I believe as followers of Jesus, you and I want to know and trust God’s will for us.
But the world shouts and God whispers.
On top of the noise, Jesus said that as His followers, “you will have many trials and sorrows.”John 16:33
It’s easy to see why even when we know God’s will we fail to trust and follow it. God’s will for us isn’t always the easy and comfortable path we want.
So today I’m praying…
God, Help Me – I Want to Know and Trust Your Will
Father, Thank you! I believe You want me to know Your will.
Jesus said…
“This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one He has sent.” John 6:29
And Jesus Himself is the One You sent.
Your will for me is to know and trust that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to forgive my sins and save my soul.
To make me holy…
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time. Hebrews 10:10
And then to use me to make a difference in the world around me.
To pray for others to know Your truth. 1 Timothy 2:3–4
To trust You without fear. Isaiah 41:10
To do good and help others. Hebrews 13:16
To love like Jesus.John 13:34
When I am confused about Your will … help me turn to Your Word to guide me.
Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven.Psalm 119:89
Your Word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.Psalm 119:105
You are my refuge and my shield; Your Word is my source of hope.Psalm 119:114
The very essence of Your Word is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever.Psalm 119:160
And come to You faithfully surrendering my will to Yours through the prayer…
May Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
Father, I want to know and trust Your will.
Please help me by the power of Your Spirit, so that I might not copy the behavior and customs of this world, but be transformed into a new person changed in the ways I think … knowing and obeying Your will which is always good and pleasing and perfect. (based on Romans 12:2)
May I commit each day to…
Trust in You with all my heart; not depending on my own understanding. but seeking Your will in all I do, confident that You will show me which path to take. Proverbs 3:5–6
And by Your grace, give me courage and strength to trust and follow Your will even when it isn’t easy or comfortable. For I trust that as I seek to know and follow Your will, You will keep Your promise to give me everything I need. Amen.
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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!
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I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.
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Verses that will Help When You Need to Know God’s Will
Do you ever just want to know God’s will?
Do you lie awake at night thinking, if I just knew what God wants me to do?
You have a decision to make, a problem to solve, or a path to pursue … you’ve prayed, oh how you’ve prayed but you don’t feel like God is giving you the clear direction you need.
So, you stare at the ceiling, weigh your options, plan to do more research in the morning, and pray some more…
Father, I love you and I want to glorify you with my life. This choice is hard. There are so many possibilities and I have no idea what Your will for me is in this. Please help me. Guide me by Your Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.
And you roll over and try yet again, to get some rest.
I’ve been there. I’m guessing you’ve been there, too.
Although, it may not be easy to know God’s will in some specific situations … there are verses that will help you and me know God’s “always” will. Verses we can turn to when choices are hard and life is confusing.
5 Verses to Pray when You Need to Know God’s Will
Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Father, forgive me. I’m quick to ask my friends for advice and quicker to worry; yet, I can be slow to come to You in prayer or turn to Your Word for wisdom and understanding. Maybe trusting with all my heart is the problem. I’m sorry. I want to surrender myself completely and trust that Your will for me always comes from Your love. Thank you for using this time to remind me just how very much I need You. And I do need You, Lord. Help me, by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.
1 Timothy 2:3–4
This is good and pleases God our Savior,
who wants everyone to be saved and
to understand the truth.
Father, Your will for me is that I would know and love Your Son, Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Giver of Life eternal . . . Your gift so awesome and wonderful. I’m humbled that Your greatest desire is that I will cherish Your gift of an eternity with You through Jesus. In light of forever, my current circumstances seem less monumental. Please by Your grace, help me keep an eternal perspective as I trust You with the details of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Romans 12:1–2
And so, dear brothers and sisters,
I plead with you to give your bodies to God
because of all He has done for you.
Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—
the kind He will find acceptable.
This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new
person by changing the way you think.
Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
This is hard, Father. The world is always in my face and it’s tempting to just want to fit in. You tell me not to follow the behavior and customs of this world. It’s tough. I see friendships end and people hurt because they choose to stand on the truth of Your Word. Father, I need Your transforming power to change the way I think and act. Your Word says You will show me Your good, pleasing, and perfect will that You can change my heart and mind and make me a new person. I love that! Please continue to work in me and draw me close. I love You, Lord and want to honor You with my life. Amen.
Hebrews 10:10
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Father, You make me holy through Jesus, setting me apart and showing me Your truth. Thank you! I am overwhelmed by Your grace, mercy, and love. Humbled that You care so much about Your children that You willingly sacrificed Yourself for us. Forgive me, Father, for ever foolishly believing I’m doing a good job … doing enough to be declared righteous on my own. I can’t. I need You. I need Jesus. I need Your Spirit. Help me surrender to You and live under the glorious grace You so generously pour into my life. Thank you, Father. Amen.
Romans 8:27
And the Father who knows all hearts
knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers
in harmony with God’s own will.
And Father, when I get it wrong . . . which I do way too often, I’m so thankful for Your Spirit who pleads for me. Who knows Your will and knows exactly what I need. Thank you! You never leave me alone to wander in the dark. By Your grace poured out through Your Spirit, You fill me, provide for me, care for me, comfort me, and guide me. Thank you, Lord. Your loving presence meets my every need and with Your help, I surrender to Your will for me. In Jesus name. Amen.
May you and I prayerfully approach each day humbly surrendering to God’s will. May we, even when life is hard and confusing, trust and know God’s will is best for not only for today but for always!
What’s your favorite verse to pray when you need to know God’s will?
Add 1-2 of your favorite faith/life posts. Then just make friends and have fun.
You know they love it when you stop by and say “hello.”
I would really appreciate it if you would Grab my Link Party Button above and link back to CMB.
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Thank you so much for partying with us!
May your week be blessed with faith, love, and friendship!
Don’t forget to leave your prayer requests…
and pray over the list left by our friends.
I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.
Have you visited the Faith ‘n Friends Link Party Board on Pinterest? It’s a great place to catch up with past posts you may have missed here at the party and/or save them for a future read! If you’d like to become a contributor to my Pinterest Group Boards – email me at deb@debwolf.com with a link to your Pinterest home page.
And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…
Do you ever wonder if you are following God’s will for your life?
Do you worry that you might be headed in the wrong direction?
Do you wish God would write His plans on your to-do list?
Yep, me too!
Since his ordination, Rev has received calls to serve at various ministries and I’ve had to decide whether I should go back to teaching full-time, part-time or if I should stay at home.
And work is just the beginning.
If you’re like me, you know what it’s like to have a long list of life questions.
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 I retire?
What should I do?
The list never ends. As soon as you and I make one decision a new one comes along.
Rev and I have had times when it was easy to decide where God wanted us but other times were much harder.
It’s not always clear, and sometimes we’ve had to move forward without a definitive answer, but there are some things you and I can do to test a situation as we ask for God’s guidance and seek His will.
How Can I Know If this is God’s Will?
5 Ways to Know God’s Will
1. Pray
Always begin with prayer. It’s easy to worry, plot, and strategize first. But when you and I want to know God’s will the best place to start is by asking God to make His specific will clear about this situation.
Pray that the Lord your God will show us what to do and where to go. Jeremiah 42:3
Great questions to ask – “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? 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
3. Agree with Scripture
Does this decision agree with Scripture?
God’s Word reveals His will. The Bible is trustworthy and true.
You should never have to ask God if it’s His will for you to embezzle from your employer or dish the latest dirt on your neighbor. He will never lead you to sin.
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
4. Be Willing to Wait
Be patient. God’s will is worth the wait. You can trust His timing.
If something is God’s will, He will give you guide you in small ways while you wait for big answers. Don’t rush it – 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
5. Trust God to Accomplish His Plans for You
God will always faithfully accomplish His promises and will for you.
I’ll admit, I’ve gotten impatient at times. I want a clear answer and I want it now! But I’ve learned I can watch and wait . . . God will do what He says He will do, and He will accomplish His will.
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
Now, I can tell you there may still be times when you need to make a decision and even after following the five steps listed above you’ll feel uncertain about God’s direction for you.
That’s okay.
You can trust that if God wants something specific in your life He will guide you to it.
If you’ve gone through the 5 step process and still have no clear answer . . . just keep moving. Make a choice and go forward in faith.
The good news is if you are trusting and glorifying God with your life you can move ahead with confidence.
Rev and I had times when the choice was clear . . . so clear in fact, we changed our plans midway.
Occasionally, we used a “fleece” to ask God for guidance in addition to the steps I’ve listed. You can read about Gideon and how he used a fleece to confirm God’s direction, here. We didn’t actually ask God to leave dew on lamb’s wool but we asked Him to clearly show us His will through events that would make it easier for us follow His plans for us.
There have been a few times when we prayed, asked questions, and waited but still felt uncertain about what we should do.
So, we just lived each day…
And you can too!
Trust God’s love . . . 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 seek His will through these 5 steps.
Pray, glorify God, study the Scripture, be willing to wait, and trust God’s ability to work in your life.
Your Heavenly Father wants what is best for you and He is able to accomplish it!
Go for it! Live your life for His glory and honor.
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
Leave your prayer requests…
and pray for others who have left requests.
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I always enjoy hearing from you! Please take a minute to say ‘hi’ and share your thoughts in the comments below.
And if this article blessed or helped you today — would you share it with someone? Maybe a friend, family member, coworker, or through the links below…
Do you ever lie awake at night thinking, I don’t know what to do?
You have a decision to make, a problem to solve, or a path to pursue and you’ve prayed, oh how you’ve prayed but you don’t feel like God is giving you clear direction.
So, you stare at the ceiling, weigh your options, plan to do more research in the morning, and pray again…
Father, I love you and I want to glorify you with my life. This choice is hard. There are so many possibilities and I have no idea what Your will for me is in the situation. Please help me. Guide me by Your Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.
And you try again, to get some rest.
Whew, I’ve been there. I’m guessing you’ve been there, too.
Because my most visited post is 5 Ways to Know if Something is from God which leads me to believe I’m not the only one who struggles sometimes with the specifics of God’s will.
So, I went digging to find verses that might help us know God’s “always” will . . . when choices are hard and life is confusing.
5 Verses to Pray when You Want to Know God’s Will
Proverbs 3:5–6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.
Father, forgive me. I’m quick to ask my friends for advice and quicker to worry; yet, I’m slow to turn to Your Word or come to You in prayer. Maybe trusting with all my heart is the problem. I’m sorry. I want to surrender myself completely and trust that Your will for me always comes from Your love. Thank you for using this time to remind me just how very much I need You. And I do need You, Lord. Help me, by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.
1 Timothy 2:3–4
This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
Father, Your will for me is to know and love Your Son, Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Giver of Life eternal . . . Your gift so awesome and wonderful. I’m humbled that Your will for me above all else is that I will cherish Your gift of an eternity with You through Jesus. In light of forever, my current circumstances seem less monumental. Please by Your grace, help me keep an eternal perspective as I trust You with the details of my life. In Jesus name, Amen.
Romans 12:1–2
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God
because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—
the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
This is hard, Father. The world is always in my face and it’s tempting to just want to fit in. You tell me not to follow the behavior and customs of this world. It’s tough. I see friendships end and people hurt because they choose to stand on the truth of Your Word. Father, I need Your transforming power to change the way I think and act. Your Word says You will show me Your good, pleasing, and perfect will and you change my heart and mind and make me a new person. I love that! Please continue to work in me and draw me close. I love You, Lord and want to honor You with my life. Amen.
Hebrews 10:10
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Father, You make me holy through Jesus, setting me apart and showing me Your truth. Thank you! I am overwhelmed by your grace, mercy, and love. Humbled that You care so much about Your children that You willingly sacrificed Yourself for us. Forgive me, Father, for ever foolishly believing I’m doing a good job enough to be declared righteous on my own. I can’t. I need You. I need Jesus. I need Your Spirit. Help me surrender to You and live under the glorious grace You so generously pour into my life. Thank you, Amen.
Romans 8:27
And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
And Father, when I get it wrong . . . which I do much of the time, I’m so very thankful for Your Sprit who pleads for me. Who knows Your will and knows exactly what I need. Thank you. You will never leave me alone to wander in the dark. By Your grace poured out through Your Spirit, You fill me, provide for me, care for me, comfort me, and guide me. Thank you, Lord. Your loving presence meets my every need and with Your help, I surrender to Your will for me. In Jesus name. Amen.
May my prayer each day be to humbly surrender to God’s will trusting His will is best for my forever and for my today.
What’s your favorite verse to pray when you need to know God’s will?
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