How can we discern God's will for our lives?

Understanding God's will for our lives is a major concern for every Christian. We all want to make the right decisions and follow the path God has prepared for us. However, it can sometimes be difficult to distinguish God's voice from that of the enemy. Let's explore the importance of discerning God's will and how to do it.

The Bible is our guide to God's will. It gives us clear principles to help us navigate our daily decisions. For example, Romans 12:2 exhorts us not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. This means we need to be aware that the thinking of the world can deceive us. So we must immerse ourselves in God's word to know His will.

Another important biblical principle is prayer. God wants us to talk to Him and ask Him to enlighten us about His will. In Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus tells us to ask and we will receive, to seek and we will find, to knock and the door will be opened to us. It's important to stay in communion with God by praying regularly, and listening to what He has to say.

It's also important to turn away from any practice that can separate us from God. Anger, jealousy, envy and concupiscence are practices that can cloud our judgment and lead us away from God's will. Galatians 5:19-21 reminds us that these practices are not from God. So it's essential to seek to live a holy life and to detach ourselves from practices that can lead us into sin.

God also speaks to us through others. We need to surround ourselves with people who encourage and counsel us according to God's will. Proverbs 15:22 tells us, "Projects fail for lack of counsel, but they succeed when there are many advisors." God's friends can help us discern God's will for our lives.

Finally, it's important not to rush things. Everything in life has a time and an order. It's important to wait patiently for God to show us what we need to do. Ecclesiastes 3:1 tells us, "There is a time for everything, and a moment for everything under heaven". We must trust God and wait for him to show us the way.

Discerning God's will may seem difficult, but it's not impossible. If we seek to live according to God's word, pray regularly, avoid practices that can separate us from Him, surround ourselves with spiritual advisors and patiently wait for God to show us the way, then we can discern His will for our lives.

Living in accordance with God's will brings us inner peace, joy and grace, and brings us closer to Him.

Shalom!