Welcome back! In the last blog we looked at part 1 of how to know God’s plans for our lives. Make sure you head over there first, otherwise this might not make sense!
To pick it right back up where we left off, in all those testimonies, I noticed something in common, that I think we can learn from, and is important. They all involved prayer! Prayer is a really important way to communicate with God, and that’s why it’s number one on my list when you want to know what God’s plans are, or anything really. It was when the people were speaking and listening to God that he spoke to them and revealed what He wanted them to do. Remember Prayer doesn’t have to just be in your room on your knees. It can be anywhere, and as simple as a cry in your heart, but whatever it is, God always hears! Sometimes, though, it’s hard to hear back, so I have put together a list of ways to seek God about what He wants for your life:
Prayer:
The Bible says, “do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God, and the peace of God will transcend your understanding” (Philippians 4:6) in all of these stories, answers have come when people have prayed and sought God through prayer. Prayer is a way we can talk to God and ask Him anything, and he always answers our prayers- sometimes just not in the way we think, or when we think. God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and His ways higher than our ways, though, and he is much bigger and smarter than us, and He can see the whole picture of the world and our lives, and He can always be trusted. I would say this is the number one way to find out God’s plans for your life.
The Bible:
The word of God is living and powerful and sharper than a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) The Bible is God’s living word, and it is the truth, you can always trust it. For me, and lots of others, a way that God speaks to me is that in the passage I’m reading verses will ‘jump out’ at me and feel really meaningful for my life and my situation, and I believe that’s God speaking to me. I would really recommend trying to read the bible everyday- this could totally be another whole topic too, but if you don’t know where to start, you could try Psalms, Isaiah, the gospels or Hebrews. I heard someone say once that you shouldn’t complain that God isn’t saying anything to you if your Bible is closed, and I think it’s really true.
Find how God speaks to you:
God loves you and wants to have a personal relationship with you, and many people have a way that God speaks to them personally. For me, I feel I am closest to God when I am in his creation, when I am worshiping Him (I’ll often hear him during worship at church, either singing or dancing) when I am talking to other Christians (they often have pearls of wisdom) in prayer, and in the Bible. Often, He will speak to me through a ‘conviction’ in my heart, almost like a feeling, so I have to be careful not to mix my desires with his voice! Other people hear Him though pictures or dreams, or get a word, of even through prophecy, and some people literally hear Him speak. Watch for the Holy Spirit- feelings of unexplainable peace or joy from God, convictions in your heart about something, your heart beating fast when you hear a verse or speaking in tongues- they all can be signs of the Holy Spirit and that is God at work! A word of caution though- don’t rush into things if you just have a ‘feeling’. I mean, I might have a feeling that I want to go and steal an ice cream from the dairy! Always back it up with the Bible and with other Christians you trust, but convictions in your heart are real things.
Other Christians:
It is a huge blessing to have other Christians in your life and if you are struggling with what God wants you to do with your life, or with anything, I would highly recommend going to Christians you trust and talking with them about it and asking them to pray for you. Sometimes they will even have a word from God for you! At the very least, I find it great to be able to talk about my problems, because as an auditory learner I sort them out as I hear myself say them…. but the Christian walk is not meant to be walked alone, as it says in Hebrews 10:24, we need to encourage each other and have fellowship with each other.
Your passions:
I truly believe that God puts into our heart passions and dreams, ones that He wants you to pursue. Having a passion for something is a great clue as to what God wants you to do! But, remember God comes before passions. Try and commit all your plans to God- this is a challenge for me because I love to plan, but I am trying to get batter at asking God to guide my plans. It can be scary, but remember that God loves you and wants the best for you- and plus, He’s much wiser than us!
And remember, everyone is different! Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you have to be a pastor or a youth leader or a missionary, and I don’t think that’s what God wants! I mean, if we were all pastors, how would the gospel get to the factories, the flower shops, restaurants, sports fields, and offices?? I believe that God has made us each for a unique purpose that fits into his big plan. But whatever you do, there are somethings that Jesus tells us all to do.
1) Shine your light for Jesus! In Matthew 5:15 it tells us not to hide our light away from the world, but let Jesus be seen through our good works so that people will glorify God.
2) Love! Jesus says the most important thing is to love God and to love others, and what we do should reflect this.
3) Tell others about Jesus! Jesus tells his followers to make disciples of all nations, and as his follower, that includes you!
So…… what now? I would really encourage you to pray and read the Bible, specifically asking God about his plans for your life. Try to find a way that God speaks to you, and if nothing happens at first, the Bible says to keep trying, and to be persistent (Ephesians 6:18). If you don’t already have a church, and Christian friends, try to surround yourself with those, and ask them to pray for you, and ask them their experiences. Watch for doors opening, and doors closing as well- they could be opportunities from God! Make sure you commit each opportunity to Him, though, and listen to see if it’s the right thing to do. Remember, it’s a step-by-step process, a journey, and a wiggly one at that- and there are so many people on it with you! Every day you have a choice to do the things you know God would want you to do, like being kind, being non-judgmental, and shining your light for Jesus, praying….. the list is endless. If I could leave you with one thought it would be to always remember that God loves you, knows you and is the wisest being ever- you can trust him always. I hope you find exactly what God has for you!
~Hannah xx
(written in February 2024)
