Are you experiencing a season in your life in which you just aren't clear what God's will for your life is?  Maybe you want to do His will... you want to follow His plan... but you just aren't sure what that plan is.  If so, you're not alone!  Many people wrestle with how to discover God's will for their life.

You were created for more than just existing a few short years on earth.  And God didn't send His Son as a sacrifice so that we could just attend a church service once a week.  We were created to be in relationship with Him and accomplish our full potential as an individual.  Since each of us were uniquely created with a purpose in mind, we can only achieve our fullest potential by discovering and living out that purpose.  So how is that done? We have to hear His voice.

So if we want to know His will... and we need to hear His voice in order to know His will... the question becomes: what changes do I need to make so that when God is speaking to me, I'll be able to hear Him?

In his book "Too Busy Not To Pray", Bill Hybels provides a great response to this question:

• Practice the Discipline of Stillness - People who are really interested in hearing from God must pay a price: they must discipline themselves to be still before God.  Maybe you need to turn off the radio, the TV, shut your cell phone off, etc. - just eliminate all the distractions.  And really take some time - intentionally - to be still and tune in.

• Ask Questions and Wait for Answers - Invite God to speak to you... and then wait.  Wait for Him to speak..  All too often, our prayers become a "to do" list for God; instead ask God what YOU need to do.

  • What's the next step in developing my character?

  • What's the next step for me in my family?

  • What's the next step for me in my vocation/education/stewardship/relationship/etc.?

• When God is Silent - Don't be upset with God... He's a living being, not your answering machine... He speaks when He has something to say.

• Listen and Obey - Choose ahead of time to be obedient to what you hear.  Consider this, maybe God is silent because you have no real intention of being obedient to what He has to say.

HOW DO I KNOW IT'S GOD'S VOICE?

• All leadings that come from God are consistent with His character and His Word.  If it doesn't line up with the Bible, it's not Him.

• His will for you is consistent with who He made you to be.  You may completely underestimate yourself... because God may challenge you to do something that's way out of your comfort zone.  But if He created you for it, you can accomplish it!

• His will for your life usually involves servanthood and/or faith on your part.  If what you're hearing is self-promoting or self-serving, you should question it.

• Cautions - There are times when what you're hearing may pass the above criteria, but may also warrant further consideration and wisdom.  If what you're feeling led to do involves any of the following, seek the counsel of mature Christian leadership (i.e. a pastor or other trusted ministry leaders):

  • You're feeling led to make a major, life-changing decision in a very short period of time

  • You're feeling led to do something that would require you to go deeply into debt or place someone else in a position of awkwardness, compromise, or danger.

  • You're feeling led to do something that would require severing family relationships or important friendships

  • What you're feeling led to do creates unrest in the spirit of mature Christian friends or counselors as you share it with them.

• Obey in humility.  Let's face it: sometimes we get it wrong.  Act in obedience to what you hear, but if you realize after the fact that you missed it, be humble enough to admit it and start over.