"Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 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." Romans 12:1-2 

Knowing God's will is very important to every believer. However, our goal must not be just knowing His will. Our goal must also be doing His will. Much of His direction for our lives is of a general nature that applies to all believers uniformly. He also has an individualized will for each believer. There are no shortcuts, no gimmicks, and no magic formulas in determining His will. Most often God gradually unfolds His will to us as we grow in our walk with Him. It is a product of routine faithfulness.

The importance of following God's will is seen in the life of Jesus. He said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me.” John 4:34. Jesus also said, "For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me." John 6:38. Obviously, before we can do His will we must know and understand what His will is. Paul stressed the importance of knowing God's will ... "So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." Ephesians 5:17.

We can know God's will. "I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go.” Psalm 32:8. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."  Proverbs 3:5-6. Moreover, the Bible assures us that His will is good. "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28. "The steps of a man are established by the Lord, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he shall not be hurled headlong, because the Lord is the one who holds his hand." Psalm 37:23-24. "'For I know the plans that I have for you', declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11.

We know the general will of God for us (and for all believers) directly from the Bible. His general will is the same for every believer. We know God's individualized will for our individual lives as a product of a faithful life in the general will of God. From that base of obedience, we follow three steps to determine His individualized will ... we ask the Father ... we acquire guidance from His Word, His wisdom, His people, and His peace ... and we act when we know His will.

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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.