Knowing God's Will

I've been running this study for nearly 10 days now and I keep getting side tracked but hopefully I'll be able to stay on task this week and complete this series taken from an article I read by Dr Charles Stanley, a Teaching Pastor in Atlanta, Georgia..

The Article was called How Can We be Sure of God's Will...? And Dr Stanley outlined 7 questions we believers can ask ourselves to make sure we are within God's Will.

Here's a quick review of the questions I've covered so far...

1. Is it consistent with the bible?
2. Is this a wise decision?
3. Can I honestly ask God to help me achieve this?
4. Do I have genuine peace about this?

And today I'll cover question number 5:

Does this fit into who I am as a follower of Jesus...?

Some things just do not fit a child of God. For example, the Bible says that the body is the temple of th Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:19), so anything that is physically harmful is not in the will of God. Divine discipline comes in different forms. If we disobey the laws of health, we will suffer the consequences, even if we are obedient in other ways.

Another area of concern is the believer's testimony. The way we respond to other people -whether they are family, co-workers, or waiters serving our meal, we should be consistent with the fact that we belong to Christ Jesus and reflect Him to the world. In other words, if we claim to be Christians, it would not be fitting to hold a grudge, gossip, have inappropriate relationships, or express unduly harsh critisism.

When I read question number five and Dr Stanley's supporting material it hit me right between the eyes. I know that God's will for my life is to be in better physical condition than I currently am. I've been struggling with my weight for about 7 years now. I'm definitely out of God's will in that regard. And in the grudge area and expressing harsh critisism I've got some work to do, also.

That will be the focus of my prayer this morning.

Thanks for reading my prayer journal. If you enjoyed today's post you might want to go back and read my other posts on this subject in order to get a better continuity for this topic. -Coach Sam


Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord God I want to be in the center of Your Will. I feel I'm far from it at the moment. Father of Lights, help me defeat my weight issue. Help me to make wise dietary choices and regulate when and how much food I consume. Enable me to get more exercise and return to a physique that is fitting of a professional athlete.

And Lord, You have revealed to me that I have a heart problem in the matter of anger and holding grudges. Help me to let go of past hurts and injustices and just purify my heart, Lord. I want to be all about Love and Saving Grace. Father, I want to be a shining example of Godly reaction to difficult circumstances.

I just want my life to say plainly and clearly that I am a Child of God. Lord I just want to be like You. I need more of You, Lord. I love You, Father and I want to be in the center of Your will.

You have called me to be a Husband, Father, and a Step-Father. You have called me to be a teacher. You have called me to be a comfortor and an encourager. You have called me to pray for my brothers and sisters.

Father God, I just pray that You keep showing me Your Callings for my Life. Help me to prioritize my life. Help me in the area of time management. I don't want to waste one single moment of this precious life You've given me.

Lord, I give this day to You. Everything I do is for You, in Your Name: Christ Jesus. I give 100% to You. I pray this in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

Amen.