God's Will and Plan for Your Life

By Stacy B. Shannon

Will God use me for a purpose and a plan in my life? If He will, how can I know it? When I hear these questions from people, I always say, "Yes, He will." His personal promise is that He does have a plan and purpose for your life. Just read Jeremiah 29:11. You're not going to understand everything that comes your way in life. Trust one thing: The same God who loved you enough to give you life loves you enough to plan for the future of the life that He has given you. God promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him; and in doing so, you will also discover His plan and purpose for your life (God's will).

A lot of people spend a lot of time wondering about how God's will is an enigma that cannot be figured out. This is a very common misconception. We can figure out the plans He has for us. All the details may not be crystal clear at first because God keeps some aspects of His will to Himself; but with study and meditation of God's Word, we can know the path to take in any given situation. He will never leave you searching for answers. You will have to spend time seeking Him for answers to your prayers; but once you do, He will never disappoint you. God is the only one who knows the plans He has for us and how they can be achieved. They are plans that hold renewed joy and peace. You must renew your mind with scripture from God.

It's my desire that whoever reads this book will let God show His everlasting love in a fresh, new way. No doubt, once you come to Christ and accept Him as your Savior, the most profound aspect of the Christian life is discovering that He has a will and purpose not only for your heavenly life but also for every situation you face each day.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jul 27, 2023
• ISBN: 9781639036912

Book preview

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God's Will and Plan for Your Life

Stacy B. Shannon

ISBN 978-1-63903-690-5 (paperback)

ISBN 978-1-63903-691-2 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Stacy B. Shannon

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Scripture quotations come from the New American Standard Bible and the Holy Bible: New International Version.

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Preface

Introduction: Will God Use Me for His Plan?

Will God Use Me for His Plan?

The Whole Concept

The Promise of God Being Manifested

The Way to Discover God's Promise

The Definition of God's Will

Hope

The Things That Stop God's Promise from Manifesting

Equipped

The Clear View

Discover

Beginning the Adventure

Conclusion: Accepting God's Gift

Accepting God's Gift

About the Author

Preface

Hello and God bless. As you know, over the past year and a half, we as a people have gone through an unprecedented time. Some of us have lost family members; some of us have had health scares; and most of us have been forced to stay in our homes, away from family, friends, and work—all due to the coronavirus pandemic. This has been hard on my family, and I imagine, those of you that are reading these pages, it's been hard on you as well. Being in this situation, I started thinking to myself, what can I do to turn this situation into a positive? I'm a firm believer that everything that God allows us to go through is for a purpose and a reason. I know a thing about that. Back in 2007, I was arrested for illegal drug sales and was facing life in prison. Long story short, I was sentenced to twenty-two years. I was released from the system in 2015 after serving approximately eight years. Serving that time and living through this pandemic, both serve a purpose in my life. I'm not sure what the purpose is, but my faith allows me to trust God and see things through. However, during my time of prayer and meditation, the Holy Spirit has led me to the conclusion that it's time to share a book that I wrote about eleven years ago during my incarceration.

My name is Bishop Stacy Shannon. Trust me, it took a lot prayer, faith, and meditation to come from inmate 15434-171 to Bishop Stacy Shannon. It was only possible by the grace of God and the understanding of a purpose-led life to do so. In my book, I discuss the will of God and His purpose and plan for our lives. It is my belief that believers commonly think about the large decisions in life: Where shall I attend school? Where should I work? Is this person meant to be my spouse? Their attitude toward the small decisions are more like God is not concerned with this. Truth be told, God has planned His perfect will for our day-to-day living; and the small things in life are just as important as the large things in life. As a matter of fact, I have come to realize that when we take the time to sit, relax, and chill in a place to hear God and obey Him in the small things of life, we put ourselves in a position to understand His will about the large things. It's essential to know God has a plan and purpose for us, and the small things are just as important as the large. I know you are familiar with the phrase places to go and people to see; well, that's what God has in mind for us through every action and connection. We are put in positions and are granted the opportunity to become fruitful and productive to live in His will and make a positive difference in our world.

Introduction: Will God Use Me for His Plan?

Will God Use Me for His Plan?

Will God use me for a purpose and a plan in my life? If He will, how can I know it? When I hear these questions from people, I always say, Yes, He will. His personal promise is that He does have a plan and purpose for your life. Just read Jeremiah 29:11. You're not going to understand everything that comes your way in life. Trust one thing: The same God that loved you enough to give you life loves you enough to plan for the future of the life that He has given you. God promises that if you seek Him, you will find Him; and in doing so, you will also discover His plan and purpose for your life (God's will).

A lot of people spend a lot of time wondering about how God's will is an enigma that cannot be figured out. This is a very common misconception. We can figure out the plans He has for us. All the details may not be crystal clear at first because God keeps some aspects of His will to Himself, but with study and meditation of God's Word, we can know the path to take in any given situation. In the past, I used to wonder about God's will. I used to ask many questions. These questions involved some aspects of God's will for my life. God, what do I do with myself now that I'm a college dropout with a child on the way?

God, my parents always taught me that hard work and sincere effort are the way to go, but why are we struggling?

If I did this because I love you, will you protect me from the harm that comes?

Today, many questions I face have changed. Following recent events of the past couple of years, the questions are much more serious and include ones like this:

Two years ago, I was arrested for drug possession and ultimately was sentenced to 21.8 years in prison. My wife was left with one income in our household, raising our four kids, and I didn't know how she would hold up. Did God have a plan and purpose in this?

Three months after my arrest, my father died from pancreas cancer. My mom was left alone. She loves God and lives her life for Him, so why did this happen?

With no question, I and others like me are wondering if God is aware of our circumstances and the problems we are facing. The true question is, Does God love me, and will He use me for a purpose in life?

Here is some very good news. Despite any sin or challenge that you may have faced, God loves you and still has a plan in mind for your life. He promised this to you. It is His plan and desire to give you a bright future full of hope. It is His goal to lead you through difficult challenges as well as the good times so that you will fulfill His will in your lifetime. In Proverbs, God inspired Solomon to tell us that when we turn to Him and place the focus of our hearts on Him, He will make our paths straight (3:5–6).

For people reading these words, the thought of going down a straight path is very encouraging, especially if you spent years traveling in circles that had you on pathways designed by the enemy (the devil) and not God. Nevertheless, all that will change as you discover God's will for your life, which includes a tailor-made plan that suits you perfectly. A lot of people want to know, how can I be positive that I'm doing the right thing? Will God show me? Yes is the answer!

He will never leave you searching for answers. You will have to spend time seeking Him for answers to your prayers; but once you do, He will never disappoint you. God is the only one who knows the plans He has for us and how they can be achieved. They are plans that hold renewed joy and peace. You must renew your mind with scripture from God.

It's my desire that whoever reads this book will let God show His everlasting love in a fresh, new way. No doubt, once you come to Christ and accept Him as your Savior, the most profound aspect of the Christian life is discovering that He has a will and purpose not only for your heavenly life but also for every situation you face each day.

It all begins with faith and a loving Savior who wants the best for you always. Once you place your faith in Him and give your life to Him, nothing can hold you back from the equanimity that He has for you. Let me ask you this: Are you ready to take the first step in discovering God's plan for you? Don't waste another minute that can be spent in the blessing that He promises each of us.

Chapter 1

The Whole Concept

Does God have a plan for me? I asked myself. I was sitting in that cop car, overcome with worry and regret. I had to know Christ as my Savior years before during my first stint in prison. But now, sitting in that car, I was not only doubting my salvation but also God's love for me. I could not see past the sin in my life,