How Do I Know July 29, 2015

¹⁷ If anyone's will is to do God's will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority.  John 7:17 ESV

Recently there was a discussion in our small group at church about following the will of God.  My contribution to that conversation was that for me following was often not the biggest challenge, but knowing the will of God.  The days of the ghostly finger writing on the wall have passed and I don't have any wool fleece to lay in the front  yard.  All too often I have made decisions based either on my research/wisdom/feeling or after a very cursory period of prayer.  Many times those decisions turn out not to have been the best.   

But Jesus tells us how we can increase the odds of making the right, God-led decision.  If we are truly yearning to do God's will, crying out to following His leading, passionately searching for His guidance, we will "know whether the teaching is from God".  Ten minutes of prayer before purchasing a house does not qualify.  The old "God, let the stoplight turn red before I get to the intersection" blessing on a decision I want to make is perhaps worse than not acknowledging God at all.

Folded hands.  Obedient attitude.  Humble spirit.  Sincere supplication.  Impassioned pleas.  These things are pleasing to God.  This is how we can come to know God's will.  Time with God should be refreshing at times, exhausting at others.  Christ left the Garden of Gethsemane physically drained, but spiritually filled.  He had to know the will of God before leaving the garden.  A 10-minute throw away prayer would not suffice.  His only prayer was to do the will of God.  Not to die, run, or call down angels.  Just his Father's will.

His will was obedience.  If we truly desire to know God's will for our house, spouse, career, then our prayer must be singular-  "Your will, not mine."  We must make that predecision before ever entering into the prayer closet that our will is subordinate to what God wants for us.