“You will be surprised to find out that here it does not mean finding what is missing. Rather; it is about seeing what is already found! More to the point, it is seeing what God has revealed to us. It is a call about placing God first in our lives, which is what "seeking" means (biblically) in this passage. An important point in biblical theology is this: we do not seek God. We can't! It is God who seeks us!”

In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee^d of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it,^e to the praise of his glory. Ephesians 1:13-14

Dr. Richard J. Krejcir

http://www.intothyword.org/apps/articles/default.asp?articleid=40437&columnid=3844

 

“For starters, if you are interested in knowing God’s plan for your life, then you must learn to walk with God. You need to develop a relationship with Him. Christianity is all about relationship rather than just religion.

And so you must cultivate your relationship with God. You must seek to know Him and not just seek to know about Him.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."

Chris Russell

http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/8-keys-to-knowing-god-s-will-for-your-life.html

“When you make a decision, it should line up with, or at least not contradict, what God has already said through the Bible. There are no hidden answers in the Bible, but guidelines and truths - an explanation of who God is -- that can help you make decisions.” Evangeline Vergo https://www.cru.org/train-and-grow/spiritual-growth/how-to-know-gods-will.html

“The Bible will help us to know God's will. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105)”. Dawson McAllister http://www.christiananswers.net/q-dml/dml-y001.html

"The habit of seeking wisdom — learning to know His ways." J. Budziszewski http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/spiritual-development/finding-gods-will-for-my-life/whos-calling

“You will not fulfill God’s will for your life accidentally. You’re commanded to know His will. The good news is that the Lord wants you to know His will for your life more than you want to know it.” Andrew Womack http://www.awmi.net/reading/teaching-articles/find_follow/

“If God has given us a new heart that desires what He desires, our decisions are going to line up with His plan. We work through these decisions with the wisdom He gives us through the Spirit.

We are often so intent on looking for some hidden plan God has laid out for us that we forget to consult the passions and desires He's given us.” Chandler Vannoy http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/what-we-get-wrong-about-finding-gods-will

“When Jesus' disciples became indignant because they thought Jesus had favored two brothers for "promotion," He clarified the underlying principle for greatness in the Kingdom of God: "... whoever wants to be great, must become a servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served" (Matt. 20:26-28, paraphrased in The Message). Yes, you are unique in your design, but your design is for service, so first and foremost your attitude must be that of service, no matter what the task.

With service as your foundation, you can begin to explore your God-given gift of unique talents and abilities. You didn't earn nor do you deserve these talents. God has endowed you with them. Some of these "grace gifts" are crafted by God at conception (natural abilities) — you're born with them (Psalm 139:13-16) — while others are given by God at your conversion (spiritual gifts) when you become a believer in Christ (1 Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 2:10, 4:11-12). The spiritual gifts enrich and empower the natural gifts that God has given you.”   John Thomas http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/spiritual-development/finding-gods-will-for-my-life/gods-will-for-my-life-part-3-of-3

1) Walk with God.

For starters, if you are interested in knowing God’s plan for your life, then you must learn to walk with God. You need to develop a relationship with Him. Christianity is all about relationship rather than just religion.

And so you must cultivate your relationship with God. You must seek to know Him and not just seek to know about Him.

You will cultivate that relationship best by spending time in His Word, taking time for prayer, and taking every opportunity you can to be involved in church and small group Bible study opportunities. When you seek these disciplines in your life, God will begin the first steps to revealing His plan to you.

Proverbs 3:5-6

5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

2) Surrender your will to God’s.

Many times when we say we are seeking God’s will, what we are really wanting to say to God is this: “OK, God, here’s what I’m planning to do. Now I need you to rubber stamp this, all right?” I must tell you that this is not really effective in finding His true will.

Before God will begin to reveal His will to you, you must be committed to doing whatever it is that He desires for you to do. God will likely be slow to show you His plan if He knows you will likely not do that plan anyway.

Romans 12:1-2

1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Jesus was willing to die for us, so shouldn’t we be willing to live for Him? When we surrender to Him, that is when He really begins to direct our steps.

3) Obey what you already know to be God’s Will.

Many people seem to want to know what God’s plan is for their lives, but they overlook the fact that 98% of His will is already delineated carefully through His Word. God is very clear about many, many aspects of His will. For instance, it is clearly His plan that we abstain from sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

If we do not obey the things that God has shown us clearly to be His will, why would we think He would reveal any further information regarding His plan for our lives? Obedience is an important first step.

4) Seek godly input.

One key component to finding God’s will is to seek the input of godly advisors in your life. If you don’t currently have 3-4 godly mentors, then I would highly recommend that you seek them out right away.

Think of it this way: you should understand that you are basically a composite of the five people you spend the most time with. So, then, it is vital that you choose those five people well. If you choose to surround yourself with godly advisors, they will be instrumental in helping you discern God’s plan for your life. But if you surround yourself with people who are far from God, your hope of finding His best for your life will be greatly diminished.

Proverbs 11:14

Where there is no counsel, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

The church is designed to help you greatly with this. I would encourage you to be in church every single time the doors are opened. The more you involve yourself with a community of believers, the greater your chances will be of finding godly men and women who can help you discern God’s will.

5) Pay attention to how God has wired you.

God has created you to fulfill a specific role in this world. There is no one else who can achieve completely what God has purposely created you to do.

The Apostle Peter gives us this admonition:

1 Peter 4:10

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

God has gifted every one of us to perform a special mission for which we alone were created. How amazing is that? Wow!

So, when you seek to discover God’s will for your life, pay attention to how He has gifted you. His plan for you will always be directly related to the gifts that He has bestowed upon you. The great news is that you will automatically be good at whatever it is that He has called you to do!

6) Listen to God’s Spirit.

I experienced a major turning point in my own prayer life when I learned simply to shut up while I was praying. That may sound odd to you, and it seemed odd to me at first.

You see, I used to do all the talking when I prayed to God. But then, several years ago, I read Bill Hybel’s book, Too Busy Not to Pray. That book completely changed the way I approached God through prayer. Since reading that book, I have added a significant component to my prayer life: listening. I take time to listen to what God might have to say to me.

Practically, the way I go about this is to bring a notepad with me when I sit down to pray. Then I write at the top of several pages things like the following:

• “What is the next step in my career?”
• “What is the next step in my ministry?”
• “What is the next step for my family?”
• “What is the next step for my marriage?”
• “What is the next step in my education?”
• “What is the next step in my finances?”

During my prayer time, I meditate on questions such as the above. Often, God will start flooding my heart with ideas and information regarding one or more of those questions. I write as fast as I can as He speaks to my heart. What a glorious experience that is to sense His Spirit on me, guiding my thoughts and words.

Through experiences like this, He has shown me many times with great clarity what His will is for my life. I long for those experiences when He speaks to me like that. Those times are truly life changing.

John 10:27

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

7) Listen to your heart.

In addition to listening to the Spirit, I also recommend listening to your heart. To understand my point here, consider the following passage:

Psalms 37:4-5

4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass. (NKJV)

I love this passage, because it shows me that, when I am walking with the Lord, He will actually let me do many really cool things that I actually love to do! When you are close to Him, He actually begins to shape your desires so that you desire the things that He has already called you to do.

So then, His plan actually becomes a super-exciting adventure. I always have the most fun in life when I am doing God’s will. And that is because He shapes my “wanter” to want to do the things for which He has actually created me.

8) Take a look at your circumstances.

God often clearly demonstrates His plan for our lives by lining up circumstances in obvious ways. And He also shows us what His will is NOT for us to do in that same way. It is not His will for you to take the job that is not offered to you. If you are 5’ 6” tall and weigh 125 lbs., it is not likely that God has created you to play professional football.

Over the years, I have discovered that God is pretty good at opening and closing doors. He even did that for the Apostle Paul and his enterouge in Acts. Take a look at this passage:

Acts 16:6-10

6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia.

7 After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.

8 So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

10 Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.

So, even Paul had to face closed doors in his ministry. God often uses closed doors to show us clearly what He does NOT want us to do. And He also uses open doors at times to show us what He DOES want us to do. Of course, this does not mean that every open door is definitely God’s plan, but it does help to give you some basic direction.

http://www.biblestudytools.com/blogs/chris-russell/8-keys-to-knowing-god-s-will-for-your-life.html

Chris Russell has spent the past 25 years actively involved in ministry through pastoring, church planting, writing, Christian radio, and special speaking around the country and in seven different countries.

"The first law of discernment is Preparation. Seek God's help to become the right kind of person inside — develop the right spiritual habits. Otherwise you haven't a chance to find His will."

"Habits like what?"

"The habit of prayer. The habit of faith. The habit of distrusting the desires and devices of your own devious heart. The habit of patience — what Scripture calls 'waiting on the Lord' — because God might guide you only a few steps at a time. The habit of submission in every matter where you already know His will, for He has already blessed us with revelation. The habit of seeking wisdom — learning to know His ways. Most of all, the habit of loving Him with your whole heart, and of loving your neighbor as yourself."

"Pardon me for saying so, Professor T, but that all sounds pretty obvious."

"It wasn't obvious to the people who invented the gimmicks."

"Hmm. I guess not. What's the second law?"

"The second law of discernment is Meditation. In the presence of God, contemplate all the relevant features of the decision. Seek human advice too — the Proverbs say 'plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many counselors they succeed.' Since you want to know how God is calling you, the relevant features of your decision include your gifts and talents, your weaknesses and tendencies to sin, the courses of action available, and the opportunities each one affords to glorify God and serve your neighbor. You come last, of course."

"But that all sounds pretty obvious too."

"Does it?"

"Yes. What's the third law?"

"The third and final law of discernment is Obedience. You follow whatever path is wisest."

Mark was silent for a few seconds. "That's all you're going to say?"

"That's all there is."

"But that's not what I came here to find out," he pleaded. "How do I know which path is wisest?"

I looked at him with compassion. "If you have to ask the meaning of the third law," I said, "then you aren't taking the other two seriously."

J. Budziszewski

http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/spiritual-development/finding-gods-will-for-my-life/whos-calling

 

One thing I believed very strongly was that God had a plan for my life. I didn’t have a clue what that plan was, but I was determined to find out! I started seeking the Lord.

You will not fulfill God’s will for your life accidentally.

You’re commanded to know His will.

The good news is that the Lord wants you to know His will for your life more than you want to know it. It’s not hard to know. But it does take effort. You aren’t going to discover God’s will until you search with all your heart (Jer. 29:13). As long as you can live without knowing God’s will, you will. But when you want to know and follow and fulfill God’s will more than anything else, then you will.

We need to know not only God’s will but also His plan for accomplishing His will. That takes time, effort, and maturity. Preparation time is never wasted time. Proper preparation will actually save you time in the long run.

Romans 12:1-2, which says,

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. [2] And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

These verses changed my life. The last part of verse 2 promises that I would prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God if I would do as instructed.

Andrew Womack

http://www.awmi.net/reading/teaching-articles/find_follow/

"I’ve found in my own life that the real concern in these non-moral decisions is that I’m afraid I’ll get it wrong. It’s as if I think God has a perfect plan for my life that he’s not telling me, but he’s watching, always watching. And there will be no grading on a curve! Yikes. Better to just bury my talent in the backyard and wait for the Master to return. Oh, wait. As I recall, that didn’t work too well.

Here are the 5 questions to help you know God’s will for your life when making non-moral decisions:

1. What do I really want? Seems obvious but most of us never answer this simple question. Not clearly, anyways. We may think we know, but we couldn’t put it down on paper in a complete sentence. Because we’ve never tackled the challenge of drilling down into our desires, we aim at nothing in particular – then get frustrated because we hit nothing in particular. Funny how that works.
2. Am I truly seeking God’s Kingdom first? Our why will determine our what and our how. (Tweet this.) As joint-heirs in the Kingdom of Heaven, its good must be our highest priority. All too often, it isn’t — and we know it. Remember that Jesus said the Kingdom of Heaven is like the man who discovers treasure in a field and sells all he has to buy it. Only you can know your motives with any certainty. Instead of assuming you have the best ones, try admitting that your desires are often less than admirable. Make sure they are lining up with God’s Kingdom priorities and not just those of a materialistic American dream.
3. Have I asked for and pursued wisdom? It’s one thing to ask for wisdom, it’s another to seek after it like hidden treasure. According to Proverbs, wisdom is the “main thing.” It’s available to all who ask for it in faith from the God of all wisdom. (James 1:5-7) But are you asking, with fervent, focused prayer and fasting – or do you think you’ve got this one on your own? Consuming a consistent diet of the Word of God will ensure you have a lamp to your feet and a light to your path. [See my post How to Read the Bible Every Day -- and Enjoy It!]
4. Have I gotten wise counsel? There is safety in wise counselors. (Prov. 11:14) Most of us know we should get advice. All too often, however, we stack the deck of advisers to favor the choice we want to make in the first place. I’ve seen this happen more obviously with teens who consult their peers for advice on whether or not to obey their parent’s instructions. But we adults do the same thing. It’s when we seek a wide array of counsel from those who have been there, done that that we get clarity on our true options.
5. Do I have all the facts? Sometimes, we just don’t know what we should know in order to make a wise decision. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s made decisions based on what I thought I knew only to find out later that my data was wrong. When Mary stood at the empty tomb and accused the “Gardener” of stealing Christ’s body, she thought she had all the facts. She was wrong. When Peter drew His sword in the garden, he obviously trusted his assessment of the situation. When we don’t know what we don’t know, we’re in trouble. Turn over a few rocks. Dig a little deeper. Be sure you know what you know. Make your decision on verifiable facts whenever possible instead of on what you hope will happen."   Bill Blankschaen

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/faithwalkers/2013/02/5-questions-to-know-gods-will-for-your-life/

 

"We discover God’s will through circumstances. The Lord is actively guiding every incident of our lives to stitch the incongruent “threads” together for our good (Rom. 8:28). When I was young, I had no money to pay for seminary even though I’d felt God’s call to preach. As I discussed the situation one evening with a friend named Julian, my pastor walked by. Julian called him over and asked if he could help. The pastor told me to come see him. I did, and from that meeting came a four-year scholarship.

Believers must be alert for the moment God reveals His will. Pray every day that He’ll make you sensitive to His ways."

Dr. Charles Stanley

http://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/daily-devotions/discovering-gods-will?firstItem=5aa4b8bf-e4c1-44a7-a8a9-a6f922bc2478