Knowing His Will

For the last five weeks, I’ve been facilitating a Bible study by Kay Arthur called Lord, Teach Me to Pray. I have to admit, it’s been very challenging. Prayer is an area I struggle with quite a bit, mostly because I can’t sit still very long and my mind is always racing with the ten thousand things I have to do. I know that’s an exaggeration; it’s not really ten thousand things, but it sure does feel that way.

This past week’s lesson touched on an area in prayer I think many of us wonder about sometimes – what God’s will is for each of us. I know He wants us to please Him, offer our lives as a living sacrifice, witness, and lead others to Him; but I mean the details. The everyday, what am I supposed to do now type of will.

Do you ever wonder about His will for you?

I think the main reason I don’t always feel clear and confident about what He wants, is I don’t follow His instructions for how to know His will. Romans 12:2 says:

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

The prayer study this week led us through some pointed questions about this verse. The first was what do we know about God’s will from this text? It is good, acceptable and perfect. Then Kay asked what enables us to prove what God’s will is? Being transformed by the renewing of our minds. The last was what keeps us from knowing what God’s will is? Being conformed to the world.

I often find myself entangled in worldly thoughts and worldly activities so instead of me changing the world, it changes me. I’m conforming. What I really need to do is transform my mind. I can only do that through concentrated time with God in his Word and in prayer.

Some days, I rush into the day and my never ending to do list without stopping to take time, real time, with the One who should be directing my actions for that day. I don’t spend enough time with the One whose will I should be following.

It makes me think of a song a friend of mine wrote that says:

“Each morning when I wake up to begin another day, sometimes busyness takes over and I forget to pray, But Lord you know my heart is yours, help me be still before I leave these doors, Create in me a clean heart today.” (Create In Me A Clean Heart by Janet Roller)

I want to know God’s will for my life. I want to follow His plan and not my own. I want to spend more time in prayer and in His Word. I know if you are reading this, you probably do too. Let’s commit to pray for each other.

Lord, you know our hearts. We want to be fully committed and devoted to You and to allow you to lead us down the path you have set out for us. Help us be diligent in spending time with you so that we may be able to prove your good, perfect and acceptable will for our lives.