IGNORING GOD’S WILL
God’s will > what I want
Some years ago, I was in a relationship, and whenever major issues arose, I would resort to seeking advice from my "counselors."1 Most of the time, they advised me to pray about the will of God concerning my marital destiny. Each time I heard this advice, I felt frustrated, as if they weren't offering practical solutions. Something within me resisted the idea, and I feared that God's will might be painful or not to my liking, so I never considered it. (Well, the relationship eventually crashed and burned, but that's a whole other episode of "Ignoring God's Will: The Comedy Series" for another day!😁).
From 2020 to 2024, I had a recurring prayer point. Whenever I felt frustrated midway through the year due to unanswered prayers, my counselors would again advise me to pray about God's will for that specific matter. Still, I resisted, believing God's will wouldn't align with what I wanted. I often became sad when urged to pray about God's will in situations, and I'm sure many others can relate. Please share in the comments section if you understand how we developed this mindset about God's will.
Romans 12:2 NKJV:
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
God's will for us is good, pleasing, and perfect. "Good" means morally excellent, beneficial, and upright; "pleasing" means satisfying, agreeable, and delightful; "perfect" means complete, flawless, and fully developed. It's important to understand that our human reasoning can never be better than God's will for us. Although things may not always go as expected, God's work is deeper than our understanding. His will surpasses what we think is best in any situation.
Perhaps the reason for unanswered prayers is that our hearts do not align with God's will. When we ask God according to His will, He reveals it to us.
1 John 5:14 NKJV:
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
God reveals His will in one way: through His Word. As you read the Bible, God speaks to you. Every scripture you open can speak directly to your situation.
Isaiah 28:10 NKJV:
"For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little."
Often, we look for signs in the sky when God has already spoken through His Word, but we fail to open it. Furthermore, when you pray in the Spirit, you do so according to God's will for a specific situation.
Romans 8:27 NKJV:
"Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God."
God's will for me is good, enjoyable, and pleasing. Do I love God's will for my marital destiny over what I desired at that time? Yes, absolutely. I'm grateful that God's will came to pass. A funny illustration comes to mind: Imagine praying in the Spirit about a relationship. Your human desire may be for it to thrive and possibly lead to marriage, while your spirit might be whispering, "Time to hit the eject button on this one!" (which I guess happened in my case! 🤣).
If you have any thoughts to share, please leave a comment below
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By "counselors," I mean the peers and seniors I looked up to for guidance and clarity.