We’ve all been there…
At a crossroads, with a decision that has to be made. A decision that could change our life.
We’re not talking about what kind of cereal to buy, what toothpaste to use or whether to upgrade now or wait for next year’s iPhone.
No, this is a decision that requires more wisdom than our own. We need to know what God thinks. We truly want to know God’s will.
Discerning the Mind of God
I love the advice offered by George Mueller, a nineteenth-century English pastor who was known for his life of prayer and his close walk with God. When asked by a friend how to discern God’s will, Mueller shared the six steps he used to determine the mind of God through prayer and the Word:
1. “I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of its own in regard to a given matter.…
2. “Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
3. “I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with, the Word of God.… If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to the Scriptures and never contrary to them.
4. “Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
5. “I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
6. “Thus, (1) through prayer to God, (2) the study of the Word, and (3) reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly
Quoted in Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
Not My Will, But God’s Will
While the steps may seem simple, the process is not always easy. For to truly know God’s will, we must fully surrender our own. Laying down our agendas and opinions on the matter so that our hearts are willing to do whatever God directs.
It’s only when we make ourselves fully dependent on God that we’re able to experience the reality of this beautiful promise….
Remember…God longs to give you and me wisdom. If we’ll simply ask with hearts that genuinely long to do His will, stilling our souls to hear His voice…our heavenly Father will lead us in the way we should go.
“This is the way,” He’ll whisper tenderly, leaning close so we can hear. “Walk in it.”
I’d love to hear from you…Which one of these steps resonate with you today, and why?