How To Know God’s Will For Your Life

A Verse, A Comment, A Prayer, A Blessing (3/17/2025)

A Verse

Romans 12:1-2

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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.”

A Comment

In nearly 17 years of pastoral ministry, one of the most common questions I heard was: “What is God’s will for my life?” Usually, the person asking was facing a big decision—a job opportunity, a potential spouse, or even a general sense of directionlessness. I loved this question because it often revealed a sincere desire to please the Lord and live a meaningful, Christ-centered life.

But often, people weren’t just looking for guidance; they were hoping I’d tell them exactly what to do. And in most cases, I couldn’t. Why? Because discerning God’s will for a specific situation isn’t as simple as finding a Bible verse that spells it out. Scripture clearly answers questions like “Should I meditate on God’s Word?” (Psalm 1), “Should I attend church?” (Hebrews 10:25), and “Should I work hard?” (Colossians 3:23-24). But it doesn’t directly answer questions like “Which college should I attend?” or “Who should I marry?”—and these require a different kind of wisdom.

Romans 12:1-2 gives us a framework for approaching these decisions. Paul writes:

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 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.”

Paul makes it clear: our ability to discern God’s will flows from a life of submission to Him. If we are not offering ourselves as a living sacrifice—if we are not walking in holiness and obedience—we shouldn’t expect clarity in decision-making. A rightly ordered life of worship comes before discernment.

Paul also describes God’s will as “good, acceptable, and perfect.” That means we can immediately rule out anything that contradicts what God has already revealed as good. If we are living in conformity to His Word, we can take confidence that we are discerning His will rightly. But if our lives are shaped more by the world than by God’s truth, our hearts will deceive us.

So as you seek God’s will for your life today, make sure you’re first seeking to live in alignment with what He has already revealed. As you submit your life to Him, He will be faithful to lead you.

A Prayer

Lord, it’s easy to get fixated on secondary things while ignoring what You’ve already made clear. Help us not to move too quickly past Your revealed will in Scripture. By Your mercy in Christ, make us living sacrifices—holy and acceptable to You. Give us eyes to see that as we seek first Your kingdom, all that we need will be added to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

A Blessing

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. (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

CBH