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 great despair. After all, hope deferred makes the heart sick.

Jesus is the Word of God – so He does have some things to say. But, what if instead of providing you with a specific answer, He has created an alternate path for you to access and know it? And, what if this path enables you to easily know His will for every area of your life? Would you pursue it?

To begin, the pathway to God’s will lies in the way we think. When we change the way we think, we can discover God’s will:

“… 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…” – Romans 12:2 NLT

In Hebrew, the word ‘mind’ is translated ‘psyche’ – it’s where the field of Psychology is derived from. The word ‘Psychology’ is 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 desires to shape our minds, thoughts, opinions, and ideas into its mold. But, while it is trying to conform our thinking from the outside, God wants to transform it from the inside.

Our minds are like cups sitting underneath faucets which run all day. The same substance that is flowing in is in many respects the same substance that is flowing out.

If we do not like what is flowing out of our lives, it is good to first evaluate what is flowing into our minds. What voices, what images, what books, what messages, what social media posts, what videos, what music, what relationships, what guidance is flowing into it? Realize that these things are either moving you closer to the knowledge of your Father’s will or may be blinding you from it. 

So, the big question: how do we change our minds so we can know God’s will?

#1: The scriptures – changing WHAT we think about

When we, like 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 being 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, our opinions, ideas, & thoughts begin to change. New filters for living begin to take shape because of a change in inputs. We slowly begin to rely less on specific answers and more upon a foundation of truth. 

#2 – Grounded in Identity – changing HOW we think 

The second way our mind changes is becoming grounded in our new identity, causing a shift in mindset.

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. They slept, ate, and lived the same way. 

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

Three mindsets exist. As we apply #1 and #2 above, we slowly transition from one mindset to the other:

1. Heathen Mind – a mind totally deprived of God and has no understanding of spiritual realities. The message of the Cross is foolishness.

2. Carnal or Natural Mind – A believer mindset where the inputs of the world take precedence for how to live. With this mindset, 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 believer mindset 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 is quick to repent and places the Kingdom of God as #1 priority in life.

As a result of such changes in the mind, we begin to recognize the Will of God without needing constant confirmations.

My mother-in-law has a passion and love for flower beds. Suppose after spending more time with her I discovered she likes roses, daisies, and sunflowers, but dislikes dandelions and passion flowers. If I am at a nursery and wanted to pick her up some flowers, I would not need to call and ask her what type of flowers she wanted. I’d have the complete freedom to choose for myself because I have become acquainted with her general preferences. 

Likewise, sometimes we don’t need to pray for an answer, we just need to know God’s heart on the general matter and He gives us the liberty to choose ourselves. Like Adam, sometimes God actually gets joy in us creatively choosing:

“He (God) brought them to the man (Adam) to see what he would call them, and the man (Adam) chose a name for each one.” – Genesis 2:19 NLT

In the Family of God, the more one grows in maturity, the more decision-making authority is given and the less a specific answer is needed. We see this in earthly families. When we were children, our parents made most of the decisions for us – what to eat, what to do, what to say, where to go. However, as we matured in our understanding of their expectations, the power of decision-making was slowly transferred and delegated over to us.

Are you praying for God’s will in a specific situation? While He may address the matter, don’t always expect an exact answer every time. Rather, pursue maturity in Him, allowing Him to change the way you think so that result will naturally be His will – that which is pleasing, perfect, and acceptable to Him. Blessings!