God’s Guidance
When seeking to know what is God’s will we have some SPECIFIC INSTRUCTIONS in Scripture as to what God expects from us. These instructions or commands are clear and non-negotiable.
When there are no specific instructions in Scripture as to what God wants us to do we need to use these GENERAL GUIDELINES :
- How will this affect God? Will it honour Him?
- How will it affect others? Will it bring them closer to Christ? Will it bless them and encourage them in their Christian walk?
- Does it agree with the moral and ethical values Jesus taught?
In most cases, there will be CONFIRMING INDICATORS that will support what you believe God is saying to you. These can come through:
- Rhema scriptures – a scripture that specifically speaks to your situation.
- Wise Counsel – from trusted godly believers
- The Peace of God – Colossians 3:15 “Let the peace of God rule [be the deciding factor] in your hearts.” Don’t go ahead if you don’t have this peace.
- Circumstances – Do not act on this alone, but often these will line up with the others.
Probably the greatest factor in knowing God’s will is having a RECEPTIVE ATTITUDE. Jesus said in John 7:17 “If anyone who wants to do the will of God they will know and understand that what I say is from God.” In other words, if you really want to do God’s will, God will ensure that you know what it is.
Contributed by Geoff Follas