There is the general will of God of which every Christian should be ever mindful. We often worry about what to do in specific situations, but the general will of God stands high above them all. We may need specific guidance, but we can always be led by His will in all that we should do.
It’s a decision of our will to step into His will, and the choice forever matters. “You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised” (Hebrews 10:36 NIV).
Whether it be in prayer, in words, or in action, the Lord wants you to remain in His will. His will is not the loss of freedom but the essence of freedom from all the bondages we have in the world. When we surrender to His will, then we will have victory in our lives and the freedom to live as He intended.
You can do more surrendered to the will of God than by your own willpower. “Even young people grow tired and become weary, and young men will stumble and fall. Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in Yahweh will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won’t become weary. They will walk and won’t grow tired.” (Isaiah 40:30-31 NOG).
If you want to know the will of God, then you must read the Word of God. In every book of the Bible, and every chapter contained within, His will is forever revealed. You cannot know His will and not reach holy Scripture. The Word is our guide, and the Holy Spirit can help us to understand it.
There is a difference between being busy and being in God’s will. “Therefore, pay careful attention to how you conduct your life — live wisely, not unwisely. Use your time well, for these are evil days. So don’t be foolish, but try to understand what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:15-17 CJB).
It is not enough that you would read Scripture, but you must live Scripture. The Word is living, and the Holy Spirit can bring it alive into you. The highest faith is not the one who knows the most but the one who lives the most. You must be in the Word for the Word to be in you.
The will of God is in the Word of God. “But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him” (1 John 2:5 NKJV).
When you are praying in the will of God, your prayers will have greater effectiveness. When you pray for what God wants, then you are merely opening the door in which He may then choose to move. Anyone can pray from their own will, but the true saint will always seek to pray in God’s will.
It’s not about accomplishing more but being more in the will of God. “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV).
When you are making choices in God’s will, you please your Father in heaven. Often choices made in the will of God’s make it more difficult for our lives. The measure of goodness is made in heaven and not on the scorecards of man. Seek His will and let the cards fall where they will.
Better to live one day in the will of God than a thousand going your own way. “Stop imitating the ideals and opinions of the culture around you, but be inwardly transformed by the Holy Spirit through a total reformation of how you think. This will empower you to discern God’s will as you live a beautiful life, satisfying and perfect in his eyes” (Romans 12:2 TPT).
Too often, we ascribe what we want to what God wants, and He is not impressed by our trickery. We think we name and then claim and act as though he approves, but He never gave us that right to do so. Ask God for His will and be willing to accept His answer.
It is far easier to get into the will of God than to get God into your will. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14 NKJV).
Often people will lift up their poverty or their pain and parade them as proof they are in God’s will. But God is rich in provisions and complete in all that He can heal. We must never think His favor is to give us less than what we need nor more than what we need, but only what would please Him.
Seek to be in the Will of God and let Him worry about the rest. “But first and most importantly seek (aim at, strive after) His kingdom and His righteousness [His way of doing and being right—the attitude and character of God], and all these things [things you need] will be given to you also” (Matthew 6:33 AMP).
To be in the will of God is to bring heaven down to earth. The more you are in His will now, the less you must be changed when you get to heaven. Stop trying to get away with as much as you can and still get to heaven, and instead try to live as high as you can and still remain on earth.
Believe for more, then pray for more, that the will of God would be done on earth. Jesus taught us to pray for God’s will, saying, “In this manner, therefore, pray: …Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10 NKJV).
Blessings to you,
Paul Balius