Why is it so hard to believe in God? And then once someone believes in God it seems they struggle to actually believe what He says. There is so much I will be zooming past here to keep my focus on ‘The Will – What Is It’ topic so I can give you something to think about. So here we go.
Will (verb) – the desire, inclination, or choice of a person or group
How Do We Find God’s Will
So what is God’s will? Another way of putting it would be, what is His desire? We can see patterns in the Bible (God’s word) that shows us His desire. The Bible is made up of the Old Testament and the New Testament. Other words for the Old Testament would be proof, evidence, or testimony of God’s Will before Christ.
Then in the New Testament, we have the fulfillment of God’s testimony (will or desire) In Christ. New evidence now fulfills that which was spoken of in the Old, Jesus Christ. Now Jesus, in the Gospels, is telling us the Will of God and showing us God’s will through His actions. Jesus is training us!
God’s Word Is God’s Will
Back to finding God’s will. God’s word is His will. When God says something, this is His will or His desire.
If you want to know God’s will, then be in His word.
Just a short note here – There is God’s written Word (will or testament). And there is also God’s spoken word. His spoken word will always be in line with His written word.
So Let Us Talk Prayer
We often pray outside of God’s word or what His desire is. Then we wonder why our prayers aren’t answered. So then we justify the prayers not being answered by putting it on God. We say, “It wasn’t God’s will.” This is true mostly because we aren’t aware and we just don’t know what His will is. So we get lazy with our prayer and say, as if to sound spiritual, “Lord, if it is your will.”
It’s almost as if we say “if it is Your will” to cover our unbelief and/or our ignorance (lack of knowledge). I have done this many times mostly due to laziness. Being too lazy to regularly read and study the word (will) of God. Or too lazy to look a verse up to give me the foundation for my request to God.
Since we are not sure what to believe sometimes, then we say “If it is your will, Lord.” And if it doesn’t happen, then we say, “Well Lord, it must not have been Your will.”
“We are like a wave in the sea tossed around by the wind.”
James 1:6b
James 1:6-8 AMP
But he must ask [for wisdom] in faith, without doubting [God’s willingness to help], for the one who doubts is like a billowing surge of the sea that is blown about and tossed by the wind. 7 For such a person ought not to think or expect that he will receive anything [at all] from the Lord, 8 being a double-minded man, unstable and restless in all his ways [in everything he thinks, feels, or decides].
You Must Pray in Line With His Will
Maybe, just maybe, you didn’t pray in line with His will. And if you are not praying in line with His will (His word), it’s not even being heard. It’s just a bunch of babbling.
I John 5:14 AMP
This is the [remarkable degree of] confidence which we [as believers are entitled to] have before Him: that [a]if we ask anything according to His will (His word), [that is, consistent with His plan and purpose] He hears us.
If we have (a remarkable degree of) confidence, then why would we unsureably say…if it is your will, Lord? As this verse goes on to say, that if we ask according to His will, He hears us! Yay! God actually hears us. That also tells me if I ask anything NOT according to His will, He doesn’t hear me.
“Wait, Scott! God hears everything. After all, He is God, right?”
My guess is that God doesn’t miss anything. But that’s not the issue here. Check this out:
I John 5:15 AMP
And if we know [for a fact, as indeed we do] that He hears and listens to us in whatever we ask, we [also] know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that we have [granted to us] the requests which we have asked from Him.
This verse does not say that if we ask according to His will then He says, “No!” It says that we know (it is settled) that what we request is granted.
Here’s the thing. God is bound by His word. We have to ask according to His word. And again, His word is His will. Check this out…
Ephesians 5:17 AMP
Therefore do not be foolish and thoughtless, but understand and firmly grasp what the will of the Lord is.
You Gotta Hear This
Either stop here and check out this clip from Michelle Grunewald’s Understanding God’s Will for Your Life teaching or be sure to come back to Michelle’s clip. Do Not Skip This! It is a part of what I want you to hear and learn.
So keep your feet on the rock. This simply means, keeping your footing, your life, and your faith, on the word of God – the Rock.
Challenge of the Week
Each time you go to prayer, go to the Word of God. Use scripture for the foundation of your prayers. Each day your challenge is to at least find one verse to go along with one thing you are praying for. When you pray according to His will, based on a verse from the Bible, He hears you. And if He hears you, you will have what you request. So be it!
