KEYS TO KNOWING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
God has a unique plan for every person He created on earth. That’s why every person has a fingerprint that is different from others. Many people live a counterfeit life because they are conformed to this world and are not ready to be transformed. Rom 12:2 “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.” The word “transformed” is the Greek word, "metamorphoo", which forms the root for the English word “metamorphosis.” When a tadpole is changed into a frog or a caterpillar becomes a butterfly, we speak of it as a metamorphosis. That is what God wants for each of His children. At what stage are you in this Christian transformation? Are you staying in the larva stage? Caterpillar? Baby butterfly? Full-grown butterfly? Where are you on the conformity to Christ growth chart? Live the life God designed for you – your original life and not photocopy. No one is like you among more than 8 billion people in the world today. You are uniquely created.
My description will be based on Jesus' experience in seeking the will of His Father in the garden of Gethsemane. (Matt 26:36-46, 47-57). You may also be experiencing turmoil and hardship in making the right decisions and overcoming the challenges.
1. Never isolate yourself from dear people to you
Verse 36 “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go and pray over there."
Jesus didn’t like to experience this hard time alone in the garden of Gethsemane. He wanted the presence of his disciples at least watching Him from afar. If Jesus needed the company of His disciples, how much more do you need it? However, you need to be careful when you select the right people. When you isolate yourself so much you can suffer depression and find yourself inviting diseases that thrive on loneliness. From the beginning, God didn’t like people to be overwhelmed with loneliness. Gen 2:18 “And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Loneliness experience is not limited to marriage. Adam did not only represent a husband but also a ruler and steward of God’s resources. It is very sad that we still have married people who live as ‘married singles’ instead of "married couples". Married singles are couples who have lost a sense of closeness as God intended. You may also be lonely in family, economic, and social life. So, you need to be surrounded by good people who want to see you prosper in life instead of exploiting you. You must avoid people who love you simply because they benefit from you without contributing anything to your life.
2. Find the right people to share your sorrow
Verse 37 “And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed.”
Despite the company of His disciples, Jesus took three among them who were His inner circle. He left other disciples and went to pray with His confidants. He then began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. You also need to identify your confidants God has connected with you. I’m sure you would not like everybody to watch you weeping. If you feel ashamed when someone sees you crying he/she is not your close friend yet. Weeping is medicinal unless you have lost hope in life. You shorten your days when you suppress your urge to cry. Some people have a bad attitude that a man should not cry. Make a good selection of people to pray with because some people are jealous of you and do not like to see you prosper. Find people you can celebrate together and weep together. Rom 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”
3. Share your deep feelings with your confidants
Verse 38 “Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me."
When Jesus confronted a spirit of death, He surrounded Himself with people who could share His sorrow. Surround yourself with the right people and don’t hide your deep feelings. If Jesus was free to share His sorrowful feelings, how about you? This is not an indicator of weakness. Sharing your challenges in life with the right people is different from sharing them with the devil. The FACT that you feel sick can not be denied. However, the TRUTH that by His stripes we are healed should be your priority. There is nothing wrong with sharing the reality of your problems so you can pray together. But also never forget to tell the devil that he is a defeated foe according to the scripture so he can flee from you. Even Gospel ministers need the right people to share their painful experiences. Otherwise, they will be harsh because of unattended bitterness caused by poor relationships in family life and ministry.
4. Seek God’s will without hiding your personal will
Verse 39 “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will."
Jesus didn’t hide His will and desire although His Father’s will was a priority. He prayed that if possible He could avoid death. Nevertheless, He was ready to accept the will of His Father. We better use our words to express ourselves instead of borrowing words from others. If it is God’s will for you to go through any experience in life, accept it. Even the Apostle Paul asked God to remove a thorn in his life. Instead, God chose to give him more grace to overcome the effects of that thorn. So Paul gladly accepted God’s will for him. 2 Cor 12:7-10 “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
5. Know how committed your prayer partners are to you
Verse 40 “Then He came to the disciples and found them asleep, and said to Peter, "What? Could you not watch with Me for one hour?”
Lord Jesus followed up and realized His confidants could not manage to watch with Him. However, He didn’t ignore the contribution of prayers from His confidants. Sometimes you can deceive yourself that people are praying for you as they pledged. Not all people keep their pledge to pray for you. Take time to discover people with grace and burden for your needs. People praying for you must have a heart for you and authority over demons attacking you. Otherwise, their prayers will not be effective. Mark 3:27 “"No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.” We cannot resist the devil and win battles if we don’t have power from on high. Even disciples of Jesus were timid and powerless until they received the power of the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:13 “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” When you have the living Jesus, you receive wisdom from above surpassing all intellectual understanding.
6. Know the danger of prayerlessness on the battlefield
Verse 41 “"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
Jesus cautioned His disciples about prayerlessness on the battlefield. They were in the area where Jesus faced satan face to face. Jesus told them that although in the spirit He is willing, in the flesh He is weak. When you pray less you easily fall into temptations because you are weak. Prov 24:10 “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small.” Prayer gives you access to the spiritual realm and helps you discover satanic plots against you and how to dismantle them. It is not easy for the flesh to enjoy prayer life. Your body only enjoys eating, drinking, sleeping, and the luxuries of this world. There is a war between your spirit and flesh. Rom 8:5,13 “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” In fact, we have three major enemies – satan, the world, and the flesh. We can cast out demons but flesh is always with us so we need to subdue it.
7. Know that repeating the same prayer item increases the intensity
Verses 42-44 “Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done." And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.”
Our Lord Jesus prayed for the same prayer item three times. He wanted to know whether He needed to conquer the spirit of death or release His life as a ransom for the world. Many people do not receive tangible answers because they pray for many things at once in such a way that they even forget what they prayed for. Praying for many things in a limited time indicates that you don’t have a pressing need. Imagine you have received a message about the death of your close friend or relative. How many items do you think you will be praying for in that situation? What matters most will be the death of your friend. When you repeat praying for the same thing again and again, the intensity and burden will increase. Discover your pressing need in life and you will flow tears for it. If you have a burden for something in your heart, pray for it until you feel the weight has left you even if it takes three days. Spending three minutes for each prayer item will not bring you tangible answers. Pray earnestly and God will reward you in due time. James 4:9 “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” Weep for the Lord and one day He will wipe away your tears. Rev 7:17 “"for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
8. Accept the will of God, however painful
Verses 45,46 “Then He came to His disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. "Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand."
Finally, Jesus realized that His hour for fulfilling His mission for the world had come. He was ready for the temptations from the devil. When He knew the will of God for the moment, He stopped His disciples from praying. Instead, He told them to rise and go. You must be ready for God’s will even when others do not understand you. For example, when you discover that it is not the right time to marry or remarry, you must avoid listening to people who stimulate you for marriage. God who created you can fill the gap in your life and help you feel satisfied until the appointed time. 2 Cor 3:5 “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God.” However, don’t accept everything happening in your life as God’s will for you. People may die a Godly death, but sometimes the devil kills people prematurely.
9. Know that your enemy can help you fulfill your divine destiny
Verses 47-50 “And while He was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and elders of the people. Now His betrayer had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him." Immediately he went up to Jesus and said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed Him. But Jesus said to him, "Friend, why have you come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.”
For Jesus to fulfill His purpose on earth, He had to be betrayed. A person can't be betrayed by a stranger. Your betrayer must be someone close to you who knows you well and your whereabouts. Jesus was betrayed by one of His own disciples. He kissed Jesus to introduce Him to the enemies. He helped the enemies to identify who Jesus was. I’m amazed that Jesus didn’t say ENEMY, WHY HAVE YOU COME instead He said FRIEND, WHY HAVE YOU COME. This means that Jesus knew that Judas didn’t kiss Him as His disciple but as a betrayer. But also Jesus didn’t see Judas as an enemy because He knew what was being fulfilled through that event. Probably you also have enemies who draw you near to God. Do you think you would seek God that much in prayer if you didn’t have any challenges in life? Sometimes God uses your betrayers to help you fulfill His divine purpose for you without their awareness. Gen 50:20 “"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.” When Joseph's brothers were selling him, they didn’t know that they were promoting him to become the prime minister so he could sustain them in famine.
10. Fight the good fight of faith
Verses 51-55 “And suddenly, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. But Jesus said to him, "Put your sword in its place, for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. "Or do you think that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He will provide Me with more than twelve legions of angels? "How then could the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen thus?" In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out, as against a robber, with swords and clubs to take Me? I sat daily with you, teaching in the temple, and you did not seize Me.”
We need to fight in a Godly way. As a man of God, this is not an era of an eye for an eye. 1 Tim 6:12 “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” You have to overcome evil with good instead of avenging yourself. Rom 12:21 “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” You don’t need to fight back or allow your friends to take revenge. Commit everything into God's hands and He will take care of you. Ex 14:13,14 “And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace."
11. Know that your close friend may one day desert you
Verse 56 “"But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.”
This time Jesus was deserted by people He trusted and invested a lot in them. This happened because it was foretold by prophets that it would come to pass. Nevertheless, no one would manage to help Jesus in His atoning sacrifice for the world no wonder they left Him alone in prayers. If you are not well prepared, you will also be shocked when you are rejected by people you trust. Even if you are right with God, some people will desert you. You cannot please everybody. John 6:66-68 “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” When Jesus delivered an incomprehensible message, some disciples left Him. He turned to the remaining disciples and said, ‘Do you also want to go away?’. Peter answered well by saying we don’t have any other option except obeying You.
12. Religion without Jesus at the center, will kill you
Verse 57 “And those who had laid hold of Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.” Sadly, religion was closely involved in the death of Jesus. Religious leaders of the day gave a false testimony against Him. Mark 14:1 “After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death.” Even today many people do not have eternal life because of religion. The reason is that religion only values people when they are alive. No religion keeps the names of dead people in the register book of its members. When you die you will either spend your eternity in hell or heaven depending on what you did on earth. There is no register for religions, denominations, or members in heaven. The Book of Life in Heaven only registers names of born-again Christians who finished the race victoriously. Rev 20:15 “And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.” Rev 21:27 “But there shall by no means enter it anything that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie, but only those who are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.” Be careful because your name can be written in the Book of Life and be blotted out later if you fall into sin. Rev 3:5 “"He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”
MY PRAYERS FOR YOU TODAY:
1. I pray that God will help you identify the right people to share your needs and avoid the wrong people who bring confusion in your life.
2. I pray that God will give you the right words to express yourself instead of borrowing words you heard from other people praying.
3. I pray that God will help you to know and accept His will at any cost.
4. I pray that God will reveal how He can use your enemies and temptations to accomplish His purpose for you.
5. I pray that Jesus will be real to you instead of worshipping lifeless religious traditions.
Feel free to share with me any concerns so we can pray together.
Dr. Lawi Mshana, Freelance Facilitator & Public Speaker, +255712-924234, Tanzania
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