Seeking God's Will

 

I’ve been to an Escape Room a few times. For those of you not aware of what they are, a group of people are placed in a room where they have to find clues and solve puzzles in order to progress to the next step and eventually solve the final puzzle within the allotted time. It takes some effort to work out each of the puzzles.

 

We are advised to seek God’s will when we are facing a question in our lives. Many people take the easy way out, pretty much deciding in their own minds what they want to do and then asking God to bless their path. This kind of superficial seeking after God’s will often leads people in the wrong direction. If we are truly seeking God’s will, we need to be diligent, putting some effort into the process and being willing to accept what He says to us.

 

How do we do this? Billy Graham wrote an excellent essay on this topic. I hope you find it useful.

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How can we discover God’s will when we face a major decision? Let me give you six guidelines I have found helpful.

First, commit your decision to God. Make it a matter of regular prayer, asking God to guide you and make His will known to you.

Second, read the Scriptures. Does the Bible give any direct guidance about the decision you are facing? Does any principle in the Bible apply to your situation? Did anyone in the Bible ever face a similar decision, and, if so, how did they deal with it? (We can even learn from the wrong decisions some of them made.)

Third, understand your circumstances. God isn’t only working in us; He also is working around us. Often God guides us through our circumstances.

Fourth, seek godly advice. God has given some people a special gift of wisdom, and when we face a decision, it’s often helpful to seek their counsel.

Fifth, trust the Holy Spirit’s guidance. When we honestly seek His will, God often gives us an inner conviction or prompting to confirm which way He wants us to go. The Bible says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear the voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21).

Finally, trust God for the outcome. Once God leads you to make a decision, don’t draw back. Instead, trust His leading, and believe He goes before you – for He does. The Bible says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Excerpt from “The Journey” by Billy Graham (2006, W Publishing Group)

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.