will of the Lord is.
EPHESIANS 5:17
LEARNING THE WILL OF GOD
The Bible's teaching about the will of God expresses more than mere doctrine; it intersects with our lives as believers on an everyday basis. First, we must learn what God's will is, i.e., His perfect will as revealed in Scripture (including His law).
Because the days in which we live are evil, we must understand "what the will of the Lord is."
COMMITTING OURSELVES TO GOD'S WILL
Once we know from the revealed will of God how He desires us to live as believers, we must commit ourselves to do His will. The Psalmist, for example, asks God to teach Him "to do thy will" (PSALM 143:10).
ALLOW THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LEAD
The parallel request, that the Spirit "lead me into the land of uprightness," indicates that He is essentially asking God for the ability to live a righteous life. Similarly, Paul expects the Thessalonian Christians to follow God's will by avoiding sexual immorality and by living in a holy and honorable way,
(1 THESSALONIANS 4:3-4).
Elsewhere he prays that Christians will be filled with the knowledge of God's will, in order that they "might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work"
(COLOSSIANS 1:9-10).
PRAYING THAT GOD'S WILL BE DONE IN OUR LIVES
Believers are called to pray that God's will may be done
(cf. P MATTHEW 6:10, 26:42; LUKE 11:2; ROMANS 15:30-32); we must sincerely desire God's perfect will and intend to fulfill it in our lives and in the lives of our families. If this is our prayer and commitment, then we can rest assured that our present and future are in the protective care of our heavenly Father.
However, if there is deliberate sin in our lives and rebellion against His Word, then we must realize that God will not answer our prayers. We cannot expect God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven unless we ourselves are attempting to do His will in our own lives.
GOD'S CALL TO BATTLE
Finally, we must not use the will of God as an excuse for passivity or irresponsibility with respect to His call to battle sin, evil, and spiritual lukewarmness. It is Satan, not God who is responsible for this present evil age with it's cruelty, evil, and injustice and it is Satan who causes much of the pain and suffering in the world.
Just as Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil so it is God's explicit will for believers to wage war by preaching the gospel in power and manifestation of the Holy Spirit and by standing our ground against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the spirit realm (EPHESIANS 6:10-20).
TODAY: Share the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the Power of
The Holy Spirit
BELOW:
Song: Come Holy Spirit I Need You