Discerning the Will of God
George Müller shares his method for seeking God's will, emphasizing the importance of a heart ready to do God's will, combining the Spirit and the Word, and patiently waiting upon God for instruction.
George Mueller emphasizes the importance of aligning one's heart with God's will before making decisions, stating that most difficulties are resolved when we are ready to follow God's direction. He outlines a methodical approach to discerning God's will, which includes seeking the Spirit's guidance through Scripture, considering providential circumstances, and engaging in prayer. Mueller testifies that throughout his long Christian journey, he has always been rightly directed when he sincerely sought God's will with an honest heart. He warns against relying solely on feelings or human counsel, which can lead to mistakes. Ultimately, he encourages believers to patiently wait for God's instruction and to trust in His guidance.
Text
Reprinted from "George Müller - Man of Faith and Miracles," by Basil Miller, pp. 50-51
MANY asked Mr. Müller how he sought to know the will of God, in that nothing
was undertaken, not even the smallest expenditure, without feeling certain he
was in God's will. In the following words he gave his answer.
"1. I seek at the beginning to get my heart into such a state that it has not will of its own in regard to a given matter. Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. When one is truly in this state, it is usually but a little way to the knowledge of what His will is.
"2. Having done this, I do not leave the result to feeling or simple impressions. If so, I make myself liable to great delusions.
"3. I seek the will of the Spirit of God through or in connection with the Word of God. The Spirit and the Word must be combined. If I look to the Spirit alone without the Word, I lay myself open to great delusions also.
"4. Next I take into account providential circumstances. These plainly indicate God's will in connection with His Word and Spirit.
"5. I ask God in prayer to reveal His will to me aright.
"6. Thus through prayer to God, the study of the Word, and reflection, I come to a deliberate judgment according to the best of my ability and knowledge, and if my mind is thus at peace,20 and continues so after two or three more petitions, I proceed accordingly. In trivial matters and in transactions involving most important issues, I have found this method always effective."
And did this plan work? one asks. Let Mr. Müller's testimony answer.
"I never remember," he wrote three years before his death, "in all my Christian course, a period now of sixty-nine years and four months, that I ever sincerely and patiently sought to know the will of God by the teaching of the Holy Ghost, through the instrumentality of the Word of God, but I have been always directed rightly. But if honesty of heart and uprightness before God were lacking, or if I did not patiently wait upon God for instruction, or if I preferred the counsel of my fellow men to the declarations of the Word of the living God, I made great mistakes."
Sermon Outline
- I. Seeking a Heart Ready to Do God's Will
- A. Letting go of personal desires and will
- B. Being open to God's guidance
- II. Combining the Spirit and the Word
- A. Seeking guidance through prayer and the Bible
- III. Considering Providential Circumstances
- A. Looking for signs and guidance in daily life
- IV. Praying for Clarity and Direction
- A. Seeking God's guidance through prayer and reflection
Key Quotes
“Nine-tenths of the difficulties are overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be.” — George Mueller
“The Spirit and the Word must be combined.” — George Mueller
“I have been always directed rightly.” — George Mueller
Application Points
- Make sure your heart is ready to do God's will, whatever it may be.
- Combine prayer and the Bible when seeking God's guidance.
- Be patient and wait upon God for instruction, rather than acting hastily.