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How can I know the will of God?

Bob Koivisto

The earliest explorers who discovered the world never really knew where they were. The earliest maps bore little resemblance to the real world. Even after the invention of the magnetic compass and the sextant, longitude could not be determined with absolute accuracy. Now, an ordinary hiker can find his position within a metre anywhere on the planet using a simple handheld device connected to a system of 24 satellites in stationary orbits around the world. Using this system, the hiker can plot his position and calculate how far he has to go and in what direction. Similarly, the Bible says that the Christian can get an accurate navigational fix on the will of God. Yet the technology of knowing the will of God has remained unchanged for thousands of years.


The Bible is the supreme revelation of the will of God. What God wants us to know is in the Book, and there is no new information I need in order to do His will. Jude 3 says that “the faith”, the body of biblical truth, has been delivered “once for all”. II Timothy 3:16-17 says, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

While neither exhaustive nor complete, here is a list of principles for finding God’s will that I’ve learned and attempt to practise.

Knowing the will of God is not a formula. Say the following words; learn these three verses; look for special signs in the clouds; pray just this way; buy my book and get a special blessing; give money to my work and God will reveal Himself to you; listen to my radio program and learn the secret of knowing God’s will; sprinkle this blessed water from the Jordan River on your money and God will make you rich – such claims are bogus. God doesn’t sell information, He does not keep it a secret, and He does not require special words or formulas. Jesus made it clear that knowing God’s will was based on a relationship with Him, not on a formula. If we ask God for wisdom, He won’t chide us for asking, but will give us wisdom. God wants His best for our lives even more than we do. God’s concern for His flock is shown wonderfully in Psalm 23: “He makes me lie down in green pastures . . . He guides me in paths of righteousness.” This last expression in Hebrew can speak of a rutted road from which it is difficult to turn off. Ninety-five percent of the will of God can be determined from clear statements of Scripture concerning what He wants us to be. God’s Word contains clear revelation about the kind of lifestyle the believer is to live. Living that way will take Christians down a road that is pleasing to God. The other five per cent of seeking God’s will concerns what God wants us to do – those things in life that are individualized, such as where I go to school, whom I should marry and what career I should choose. Even most of that five per cent becomes increasingly clear through a consistent obedience to the principles found in Scripture. For example, one choice over another is often morally superior. One job over another may have a more beneficial effect on the life of the family. The servant of Abraham, who was being obedient, was conscious of being led by God as he searched for a wife for his master’s son. We should apply the sound mind principle. II Timothy 1:7 promises, “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (NIV). The King James Version translates that last phrase as “of sound mind”. God has given His children the ability to think clearly and confidently. Choices that are rational are not necessarily unspiritual. When we have learned God’s viewpoint on life through knowing His Word, by some strange coincidence we seem to be able to discern His will for us. God’s will is clear in direct biblical commands. For example, the command to “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) is very clear – even though we find it all too easy to substitute and make alternative plans. God’s will is also clearly revealed by universally valid biblical principles. For example, life lessons can be drawn from studying the lives of the men and women in Scripture. David walked with God for more than a dozen years and enjoyed great success. Then came the fateful encounter with Bathsheba, which led to adultery and murder. The kingdom went into a steep decline from which it never recovered, in spite of David’s repentance (Psalm 51). The principle to be derived is: Great temptations follow great spiritual experiences. Thus, the Scripture clearly teaches us to be on the alert following a great emotional or spiritual high; we believers can be very vulnerable at these times. Similarly, the Great Commission does not tell us where God wants me specifically to make disciples. However, Scripture does reveal the principle of starting where you are: “First of all in Jerusalem” (Acts 1:8). We don’t have the right to go across the world if we haven’t succeeded at home. If we have been faithful in little, God may call us to be faithful in much. Christians have been given the Holy Spirit, who “will guide you into all truth” (John 16:3). However, “He will not speak on His own” but “will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you” (John 16:13-14). The Holy Spirit thus serves as a faithful librarian sent by Jesus. However, the book must first be on the shelf for the faithful librarian to get it for us. We must have God’s Word hidden in our heart before the Holy Spirit can remind us of what it says. The light of God’s will is unknowable to those who are in the dark. I John 1:6 says, “If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.” God has promised to speak His peace to our mind and heart as we seek to know His will. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious for anything, but in everything, by prayer and petitions, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Yet, no matter what our feelings might be, God never leads contrary to His word.

Bob Koivisto lives in Everson, Wash.

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Last modified May 4, 2000.

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