How to partner with God for “God’s will” in your life,Ep 2-42
Welcome Back! I am your host Dawn Simmons and in this episode of Conquering Our Unseen Enemies we are going to be discussing the concept of God’s Plan in our lives. It has so many meanings and interpretations and we want to breakdown the concept so when we say “God’s will or His plan”, we are saying words that depict a life in alignment with what the Lord is wanting to do in our lives.
First and foremost, we know salvation is part of God’s plan for all of us. We have a choice in that, but salvation is a given in His plan, so that is not part of our discussion here. Living a Christlike life is also what He desires, we all pretty much know that so that is not our discussion here. What we are going to discuss is how we need to address that God does have a plan for our life and what is our role in that plan.
Too many people say they want God’s plan, but then aren’t willing or understand that there are 2 parts to God’s plan. There is God’s part, which He is willing and able to do and there is our part which takes time and focused energy on our part. We have to move past our unwillingness and lack of understanding and really dig into what it means to know God’s plan, to live in God’s plan, to be a part of God’s plan.
If I asked you what is God’s plan in your life, what would you say?
Generally there are 2 types of answers in response to that. Vague and even vaguer. I don’t know if that is correct grammar but that’s ok, cause a vaguer answer isn’t a correct response either so they go together.
Only a handful of people have a specific answer. Of those folks who have a specific answer, most of them are actually living out God’s plan in their life or putting effort toward God’s plan in their life. Sometimes there is preparation that is required in what God wants us to have in our lives and how we live out our lives for Him.
The reason why I want to address this topic is because the Lord keeps showing me people who mean well in saying things like “It’s God’s will” and resigning themselves to whatever happens without ever being a part of partnering with God for an outcome. That’s a bit like saying “I want to be a best-selling author” but you aren’t willing to write a book. Or “I really want that promotion at work” but you do nothing to meet the requirements that the promotion requires.
“I want to be an Olympic athlete” but you don’t even play a sport. It doesn’t make sense. If we want to live our lives in God’s plan or His will for our lives, we certainly need to know what that is and that requires effort on our part.
I think there is a misconception on who God is and what He actually does in our lives. He gets blamed for a lot of things He had nothing to do with. There are a lot of angry people out there for what they perceive as being wronged by God for one reason or another. We have to be better than that, that is not to discount whatever event occurred that led to the pain that led to the anger, God can withstand those moments of our lives, but we cannot stay there. We have to rise above all of our obstacles and take the time to first know who God is or how will we ever understand His plan or His will?
I was watching a show last night and in it there was an ex-convict in it named Daune. Hopefully I pronounce that correctly. He is from Louisianna and he said his mother or maybe his grandmother, I think his mother always told him when he was younger, “If you’re gonna pray about it, don’t worry. If you’re gonna worry about it, don’t pray” Now those are some words that really tell you who this woman was, she knew who God was in her life. Such a simple phrase and so so true. She saw the partnership between herself and God. She knew her part and she knew His part. You can’t be doubleminded about a partnership with God.
So how do we get to the point where we know God’s plan for us. Well first, we have to know God and the only way to know God is to know His Word. You have to be reading consistently and what you don’t understand, ask Him to explain it to you. He will talk to you. Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t know Him, so ignore those people.
John tells us this in John 1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome[a] it.”
Jesus tells us in John 14:6, “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7 If you really know me, you will know[b] my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”
Jesus later tells us in John 15:26, “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. 27 And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning.”
So we have now identified the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and have an understanding that they are one. That is what this episode is established upon so that we are all clear about which God we are discussing, the One True God. There are no other gods, this is not about religion, it’s about our relationship with “I AM” as He calls himself in Exodus 3:14.
To know His plan or will, I am using those terms interchangeably for our discussion, requires we know Him. We develop that relationship through prayer and reading His word.
Secondly, we can’t know a plan unless we can hear Him speaking to us. Too many people rely on “signs”, a leaf fell from a tree, “that’s a sign I’m supposed to…do whatever”. No, that’s not a sign, we can’t live by random acts and plan our life by random signs, that is not how God works. He establishes clear communication. Most people don’t recognize it or doubt it. Being in a relationship requires two-way communication. Can you imagine being in a marriage or raising a child without two-way communication. How much of our time would be spent cleaning up after our miscommunications? He is not up there ignoring us, He has a response, we need to understand Him to understand His response.
If you want to know more about how to develop that, email me and let’s talk about the process I teach called SALO that very definitively teaches you how to hear what God has to say to you.
Third, we have to start taking part in Kingdom matters. What does that mean? Well we can’t be complacent and throw our hands up in the air and say, “whatever happens is God’s will” or some equally weak response that removes your ability to speak into the outcome. I know I sound a little harsh this week, but it’s because I know that if we want to be in God’s will or know His plan, and see His will manifest in our lives then we need, we must, pray using His word to allow Him to make changes, bring healings, get the promotion, help you with your finances, whatever you need in your life. If we are going to live out His plan in our lives, then we have to start by praying in partnership with His Kingdom on all matters using His word. If you aren’t even willing to do that, how can you expect a grand outcome when you aren’t willing to put in any effort to align what you need and what he needs from you with what He tells us in His word?
We are told we need to Ask, Seek and Knock in Matthew 7. All of those activities require effort on our part. He expects effort and we should be putting forth that effort in everything we are doing with Him, not abandoning anything in our lives to “God’s will” without any effort in understanding it. We cannot prevail with that mentality and that is why the enemy eats up believers every day in their turmoil, we have to partner with God, not abandon our needs. What I am not talking about is submission. That is very different and that is the highest form of obedience to Him. Submission is not abandon. Submission is a transfer of ownership or rights. When we submit our will, our decision, our outcome to Him, that pleases Him and allows Him to move on our behalf. We still have responsibility in that submission. We still want to pray. I gave my kids to God, I said, they are yours, but I still pray for them. What I don’t do is worry over them because I can’t worry over something I have submitted to God or then I am being double minded.
Let me give you an example. Last night during my class, I teach a class on How to Hear God’s Voice, anyhow, someone received a text about a woman we all know who is in the hospital and there is a risk of her baby being born premature. So we started praying and submitting the situation to the Lord, and in doing so, we started quoting scripture specific to what we were asking, scriptures that align with the Lord’s plan over all of our lives and how we should live in Him. So although we submitted it all to Him, we gave our prayer power, we gave our prayer “legs” to move forward in the Spirit Realm so that His will would be done over this baby’s life and over the life of the mother.
I would much rather have a prayer like that over me if I were that mom, than a prayer where someone just says, it’s God’s will, Amen. We need to understand His will, which we find in the Word, and use His will found in His Word to move prayer into action in partnership with Him.
There are so many serious issues that are prayed over every second of the day and if we just took the time to understand His will by understanding who He is, we could see outcomes that would come straight down from Heaven and be able to see more Heaven on earth, the way it should be.
Don’t abandon your prayers, give them life through His word. Move mountains, tear down strongholds, build up others around you with your prayers. Use the words “it’s God’s will” with some authority because we have that authority, don’t abandon the gift He gave us with His life and have prayers that can’t move for the Kingdom.
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I hope this has been time that inspires you to want to learn to grow in your relationship with the Lord and build your prayer life to partner with Him. We want to grow in Him and learn how to work with Him to build the Kingdom and Conquer Our Unseen Enemies. The more we grow the more our life will change, and you can help change the lives of anyone around you who is willing.
If you know anyone who might benefit from this, please share.
As always, let’s discuss our Top Show points:
· Discussing the concept of God’s will in our lives
· Misconception on who God is and what He actually does in our lives
· So how do we get to the point where we know God’s plan for us.
o First, we have to know God and the only way to know God is to know His Word.
o Scriptures establish who He is: John 1, John 14:6, John 15:26, Exodus 3:14
o Secondly, we can’t know a plan unless we can hear Him speaking to us.
o Third, we have to start taking part in Kingdom matters. We have to start by praying in partnership with His Kingdom on all matters using His word.
· We are told we need to Ask, Seek and Knock in Matthew 7. All of those activities require effort on our part. He expects effort on our part.
· Don’t abandon your prayers, give them life through His word. Move mountains, tear down strongholds, build up others around you with your prayers
· Story of the pregnant woman and how we prayed over her and the baby at risk for being born premature.
· Submission is not abandon. Submission is a transfer of ownership or rights. When we submit our will, our decision, our outcome to Him, that pleases Him and allows Him to move on our behalf. We still have responsibility in that submission to pray.
We encourage you:
· To have an active Bible reading plan, it will be helpful in gaining wisdom and understanding and it is required for the gift of spiritual discernment
· If you want to learn more about how to Hear God's Voice, visit our website, lovingconversationssalo.com. My book, Loving Conversations: How to Pray and Hear God's Voice has helped so many people in their relationship with the Lord, check out the testimonials. There is also a companion Study Guide and two devotionals out based on the Loving Conversations Book. Those are available on the website www.lovingconversationssalo.com.
· Follow us in Instagram, @conqueringourunseenenemies
I have enjoyed our time this week and look forward to spending time with you again next week!