God Can Use Our Spirit-Controlled Desires to Direct Us

Current Teaching Series Can You Hear Me Now?

God Can Use Our Spirit-Controlled Desires to Direct Us By Rick Warren — Nov 21, 2017 “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). When we want God’s direction for our lives, we should get our desires out of the way so that we can honestly say, “God, I’m willing to go either way — whatever you want is what I want.” Then we say, “God, help me to know what you want by giving me a desire one way or the other.” Some people don’t want to do that, because they think if they desire something, then God must be against it. That’s not true. God can use our Spirit-controlled desires to direct us. Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart” (NIV). If you’re really trying to do what’s right in God’s eyes, then your desires are going to be in line. How do you know when you have the right desires? “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously . . . and it will be given to you” (James 1:5 NIV). You say, “Lord, give me the right kind of desire to do the right thing.” When you’re facing a difficult decision, first, you confess your sins and get right with God. Then you commit the decision to the Lord and keep praying until you “get in neutral” about it. The third step is to ask God to reveal his will by giving you a desire: “Lord, give me the desire to do the right thing.” Remember: “It is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:13 NIV). How do you know if the desire is from God? One good test is time. You can tell if a desire is from God by sitting on it for a while and praying, “God, if this desire is from you, make it stronger. If this desire is not from you, please take it away.” It’s a legitimate request — just ask God to do that for you! PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over What are some desires you have that you believe are from God? What makes you think that is true? What does it mean to “get in neutral” about a decision you have to make? When you’ve had to make a decision, have you ever given it time to see if the desire got stronger or went away? What happened?

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Series Summary Session 1: God Wants to Talk with You Session 2: How God Talks to You Session 3: How to Get Guidance from God Session 4: How to Recognize God's Voice PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including The Purpose Driven Church and The Purpose Driven Life, which has been translated into 137 languages and sold more than 50 million copies in all formats. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered around the world. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe