Preparing to Know God's Will

Preparing to Know God’s Will

Kevin Probst

3/30/25

I have taught in Christian schools for nearly 25 years and I am often asked by spiritually sensitive students, “How can I know what God’s will is for my life?” They wonder if God actually has a blueprint for their lives and many doubt that the Creator of all the universe actually has much concern about them as individuals.

I assure those with enquiring hearts that they have been “fearfully and wonderfully made” and were “knit…together in (their) mother’s womb” (Psalm 129:13-14) by a God who declares he “know(s) the plans I have for you, … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

God is revealing his plans for us. He is not just showering us with “a hope and a future” as if we are entitled, he makes this promise conditional. His pledge is only for those who belong to him. It is not for those who simply ‘act’ Christian, it is for those who are willing to make the sacrifices necessary to be truly Christian.

God doesn’t want our search for his will to be difficult and complicated. He desires that we clearly hear his voice and understand his plan. He wants us to know that our lives are not subject to random chance. He had specified intentions for each of us when he created us in the womb. The same God who spoke to Abraham, Moses and the Apostle Paul wants to speak just as distinctly to us.

Why is it so difficult to hear his voice? Is it not because there is so much competition for our listening ears? We hear the perpetual prattle of voices vying for our attention. We hear our friends, our family and loud annoying voices from the world of advertisement. We hear politicians, the media’s talking heads and mostly shallow influencers on social media. Sometimes we hear the voice of our own conscience and Satan is very sure to get in his two cents.

All these voices blend together in one unified roar within our heads. We must find a quiet, silent and peaceful place where these voices can no longer be heard. Then, listen carefully for the still small voice.

Consider the old prophet,Elijah, who won a great victory over the prophets of Baal. Ahab told Jezebel how Elijah had killed them with the sword. Jezebel sends a fearful message to Elijah: “May the gods punish me and do so severely if I don’t make your life like the life of one of them by this time tomorrow! ” (1 Kings 19:2)

Elijah fears for his life and was so deeply depressed he yearned for death. He was directed by an angel to walk forty miles through the desert to Mt. Horeb, the mountain of God. There, he crawled into a cave and endured emotional and spiritual darkness for three days and three nights.

Finally, the Lord came to him and asked: “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered the Lord saying: “I have been very zealous for you, Lord. I have made great sacrifices to do what you’ve required of me. I have preached to these Israelites who have abandoned you, they have torn down your altars, they have killed your prophets and I am left alone, hiding in this cave.” (1 Kings 19)

God told Elijah to go out and stand upon the mountain in the presence of God. And the “Lord passed by”. A great wind arose, so great it tore at the cliffs of the mountains. Then the earth shook violently and that was followed by a great fire … and that was followed by, wait for it… a still small voice. God wasn’t in the great wind, or the great earthquake, or the great fire. He was in the soft whisper that followed. Elijah received instructions as to where he was to go and what he was to do by listening to the “still small voice.”

As you seek to know what God’s perfect will is in your life, don’t look for God in a bolt of lightning, or in a great rolling thunder or in some mysterious, nighttime angelic appearance at your bedside. No, separate yourself from the chaos and the blathering voices in your world and find your quiet place where you can hear the soft whisper of God.

And “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21)

We must prepare ourselves to enter into the presence of Almighty God. We must come to him in the right spirit and in the right frame of mind if we are to hear his voice.

The Apostle Paul helps us learn how to approach God in Romans 12:1-2.

“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

Paul presents us with three imperatives if we are to know the “perfect will of God.” We are to:

• “Present your bodies a living sacrifice.”

• “Not be conformed to this age.”

• “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The first step in preparing ourselves to learn the “perfect will of God” is to “present our bodies a living sacrifice” to him. This involves a total surrender to him. We are to come humbly with a sincere willingness to hear and receive God’s message to us. Our initial reaction may be doubtful but our obedience will eventually lead us to delight in his perfect will.

Secondly, Paul admonishes us “not to be conformed to this age.” We are to live in this world but we are not to be of this world. Dressing ourselves with the garments of this world hints at a sheep in a wolf’s clothing. We are to be a reflection of Christ, not the world. If we are to be a light to the world, if we are to be the salt of the earth, we must be prepared to make a sacrifice and experience a separation.

“Therefore, come out from among unbelievers, and separate yourselves from them, says the LORD. Don’t touch their filthy things, and I will welcome you.” (1 Corinthians 6:17)

Finally, Paul says we need to be “transformed by the renewing of our mind.” God reveals his will to those who have experienced a spiritual metamorphosis. When we submit to Christ a transformation takes place from something existing into something new.

“...anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

This “renewing of our minds” puts the “want” within us to know God’s plan for us.

We must know God before we know God’s will. We learn who God is by saturating ourselves in scripture through which he has revealed himself to us. We know God by reading and learning about Jesus who is the exact image of his Father. “He (Christ) is the image of the invisible God.” (Colossians 1:15)

You will hear his clear, soft voice when you “cleanse your hands”, “purify your hearts” and set your mind upon Him. Separate, sacrifice and “draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8)