When you hear the phrase “The will of God”, what first comes to your mind? 

Is it a clear, specific, and directed Heavenly response to a certain situation you are facing?  Like a lost item, is it something you are desperately searching for hoping you will discover one day? You are not alone – many have gone months and even years without answers – even to the point of becoming in despair.  After all, hope deferred does makes the heart sick.

Without question, Jesus’ is the Word of God – so He does have much to say – especially when it comes to His will for your life!  How wonderful it is when He speaks: through His Word, others, in dreams, in visions, in moments of stillness, or through circumstances. 

But, what if instead of revealing His will for your life through a specific answer, He has already created an alternate path for you to access and know it?  And, what if this path enabled you to easily know His will for every area of your life?  Would you pursue it?

God’s Will and our minds

The pathway to knowing God’s will lies in the way we think.  His heart is connected to our minds:

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then, you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” – Romans 12:2 NLT

In Hebrew the word ‘mind’ is translated ‘psyche’ – from which the modern field of Psychology is derived from.  The word ‘Psychology’ being itself a combination of psyche (soul/mind) and -ology (the scientific study of).  

Our minds are malleable – like a mound of clay is as external forces press upon it.  The world has big hands – and it desires to shape our minds, thoughts, opinions, and ideas concerning life and reality.  But, while the world desires it to fit into its mold from the outside, God desires to transform it from the inside.

Imagine your mind like a cup sitting underneath a running faucet. That which fills it up is the same substance that spills out of it.  If we do not like what is currently flowing out of our lives, we must first evaluate what is flowing into our minds.  

What voices, what images, what books, what messages, what music, what relationships, what guidance is flowing into it?  Realize that these things are either bringing you closer to the knowledge of His will for your life, or they are keeping you from it.

So, the big question becomes, how can we change the way we think to know God’s perfect will for our lives? 

#1: The scriptures

When we as that cup, allow God’s written word to flow into our minds on a regular basis, it will produce living waters in each life area – the outflow of the will of the Father: 

“But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.” – Psalm 1:2-3 NLT

As a result, we begin to think differently. Our opinions, ideas, thoughts are no longer being conformed to the world’s mold but gradually are being transformed by the hand and Spirit of God.

This in turn allows us to develop a more mature understanding of His values, mind, and heart.  Our filters and values for what is good, pleasing, and perfect begin to take shape as the main basis for decision-making.  As a result, we slowly begin to rely less upon specific answers.

#2 – A change of perception of identity

History records that following the Emancipation Proclamation ordered by Abraham Lincoln for the release of slaves, that the slaves who were freed for many months afterward still lived as if they were in bonds.  

Although we have been freed from sin and bondage, we can still have a slave and ‘old self’ mentality. We can think about ourselves based on who we once were, rather than who we are now – a completely new creature. 

Three mindsets exist in the world.  As we change the way we think based on #1 and #2 above, we transition from mindset to the other:

1. Heathen Mind – a mind totally depraved of God and has no understanding of spiritual matters. The message of the Cross is foolishness. 
2. Carnal Mind – A mindset of a believer where the inputs of the world take precedence for how to live.  There is difficulty understanding the things of the Spirit.  One is constantly clothed with the “old self” (slave mentality) instead of the new (a sonship mentality).  
3. Mind of Christ – A mindset for a believer where he/she often thinks the thoughts of Christ and can discern His will in most areas of life.  A person with this mindset is growing in maturity and in the character and nature of the Father.  Although not perfect in behavior, the person with this mindset will be quick to repent and places the Kingdom of God as #1 priority in life.   

From Answered Prayers to Delegated Decisions

My mother-in-law, Sue, has a passion and love for flower beds. Let us suppose she told me that she liked roses, daisies, and sunflowers, but disliked dandelions and passion flowers. Because I know what she likes, I can choose for myself what type of flower to get her. I don’t need her opinion.

Likewise, and as shocking as this may sound, sometimes we don’t need an answer to prayer, we just need to know God’s heart on the general matter.

The more one grows in maturity and in the nature of God, the more decision-making authority is given and the less a specific answer is needed. We see this in the natural.  When we were children, our parents made most of the decisions for us. However, as we matured in our understanding of their expectations, they would slowly transfer the power of decision-making over to us.

Are you praying for God’s will in a specific situation?  Don’t always be expecting an exact answer, but rather pursue maturity in Him, allowing Him to change the way you think, and it will be made known and come to pass.