4 Simple Ways To Discern God’s Direction For 2011

“Discern” simply means “to perceive” or “to recognize”. The first step to understanding your life’s purpose (God’s Will) is “to perceive”; to make a conscious effort to be looking and listening to God. Here are some ways to put yourself in a place in which you can discern and discover God’s direction:

Here is some fieldwork (or homework) to help you with discerning:

[1.] Create daily personal discernment times – Daily, set an appointment with God to ask for His guidance. Listen without any intervention to what His perfect will (direction) is for your life. The important point is that you do it without interruption.

[2.] Inventory your skills, interests, and passions – Start a list of skills, interests, and passions that excite you. Whenever you are doing something for God that you find especially rewarding, exciting, or energizing, write it down. Do this exercise for at least 21 days. Identify your skills, interests, and passions.

[3.] Keep a journal – Keep a journal. Make a note of any situation you see or hear that makes you think, “This is a need in this world my skills will work with.”

[4.] Put it all together – At the end of 21 days, spend some time connecting the dots. What did you learn about your skills, ministry abilities, interests, and passions? What needs of people in the world did you hear of? What did you hear from God in your quiet time? What is the common thread that is woven throughout all your discernment and discovery?

– What is it? In my many years of being a life-coach, I’ve never known anyone not do the 21 days of discerning and fail to discover his or her future in God.

Bill Craver

DCI Mission Trips
813-610-6351

Finding God’s Will For Your Life In 2011

Are You Living in the Perfect or Permissive Will of God?

Discovering God’s will for your life can be a bit confusing. In order to bring clarity on this topic, let’s do a little study of Christ ‘s Parable of the sower.

- And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. Mar 4:19 KJV

Did you know there are two aspects to living in God’s will for your life? There are two levels of Gods will: Pursuing His perfect will or choosing to live in His permissive will. Living in God’s perfect will is when our living, decisions, choices are centered around God and others. Our values are about living for God This is when we are patient, we pray about our options and purchases. Life in centered around serving Christ and blessing others.

Living in His permissive will means life is centered around self. Although we are a Christian, we spend little time evaluating our choices. How they effect our service to God and others. Though we resist God’s perfect will and God’s plans, because He loves us so deeply, He we allow us to take this alternative course in our living. That is permissive will. Though we are pulled by our self- desires and select a way which is contrary to the best plan (choked by the cares of this world), He never give up on you. It is only when we fulfill His perfect will, we can receive the fullness of His goodness and blessings.
Prayer:
Lord, help me to submit my free will at your altar before taking any decision. Some decisions are irrevocable. So, help me to take pre-cautions. Enable me to crucify my self-will and to surrender myself. Though I have failed in decision-making in my past life, help me to take the way, which you have pre-destined. Amen.

As We Enter 2011… Here Are Four Things To Ask Yourself :
[1.] Have you ever taken an evaluation of your life to consider if you are living in God’s permissive will or God’s perfect will for your life?
[2.] Are you in a molding process at this time in your life?
[3.] At times in our lives…when God say’s: “make a course adjustment”… would you be willing?
[4.] How do you respond to the molding process? (Check One Below)
_ With Joy & Gladness _ With Frustration & Stubbornness
The prophet Jeremiah was told by God: “Arise, and go ye to the potter’s house… (Jeremiah 18:2-4) The prophet Isaiah also reminds us that man is like the potter’s clay. (Isaiah 64:8) It is no secret to those familiar with the Bible, that God took some clay and molded the first man, Adam. You and I are God’s greatest handy work, the greatest work He has ever created. He is shaping and molding you with His hands. This is why Paul said, “we are His workmanship”. You and I were created so we could be shaped and molded for a certain purpose as a vessel of honor.
First, we are on the potter’s wheel, going around and around. We wonder, “who are we?” as we are being transformed from a simple piece of clay into a vessel. As we accept Christ and embrace our identity through Him as a child of God. Throughout our Christian walk there will be times when the spinning and molding takes place. The Lord shapes us with His hands putting pressure on all the lumpy fleshly places. Then on the places that will not submit to the smoothing, He will use an instrument, rubbing until the rough edges are smooth. Just as things smooth out in our life, all of a sudden we find ourselves in the fire, the refiner’s fire. As we are wondering why this is happening, we must remember we are still in His hands.
We also must remember that this process is always going on. God is using all people and all situations for our ultimate good, so that we will become a vessel of honor to be filled with His glory.

Missionary Trips to: Belize – Mayan Yucatan – Guatemala – Caribbean Islands Off Central America

Bill Craver
DCI Director

813-610-6351

www.dcimissiontrips.com

Belize Mission Trips Guide