To know God's will involves understanding two main aspects: God's sovereign will (His overarching plan) and God's revealed will (His commands and guidance for living). The revealed will is accessible through Scripture, prayer, and spiritual discernment, and it involves living according to God's commands and principles that are good, acceptable, and perfect.
Key Ways to Know God's Will
- Study Scripture: God's authoritative will is revealed primarily in the Bible, which provides clear commands and principles for life. The mind should be renewed by the Spirit to discern and embrace this will.
- Pray for Wisdom and Guidance: Asking God directly in prayer with the expectation that He will guide is essential. God desires to reveal His will and gives wisdom generously to those who ask.
- Live According to Godly Principles: Know that God's will includes repentance, faith in Christ, and living a life that glorifies Him through good works, sanctification, and love for others.
- Discern Through Personal Circumstances and Desires: God often guides through a combination of biblical principles, personal gifts, desires aligned with Him, a sense of peace, and wise counsel.
- Patience and Step-by-Step Guidance: Sometimes God's will unfolds gradually, requiring patience and faith as He reveals one step at a time.
- Test and Confirm: Testing what aligns with Scripture and brings spiritual peace helps confirm God's will.
Knowing God's will is both about aligning with what God has already revealed in the Bible and seeking His ongoing guidance in decisions through prayer, reflection, and faithful obedience.
