to God
Thank you, Erica! I so appreciate your kind encouragement. God bless you!