Jun 7, 2018

woman facing 2 doors

How to make decisions that align with God’s will…that’s kept many a Christian tossing and turning all night when faced with an important choice. How do we determine what God’s will is?

The five practices I share in this episode will help you make the best possible decision and be confident you are on the right path.

I’ve even made you a FREE Cheat Sheet to help you implement what you learn. Click here to get your copy!

Discoveries Awaiting You in This Episode:

  • We all want to follow hard after God’s purpose and calling in our life. The 5 practices I share in this episode are ones I have personally found helpful when making important decisions. [1:17]
  • Gather all the relevant facts and data associated with your decision. Get some practical tips on how and what to compile and why this prep work will be so valuable as you move through the 5 practices. [2:03]
  • Learn why I feel confident you will come to a decision that will result in peace, purpose, and joy for you. [4:41]

Practice 1: Pray Without Ceasing 

  • Many passages in Scripture exhort us to pray regularly. Scriptures mentioned in the podcast included: 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Romans 12:12; Philippians 4:6; Ephesians 6:18 [5:59]
  • Pray for God’s guidance, for spiritual discernment and godly wisdom. Ask Him to make it clear which path He wants you to take. [7:06]

Practice 2: Prepare with a Constant Quest. 

  • Romans 12:2 and Hebrews 5:14 teach that if we are to discern God’s will, we must have our minds trained by a consistent exposure to God’s Word. [8:26]
  • How to train your mind to resonate with God’s will. When He speaks in his still small voice, your spirit vibrates in accord.[9:33]

Practice 3: Monitor Motives.

  • There are some crucial types of questions we can ask ourselves to gut-check our motivation for saying either yes or no. You can listen to the question and I’ve listed them in the cheat sheet. [11:13]
  • Just because you don’t know how to do something, doesn’t mean God isn’t calling you to do it. Don’t let fear prevent you from being obedient. [13:31]
  • Likewise, just because something falls within your area of giftedness, it doesn’t mean you are supposed to say yes automatically. [14:43]

Practice 4: Assess the Impact of Our Decision on Our Relationships.

  • John 15:5 and John 21 (which we learned about in Episode 10) clearly show Jesus prioritizes relationship over specific assignments. [15:27]
  • If I’m not intentional about my schedule, I can let my activities crowd out time for nurturing the most important connections in my life. [17:22]
  • I share some important questions you should ask yourself. These will help you assess the potential impact your yes or no could have on your relationships. Again, these questions are included in the cheat sheet. [17:59]

Practice 5: Seek Godly Advice.

  • This practice will help bring clarity and perspective to your process as well as provide a certain measure of safety (Proverbs 11:14)   [19:50]

The decision I ultimately made ran counter to what one would think the right decision should’ve been. But I felt immense peace about the choice. And in hindsight, it was exactly the right choice for me. [21:30]

Perhaps, it is less about which path we take and more about our journey with God. If you’re leaning into Him and loving Him and seeking to obey Him, He will take whatever decision you make and work it to your good and His glory. (Romans 8:28; Proverbs 3:5-6) [23:03]

Apply These 5 Practices Today and Sleep Better Tonight!

This cheat sheet provides a quick reference for the five practices outlined in the podcast. You’ll get the questions and Scripture references to help you put the decision making framework into action. Use this process and end the tossing and turning while agonizing over what’s the best choice. Sleep easily, confident you made a decision pleasing to God. Click here and tell me where to send your copy.

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