Discovering God’s plan for your life!

Life is a journey. You wish to find the direction. You need to find ‘signals’.

Everyone wishes to know about his or her future. It has become a common practise to consult Palmistry / Astrology / Horoscope / voodoo boards. Have you tried to do so? It is detestable to the Lord. If you have done in the past, repent and turn away from that sin. What are the Do’s and Don’ts of discovering God’s plan for your future? Let’s see:

1) If your ways are NOT pleasing to the Lord, He will NOT answer your enquiry

God wishes everyone to ask our living God about their life plan rather than consulting a medium.
Isaiah 8:19,20 When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living? 20 To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, they have no light of dawn.

Deu.18: 9-13 when you enter the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nations there. 10 Let no one be found among you who sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, 11 or casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist or who consults the dead. 12 Anyone who does these things is detestable to the LORD, and because of these detestable practices the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you. 13 You must be blameless before the LORD your God.

1 Samuel 28:6,7 –Enquiring medium/ dead spirits – Saul
6 Saul inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."

God did not answer Saul, because he failed to carry out God's instructions and hence he was delivered to an evil spirit. 1Samuel 16:14-15 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 15 Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

2) Do NOT ask God for endorsement of your plans

Do NOT build up desires and fantasies in your heart; then it will become an idol to you; you will be addicted to it; then do NOT ask God for his will. Only when we are willing to obey He shows us His ways. 100% 'neutral submission' to the will of God is mandatory!
Ez.14:4,5 – 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols [of self-will and unsubmissiveness] into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity [idols of silver and gold] before his face, and yet comes to the prophet [to inquire of him], I the Lord will answer him, answer him according to the multitude of his idols, 5 That I may lay hold of the house of Israel in the thoughts of their own mind and heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols- Amplified Bible.

3) God’s MAIN plan for humanity

A) Salvation – thru his spotless blood
B) Sanctification – thru Holy Spirit Eph.1:4 for He chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. God can NOT make you holy without your submission. He wants you to work with him on a daily basis.
C) Sprit led life - Be filled with Holy Spirit everyday, WHO will display not only the Gifts but also the Fruits.

4) God’s plan for one person may not be the same for the other person

Blind man 1 – John 9:6,7 – saliva + mud ==> eyes + wash in pool of Siloam
Blind man 2 – Mark 10: 46-52 – WORD ==> Go, your faith has healed you

5) God’s plan will be different at different times for the same person

When the SAME problem occurs to us in succession, God will give us DIFFERENT ideas each time! Amazing isn't it!!! For example:
2 Samuel 5:18-25 18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 19 so David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?" The LORD answered him, "Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you." 20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim. 21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.

22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army." 25 So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.

Moses – God asked Moses to strike the mountain the first time and talk to it the second time.

6) We have to inquire God for EVERY situation ALL the time

Ps.119:105 Your WORD is a lamp unto my feet and a light for my path.

1 Samuel 23:1-4 – God confirmed things twice for David
When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," 2 he inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?" The LORD answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah." 3 But David's men said to him, "Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!" 4 Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand." 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.

1 Samuel 30:7,8 David’s neutral mind
7 Then David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." Abiathar brought it to him, and David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue."
2 Samuel 2:1 Specific question was answered
David inquired of the LORD. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The LORD said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the LORD answered.
God even gives us the address where we should go!

What are the ways of inquiring the LORD?
1. Go up to the LORD
2. Weep before Him
3. Stay long til evening
4.Fasting
Dan.9:3 I turned to the LORD and pleaded with him in prayer and petition in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes.

Judges 20:23 – 1. Go up to the LORD 2. Weep 3. Stay long til evening 4.Fasting
The Israelites went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and they inquired of the LORD. They said, "Shall we go up again to battle against the Benjamites, our brothers?" The LORD answered, "Go up against them."

7) God does NOT give a full plan to you on the first step

Gen.11:31 Terah took his son Abram,… and together they set out from Ur of the Chaldeans to go to Canaan. But when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 Terah lived 205 years, and he died in Haran.Gen12:1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you”.
Abraham’s journey: Ur ==> Haran (STOP)==> GOD ==> Canaan ==> Egypt ==> Canaan; Obedience will reveal the next part.

Heb.11:8 – By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going.

Paul was told by God to go to the city as an initial part of His plan. Acts 9:6 what do you want me to do Lord? "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."

8) God has a definite TIME frame

Jer.29:10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. v 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Ex.12: 40 now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt was 430 years. v 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD's divisions left Egypt.

Abraham – waited 25 years before the promise was fulfilled.
Joseph waited almost 22 yrs before his dream came true

Things to do:

1. Inquire God at cross roads
2. Praying & fasting
3. Power of waiting
4. Praying long
5. Praying with tears
6. Praying in distress
7. Petition / supplication

Note:Message given on 22.06.07 at Tamil Fellowship, Rayner's Lane Baptist Church.