How to Know the Will of GOD-Through Prayer

Part 2

This is the second of a three part miniseries within the Back to Basics series on How to Know the Will of GOD. We believe that this topic is too encompassing to limit to one blog post within the Back to Basics series. Click here to read part 1 of this miniseries. 

“And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.”
Luke 11:2-4 KJV

I love the poetic way the King James Version translates the Lord’s Prayer and the circumstances surrounding Jesus teaching His disciples to pray. At this point in Jesus’ ministry, He had healed the sick, raised the dead, cast out demons, faced down Satan in the wilderness, calmed storms, and walked on water—and through all those miracles, what did the disciples what to learn? They could’ve asked Jesus anything—“teach us to heal the sick” or “Show us that walking on water thing again”—but instead of miracles, the disciples asked, “Teach us to pray.” Why? Because they saw that the power in Jesus miracles were first directed and established in prayer. Before Jesus took 2 loaves and 3 fish and fed 5,000, He prayed over the food. Before Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, He prayed to the Father. Before Jesus went to the cross, He prayed in the garden. What is the pattern we see from Jesus? It’s more than just that he prayed, but it's that Jesus prayed before He did anything. I believe He was following what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3:6:

“In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” Proverbs 3:6 KJV

How did Jesus know the will of GOD for His life? It started with prayer. In our last blog post, we talked about finding scriptures in the Bible that speaks directly to your future (Click here for that post) and Jesus being the ‘Word made flesh’, knew what the scriptures said and now He was praying over those scriptures to allow GOD to lead Him on those paths of righteousness (Psalm 23:3). Our prayers and communion with GOD are the gateway that lead us onto those paths that have been designed for us. In the Proverb referenced above, the word “acknowledge” in the Hebrew literally means to know or learn to know. When we dig down into the original language it changes the whole dynamic of what the writer is trying to say. It’s not, “GOD I acknowledge as I make these paths,” its more like, “GOD I want to know you more and through knowing you I am moving along the right paths.” Another scripture puts it this way: 

“We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.” Proverbs 16:9 NLT

We can try and establish our own path and our own destiny, but it is ultimately GOD who makes the final determination on where and what we should be doing in this life. Whether or not we follow in that path is up to our communion and fellowship with the Creator of our destiny. And how do we come to know or learn to know the Creator more? Prayer. It’s that open communication and dialogue with the One who made everything from the grass to your beating heart. Jesus understood this principal and that is why He walked in such power and purpose. Yes, He was GOD’s son, but He was also fully man. Your power, your purpose, your direction, is found through the same door Jesus used—Prayer.
Now lets put the first blog post and this post together. If you are wondering what GOD’s will for your life is, start with finding scriptures that define what His purpose for you is. Next, use those same scriptures in prayer and read them aloud to GOD. You’re not reminding Him, but you are declaring those over yourself. 

If you wonder how to start, pray this prayer:

Dear Father,

I come to you in the name of Jesus and just want to say thank you for creating me and giving me a purpose. Your word says that, “you lead me on paths of righteousness for your names sake,” and I am thankful that you are leading me on those paths. Father, I know that you have given me the mind of Christ and because of that, I know that I have wisdom for today and for my future. Continue guiding my steps and establishing my paths. My will is to do your will. In Jesus mighty name, Amen.