How To Receive God’s Guidance
There is no question that God’s people need His guidance and we read over and over the subject of God’s guidance in the Old and New Testaments. But how do we receive God’s guidance and direction in our lives? In Proverbs 3:1-12, conditions are given for receiving God’s guidance.
Conditions for receiving God’s guidance:
1. We must learn God’s truth and keep them within our hearts (Proverbs 3:1-4).
The will of God is revealed in the Word of God (Colossians 1:9-10), and the only way to know His will is to study His Word and obey it. By receiving the Word within our hearts, we experience growth in godly character so that loyalty and kindness become beautiful ornaments in our lives (Proverbs 1:9; 3:3).
It is not enough for believers to carry the Bible in their hands; they must let the Holy Spirit write God’s Word on their hearts.
2. We must trust the Lord and obey Him (Proverbs 3:5-6).
These are the key verses in this chapter, a promise God’s people have often claimed as they have sought the Lord’s guidance and direction for their lives. And this promise has never failed them – if they have obeyed God. God keeps His promises when we obey His precepts because our obedience prepares us to receive and enjoy what He has planned for us.
To “not depend on our own understanding” does not suggest that God’s children turn off their brains and ignore their intelligence and common sense. It simply cautions us not to depend on our own wisdom and experience or the wisdom and experience of others.
Read here: How to Love the Lord Your God with All Your Mind
Abraham did this when he went to Egypt (see Genesis 12:10-20), and so did Joshua when he attacked the little town of Ai (See Joshua 7). When we become “impressed with our own wisdom” (Proverbs 3:7), then we’re heading for trouble.
God has promised to guide and direct us on which path to take, but the fulfillment of that promise is predicated on our obedience to the Lord. We must trust Him with all our heart and obey Him in all our ways.
That means a total commitment to Him (Romans 12:1-2). The word translated “trust” in Proverbs 3:5 means “to lie helpless, facedown.” It pictures a servant waiting for his master’s command in readiness to obey, or a defeated soldier yielding himself to the conquering general.
3. We need to share God’s blessings (Proverbs 3:9-10).
The division of “spiritual” and “material” does not apply to the followers of Christ, for everything comes from God and belongs to God. The Old Testament Jews brought the Lord the firstlings of their flocks and the first crops of their fields (Leviticus 23:9-14), and in this way acknowledged His goodness and sovereignty. The New Testament parallel is seen in Matthew 6:33.
4. We must submit to God’s correction (Proverbs 3:11-12).
Discipline is a part of God’s plan to help His sons and daughters mature in godly character (Hebrews 12:1-11). God chastens us, not as a judge punishes a criminal, but as a parent disciplines a child.
God acts in love, and His purpose is that we might “share in His holiness” (Hebrews 12:10). Sometimes God chastens us because we have rebelled and need to repent; other times He chastens us to keep up from sinning and to prepare us for His special blessing.
No matter how much the experience hurts us, it will never harm us, because God always disciplines in love (Deuteronomy 8:2-5).
Conclusion
The promise of God to guide and direct us will never fail if we obey the conditions God has laid down. God keeps His promises when we obey His precept because our obedience prepares us to receive and enjoy what He has planned for us.
Recommended Resource: God’s Will: Finding Guidance for Everyday Decisions by J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom
Seeking God’s guidance is a focus for many believers. We want to know what God has planned for our lives. Are we making the right decision? Are we in His will?
For some people, knowing God is guiding their lives makes them relax and enjoy the ride. But others fear making the wrong choice and find themselves paralyzed as they wait for signs from above.
J. I. Packer and Carolyn Nystrom answer these fears with God’s Will. With solid biblical footing, they shed light on the notion of God’s guidance in response to the many misunderstandings well-meaning Christians can have.
Readers seeking God’s will in major life decisions, as well as anyone interested in understanding how God guides us, will welcome this practical and inspiring book.
8 Replies to “How To Receive God’s Guidance”
Thanks for this inspirational post.
God’s guidance is an important request which must be asked each day to be able to avoid the trouble. Getting God’s guidance is another thing though it’s easily gotten and can also be easily lost as well due to failing to obey His commandments. I know for certain how this feels because I’ve been there and it wasn’t funny. Just wish we could lean on God’s promises and believe in Him.
Hello Seun, thank you so much for taking the time to read the article and leave a comment.
You made a very good point. God is loving and generous God because when we ask for His guidance and direction, He does give us. The only problem I see is that we only want God’s favor: blessings, guidance and all that, but often times we refuse to obey Him and live under His will. Some people think that because God loves us unconditionally, He will also bless us unconditionally.
We have to understand God’s principle and that is, the moment we enter into a redemptive covenant with Him, we gain full access to all His promises, that include blessings and guidance. But how we receive will still depend on our obedience to Him.
Blessings!
Hi! I love the topic on how to receive God’s guidance.
We can receive God’s guidance mainly by reading His word and obeying His instructions. There are so many verses in the bible that lay emphasis on the obedience to God’s words. I love Proverbs Chapter three, God’s instruction on the importance of obedience is so glaring for all to see. Once we are able to keep these instructions, we will be properly guided in all that we do.
The conditions for receiving God’s guidance you listed are great, they all still boil down to obeying God’s command.
Hi Gracen, thank you for comment.
Yes, the whole chapter 3 of Proverbs is an exhortation to obedience. And there are a lot more of this in the entire Bible beginning with the Old Testament books. But while Christians are very much aware that God requires obedience on the part of His children, still many of us do not understand the importance of living by God’s precepts.
Like what I always say, God’s love is unconditional but His blessings and promises, which include guidance and direction, all come with a condition.
Interesting article that provides much food for thought. The way I read your article it seems, Ike you are choosing the side of “works” in whether we are saved by grace or works. Or maybe you are saying that we show our faith by our works. Personally, I enjoy the feeling of knowing God’s love is unconditional. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Nate, thanks for stopping by and leaving your thoughts.
And to clarify things, this article is about how a follower of Christ can receive God’s guidance not how a sinner receives eternal life. The Bible is very clear that salvation by grace through faith alone in the Lord Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9) and no amount of good works can add to that. But a person who has received God’s gift of salvation will produce good works. You can read more in this article: https://biblical-christianity.com/genuine-faith-the-faith-that-saves
And you’re absolutely right, God’s love is unconditional. Romans 5:8 says, Christ died for us even when we were still sinners. God gave His Son to die for our sins because of His great and unconditional love (John 3:16). But while God’s love is unconditional, all His promises come with a condition. It’s the same thing in receiving God’s guidance and direction, we need to follow the conditions that He has laid down for us.
Blessings to you in the name of our Lord.
I was so much blessed by this post. More Grace unto you in Jesus’ name. Proverbs 1:1-12 that you cited has covered it all on the issue of divine guidance.
The first step is to receive God’s word in our hearts, because God’s word is spirit and life and sharper than any two-edged sword and is able to penetrate and divide through the soul and spirit. It is God’s word in our hearts that will give us the power to be able to obey Him and not lean on our own understanding. Also we should always allow God to correct us as He who the Lord loves he corrects and also share His blessings in our lives.
Thanks so much for this post, it has really blessed me.
Shalom!
Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. Indeed, we need to trust God first before we will receive what we’re asking for. As James 1:5-7 says, we need to ask in faith and not doubt if we expect to receive what we’re praying for.
It’s is the same thing when asking for God’s guidance; we need to trust God. Asking for God’s guidance is the same as asking for wisdom. And this is what James, the Lord’s brother, is telling us here. His instructions for receiving guidance or wisdom coincide with what this article is all about.
I find it unfortunate that many of us want’s God’s guidance in our lives but we are not willing to follow God’s instructions on how we’re supposed to receive it.