As Christians there is an inherent desire in us to know God’s will.

Many believe we are carried along in it no matter what we do. Some think that our only direction is what’s stated in the Bible. And some don’t want to know God’s will because they think they will end up doing something they have no desire to do. Whatever we believe, we must hold it in the light of God as the perfect and loving Father. What He wants to do is absolutely good for us, the world, and His glory.

There are elements of truth about God’s will in each of the statements above. But I intentionally left out one aspect because I’ll share it as I tell you what God’s been doing with me so far this year. In my relationship with Him, there have been times that God’s revealed His will for me personally. When He’s done this, I’ve often been surprised by His love and personal attention to me as His child.

My church (thecrossing.cc) committed the first tenth of the year to God in 37 days of focused prayer. On 1/1/17 the Scripture reference in our guide was this:

“Do not call to mind the former things, Or ponder things of the past. “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.

– Isaiah 43:18-19 (NASB)

As I followed along with what my pastor had written, that day I asked God, “What new thing do you want to do with me this year?” I always try to take some time to quiet my thoughts, be still, and listen. I don’t always hear something, but I am definitely not always doing a good job of listening. That morning though, in my spirit, I heard Him respond in a still small voice, “Write your book. I am going to make you a writer.”

There is so much Biblical precedence for this one thing…

God speaks. He has done it from the beginning, and He still does it today. We don’t always hear Him or respond in faith. He doesn’t always speak in the same way. And in my experience He often says unexpected things.

When He has spoken to me though, I’ve always been faced with an opportunity to believe and act on what He says or deny it. Often I wonder if it was Him, or me, or even the enemy. There are some things that help us discern this:

1. Is the word in line with the Bible? The Bible is the authoritative Word of God.
2. What about God’s goodness, redemption, love, mercy, and grace? The word should also be understood through the lense of God’s character expressed in the whole of the Bible.
3. If you acted on the word, what would be the consequences? In general, does it lead you to good things, a deeper relationship with God, and His people?

The crazy thing is, I shouldn’t have been surprised by what God spoke to me, revealing His will. I used to love writing but somewhere along the way I stopped doing it. Now He’s redeeming that dormant passion. He makes all things new.

What new thing has God been doing with you? If you don’t know, take some time to pray and ask Him. Let us know what He says in a comment below.