Contributor: Alex Kokobili
INTRODUCTION
To seek His will is to know His purpose and surrender God to be involved in the affairs of their lives. This means our expectations must be harmonious with God’s will in our lives. Also, this is an attempt to uncover something that is not visible which could involve a process that results in finding a solution, knowledge, or an answer to a question, concerning our purpose in life
Text: Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
TYPES OF WILL
1.God’s Absolute Will for Humanity. This is God’s supreme desire for us His esteemedcreation.
Ephesians 2: 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”
For instance, the salvation to all people (John 3: 16-17), Life of Holiness (Hebrews 12: 14, without Holiness, we cannot seek or see God), Life of Thanksgiving as God’s will for humanity (1 Thessalonians 5: 18), To prosper humanity (3 John 2), etc.
2.God’s Permissive Will Borne Out of Human Persuasion to Have Their Way
Psalm 81: 11-12, “But My people would not heed My voice, And Israel would have none of Me. 12 So I gave them over to their own stubborn heart, to walk in their own counsels.
3.The Human Free Will (But God Expects Us to Synchronize our will to His Absolute Will to Guide Our Choices
Psalm37: 5 "Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass"
Deuteronomy 30: 15-16 says:
“See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;16 In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.”
Seeking God’s Will Does Not Mean You Are A Religious Fanatic As Many Assume!
A. God understands our needs, feelings, and humanity, so don’t live in delusion or fear about involving God in every area of your life.
Hebrews 4: 15
For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are, yet without [committing any] sin.
B. When we seek God’s will, it is a sign that we are not just earthly residents but also thirst and hunger for the kingdom.
Mathew 6: 33
Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all other things shall be added unto you.
C. As long as your expectation is with God’s word, He will bring it to pass.
Proverbs 23: 18 For surely there is an end, and your hope will not be cut off.
Psalm 16: 3 Commit they work unto the Lord and He shall bring it to pass
D. Never be afraid to pray for God’s will to be done (Surrender to His will).
Mathew 6: 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Isaiah 55:8-9 For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
How Do We Seek God’s Will In Pursuance Of Our Purpose In Life?
1. THE WORD OF GOD.
The Word of God is the revealer of all truths and mysteries of life. Don’t make vague decisions, but study to know the mind of God on all things.
Psalm 119: 105 “They word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path”
2 Tim 2: 15 ”Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Daniel 9: 1-3 “In the first year of Darius the son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.
Through the Word of God, you would find the need for wisdom, knowledge, and direction.
a. The Word of God gives us an understanding of life.
Ephesians 1:18 “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,”
b. The Word of God is wisdom
Proverbs 4:7 “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore, get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.”
c. The Word of God is knowledge.
Hosea 4: 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
2. FAITH IN GOD.
Once you study God’s word in relation to any area you need answers in your life, be ready to accept His will and believe (have faith) that he will never mislead you.
Hebrews 11: 1-3
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.
3. FASTING, PRAYER, AND PERSONAL RETREAT
Acts 4:31 “And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”
(i) Pray all manner of prayers
Ephesians 6: 18
And pray always with all manner prayer and supplication in the spirit: and watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all Saints.
1 Corinthians 14: 14-19
14 For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding. 16Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say? 17 For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.18 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all; 19 yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.”
(ii) Add fasting to the prayer from time to time
Mathew 17: 20-21
“Because of your little faith,” Jesus told them. “For if you had faith even as small as a tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would go far away. Nothing would be impossible. 21 But this kind of demon won’t leave unless you have prayed and gone without food”
4. COMMUNAL FELLOWSHIP WITH OTHER BELIEVERS.
Don’t isolate yourself from a Bible-believing Church as the experiences of the believers have a way of pointing us towards God’s will. Unfortunately, lots of people don’t realize the harmony in fellowship as a church. We learn from ourselves, pray and study God’s word, provide counselling, etc.
Psalm 133:1-3
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe.3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.”
Hebrews 10: 25 “not forsaking our meeting together [as believers for worship and instruction], as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more [faithfully] as you see the day [of Christ’s return] approaching.”
5. SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY/ MENTORSHIP AND DISCIPLESHIP
It is dangerous to live yourself without the guidance of a shepherd. Even a true shepherd also looks up to another Shepherd. (Avoid being critical of your pastor or a spiritual shepherd who can guide you).
Hosea 3: 7 “Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing unless He revealed His secret unto His servants the prophets.”
1 Corinthians 11: 1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ”
6. THROUGH THE MANIFESTATION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We have to be spiritually sensitive and deliberate because God can reveal His purpose to us through diverse manifestations
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 e.g., Word of Wisdom, Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miraculous happenings, Prophecies, Spiritual discernment, Praying in Tongues.
However, be careful not to be a prophecy seeker, but if you seek God in a genuine fellowship, he would send a word of hope, healing, power, assurance, etc., to you.
7. IN DREAMS AND VISIONS
Don’t be quick to trivialize certain dreams or visions because that might be God speaking about His purpose for your life.
Judges 7: 13-15
“When Gideon came, behold, a man was relating a dream to his friend. And he said, “Behold, I had a dream; a loaf of barley bread was tumbling into the camp of Midian, and it came to the tent and struck it so that it fell, and turned it upside down so that the tent lay flat.” His friend replied, “This is nothing less than the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel; God has given Midian and all the camp into his hand.” When Gideon heard the account of the dream and its interpretation, he bowed in worship. He returned to the camp of Israel and said, “Arise, for the Lord has given the camp of Midian into your hands.”
Daniel 2: 19
“Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.”
CONCLUSION
The bedrock of discovering God’s will starts from knowing Him and building a genuine relationship with Him. We will discover from the main text that it is easier to seek God’s will if we surrender to our will to Him. An example was David who inquired of the Lord after becoming King concerning the Philistines despite being skilful in the act of war.
2 Samuel 5: 17-19
Now when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines went up to search for David. And David heard of it and went down to the stronghold. 18 The Philistines also went and deployed themselves in the Valley of Rephaim. 19 So David inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand? “And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand.”
We are advised to always seek God’s will regardless of our mood, or assurance of decisions, wealth, spiritual might, etc. because His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8), and He is not unfaithful to forsake those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11: 6).
