Question 1

Does God really have a plan for my life?

Accepted Answer

Psalm 139:3You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.The Bible talks about God having both a general plan and a specific plan for our lives. He wants us to follow a certain path toward his desired purpose, but he also cares about the details along the way. In both the big and small picture, God shows his love and care for us.Psalm 138:8The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.Philippians 1:6I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.God has a plan for our lives. It is not an unthinking, automated script that we must follow. It is a journey with various important destinations and appointments, but also a great deal of freedom as to the pace and scope of the travel. God’s plan for us will always have a sense of mystery, but we can be certain that he will guide us as long as we rely on his leading.Esther 4:14“Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?”God’s plans for us are always for good. We can also be sure that everything God intends will be worked out one way or another. He is God and cannot be thwarted. Unknown plans can be frightening, but when designed by God, we can expect something marvelous.Psalm 32:8The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”God definitely wants to help us follow the path that will be most pleasing to him, and in the long run, that plan will be the most fulfilling to us, too.Jeremiah 29:11“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”Along the way, we may be tempted to wonder if we’re on the right path, thinking that if this is God’s will, he has surely made a mistake. Ultimately, what looks like a mistake to us in the present is actually God’s means for bringing to pass something fulfilling and wonderful for the future.

Question 2

What are some things I should do to discover God’s will for my life?

Accepted Answer

Romans 12:1-2So, 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.Knowing God’s will begins with knowing God. He holds nothing good back from those who hold nothing back from him. As he transforms us into a new person, we will come to understand his ways and enjoy the habit of living out his purpose for our life.Genesis 12:1, 4The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father’s family, and go to the land that I will show you. . . . So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed.Psalm 40:8“I take joy in doing your will, my God, for your instructions are written on my heart.”Psalm 143:10Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing.In order to know God’s will, we must begin by obeying God’s word.Proverbs 2:3-8Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.Proverbs 3:6Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Isaiah 2:3“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of Jacob’s God. There he will teach us his ways, and we will walk in his paths.”Matthew 6:9-10“Pray like this: Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.”James 1:5If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.1 John 5:14We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.We should not sit around waiting for God to reveal his will for us; we need to proactively look for it. Actively seek God’s will through prayer, reading the Bible, conversation with mature believers and reliable advisors, and by discerning the circumstances around you. Based on what you know from Scripture, what might God be asking you to do in the circumstances where he’s placed you?Acts 21:14When it was clear that we couldn’t persuade him, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”Sometimes God’s will for us becomes evident through circumstances beyond our control. We do the seeking, but we must allow God to work out his will in the way he deems best. In the end, we will be glad of wherever he has taken us.Matthew 25:21“The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities.’”Matthew 25:29“To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance.”The natural abilities we have are gifts from God, and they are often a clue to what God wants us to do. Why would God give us certain talents and spiritual gifts, and then not ask us to use them? We may have natural gifts in the areas of cooking, entertaining, managing a business, teaching, handling money, playing an instrument, or many other things. We should use whatever gifts we have to bring honor and glory to God. If we do this, we will be right where we need to be to discover God’s will.Proverbs 16:3Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.God’s will is that we do everything as if we were doing it for him.Hosea 6:3“Oh, that we might know the Lord! Let us press on to know him. He will respond to us as surely as the arrival of dawn or the coming of rains in early spring.”Give yourself completely to knowing God’s will. Seek his will passionately, not casually.

Question 3

What are some of the things I can know are God’s will for me?

Accepted Answer

Proverbs 16:3Commit your actions to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.Revelation 10:4When the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write. But I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Keep secret what the seven thunders said, and do not write it down.”God’s will is that you do everything as if you were doing it for him. God has not revealed everything to his followers, but he has revealed all you need to know to live for him now.Amos 5:24“I want to see a mighty flood of justice, an endless river of righteous living.”God’s will is that you seek justice at all times and do what is right.1 Corinthians 14:1Let love be your highest goal!God’s will is that you always love others.Mark 10:45“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”God’s will is that you serve others, putting them above yourself.Exodus 20:1Then God gave the people all these instructions.God’s will is that you obey his laws for living.Galatians 5:22-26The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.God’s will is that you live under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.James 4:17Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.When you are faced with the unknown, keep doing what you know to do: love others, worship God, cultivate the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. Trust God to show you the next step when you need it.Psalm 32:8The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.”You can trust God to help you follow the path that will be most pleasing to him, even if you are not sure what all that will entail in the future.Colossians 1:9So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.Ask others to pray for you regarding this specific need to be sensitive to his will in all situations. And make it a practice to pray for others along these same lines, as Paul illustrates here.1 Thessalonians 4:3-5God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—not in lustful passion like the pagans who do not know God and his ways.The development of holiness in your life, dependent in part on isolating yourself from sexual sin, is a part of God’s will that he has clearly stated.1 Thessalonians 5:17-18Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.You can be confident in all situations that part of God’s will in any moment is that you be thankful. Developing a persistent attitude of gratitude is a significant step in both knowing and putting God’s will into practice.

Question 4

Why is discerning God’s will important?

Accepted Answer

Acts 16:6-10Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.In life, you will have innumerable opportunities. Discerning God’s will helps you to recognize the opportunities with the best potential.1 John 2:17This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.It is easy for earth-bound priorities to call our attention away from what we know God’s will to be. When we go along with these demands we are demonstrating a lack of attention to the brevity of our own lives and the direction of God’s intentions in history.1 John 5:14We are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.Asking God for his guidance in our lives is an excellent practice and lays the groundwork for every other form of prayer.

Will of God