How do I know God's Will?

This is a question we have all asked. How do I know God's will for my life? Am I in the right job? Am I doing what I am called to do? Do I need to pick up and move to Africa?

The Bible is clear on God's will in some areas. His moral will, for example. He has given us commands. We clearly know his will for us in moral situations. We know we should not lie. We should not worship anyone or anything besides the Lord. We should not speak badly of others but build each other up. We know His will for us in these areas.

We also know His will for us in a general sense.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thes 5:16-18.

"It is God's will that you should be sanctified." 1 Thes 4:3a

But these don't speak to any specific situations which involve non-moral decisions. Decisions that do not have a right or wrong answer, but as our Pastor puts it, a right or left answer. Should we live in this neighborhood, or that one? Should I work at this company, or a different one? How are we to know? I have often wondered these types of things. Scared that I am possibly missing out on God's will for my life. I ask God to speak clearly to me because I am not really sensing His leading. Do I just choose one? Is there only one outcome which is God's will for me, and if I don't choose it then I am not in God's will?

"In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And He who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will." Rom 8:26-27

After studying these verses in my Romans Bible study, God really started to teach me what they meant. For the believer, the Spirit is praying for us, when we do not know what to pray. Even though I do not know God's specific will for my life, that is OK! The Spirit does know it, because He is the Spirit of God. And if He is praying God's will to GOD, then that prayer will of course be answered. How encouraging is that! The Spirit is praying God's specific will for me and His prayers are always answered.

In the study on these verses suffering was also discussed. My human reaction to suffering is to get out of it. To pray for healing. To pray for the suffering to be over. And that is not wrong. Jesus Himself prayed 3 times for this cup to pass from Him. BUT, He prayed for God's will to be done. In His heart, He desired God's will more than wanting the suffering to pass. He made His requests know to God as we are instructed to do. But we know that suffering is sometimes God's will.

Suffering could be for the purpose of correcting. When we have fallen into sin.

It could also be for the purpose of sanctification, or spiritual growth. Paul says that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance character, and character hope.

It could be for the purpose of bringing glory to God. If you are sick and God heals you, it brings many to people to prayer, and God gets praise and glory for the healing.

So when we suffer, maybe we should be asking God to give us grace to endure, since we know sometimes His will is for us to suffer (which we know works for good). Paul had a thorn in his flesh (which we are not exactly sure what that was). He prayed for healing from God. God's answer? My grace is sufficient for you. I pray that my faith would be solid so that when I do experience deep suffering, I am able to have this same mindset, and not just my human reaction of wanting out of suffering. I want God's will done. I may not even be able to express that. But I can rest in the knowledge that the Holy Spirit knows exactly how to express what I cannot, and is praying that very thing.

Bottom line is, we don't always know how to pray. We don't know when to pray for healing and when to pray for grace to endure healing. But the Spirit of God that lives in believers knows exactly what to pray, and is helping us in this weakness. How amazing!