Discovering God’s Will Through The Bible

How can you discover God’s will for your life? How can you understand the will of God for specific areas or circumstances in your life?
The truth is, the will of God can only be found in one place – the Bible.
The Bible is where we discover God’s thoughts, God’s principles and God’s plans for mankind. Without Scripture to guide us, we can become spiritually lost. Therefore knowing God’s will through the scriptures will help us to avoid confusion and deception from entering our daily lives.

Below are some Bible verses which can help us to understand and know God’s will for different areas of our life:

1. It is God’s will for us to give Him thanks in every circumstance of our life including tests and trials.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
James 1:2-4 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

2. It is God’s will to give us wisdom in all areas of our life.
James 1:5 – If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.
Ephesians 5:15-17 – Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, 16 making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

3. It is God’s will for us to be just; to love mercy and kindness; and to be humble.
Micah 6:8 – He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

4. It is the will of God that we abstain from all forms of sexual immorality.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 – For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor,

5. It is the will of God that we deny ourselves to follow Christ daily.
Luke 9:23 – And He said to all, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”
Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

6. It is God’s will for people to repent and be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth
2 Peter 3:9 – The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 – This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

7. It is God’s will to equip us to do His good purposes and for good works
Ephesians 2:10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Hebrews 13:20-21 – Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen

8. It is God’s will for us to pray according to His plans and purposes.
James 4:15 – Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.”
1 John 5:14-15 – And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.
Matthew 6:10 – Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

9. It is God’s will that we put our total trust and faith in Him in all areas of our life.
Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.
Jeremiah 17:7-8 – “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.”

10. It is God’s will to spiritually cleanse us and to forgive us of all our sins
1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

11. It is the will of God for you to glorify Him alone
Colossians 3:23-24 – Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, 24 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31 – So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

12. It is the will of God that we bear good fruit and live according to the Holy Spirit and not according to the flesh or sinful nature
Galatians 5:16-26 – 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. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 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. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

13. It is the will of God that we study His word and share it with the world
Psalms 1:1-2 – Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; 2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
Mark 16:15 – And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

14. It is the will of God that we love God and love others
Matthew 22:37-40 – And He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

These are just but a few Bible verses which help us to understand God’s will for various areas of our life.
Therefore the more we read and study God’s word, the more God will reveal to us His will through the Scriptures and by the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.