Finding God's will

Philippians 2:13 (ESV)

For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

I have been thinking lately "How do I find the will of God?" There are probably many good scriptural approaches to answering this question; but I want to offer something very basic as you think about understanding the will of God. That is, simply, that you'll know His will when you come to know the heart of God.

When you begin to understand, appreciate, and share the heart of God, then you really begin to search for and to desire the things that God desires; to be passionate about the things He is passionate for; even to be broken over the things that break God's heart.

Our Lord wants to share His heart with you; He wants you to know and care about what really moves Him. He longs for the kind of personal relationship in which He can share with you His longings, His passions and His desires. If you want to know His will, ask Him to share His heart with you. Ask Him to move you over the things that move Him. Ask God to reveal His passions to you because you really want to share them and to care for them in every possible way.  He will answer you, and when you discover the heart of God -- you will most certainly know His will!

Dear Lord, help us to get so close to You that we will know Your will for our life. In the Name of Jesus, Amen. 

How do we claim the promises of God?

1 John 3:20-22  (ESV)

20 for whenever our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and he knows everything. 21 Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; 22 and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

How do we claim the promises of God?

Sometimes the most difficult questions are best answered by men of faith, in this case, by a man who made a lifestyle of claiming the promises of God. I learned the answer to this question early in my walk when I read the autobiography of George Mueller.

George Mueller used a method of "Holy Argument" before the Lord. Much like a lawyer would present his case before a judge, Mueller would present his needs and his desires before the Lord.

Of course, God does not need to be convinced – arguments will not make our needs any plainer to him – but He loves when we set our needs, our cause, even our innermost desires, before Him, because it's an expression of our faith, our trust, in Him. So George Mueller would argue His case before God, not so much to convince the Lord, but rather, to convince or demonstrate to himself the absolute trust he had in God's Word, His covenants, His provision, and His perfect goodness. Thus Mueller would place His requests before the Lord, fully expecting God to answer based on who He was.

God has given us the right to ask and to claim anything according to His will, and we should expect Him to answer our pleas when we have confidence that we're asking for what He desires. Even if our heart condemns us we can trust that God is greater than our hearts and will answer prayers according to His good will. George Mueller's requests were answered because he was deeply committed to the will of God – and God cannot deny himself. We can be as bold as he was, expecting God to answer, when we are totally committed to His will and asking for what we know He desires. Sometimes this requires discernment, and so we must wait on Him and ask for His wisdom before naming and claiming what we want.

Are you committed to the will of God? Are you determined to know and to ask for the things He loves to give? The Lord's gifts are manifold, and He wants us to ask for them, according to His own Word, fully expecting answers. He loves your faith and will respond out of His great goodness.

Dear Lord, help us to be committed to Your will. Thanks You for the gifts that You give to each of us. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.  

God's Perfect Will

Romans 12:2 (NIV)

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

God has a plan for the life of every Christian. Every circumstance, every turn of destiny, is for your good. It is working together for completeness. His plan for you is being perfected. All things working together for your good and for His glory. As a young Christian, a friend of mine from college, wanted to be a missionary, like his father and mother. But God had other plans for his life. Changing circumstances revealed God’s will to him, and he was happy where God had placed him. So many of us ask God to change the circumstances to suit our desires, instead of us conforming our wills to His. Don’t let circumstances distress you. Rather, look for the will of God for your life to be revealed in and through those circumstances.

Dear Lord, we often want to run ahead of Your leading. Let us trust You completely and realize that in the middle of all the events of this day and our life, You are working out Your will for our life’s. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Puzzle Pieces and God's Plan

Psalm 127:1 (NIV)

Unless the Lord builds the house,

    the builders labor in vain.

Unless the Lord watches over the city,

    the guards stand watch in vain.

I remember having trouble putting puzzles together. When I decided a certain piece should fit into a specific spot, there was no convincing me that I could be wrong. No matter how difficult it was to squeeze that piece in, I would push and pound on it saying, "It WILL fit!"

How often do we act that way when things don't "fit" in our lives? I’ve heard people say, "I'm going to do what I want, no matter what God wants." I wonder if they realize what they’re saying.

According to the Bible, plans that go against God's will don't prosper. "Unless the LORD builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain." (Psalm 127:1)

We need to learn that we need to seek God's guidance before we make our plans. His plan is always better than our own. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "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."

Dear Lord, we pray that we would always seek Your will before we make our plans and that our plans would be Your plans for us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Will You Follow?

Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Cecil F. Alexander tells a story how she used this verse for comfort:

I have been living in a retirement community for the past eighteen months. During this time, I have become acutely aware that there are people whose needs are not always met. I would rationalize and think, What is that to me? However, I began taking several individuals' needs to the Lord in prayer.

Over the past several months, I have often sat in the lobby after meals. One night, I looked to see if I could be of help to either a resident or staff member. During this time, there was a distraught younger woman at the desk, expressing a concern about a family member. I recognized the woman. However, being very tired, I decided to go to my room. But the Holy Spirit had other plans for me.

Before I could leave the lobby to go to my room, my feet took me to the resident's room. There was the distraught woman, the resident's daughter. She greeted me at the door and almost pushed me into the room, saying, "Why don't you come in and visit awhile?" So I did. The daughter left for the evening. The resident was in her bed. I sat down and talked with her. She was anxious because she was afraid she wouldn't be able to sleep. I recited this Scripture to her:

Philippians 4:6-7 - Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

I explained that we are not to be anxious, but by prayer, we can experience a peace that we cannot understand. I told her how God's peace has come over me when I have been in the same situation. I reassured her that God has asked us to "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 NIV) Then I began singing some of the old gospel hymns, to which she would join in, as she remembered them. She said she thought that God had sent me to her room. He sure did! Before I left, I asked her if I could pray for her, and she agreed.

I was glad that God gave me this opportunity and that I acted upon it. I praise Him for bringing to remembrance the Scriptures and words to the hymns that I sang. I am thankful that I could sing them. My voice was crackly and weak, but God used this encounter for His glory.

There are times when we sense the guidance of the Holy Spirit asking us to follow His leading. Are we willing to follow His lead?

Dear Lord, help us to recognize Your leading and to be willing to follow through and do Your will. Help us to overcome our timidity, and give us opportunities today to be Your helpers in assisting others in their time of need. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Are You Visualizing What God Wants You to Do?

2 Timothy 2:15 (New International Version)

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.

Author Marabel Morgan told how for three long months prior to the birth of her second daughter she was flat on her back in the hospital with no visitors allowed. She was bored out of her mind and longed to have something constructive to do but was too drugged to even read, let alone write.

Eventually her baby was born and she returned home. Her life now was filled with things to do taking care, not only of the new baby, but another daughter, her husband, household chores, and innumerable other responsibilities -- not the time to write a book. But she did!

She said, "Once you set your goal, then picture it done. Without this finished picture in your mind, you'll give up halfway. With it, there's no limit to what you might accomplish."

Somebody else said, "Faith is visualizing what God wants you to do." Good point. Once we see what that is, it is so much easier to start doing it! And as an author writes one page of a book at a time, we can fulfill our responsibilities one "page" and one day at a time!

Dear Lord, thank You for the gifts and talents You have given to us. Please help us to know what they are, to be well trained in the use of them, and use them for being a part of what you are doing in our world today. In Jesus' name. Amen.