How to discern God's direction for your life in this upcoming New Year? The second most important question, after the question of "Are you saved? ", is "What are you doing with your life for God?
" It's about your purpose and about your calling. And many people have that question. I can't tell you how many times I've had people come up and ask, "Hey, how do I know what I should do with my life?
What I should do for God? Which way should I move forward? " Especially as the New Year comes, many people are beginning to re-evaluate: "What am I doing?
Am I in the right place in terms of ministry, in terms of my career, and my calling? " And I believe that these things I'm going to share with you right now are the things that are going to help you to really discern God's direction for this coming year. The first thing is this: Start the year with prayer and fasting.
Set time intentionally to be with God, asking God for clarity and wisdom. Surrender your plans to Him and trust that He will guide you in His timing in this coming year. One of the best ways is if your church is doing a 21-day prayer and fasting.
Join the church. If they are not doing it, we are doing it here in this ministry. We have some resources, and in fact, I want to invite you to join the Fast Forward Challenge.
The reason why I call it Fast Forward is because if you want to go forward, it happens through fasting, it happens through prayer, it happens through humbling yourselves. Because Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know. " So, if you want to step into the great and mighty things for God to show you them, well, why don’t you set time to seek His face?
And that is through prayer and fasting. The second thing, in order to discern God’s will, is this: decide to be grounded in the Word of God daily. Why is that?
Because, according to Psalm 119:105, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. ” See, when you begin to spend time in God’s Word, He will begin to illuminate your path and your feet. Sometimes it’s your feet, your next step, that needs to be illuminated.
You’re like, “Lord, speak to me. Lord, reveal to me. ” And God says, “Your Word.
” Meaning God’s Word, the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, are that light. As you read the Word, you will become familiar with His voice. He will begin to speak to you through His Word and will illuminate your next step.
Sometimes you might start the year not knowing exactly, you know, “What are you going to do this year? Which direction you should take? ” But as you take the next step, because you’re grounded in God’s Word, God will illuminate your steps.
The third thing that I would want you to do this year, in order to discern God’s Will, is this: Listen to the Holy Spirit. See, the Holy Spirit will speak in many different ways: Through inner peace, conviction, prompting. But as you study the Word, as I mentioned secondly, you will begin to discern His voice even better.
The Holy Spirit is actually your guide to God’s will in this coming year. Jesus said in John 14:26, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things. ” The Holy Spirit wants to teach you.
The Holy Spirit wants to help you to discern where is God’s will, God’s open door, and where is a trap, a temptation, a bait, where you shouldn’t go. And if you stay close to the Holy Spirit, He will help you with that. I have a book that I’ve written called “Host the Holy Ghost” that really helps people to develop intimacy with the Holy Spirit.
Make sure you check it out, and it will be a blessing to you this year to know the Holy Spirit more. Because as you know the Holy Spirit, He will help you to guide you to the destiny God has for you. The fourth thing that you’ve got to do in order to discern God’s direction for this coming year is lean into wise counsel.
Surround yourself with godly mentors, pastors, friends who can provide prayerful advice and discernment. God often speaks through trusted voices in our life. Proverbs 11:14 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people perish, but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
” So, if you want to discern God’s direction, why don’t you consult people who have already been walking with the Lord longer than you? Sometimes run things by them, and you will hear wisdom, you will hear discernment, and you will hear wisdom. A lot of times, in their experience, I cannot tell you how many decisions of mine were greatly affected by the wisdom of others.
How many things I knew the destination of where God wanted me to go, but the directions there, came through the experience and the wisdom of trusted people. The fifth thing, in order to discern God’s direction, and that is: Look for open and closed doors. Pay attention to the opportunities this coming year that God will open, but also pay attention to the opportunities that God will close.
Sometimes God’s direction is revealed by circumstances He orchestrates. In Revelation 3:8, it says, “For I know your work. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it.
” Sometimes it’s just not the timing for the thing that God has for you, and it’s obvious the door is shut. And when it’s shut, learn to praise God in the hallway, or begin to discern where is God opening another door that He wants you to go through. Because the way sometimes your destiny is revealed from God is when God opens doors and closes them.
When these opportunities come, you have to learn to take advantage of them. You have to learn to go through them. Don’t just wait for God to open a door you want Him to open, instead of going through the door that He has opened.
Because on the other side of this open door are new rooms, new levels, new opportunities, new connections, new relationships, and a lot of times, even a new grace that God will bestow upon you if you take the opportunity and go through it. I have a whole sermon that I preached on recognizing God’s open doors. Make sure you check it out, because it will really help you to walk.
I would say this is probably one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in life, and that is to pay attention to God’s open doors and not to be frustrated when God closes them. The sixth thing that you must do to discern God’s direction and that is to wait patiently and then to act in faith. Now, at first, this seems a bit contradictory and almost the same as about the fifth lesson, which is open doors and closed doors.
To wait patiently meaning you can’t be desperate, and you can’t go into panic mode. You’ve got to wait patiently. Patience develops something within you.
But at the same time, you must also learn to take a step of faith. So many people wait when they should walk, and others walk where they should wait. Sometimes you have to take a step of faith, and the Jordan River splits.
You have to start that thing that God is giving you a desire and a green light for. You might not see anything on the outside changing, but as you take a step of faith, the Jordan begins to split. But there are seasons, and how do you know which season are you in?
This is where you need to know the Holy Spirit, because He is our Guide. When God doesn’t give a map, He wants you to trust the Guide, the Holy Spirit. But I’ve noticed, is there are seasons in waiting.
I wait upon God, and there are seasons I just have to walk by faith. I’m not certain. I’m not sure.
In fact, I go by faith, and as I step by faith, I see God confirming with signs and wonders. Psalm 27:14 says, “Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. ” But then 2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “For we walk by faith, and not by sight.
” So, we wait and we walk by faith. Learn to take steps of faith. Sometimes you will not see right away the answers, but as you step by faith into that unknown, you will begin to see the grace of God.
The last thing, and that is whatever you do in this coming year, do it with all your heart, as unto God. Colossians 3:23 it says, “And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. ” So, Psalm 1:3 it says, “He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.
” I want you to notice the word “whatever. ” So many times, people they go into this mode of trying to get the specifics of what God wants them to do that they don’t do whatever. Sometimes people would come to me and they say, “Vlad, should I do this or should I do that?
You know, and both are good, but I don’t know what to do. ” I said, “Whatever you do, do it unto the Lord. ” If you spend too much time being inactive, instead of doing whatever that you do as unto God, not as to man, you will find yourself wasting a lot of time and not developing necessary skills, knowledge, and experience that could be developed by staying active and engaged in the things you have the ability to do.
Like I did worship. I led worship for a few years. That was definitely not my calling.
But I wouldn’t know it wasn’t my calling if I wouldn’t do it. I also used those times to really develop confidence on the stage. I learned those times to really develop my prayer life when I was leading worship on the stage, and so people who say, “No, I will only do what God tells me to do,” well, sometimes God tells you to do whatever you do, do it with all of your heart, as unto God.
Sometimes God’s will is like a five-lane highway. Every lane is headed in the right direction, and you’re going to switch one lane to another, and it’s fine. Until God will make it more clear to you on where you should stand, but until He does, switch lanes for the glory of God.
Whatever you do, do it unto the Lord. As long as you don’t feel that red light in your heart, that tension, that conviction, “Hey, this is not right. I shouldn’t be doing that,” or a clear instruction from the Scripture that we should not do that.
Otherwise, whatever you do, do it unto the Lord. The Bible says, “If we abide in Him,” the Scripture doesn’t just tell us, only if we do what’s inside of our calling, there is where we will prosper. No Psalmist says, “Whatever he does, he’ll prosper.
” Joseph went to jail, he prospered. Potiphar’s house, he prospered. He prospered in Pharaoh’s house.
He prospered everywhere he went. So, sometimes, you know, you’ll be like David. David prospered when he was an armor-bearer for Saul.
He prospered where he was running errands for his father. He prospered when he was in charge of the sheep. And he prospered when he was a musician.
Everything he did in different seasons, God made it prosper, even though his calling was to be a king. So, don’t waste the time of development where God will prosper you and bless you in whatever you do this coming year. So, discern God’s will.
Start with prayer and fasting. Begin to be grounded in God’s Word. Begin to listen to the Holy Spirit.
He is your Guide. When you don’t have the map, follow the Guide. Lean into wise counsel.
Don’t be the belly button of the earth, where everything is about you. You’re the center of the universe. Lean on your brothers and sisters.
Number four, discern open doors and also recognize when they are closed. Don’t cry about it, because if God closes the door, He’s going to open something else. And then, wait patiently on God.
Don’t go into panic or desperation, but also take some steps of faith. Don’t just wait for the Red Sea to open. What if God is waiting for you to step into the Jordan River?
And then, whatever you do, do it with all of your heart, as unto God. Even if those things you are doing are not your calling, don’t waste that opportunity to grow in Christ, develop your gifts, experience, and also learn things by doing, whatever you do, as unto God. Thank you for watching this video.
I hope this brought some clarity and also sharpened your discernment in discerning God’s direction in this coming year. And Happy New Year!
