God wants to reveal His purpose and plan for your life. He wants to guide your life and not just have you float aimlessly through life. So how can you really know God’s plan for your life? The following are three ways God can guide in our lives.

How God Reveals His Will

1) The Bible

God gave us His written Word to guide us and teach us how to live. King David wrote: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105). Paul tells us that we should learn from the life experiences of Bible characters. “Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction” (1 Corinthians 10:11, ESV).

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (emphasis supplied). But how do we test and discern the will of God? Psalms tells us how. “I have more understanding than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation…. Your testimonies, which You have commanded, are righteous and very faithful” (Psalms 119:99, 138, NKJV). The Bible says that God’s testimony, His Holy Word in the Bible, is the way we are to test our actions and life decisions.

The best way to understand God’s will for you in His Word is to have a regular, personal time of prayer and Bible study each day. Instead of just randomly opening your Bible to a text to discover guidance, try to absorb the meaning of a text by studying and meditating on several verses together while also looking at the context of the passage. Ask yourself: how does this passage fit into the whole message of God’s Word? What can I learn about my life from what I read today? Do I need to change any of my actions or plans for today based on what I read from God’s Word?

However, the Bible assures us of several things that will always be God’s will for us. Jesus, speaking to the crowds that followed Him said, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life” (John 6:40). Isn’t that great news?! God wants you to have eternal life! He wants you to look to Jesus and believe that He is your Savior.

Another thing that is God’s will for your life is mentioned by Paul in 1 Thessalonians. He says, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification [or holiness]” (Thessalonians 4:3). The New Living Translation says, “God’s will is for you to be holy”. Being holy might sound like an impossible task, but the word sanctification means to “become holy”. We become holy little by little as we observe Jesus and desire to be like him. However, we can never achieve this holiness on our own. Paul tells us in the very next chapter how God helps us to become more and more holy like Him. “Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it” (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, emphasis added). God will make you holy and keep you holy, and His promise is faithful and certain.

However, God does ask us to make decisions about what to add or delete from our lives that might affect our journey with Jesus toward holiness. Most decisions in your life can be determined through spending time in God’s Word. All your actions and life plans should lead you to look to Jesus and imitate His holiness. Anything that leads you further away from Jesus Christ or contradicts the clear instructions of the Bible cannot be God’s will for you. God’s will for your life is holiness and everlasting life. That’s it. Everything you do either leads toward or away from those two ideals, and the Bible is the way to tell the difference.

2) Direct Communication of the Holy Spirit Through Prayer

The Apostle Paul spoke about the Holy Spirit as a guide for our lives in the New Testament. "Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). When you pray, God sends you His Spirit to help you understand what He has prepared for you to know. God can guide your impressions and judgment and reasoning by the Holy Spirit. But remember, the Spirit of God will never speak in opposition to the Word of God found in the Bible. Every impression or thought that you may think is given by the Holy Spirit must be measured for truth and accuracy by the Holy Word of God.

Our feelings must agree with the teachings in the Bible. Sometimes our feelings can lead us away from Bible truth. Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, wrote, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death” (Proverbs 16:25).

Take Jake, for example. He had a lovely wife and two children, but he stumbled into an affair with another woman. How was he to reconcile his behavior with the Bible’s strong words against having an affair in marriage? The seventh commandment clearly states, “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Despite this clear biblical teaching, Jake told his friends, “I’ve prayed about it, and I feel it’s God’s will.”

Jake’s emotions and “inner impressions” clearly sent him down the wrong path. He imagined that it was somehow “providential” that he’d met this other woman and didn’t step back to look at this relationship in the light of biblical truth. Jake was mistaking biological urges for divine impressions. He completely ignored clear Bible teachings, and this led to devastating consequences for Jake and his family.

Instead, God offers a blessing to you if you choose to love Him and measure your life by His Word. “Blessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart” (Psalms 119:2).

3) The Council of Others

God also speaks to us through godly people. Many times, our trusted Christian friends or mentors can give us godly advice for our daily life choices. Trusted neighbors, teachers, counselors and co-workers can help us understand God’s will when confusion seems to block our way. The Bible is full of examples of people who gave godly guidance. Jethro gave Moses practical tips on how to be a better leader (Exodus 18:13-12). Abigail advised David not to give in to his temper (1 Samuel 25:14-35). Nathan denounced David’s secret sin and called him to repentance (2 Samuel 12:1-16). Gamaliel admonished the Sanhedrin to not punish innocent men (Acts 5:33-40).

But again, we must differentiate carefully between advice that concurs with the Bible and advice that disagrees with the Bible. Never take someone’s advice, no matter how respected or trusted they may be, if their suggestion conflicts with the Word of God.

4) God-Led Events

God also guides us by divinely directed circumstances. Sometimes when we ask God if we should go right or left or choose this over that, God will often answer by making one option more available than the other. Suddenly one opportunity will disintegrate while another seems more viable. Sometimes God works this way to help you see what He sees and go where He desires you to go.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23 and John 10. If you are willing, He will lead you, His sheep, on the best path by the most nutritious food, to life-giving water. However, any circumstances that seem providential must also be tested against God’s Holy Scriptures for accuracy and truth.

5) Audible and Miraculous Communications

There are also times when God uses audible instructions or miraculous signs and wonders to communicate His will. In the Bible, God often communicated with His people with audible messages. God spoke audibly to people of faith like Noah, Hagar, Samuel, Miriam, Huldah, Elijah and Moses. He also spoke directly to Saul on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:4-8). This audible communication from God led to Saul’s conversion and ministry to the Gentiles. God often still speaks audibly to people today. God spoke to a modern-day college student, also named Paul, as he was driving down the highway. He saw a man off to the side with his back to the road. He heard a voice say, “Stop and pick him up!” When Paul stopped to pick up the hitchhiker, he discovered that the man had been praying for a ride to get back to his family and job.

God’s direct communication can also take the form of miraculous signs. In ancient Israel, God spoke to Israel’s leaders through the Urim and Thummim, two stones carried by the High Priest on his special clothing (Exodus 28:30; Numbers 27:21; 1 Samuel 14:41). God used a vine that grew and withered to speak to Jonah (John 4:5-11), He turned the sun backward to let Hezekiah know that his request would be granted (Isaiah 38:8), a star led the wisemen to baby Jesus (Matt 2:2), God made Gideon’s fleece dry and then wet to confirm his next actions (Judges 6:36-40). These miraculous communications still occur today. For example, right when Machiel prayed to find the truth, God sent him a text message for free Bible studies (Modern-Day Miracles by Duane Mckey). God abruptly changed the radio station in Nathan’s car to give him a message of hope when he was contemplating suicide (Modern-Day Miracles by Duane Mckey).

God often uses animals to convey His message. Birds fed Elijah near the book Cherith (1 Kings 17:4), a fish carried Peter and Jesus’ tax payment (Matthew 17:22), and Balaam’s donkey talked. Modern-day animals that communicate God’s message include some grumpy chickens who wanted to listen to Adventist World Radio, and a cat who showed a group of refugees when it was safe to leave their shelter (Modern-Day Miracles by Duane Mckey). Bradley Booth tells of a methodical ox living in a Siberian prison camp who worked slowly all week except Fridays when he sped up to unbelievable speeds to get the work done before the Sabbath rest day (The Miracle of the Seventh-day Ox).

6) Dreams and Visions

God also communicates His message through dreams and visions. Many of the prophets in the Bible, such as Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the Apostle John, saw visions or dreamed dreams that gave them important communications from heaven. Sometimes we think that God no longer communicates through dreams and visions. However, that is just not true. God is even now providing very special dreams to many people in Muslim countries where Christianity is not allowed. The Dreams of Isa website documents many stories of Muslims seeing visions and having dreams of a Man in White who gives them peace and light and invites them to join Him.

Farah’s story is a classic example. Farah was very sick. No one could help her. Finally, she prayed desperately for healing and experienced an amazing dream. In her dream she saw herself in a dark, lonely place. Then she saw Isa (Jesus) standing before her. His presence was filled with compassion and peace. When He gently touched her, she realized that she had been healed both physically and spiritually. Then, He extended his hand to her, inviting her to walk with Him. When Farah woke up, she saw that her life was transformed. Not only was she healed of her physical pain, but she now chose to believe in Jesus and become a living testament of His miraculous healing power to people in similar situations (Dreams of Isa).

Farah’s vision agrees with the Bible which says, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions” (Joel 2:28). God can choose anyone to experience His love and communicate His messages. Maybe God has given or will give you a miraculous experience to help you understand Him more. But be careful to measure every vision, every dream, every miracle by the truths found in the Word of God.

7) God Lets You Choose

But sometimes the choice is not so clear. The Bible gives you principles but doesn’t tell you exactly what to choose. Maybe the counsel of friends is confusing, the Holy Spirit doesn’t seem to be speaking to you at the moment, and the options are not being whittled down by clear signs from God. What then?

Sometimes God lets you make the choice for yourself. Based on the wisdom He gives you, He lets you make decisions. He trusts you to make a choice, and then you must trust him to make everything work out according to His purpose and for your good. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). And you can trust God that even if you were to make the wrong choice, God can and will make that choice come out to His glory and for your good if you remain in the calling He has put on your life to follow Him.

Yet again, it is imperative to notice that no choice, no matter how good it may look in the moment, should come into conflict with the Word of God. Every decision we make must agree with the teachings in the Scriptures.

Conclusion

God chooses many ways to communicate His will to you. Sometimes he leads you by divinely directed events. Sometimes he sends you wise people to give you godly advice. Sometimes He guides your thoughts and decisions through impressions from the Holy Spirit as you pray. God may even communicate His will to you by a miracle or through a dream or vision. But at times God just expects you to make a decision based on the best available information, and then He guides the consequences.

But always, always, God’s enduring and trustworthy Word is available to guide your steps and future. The Bible is a perpetually accessible source of wisdom and instruction that will never fail. Even when other avenues to understanding God’s will are silent, God’s Word is ready to remind you that He wants you to have everlasting life and follow Him in holiness and sanctification. It reminds you of your Savior’s eternal love and care for you. It gives you hope for the future and the assurance of guidance for the present. Let God guide your life today!