I am 47 years old, married to wife Vicki 27 years and have one daughter, Courtney, who is 22 years old.
I am an ordained Pentecostal minister with over 30 years of ministry.
My ministry motto encapsulates my philosophy of ministry - “Ministering To Serve, To Save and To Heal”. My passion is anointed, biblical and practical preaching and teaching that is relevant, realistic and exalts Jesus Christ!
I am also an avid hunter, LSU football fan and St. Louis Cardinals Baseball fan How To Know God’s Will
John Clardy
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (Contemporary English Version)
11: You know God's laws, and it isn't impossible to obey them.
12: His commands aren't in heaven, so you can't excuse yourselves by saying, "How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are in heaven, and no one can go up to get them, then bring them down and explain them to us."
13: And you can't say, "How can we obey the LORD's commands? They are across the sea, and someone must go across, then bring them back and explain them to us."
14: No, these commands are nearby and you know them by heart. All you have to do is obey!
Recently a dear friend asked me a question concerning knowing the will of God. Her question was, "How do we know if we are in God's will? I pray that I am every day, but how do I know?"
Often in my ministry I have talked with and counseled people that were “searching” for the Will of God like it was something mystical or abstract. But it isn’t so heavenly that we cannot reach it or so far from us that we can never discover it. Neither do we have to depend upon someone else to reveal it to us! It is close by! It is within our reach!
I remember asking an old preacher that I considered a spiritual mentor and whom I revered highly how I could find the will of God. His reply to me was simply, “John, God’s Word is God’s Will!
God's Word will never contradict God’s Will. If we are obedient to the precepts and principles in God’s Word, we won’t have to worry about finding the Will of God, we can have confidence that the Will of God will find us!
Did you hear about the lady who started a new diet and decided to alter her drive to work to avoid passing her favorite bakery?
She did well until one morning she (accidentally???) drove by the bakery and as she approached, there in the window were a host of goodies. In her mind she began to reason this was no accident, so she prayed, "Lord, if it’s your will for me to have any of those delicious goodies, please create a parking place for me directly in front of the bakery." And sure enough, on the eighth time around the block, there it was!
I have discovered that the problem with many who say they are “searching” for “The Will of God” is that what they really mean is that they really want the will of God to fit their plans and desires. Instead of obeying the commandments of the Lord and changing themselves, they would rather try to cover their own ambitions and agendas by portraying the will of God as ambiguous and complicated.
The will of God is not complicated it is clear. But are you willing to obey it? Can you say with the psalmist that it is truly in your heart to do the will of God?
Psalms 40:8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.
If you don’t know God’s Word, dig into it and you will find His will! We need to get in God’s Word and study it with a sincere and humble heart! Meditate on it! If we obey the Word of God and the Will of God will manifest itself.
In addition to God’s Word, here are some other thing to help in knowing God’s will.
1. Prayer:
Matthew 7:7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:
James 5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
2. Godly Counsel:
Proverbs 15:22 Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.
Note: Godly counsel is not good opinions from nice people! A godly counselor is one who knows the Word of God, prays, and is living a godly life. To follow counsel from someone who is religious, but not godly, will cause you to end up on the wrong path! So be careful who you choose to listen to!
3. God Given Gifts:
Every person has gifts and abilities that are placed in them by God! Those gifts when surrendered to God will help lead and direct each person into the plans that God has for them.
1Peter 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
4. Life Events:
I believe that God is intensely involved in the events that occur in His children’s lives. For those who love the Lord, our lives are not guided by accident. Rather, our lives are governed by purpose.
Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.
Romans 8:28 (NIV) And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
5. Common Sense:
Do I dare say this? Being a Christian is not an excuse to be stupid! God has given us a brain to know what makes sense and what doesn’t. If it was too good to be true before you were saved, becoming a Christian doesn’t change that! It is still too good to be true.
Even Jesus cautioned the disciples of their need to be educated and prepared. Being informed allows for wise decisions, whereas ignorance is the ally of evil.
Matthew 10:16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
The wise man Solomon also admonishes us that we should do everything to gather wisdom.
Pro 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
Have you ever heard someone say, “He’s quit preaching and gone to meddling?” Hopefully that is not how you feel and hopefully I have shed some light on How To Know The Will Of God!