Discerning God’s Will
Posted by Clinton on July 5, 2008
God, am I doing what you want me to do? That is the question I have been asking the Lord the past few days. I have felt for a long time (6 years to be exact), that God has called me to church planting. The idea was birthed in my heart in 2002 on a military deployment. I prayed to God and asked him to help me by sending me to a place where I could learn church planting. When I returned from deployment, my family and I joined Mountain View Community Church (a 7 year old church at the time led by its founding pastor). I served there 4 years. In 2005, my family and I became core members of Diamond Valley Community Church (a daughter church of Mountain View Community Church). We served there for 2 years in key positions. I loved both churches and felt that God was preparing me for church planting along the way.
Now I am unsure. I have been asking God if church planting is my assignment, or did I misread Him. My uncertainty has been brought on by conversations with family members that I love and respect. In the face of this uncertainty, I have decided to ask God for confirmation of His will. At my best, I can be stubborn and single-minded. I want to know that I am following Him and not my perception of what I think He wants.
“The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:17 (NASB95)
Elaine said
Praying, For The Right Reasons
To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Psalm 25:1 NAS
Psalm 25 describes a person who’s chosen the right road, yet not found it easy to walk. In the first ten verses we learn five important things about the person who prays:
(1) They know where to go for help. “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul” (v.1). Others may assist us, but only God can sustain us.
(2) They know who to trust. “In You I trust . . . do not let my enemies exult over me” (v.2). Love your enemies, because God does. Pray for them, turn them over to Him, then move on.
(3) They know the purpose of prayer. “Lead me in Your truth and teach me” (v.4). Richard Foster writes, “To pray is to change. Prayer is the central avenue God uses to transform us. If we are unwilling to change, we will abandon prayer. The more we pray the more we come to the heartbeat of God. Prayer starts the communication process between ourselves and God. All the options of life fall before us. At that point we will either forsake our prayer life and cease to grow, or we will pursue our prayer life and let Him change us.”
(4) They know the basis of their acceptance. “According to Your lovingkindness remember me” (v.7). We cannot approach God on the basis of our own goodness, only on the merits of Christ’s saving grace.
(5) They know prayer works. “He teaches the humble His way” (v.9). When you can’t see your way forward, pray. God will reveal it to you, one step at a time. All you have to do is follow.