Two Steps to Knowing God’s Will

In review of James 1:5 it says, “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him.”

Bottom Line:

If you want to know what to do, ask God, and he will gladly tell you.

What this means to me:

If I need wisdom in order to know what to do, I can ask God, he will gladly tell me and not rebuke me for asking.

In order to know God’s will, I’m learning that there is a couple of things I need to do:  

First, admit that I need guidance. As a guy it’s tough admitting when I’m confused. It’s not in my nature to say, “Hey! I’m lost!” and stop and ask for directions. So when it comes to knowing God’s will, it takes some real courage to admit that I’m confused and need direction. Psalm 25:9 says, “He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way” (NIV). If I’m arrogant and think I’ve got it all figured out, God’s going to say, “Be my guest. Go for it!” I think quite often I go to work assuming that I know what to do without praying about it. I make financial decisions all the time without praying about it. I make vacation plans without praying about them. I think I know, however I might want to stop and admit that I need guidance, because it’s the first step in getting God’s will for my life.

Secondly, I need to ask God in faith for directions. The Bible says in James 1:5-6, “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask him, and he will gladly tell you, for he is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask him; he will not resent it. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind” (TLB). There are two keys to knowing God’s wisdom. First, I’ve got to ask the right person: God. I don’t ask my barber, my barista, or some other “reliable” authority like a radio or TV talk show host. I have to ask the right person! Then I need to ask with the right attitude: expecting God to answer. I sure that I have asked God to lead me, but didn’t really expect him to? That’s why I never got anything from it. I must ask expecting an answer. God honors faith, and he promises wisdom for the next step of your life.

In summary, if I want to get direction and know what to do, I only need to ask him. He has promised to provide the direction I need. God thank you for this reminder this morning that you will always provide wisdom and direction. I need to bring more of my decision points to God and requests for direction. I need to admit more that I need guidance, then I need to ask God in faith for direction to take. I believe the key for me is to ask but with the right attitude; expecting that you will answer and provide the most prudent direction.