Knowing God’s Will
Taken from allaboutfollowingjesus.org
Knowing God’s Will – Insight from George Müller
When it came to knowing God’s will, George Müller (1805-1898), an
English evangelist and philanthropist, was remarkably and humbly
gifted. A man of faith and prayer, Müller established orphanages in
Bristol and founded the Scriptural Knowledge Institution for Home and
Abroad. The following are wonderful excerpts from one of his essays.
Knowing God’s Will – How to Ascertain the Will of God
Knowing God’s will is the key to prayer, spiritual growth and fruitfulness in
our individual lives. Here’s how George Müller set out to ascertain the
will of God on a daily basis:
- I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has no will of
its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the trouble with
people generally is just here. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are over
come when our hearts are ready to do the Lord’s will, whatever it may
be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to
the knowledge of what His will is. - Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impression. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
- I seek the Will of the Spirit of God through, or in connection with,
the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to
the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions
also. If the Holy Ghost guides us at all, He will do it according to
the Scriptures and never contrary to them. - Next I take into account providential circumstances. These often
plainly indicate God’s Will in connection with His Word and Spirit. - I ask God in prayer to reveal His Will to me aright.
- Thus, through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I
come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and
knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace, and continues so after two
or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters, and
in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this
method always effective.
Knowing God’s Will – The Key to Everything!
Christ taught us that knowing God’s will and living in obedience to
that will is the key to it all! God is the potter; we are the clay. God
keeps us spinning on His potter’s wheel, shaping and reshaping us as He
bathes our lives in tears to make us more Christ-like so He can use us
for His will. Surrender daily. Keep your clay moist through daily
prayer – prayer that’s in accordance to His will.
