The Lord’s Prayer Matthew 6 :

Your Will Be Done on Earth as it is in Heaven How do we pray for and discern God’s will? All Scripture used is English Standard Version unless otherwise noted.

Quotes that speak of divine direction. I prayed about it, and God is leading me to... I prayed about it, and God spoke to me… I prayed, and I have a peace about this… I prayed and God has opened the door… I prayed and God closed the door… I prayed and God told me to… Are these the right words to say?

Two aspects to God’s will in Scripture: 1) God’s Sovereign or Decretive Will (His decreed plan) That which God has ordained from the beginning of eternity to happen. Eph 1:11, Matt 10:29-30, Acts 4:27-28, Ps 139:16, Is 46:9-10 We know it in two ways: a) By what He has said that He is going to do in His Word. b) By looking back at history and seeing God’s providence. Nothing happens that is not decreed by God. When we pray “Your will be done”, we are praying in part that God’s sovereign will be done. We are inviting God to be God and softening our hearts to His plans.

2) God’s Moral or Directive Will (revelatory will, will of desire) – That which God requires of man. Commands that are sure, right, clear, but may not happen because of man’s response to God. 1 John 2:15-17, Matthew 7:21, etc. When we pray “Your will be done”, we are praying in part that His moral will be done in our lives. What are the implications of this prayer?

Sometimes a third option creeps its way into our prayers. A mystical, secret will of direction that the believer is to try to figure out. It’s a search for God’s sovereign will. Why do we pursue this?

Good motives? Wanting to please God Bad motives? Ease of life, lacking faith

Decretive/Sovereign vs. Directive/Moral Wills Was it God’s will for you to live where you are… in the house where you are… married to the person you are… doing the things that you are? It depends which will you are talking about. Some of your choices may have been outside of his directive will—made in disobedience. God knows all of our choices before we make them. So you are in His sovereign will.

Sometimes we sound like we are saying that God is hands off— that he doesn’t lead us, and we just need to read the Bible —that he led the old testament saints and the early church, but we just need to read the Bible. The Bible emphasizes the supernatural intervention that God has in our lives.

Psalm 23:3 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Gal 5: But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

1)Scripture 2)Prayer 3)Advice of others 4)Circumstances 5)Reason 6)Peace How can a person know how to accurately pray for God’s will to be done when making a decision? According to Scripture, which of these are legitimate? * Hint – Simply stated, only one is legitimate and can stand alone.

2) Prayer: God answers prayer, but does He audibly speak to us in prayer? Is that necessary? Should it be something we seek? God speaks to us in the Bible. If God answered us by speaking to us, we might begin to ignore the Word. Pray to use and understand His Scripture. Pray for the will, ability, strength, and understanding to do what you discover in his word. Need to Qualify

3) Advice of Others: God makes no promise to reveal His will to us through others. We should seek Godly counsel, but if that Godly counsel does not take us to God’s word, then it is just human wisdom…or less. Someone else may be more familiar with scripture than you. They may be able to help you see your circumstance with relevance to scripture. You should always check someone’s reference to God’s word for yourself. Need to Qualify

4) Circumstances: Open doors / Closed doors Col 4:3 At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison

4) Circumstances: Open doors / Closed doors This was a prayer request, not something they used as a sign or a process to discern God’s will. God does open and close doors, but this isn’t to be used as a discernment tool. We shouldn’t use the ease or difficulty of a circumstance to discern whether or not it is God’s will. Sometimes we may have to knock a door down or not walk through a wide open gate.

5) Reason: Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. This warns me that I’m not going to be able to use good logical sense to solve my problems and to discern which way I should go. My mind is greatly influenced by sin.

6) Peace: Phil 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

6) Peace: God does give peace, but we can also have a false peace through a seared conscience or be uninformed about what the Bible teaches. And we may also be fearful (weak) when we are doing God’s will. 1 Tim 4:2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared

God’s Speed One Way There is only one way to seek direction and that is through God’s Word. There is one option from which to seek direction. We must be comfortable seeking His directive will for our lives and not frustrating ourselves by seeking to know his sovereign will.

Prayer & Making Decisions Praying for God’s Will for My Life Advice / Counsel Circumstances Reason Peace (lack of) You and Me Motives / Desires / Bias Scripture He can and does use many things to influence us but we should not seek them in the same way. The things that we categorize as influencers are not inerrant.

Example Circumstantial Dilemma: How should I pray through a job offer and possible move to a different community? Seeking the sovereign will searches for answers that focus on the outcome. Sovereign Will Prayer: Lord if I move to a new job and new community will my livestock be multiplied and my family prosper and my spiritual life have a better focus? Please reveal to me if we should go!

Example Circumstantial Dilemma: How should I pray through a job offer and possible move to a different community? Seeking the directive will searches for answers that will guide my heart in what to think and respond. Moral Will Prayer: Lord, why am I discontent in my current job and current community? What am I wanting? To please You or self? What am I seeking by moving, and is it a help or hindrance to what Your Word is trying to teach me? Please give me wisdom.

Where is your sense of direction coming from? What kind of directions are you praying for? Are you searching for answers concerning the future or are you searching for answers to heart questions?