Pastor’s Perspective: Discerning the Will of God

By Guest Columnist Spencer Sullivan, Pastor, Pelahatchie Baptist

Have you ever found yourself in a situation and you just weren’t sure exactly what to do? Of course you have!  We all have. For many, especially followers of Jesus, we want to know God’s will so that we can follow His direction. He knows best, right? But have you ever desired to know His will, but weren’t sure exactly how to figure that out, aside from Him audibly speaking to you? Whether we’re concerned about knowing God’s will or not, most all of us seek the input of friends or those we trust when we find ourselves in these situations. In the book of Acts, the apostle Paul had just finished his third missionary journey and he was convinced that God was leading him back to the city of Jerusalem. However, his friends were not so sure!  Acts 21:1-14 detail two encounters in which two different groups of friends urged him not to go. Prophecies were made that informed him that both suffering and imprisonment awaited him there should he continue. His friends were adamant that he change his plans. These friends included Luke (the author of the Gospel) and Philip (deacon and evangelist). Yet Paul was steadfast and believed that this was God’s will. Was Paul correct in discerning the will of God?  If so, how did he know?

Paul had long been convinced that this was the path God desired him to walk. Acts 19:21 says: “Now after these events Paul resolved in the Spirit to pass through Macedonia and Achaia and go to Jerusalem…”  Acts 20:22 says: “And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.” Paul was ‘resolved in the Spirit’ and ‘constrained by the Spirit’ understanding that imprisonment and afflictions awaited him. He knew what was waiting for him there even before the prophecies were revealed in Acts 21! Not that we are like Paul, but my wife, Melanie, and I too have also experienced a situation in which we were convinced of God’s calling or will, and yet, friends that we loved and trusted were counseling us very differently. So, again, how did Paul know what to do even when godly friends gave him much different counsel? How do we know what to do when we’re receiving different counsel from trusted voices? To be honest with you, in this situation, the Bible doesn’t tell us explicitly how Paul knew. But my guess is that God spoke to Paul the same way He speaks to us today.  

In our situation, the first thing we did was we searched the Scriptures. Does the Scripture speak directly regarding the issue at hand? For us, it did. We also prayed fervently and tried to listen for His voice each day, particularly as we were reading His Word. Of course, we talked to other mature believers, particularly those who had walked the same path before. Circumstances then began to line up that were clearly God ordained. This gave us the confirmation we so desired. Eventually we were convinced, constrained by the Spirit even, as Paul described in his own situation. We knew how God was leading us. So, even when others that we loved disagreed, we knew. I have no doubt that Paul was compelled by God through the Spirit, through prayer, through the words of Jesus, and over time, through multiple means, he knew what God wanted him to do. So much so, that even when well-meaning friends who loved him tried to protect him, he was still able to follow and obey. Therefore, I encourage you, the next time you don’t know how God is leading you or you don’t know how to handle a certain situation, seek the will of God and look for Him to speak through multiple means: His Word, His Spirit through prayer and meditating on His Word, through trusted friends and loved ones, and confirmed through divinely ordained circumstances.