by Founding Pastor Rick Duncan
In a message on Isaiah 6, we learned to say to God, “Here I am, send me!” But how do we discern the specifics of where God is sending us? How do we discern the who, what, why, where, when, and how of God’s call on our lives?
Should I sell my house and move to a foreign country as a full-time vocational missionary? Should I join or lead a short-term mission team? Am I supposed to stay in the states and be a missionary cleverly disguised as…? If so, what does that look like?
Below are 8 steps to help you hear from God about where He might be sending you.
1. Schedule unhurried time with God.
Make space in your schedule. Find a place where you will be uninterrupted. Use a journal for writing down what God will say.
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
2. Determine that you will do what God says.
Confess to God those times in the past when you have resisted His will. Then, on the basis of Christ’s work on the cross, receive His forgiveness. Now say to God, “Please, Lord, give me grace to not only hear Your voice, but to also follow Your will.”
“Make me to know Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths” (Psalm 25:4).
3. Quiet the voices of the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Ask God to help you tune out other competing voices so you can tune into His.
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world” (I John 2:15-16).
4. Literally ask God to give you His wisdom about where He’s seeking to send you.
Remember God has promised to give you wisdom when you ask for it.
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5)
5. Be still and listen for God’s voice.
Be quiet. Be patient. Be discerning. Wait on God. Remember, God’s voice is sometimes described in Scripture as a still, small voice – the sound of a low whisper (I Kings 19:11-12).
“Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
6. Write down what you hear God saying to you.
When discouragement, confusion, and doubt come our way, it’s helpful to have a written record of what God has said. Recording what God says in a journal is a helpful tool to keep you moving onward and upward. It also helps us not forget.
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it” (Habakkuk 2:2).
7. Share what you’ve heard with other mature believers.
Be willing to take Godly advice. Remember, God’s will never contradicts God’s word. God puts people around us who know the Bible, human nature, and our own gifts and limitations better than we do. Nothing but good comes from carefully weighing what Godly pastors and leaders have to say.
“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15).
8. In faith, do what the Lord has said.
Sometimes God asks us to do big things. Often He asks us to do small things that may seem silly or inconsequential. But something little can be something big when God is in it. Obedience to God is a demonstration of a trust in God.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
(Note: One of the greatest treatments on getting guidance from God is found in J.I. Packer’s classic book, Knowing God. It’s found in chapter 20, Thou our Guide, pp. 209-220.)
