«

KNOWING GOD’S WILL: WAYS HE WILL LEAD YOU

May 23, 2025

Behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entrance of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him… 1 Kings 19:11b–13 KJV

1. KNOWING WHAT IS TO COME. You can be led by God on a moment-by-moment, issue-by-issue basis. You can know His will. The Holy Spirit is sent to be our Helper, and He will only guide us into truth (John 16:13). In the New Testament, Paul prays that the eyes of our understanding would be enlightened (Ephesians 1:18). The Spirit will disclose to us what is to come (John 16:13). We can actually ask and have prophetic heads-up from the Holy Spirit (James 1:5-6).
 
2. KNOWING THE STILL SMALL VOICE. Jesus, the Great Shepherd, said that His sheep know His voice (John 10:4-5). While people rarely hear an audible voice from heaven – though it does happen – God has principally designed for us to hear Him through the written Word and the Holy Spirit bearing witness with our spirit (Romans 8:16). This is also referred to as the “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12 KJV). The Bible describes this process of our spirit connecting with God’s Spirit: “The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the innermost parts of his being” (Proverbs 20:27). Jesus modeled these patterns of hearing from God – He slipped away to pray, studied the Scriptures, and said He only did what He saw the Father doing (John 5:19).
 
3. KNOWING GOD’S TIMING. Romans 8:14 says, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” An example of God’s timing is found in Acts 16. Paul the apostle had an aspiration to reach Asia Minor. He was called to the Gentiles and strongly wanted to go to Galatia (modern-day Turkey), but he was forbidden by the Spirit to go there – at that time (Acts 16:6-7). Later, God sent Paul there. So, the same God Who says, “Go this way and do this,” will also halt you and say, “Don’t do this.” Timing is important. We can trust God with each step and each moment, believing His will is unfolding in His perfect timing.
 
4. KNOWING GOD’S WILL. If God’s will is already laid out in the Bible, then you don’t even need to pray, “if it be Your will.” Lying is not God’s will. You can see clearly that theft is wrong (Exodus 20:15-16). But when it comes to which job to take, what house to buy, where to send your kids to school, or what sports or lessons they should do – you can seek God’s guidance and ask Him what He wants you to do. Just like God helped Paul know when and where to go, He wants to get you where you are supposed to be. That’s why we say, “God, Your will be done concerning the path of my life!” (Matthew 6:10).

DEFINITION:
Lead, verb
To guide on a way, especially by going in advance. To direct on a course or in a direction.

PRAY THIS OUT LOUD:
Father, thank You that You are my Shepherd. I trust Your Spirit to lead me, guide me, and direct me in all truth. Open the eyes of my understanding and help me to know what steps to take, what to avoid, and when to move forward. I yield to Your will and Your timing. In Jesus’ Name, amen. 

Copyright © 2025 St. Louis Family Church, All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked “KJV” are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge, 1769. “Lead, V.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, 2025, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead.