“…we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works.” (Colossians 1:9-14)
I’ve been thinking about this verse for a few months now, ever since I read it in The Message last spring.
Right next to that verse, I wrote in the margin: This is a good prayer! You need to pray this for yourself!
I knew the instant I read it that I wanted exactly that: a wise mind and a spirit attuned to God’s will. The problem was, how to get there?
After thinking about it long and hard, I came up with four steps I think are key in learning to discern God’s will. Granted, this isn’t magic. You won’t be blessed with instant clarity and conviction. But I do think these steps offer some guidance or a framework as we navigate the often-murky, always circuitous path of faith.
1. Pray It – Just as Paul and Timothy prayed this desire for the Colossians, we need to pray it for ourselves. Ask God to give you a wise mind and a spirit attuned to his will. Ask him for clarity, for the ability to recognize his will for your life. And keep asking. His answer doesn’t always come right away.
2. Practice It – Recognizing God’s will is tricky business, if you ask me. It’s not always clear – God doesn’t use sky-writing or billboards to convey his message. And so we need to practice it, daily, hourly, sharpening our ability to hear and see.
Maybe practice means stopping and being still for five or ten minutes a couple of times a day. Busyness and distraction drown out God’s quiet voice.
Or perhaps it means being more diligent about studying God’s word. Paul says, “As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work.” (Colossians 1:9-12) And how do we learn how God works? It’s all right there, laid out in the Bible.
Or maybe it simply means listening to your instincts. I’m a big believer in the Holy Spirit nudge. When I get that tell-tale feeling in my gut, prompting me to act, it’s often God speaking to me. Of course, whether I follow through on the gut-nudge is another story … which brings me to the next step…
3. Brave It – Sometimes we recognize God’s will, but we don’t want to heed it – out of fear, awkwardness, inconvenience or plain laziness. Sometimes our hearts are attuned to God’s will, but our heads chicken out. As Francis Chan said, “The Spirit of the living God is guaranteed to ask you to go somewhere or do something you wouldn’t normally want or choose to do.” The choice is ours. Will we be brave enough to say yes?
4. Repeat It – I wish I could say the previous steps have become second-nature and that I now walk with God in perfect sync. But the truth is, I’ve fallen off the God-will wagon more times than I can count. I’ll be diligent with this practice for a while, and then I’ll forget about it, inevitably left wondering why God’s will seems foggier than ever. The only solution, I’m afraid, is to start at step one and begin the process again.
Pray It. Practice It. Brave It. Repeat It.
It’s not foolproof. It’s work, for sure. But it’s good work. It’s rich work. It’s work that will yield contentment, peace and true joy. The key is to stick with it.
Questions for Reflection:
Do you feel like you’re pretty adept at discerning God’s will? Or are you often caught in the fog, never quite sure if you’re hearing from God? Which of these steps do you think would be most helpful for you?
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I like the steps you’ve shared. I would add never discern only in private. Talk with a spiritual director, a pastor , a trusted friend. Often that gives me a perspective I didn’t have before. I do like your first point. I find myself forgetting/neglecting even to ask the Lord’s help at times. As if I could do it myself anyway. Silly human. And Brave it? wow that would mean taking a risk and leaving my comfort zone. LOL A great prayer from the Bible. I am writing this in my journal tonight. Thanks Michelle.
A really good point, Jean – thank you!
This is an appropos post for me, Michelle, because just last week, a young woman (in her twenties) asked me how I know I’m “hearing” from God to discern His will for my life. The process seemed pretty mysterious to her. To your excellent points, I would add that God speaks through His Word, both directly and indirectly, to guide us, and He often uses our circumstances to lead us in one direction or another. At times He has closed a door through which I had wanted to walk. Often, in retrospect, I”m grateful that He barred the way. And yes, those “gut-nudges” as you put them are something only we can feel from the Lord on a personal basis–that peace that passes all understanding. This is something we become more and more accustomed to recognizing as we step out in faith. Being in God’s will is exciting, exhilarating, meaningful, at times difficult, at times frightening, but always the only place to be. May He continue to lay out for you the path He bids you walk.
God bless you!
Lynn
For our daily tasks, we can know we are in God’s will because we are walking in the spirit of His Will. If it is a major decision then we may need to certainly Pray it, Practice it, Brave it and repeat it. Good suggestions to follow
Beautiful post! Every one of these steps is critical to discerning His will – – – especially repeat it. Not only when you fall off the band wagon but when God’s will is not easily discerned. Sometimes it means waiting. So we repeat praying and practicing & braving it as waiting will take bravery.
Have a great Monday!
Joanne
One things that has made a difference for us lately, is stopping in the midst of important discussion, as a family, a praying. Asking God for His wisdom as we talk. It has really made a difference.
Fondly,
Glenda
I love that, Glenda – thanks for that suggestion.
Good post, Michelle! You’ve provided a god description of this life of searching to see and do God’s will, and have provided practical steps to follow.
I like your descrption, here: “…as we navigate the often-murky, always circuitous path of faith.” So true!
I often get random thoughts/words/phrases and visual pictures when I pray. I started recognizing that they weren’t anything I was making up on my own and I could feel the palpable peaceful presence of the Holy Spirit lingering over me during times of prayer. I noticed that those things were hints to a larger message He was giving me as I practiced being alert to His presence. As I practice, I am more aware of His voice. It doesn’t just come during intentional times of prayer now but as I go about the mundane tasks of my day. I can’t imagine anything more fulfilling than knowing that He is with me. I’m ruined for the ordinary. Completely ruined.
The same thing happens to me Shelly. In fact, that is how I get most of my ideas for almost anything from writing ideas to how to organize a room. God wants to be in on every detail of life, and He will give us guidance. We simply need to be aware of the input He’s giving. Thank you for describing so well what happens with me and that I have had trouble describing myself.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one that has to take the steps to seeking His will. It’s never super clear, but then who would need faith to get there?
I am doing a study on Ephesians right now, and this morning I read the latter half of Chapter 1 where Paul prays for God to give the believers in Ephesus “the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him” that “the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling.” So, I had to smile when I read your post. It was like a big Amen to my quiet time. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I would also add that when I am seeking God’s will, I spend some time fasting and praying. I find that fasting helps me to get my ears attuned to God’s voice a little more clearly.
I have never tried fasting, Lyli – but I am feeling the nudge … I think it may be in my future!
Thanks for this thought-provoking post!
Those are 4 wonderful steps, Michelle. You probably could guess that this one would get me the most:
“Sometimes we recognize God’s will, but we don’t want to heed it – out of fear, awkwardness, inconvenience or plain laziness.”
Ouch.
And this:
“Will we be brave enough to say yes?”
That in itself is something I need to pray about. Thanks.
Sometimes I feel like I hear God very clearly, and sometimes things feel more vague. But, I love your advice. It’s good to remember and practice these steps. The one that’s the most difficult for me? Probably “Brave It.” Sometimes I wonder if I use that phrase, “I’ll pray about it,” as a cop-out to something I KNOW He wants me to do, but I’m just afraid.
I might add Step #5 – “Wait for It” – as sometimes discerning God’s will requires that we wait for Him to speak.
GOD BLESS!
Wait for It — AMEN, Sharon! God’s timing is often not our timing…
My adeptness at discerning God’s will fluctuates based on how much time I spend with him & how distracted I am at any given moment. Sometimes, I am definitely caught in a fog unsure of whether or not I am hearing from God. But, the more time I spend in prayer, the more clearly I hear His voice. The more I focus on Him and his will instead of my own agenda, the more sure I am when I hear from Him. For me, it’s all about regular connection with Him along with the level of focus.
These steps will be copied. This really resonated with me. I always find spiritual food when I’m visiting here.
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