Seeking God's Guidance

How do you make important decisions in your life? Believers start with the premises that There is a God who has a will/plan for our life. He is interested in our life, He has our best interest at heart.

Psalm 16

16:7--I will praise the LORD , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

God will guide and direct us in our life.

1. God has promised to give us Godly guidance. "You have made known to me the path of life."

Psalm 32:8--I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

Proverbs 3:5-6--Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Isaiah 58:11--The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.

Psalm 16:8--I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.

I John 5:14--This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

It is God's will to seek Godly guidance. He promises to direct us. He promises to refresh us.

Genesis 12--God gave Abraham sparse guidance but clear direction. He gives us a sense of direction. As we trust him day by day, His guidance becomes clearer and clearer.

It is the character of God that He would give us very clear guidance in every decision we make. Since it's His will for us to obey and please Him, it's His responsibility to show us want to do. It's not in God's character to make us guess at what we're supposed to do. God will certainly give us Godly guidance if we seek it.

2. We have a pilot in our search for Godly guidance. JC promised to send a Helper/Teacher/Guide. It's HS's responsibility to guide us. HS is living in us to guide/direct us.

Psalm 16:7--I will praise the LORD , who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.

When we're asleep, the HS has absolute undisturbed control of our mind. Our mind is highly active when we're awake. But when we're asleep, the things that we are seeking guidance for from God, HS will reveal God's guidance to us (often in the middle of the night.) That is the work of the HS.

I Corinthians 2:12--We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man's judgment: "For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?" But we have the mind of Christ.

Unbelievers can't understand the things of HS because they don't have HS to help them interpret/understand. Believers understand things of HS not because we're smarter, but because we have HS in us, guiding us.

First, you must believe that there is a God. He sent His one and only Son to die and pay for our sins. If you accept His son, Jesus Christ, and confess your sins, ask for forgiveness, and accept Christ as your lord and saviour, that is when you become a child of God, and can receive clear guidance from God through HS. Put your faith and trust in God. He is trustworthy and loving. He will give you Godly, which is the best direction you can ever receive.

We must watch out for the pitfalls when seeking God's guidance.

1. Strong fleshly desires. There is nothing wrong with having natural desires. We must assess what is controlling our decision-making powers. We must ask, "what's the will of the Father?"

2. Wrong counsel. Everyone can offer advice. But they don't have to suffer the consequences. But we can go to the decision maker Himself. He wants us to be able to discern His mind so we know His will for our life.

3. Impatience. We must have patience. I will wait here until I get further orders. I refuse to run ahead.

4. Doubt. Some people feel that they are not worthy of hearing from God. Others feel disappointed by past unanswered prayer. Others misinterpret God's guidance, then things didn't go as desired and they conclude that prayer doesn't work.

If we have sincere motives, God will use our experience for good, no matter what.

5. Pressures. There's external pressure (friends, family, etc.). But those people don't know God's will for your life. So we must be careful of the external pressure. There's also time pressure. We are sometimes forced by the circumstances to make a decision. Other times, the pressure of the circumstances themselves will force us to have to make a decision. Internal pressures come from promptings of HS.

How do we find genuine Godly guidance?

1. Cleansing. We must first look at ourselves. What in my life will hinder me from seeing your guidance?

2. Surrendering. If I am going to deal with things, I have to surrender my will to Him. I must bring my will under submission to His.

3. Asking.

1 John 5:14--This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of him.

4. Meditating on the Word of God.

Psalm 119:105--Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

God may use His word to reveal other thing that needs to be cleansed from our lives.

5. Believing.

Mark 11:22--"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

6. Waiting.

Isaiah 64:4--Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.

7. Receiving.

If you've done these things, you will know that you've heard from God.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

This is the information have been looking for, am about to enter into full ministry. And I need your prayers and support, God bless