If you believe in God then there is nothing more important than finding God's will for your life. Nothing can give you more confidence than knowing that you are where God wants you to be. But, how do you discover God's will for your life?

I can't tackle a subject this large in one post, but I do want to give you ten questions that might at least get you headed in the right direction. It's not an exhaustive list. Maybe you can share your own questions in the feedback below.

I offer questions instead of directives because I find questions do a better job of opening our minds up to new ideas.

How to Find God's Will: Ten Questions

The first four questions position you to hear from God. The next five questions help you to judge what you think you've heard. And the final question helps you with the execution of the idea.

1. Do I believe God speaks to people personally?

   This is a fundamental question that will determine if you are even open to the idea of hearing from God. Jesus said that his sheep hear his voice, so I have to assume that he does indeed speak to his followers. Do you?

2. Am I close enough to God to hear his voice?

   God is not a Ouija board or a Magic Eight ball. Hearing from God doesn't involve tricks or formulas. Like any relationship, it requires drawing close enough to hear from God. What can you do to draw close to God to hear him better? Consider various spiritual disciplines like prayer, solitude, silence, corporate worship, journaling, and Bible reading.

3. Have I asked God for direction?

   As basic as this sounds, many people never think to ask God a question, assuming he's not interested in answering. But when you ask God a question it predisposes you to start using your five senses to hear from him. The world looks different when you believe that God is communicating with you. Ask this question and that start taking note. You might be surprised at the various ways God might reveal himself to you (a conversation, a song, a movie, a sunset, etc.).

4. Is my desire to please God or myself?

   Some people want direction without a sense of accountability. I don't know if God dispenses direction to people who don't have his interests in mind. Maybe. But it seems to me that he'd be more inclined to reveal his will to people who do. Jesus said that we are to “seek his kingdom first” and to pray, “may your kingdom come and your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” It appears that Jesus is interested in speaking to people who align themselves with bringing his kingdom to earth in practical ways.

5. What, or who, is influencing me?

   We are passionate people. It's easy to confuse what YOU want with what God wants. You need to be careful with your tendency toward confirmation bias, meaning that we all tend to hear only what we want to hear. So assess your sources of input. Are you getting a well balanced flow of information from well respected people? Are the people speaking into your life successful in the area that you are seeking advice?

6. How does my idea fit with my personality, talents, and passions? 

   You are born with natural gifts, talents, and passions. God knows enough to call you to do things that work with those persuasions. So, keep these in mind as you seek direction. Most likely God won’t call you to do something opposite from how he created you to be. There are exceptions (Moses was called to be a spokesman but didn’t feel qualified), but in general, look to follow the path that is consistent with what’s gone before you.

7. What do older, wiser, and more experienced people think? 

   We are often afraid to ask for input on our ideas because we think people will discourage us from doing what we want to do. Or we might only share our ideas with people we know will give us a “green light” to proceed. But God can use people with experience to help clarify his will, not scare us away from it. The saying goes: knowledge is learning from your mistakes. Wisdom is learning from the mistakes of others. Be wise and learn from the mistakes of others.

8. What will be the long-term impact? 

   The Bible says that God's kingdom leads to righteousness, peace, and joy. What will your idea lead to in the long run? In other words, “play the movie” in your mind. What does your story look like in five, ten, or twenty years if you follow your idea to its end?

9. Is my idea actually something someone is coercing me to do?

   Sometimes people have more control over us than we care to admit. We might think that our idea is from God when in fact it's a person who holds sway over us. Be honest with yourself. Are you just trying to please someone? Impress them? Find acceptance? Avoid rejection?

10. When does God want me to do this?

    It might be today. It might be in twenty years. Timing is everything. Immediate action and waiting both require great faith depending on the circumstances. In general, if you feel rushed or pressured to do something, it’s not the right thing to do. Most good decisions aren’t made quickly but after careful consideration and prayer.

Jesus assured us that if we seek, we will find. God knows that his will is what is best for you. So trust that he wants ro reveal his will.

I purposefully made this list short and to the point. What would you add to the list?

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