How Do You Find God’s Will?

Current Teaching Series 40 Days of Prayer

How Do You Find God's Will? By Rick Warren — May 1, 2018 “God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9 TLB). God isn’t playing games with you. He wants you to understand his will, his purpose, and his plan for your life.  You may say, “I want God to guide me, but I still get confused. I don’t know what to do.” Often the problem is we’re looking for the wrong thing. You need to know what you’re looking for before you can find it.  So, what is God’s will? God’s will is not a feeling. Maybe you are looking for a feeling or a supernatural sign. You want God to pull your heartstrings so you’ll know exactly what to do.  The problem is that feelings are unreliable; they will often guide you the wrong way. Feelings can come from fatigue, hormones, or an event you’ve just experienced. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful” (NIV). Even your heart plays tricks on you. Even the Devil can create a feeling. If I had listened to my feelings, I never would have married my wife, Kay. The day before the wedding, my feelings said, “Run!” But that wasn’t God’s will. That was fear!  Don’t wait for a feeling when you’re trying to figure out God’s plan for your life. God’s will is not a formula. In our culture, we want everything to be easy. We want things to follow a simple formula that will instantly change our lives. We want a step-by-step guide.  But there’s a problem with this approach: There’s no room for mistakes. If God’s will is a recipe, what happens if you leave out one ingredient? Leaving baking soda out of a recipe is the difference between a birthday cake and a pancake. What if you have “52 Steps to Knowing God’s Will,” and you skip step 37?  God’s will is not a closed system. It is dynamic! It is not always an issue of choosing A or B. In fact, many times you can choose from A to Z, and any of them will be okay. It’s your choice. Why would God give you a brain and not expect you to use it? He lets you make choices, and he gives you second chances. If God’s will is not a feeling or a formula, what is it?  God’s will is a relationship. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:9, “God . . . invited you into this wonderful friendship with his Son, even Christ our Lord” (TLB). We find very little in the Bible about the technique of knowing God’s will. But we see thousands of verses that talk about developing a loving relationship with Jesus Christ. Why? Because God’s will is a relationship.  The better you get to know God, the less confusion you’ll have about what his will is. Get to know God, and everything else becomes secondary.  PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>  Talk It Over If you experience a feeling that you believe is telling you something about God’s will, what is a right, appropriate response?  Why do you think God allows us to make choices and even mistakes when we are searching for his will? How well do you know God — and how can you get to know God better?

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Series Summary Session 1: Do You Really Want to Grow Up? Session 2: A Beginner's Guide to Prayer Session 3: Who Do You Think You Are Talking To? Session 4: Praying in Five Dimensions Session 5: How To Pray Throughout Your Day Session 6: How To Pray for Healing and Restoration Session 7: When God says "No" 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 © 2018 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