Discovering the Will of God Through Prayer

“How do I know God’s will for my life?” As a pastor, this is easily one of the most common questions I hear. In the uncertainty of the world today, people are grasping for a secure place to seek rest…the will of God.

Let me give you a simple answer to this question: God’s will for your life is his will! God desires that, in each of our lives, his will would be done on a daily basis. This will is not found in the latest self-help book…it is found in prayer!

When Jesus taught us to pray, this is what he said in Matthew 6:10:

“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (NKJV).

The slogan that comes to mind is “Just Do It!” We are to put the will of God into practice!

I believe many Christians come to God and say, “Lord, show me your will…but I’ll decide whether or not I’m going to do it.” What God wants is a heart that is totally yielded, and ready and willing to follow him. A heart that cries out, “Lord, your will…anytime, anywhere, any cost!” 

As a young preacher, I heard the great preacher Steven Alford say something I have tried to live throughout my life:

God’s not going to show you more of his will if there are already things in your life that you’re not doing for him…things you know aren’t in his will. Why should God lead you forward if there’s disobedience in your life? You must be willing to not only discover the will of God, but to do the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.

Now, I got to thinking about that and began to wonder, how is the will of God done in heaven? Well, it’s done passionately, it’s done perfectly, and it’s done perpetually.

Think about angels, for example. Angels are actively, obediently, and cheerfully doing the will of God at this very moment in heaven. The Bible tells us that in heaven, his servants serve him day and night. And they never go on strike, never sleep in late, and don’t take a long lunch or an extra coffee break! They serve him, actively, aggressively, energetically, and perfectly day and night. There’s no sloughing off in heaven. The will of God is done passionately, perfectly, and perpetually.

And if the will of God is going to be done in my life on earth, as it is in heaven, then I need to be praying in obedience to him that I will do the will of God passionately, perfectly, and perpetually.

The last thing most Christians need today is another Bible study where we sit still and gather more information…only to do nothing about it. Some people think that the extent of the Christian life is to go to church, endure a sermon, and go home. God hasn’t saved us so that we can sit on a pew and listen to somebody talk. Instead, we are saved to serve him…not to sit, soak, and sour on the bench. By the way, have you ever noticed how bench players can get negative and critical about the people who are playing?

Don’t be a bench player. Get in the game and practice the will of God. And if you’re going to do the will of God, do it cheerfully and gratefully with all your heart.

Life is doing the will of God. Life is not about how long you live, but how well you live. It’s not the duration of your life that really matters, it’s the donation of your life that counts…what you give, what you contribute…in doing the will of God.

Everything in light of eternity will fade into history. So today, make doing and practicing the will of God your priority. Pray for the will of God. Pursue the will of God. Practice the will of God. Make your prayer, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”