Five tips to help you pray God’s will over your life

If you’re anything like me then you really want to pray God’s way. You want his will to be done in your life but due to the busyness of life and all the many things you need to do, it seems hard and almost impossible to seek God’s will on a matter.

You tell yourself that from here on out, you want to do things God’s way but before you know it, you’re back to your old ways of making your decisions yourself without recourse to God.

In moments like this, we forget that we don’t know the future and we don’t know how today’s decision will affect tomorrow’s opportunities.

Have you ever said yes to something or someone only to find out a better opportunity the very next day, week or month? This has happened to me so many times. Perhaps, if we had sought God’s face, he may have told us to hold on, to wait for His best for us.

Sis, this is especially true in our relationships.

The lies we believe about our worth and about marriage may lead us to saying yes to the first man who asks rather than finding out what God is saying. If you’re trying to figure out God’s will for your relationship, you can read this post, where I share my experiences from a past relationship and lessons learned.

Seeking God’s will is not something that happens automatically, it’s a process we have to nurture and intentionally practice.

Are you ready to learn how to seek God’s will? Do you want to learn tips to help you do things God’s way? Here are a few tips to help you.

Tip 1: Don’t make your decisions in a hurry

There are times when we are quick to say yes or no to things when we could have asked for more time to respond.

Then we go back to God after we’ve made our decision or when things go wrong. Which may be a little too late. This happened to me recently where I was offered a gig that seemed to align with my blog and my work with women. I believed it was the right thing to do without checking with God first.

A few days before the event, I was praying about the event when I heard in my spirit, “did you ask me first?” I knew I had made a bad decision. I asked forgiveness and for mercy. I still went ahead with the event since I had given my word and the convener may not have gotten a new person so late. The event didn’t go as I had hoped and it was a great lesson that seeking God’s face first can save us a lot of heartache and worries.

Then again, there are times we need to make quick decisions. This could be something as basic as what to wear to driving past a homeless person and not sure if you should stop or keep going.

In those moments, I say a quick prayer asking that I make the right decisions. I literally say: “Lord, please help me with this decision, let me not make the wrong choice and whatever comes out of this, may it be for my good.”

This prayer gives me peace.

The Bible says:

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.”

1 John 5:14-15

Know that some things may work out and others may not, thank God for everything and continue to ask for his help in all you do.

Tip 2: Ask yourself if your actions will bring glory or dishonour to God?

Not all good things are for you and there is no written rule that we should get the things we believe we deserve.

This may surprise you but when we pray for God’s will, it means we realise that it’s not about us but about God. Which means our actions and motivations should be God focused not self-focused.

In 1 Corinthians 10:23, which is often tagged “The Believer’s Freedom”, Apostle Paul states that:

“All things are lawful for me but not all things are helpful. All things are lawful for me but not all things edify.”

I remember trying to make sense of this scripture. Imagine how one sentence could change my entire world view about my actions. It was no longer about right or wrong, good or bad, but about what is necessary and important at each point in our lives.

Do you know that the fact that something is good, that you’re allowed to do it doesn’t mean you should? This is truly the game changer.

This could mean not suing a person you had every right to sue if you believe God will prefer that you forgive. It could mean letting go of a debt owed or not even charging for work done. It could mean being the first to say sorry, showing love to a boss or colleague who treats you like crap.

Always ask if your words and actions will bring glory to God. We are called to be the light, we have to let our line shine so bright that there will be no doubt of who deserves all the honour and praise.

 

Tip 3: Ask yourself, ‘what would Jesus Do?’

At other times, I ask myself this: what would Jesus do? This is a guiding light shinning through my motives and desires. We may say we are doing the right thing but when we juxtapose that with Jesus’ actions, we may find we are far off.

Our Lord and Saviour, always placed God’s agenda before anything else.

The Bible says:

“All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord.” Proverbs 16:2

Our Lord and God wants us to remain connected to him. In John 15:5 he says:

“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

We usually get things right when we do it God’s way. This does not mean that perfection but that even when things don’t go well, we have the satisfaction of knowing that God has got our back and everything, whether good or bad, will all work out for our good.

 

Tip 4: Trust that God is able to reveal his will to you

“What if God is not listening to me? What if he doesn’t care?”

There are times when we pray and ask God to show us his will and we get nothing. It’s so silent that we can our heart beat. You may have even believed that God doesn’t care about you. That maybe you’re not good enough and God only speaks to those who are good and righteous like Abraham, Moses and Jesus.

This was me years ago. I was coming from another hole of disobedience and heartbreak. I had gotten to the end of myself and finally gone to God for help and I got nothing. Nada. Nothing, but silence. I was convinced that I had been so bad that God was not going to listen.

But He was listening. The problem was that I expected God to answer me immediately. I wanted God, the creator of the universe to work according to my time not His. Imagine that!

Meanwhile, he was calling me to embrace the quiet, to stop being in a hurry or expecting quick answers. He wanted me to learn patience His way.

May be you’re in that place right now, where you think God is not listening to you. I believe God wants you to trust Him and trust His process.

Don’t let your fears and realities stop you from believing that God reveals himself to those who seek Him.

We are told to “Trust in the lord with all your heart and lean not on you own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.”

Proverbs 3:5-6

Tip 5: Rejoice in everything

The most profound lesson I learned about prayer is that it’s not about me but about God. So, even when my wishes and dreams are not met, I remind myself that this is how God wants it to be and He knows best.

The Bible says we should:

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

May God help us remain attuned to His word and His promises over our lives. May our hearts and lives be an expression of His kingdom on earth. Amen

 

For more posts on prayer, please check here and here.

Do you need help with your relationship and need to know how to say no to a guy who wants sex? Check here.