Discerning the Will of GOD

By Osbourne Murray

The importance of comprehending God’s will for one’s life is emphasized throughout the book, because it is necessary to forge a contented and fruitful connection with God. When one is unclear about God’s plan in any area of their life, uncertainty and uneasiness arise. Too many Christians go about their daily lives never realizing what God’s perfect will is for them at that specific time. Christians are deprived of the chance to experience God’s highest intentions by not knowing God’s perfect will. Additionally, it keeps people from leading a prosperous, fruitful, joyful, peaceful, and spiritually-filled life in the present.

The lack of discernment of God’s perfect will for your life will cause you to live far below your rights and privileges in Christ. However, the recognition of God’s purpose for your life will provide a greater sense of identity, belonging, vocation, and guidance, which links you to a higher purpose—the kingdom of God.

The reality is that this crucial aspect of Christianity today receives relatively little attention. But it is at the core of effective and genuine Christian living. Without a clear grasp of God’s intention for one’s life, one could feel like or even become a square peg in a round hole, especially in identifying the appropriate ministries and where to serve effectively in the body of Christ.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798369405048

Osbourne Murray

Rev. Dr. Osbourne Murray is a Christian pastor, sales manager, mentor, coach, motivational speaker, and author. He is founder and president of Mt. Horeb Sanctuary of Praise Ministries. As a Christian pastor and business leader in his community, Dr. Murray challenges individuals to achieve excellence in their endeavors. Dr. Murray has a wealth of experience in Christian ministry, and tremendous success in sales. Like most individuals, Dr. Murray has personally experienced life’s struggles. However, through understanding God’s plan for his life, he has found a clear road to productive and fulfilling living. He is not unfamiliar with life’s vicissitudes or its solitary and desolate valleys, but with faith, perseverance, and trust in God, he has learned to conquer. The insights and lessons learned from those encounters and struggles he now shares with you, his readers. Dr. Murray possesses the ability to inspire and motivate people to move to the next level and fulfill their God-given potential. He is certain to inspire and challenge you.

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Copyright © 2023 by Rev. Dr. Osbourne Murray.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 08/09/2023

Xlibris

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1   Better Discernment of God’s Will

Chapter 2   Better Discernment of God’s Will through Prayer

Chapter 3   Better Discernment of God’s Will through the Word

Chapter 4   Better Understanding of God as Trinity

Chapter 5   Better Understanding of Self

Chapter 6   Better Understanding of the World

Chapter 7   Better Understanding of the Role of Elders and Mentors

Chapter 8   Better Understanding of the Consecrated Life

DEDICATION

To Sandra, my wife, partner, and best friend

To my sons, Osbourne Jr. and Jordan, my stepson, Sybroni, and my stepdaughter, Phillisia

To my late father, Ira Murray, my mentor and inspiration. He was right when he remarked, Studiration beats education and experience is the greatest teacher.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the many people who journeyed with me through this book and to all those who provided support, talked things over, read, wrote, offered comments, allowed me to quote their remarks, and assisted in the editing, proofreading and design.

I would like to thank Xlibris Publishing for enabling me to publish this book. Above all, I want to thank my wife, Sandra, and the rest of my family who supported and encouraged me despite all the time it took me away from them. It was a self-sacrificing and difficult journey for them.

I would like to thank Dr. Aaron for helping me in the process of selection and editing. Thanks to my publisher who encouraged me.

Finally, I sincerely ask for forgiveness from all those who have supported me over the course of the years and whose names I have failed to mention.

FOREWORD

Rev. Osbourne Murray’s masterful and courageous work, Understanding the Will of God, is captivating. If you have ached inside for more, this gives us practices for uncluttering our soul. He has brought clear answers to questions we’re all asking. Read and digest these principles. They have become my personal assignment for this next season.

Rev. Dr. Aaron Kerr

Senior Leader of Daily Hope Community Church

INTRODUCTION

Knowing God’s will for one’s life is paramount in having a harmonious and fulfilling relationship with God. When there is uncertainty concerning the will of God in any aspect of one’s existence, it results in confusion and anxiety. Too many Christians go through life and never realize God’s perfect will during their sojourn in time. In so doing, believers are robbed of the privilege of experiencing God’s best for their lives. It also deprives them of having an overcoming, fruitful, spirit-filled, joyful, and peaceful life.

Not discerning God’s perfect will for your life will cause you to live far below your rights and privileges in Christ. Discerning God’s purpose for your life will provide a sense of identity, belonging, vocation, and guidance, which serves to connect you with a higher purpose, the kingdom of God.

Not much attention is paid to this very critical area of Christianity today. However, it is the very heart of an efficient and authentic Christian living. Without a clear understanding of God’s will for one’s life, one may feel like or even become a square peg in a round hole, especially concerning identifying the appropriate ministries and how to serve in the body of Christ.

Often, we confuse gifts with talents, and this can result in dysfunction in the local church. For example, a person who has a natural ability for public speaking is not necessarily called to be a preacher or teacher. It is often useful to discern between the two, gift and talent, as these are not identical, even though they may be complementary. Because if someone is a good public speaker, he interprets this as a call to the pastoral ministry or preaching, such a person might become frustrated in the ministry since he might be outside the perfect will of God. However, on the other hand, someone may be an individual who stutters, but receives the call to become a preacher or pastor. Such an individual will not only consider ministry as a duty, but also a delight since it’s the perfect will of God. Evangelist John Mark records the words of Jesus: Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother (Mark 3:35). Jesus is expressing his delight in those who live by God’s Word, and therefore, he is willing to extend to them the privilege of being family.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us (Romans 12:6).

Today’s word with Joel and Victoria Osteen:

God has given each of us gifts, and He’s given us the grace, the supernatural power to operate in those gifts. In other words, if God has called you to do something, He has equipped you by His grace. Scripture says that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light. That means when we are doing what we are called to do, when we are operating in our gift, there will be an easiness about it. That doesn’t mean there won’t be any opposition. It doesn’t mean there won’t be obstacles or that it won’t take effort on your part. But what it does mean is that you will have a supernatural empowerment to do it. It will just come naturally and flow out of you. If you are doing something that always seems hard, always seems heavy and drains the energy out of you, you might want to spend some time in prayer before God and see if that’s really what He has for you. Just because it’s a good thing doesn’t mean it’s a God thing. But when it is God, you’ll know it. You’ll feel His supernatural grace empowering you and refreshing you every step of the way.

Interestingly, like Jesus, every believer can enjoy their walk with the Father. However, this means discerning and obeying God’s intended or perfect will for one’s life. Like birds are designed to fly in the air, fish are made to swim, and four-footed animals are made to live on land, even so, human beings were created to live in the presence of God—that is, to live and operate within the will of God. For example, it would appear from the scripture that Adam and Eve enjoyed sweet communion and a close fellowship with God before the fall. Also, in the New Testament, believers are exhorted to walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5:16). Here is what Jesus says concerning his attitude in doing his Father’s will: ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work’ (John 4:34). In other words, Jesus’s greatest priority and utmost pleasure was to do the will of the Father. This kind of attitude toward pleasing God should be the desire of every believer. In this regard, Jesus said, For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:50).

I hope that this book will contribute in some way toward helping you to come to terms with this very crucial element in your walk with God. We are all fellow pilgrims and travelers in quest of truth and answers to life’s perplexing questions.

Discerning God’s will can prove to be very challenging and sometimes perplexing. However, by prayer, the study of the Word and guidance from older and more mature Christians, the believer can discern God’s will for his or her life. Discernment will yield rich dividends in the believer’s life. There are no ifs in God’s world, says Corrie ten Boom. She continues, "And no places that are safer than other places. The center of his will is our only safety. Let us pray that we may always know it.

CHAPTER 1

Better Discernment of God’s Will

One of the areas in Christendom where there has been much frustration and confusion is in discerning God’s perfect will for our lives. Knowing God’s plan for your life is imperative in your walk with God. You can only achieve happiness and experience peace when you are in the center of God’s will. Many Christians are uncertain how to discern God’s will for their lives, especially in their daily activities, and so they miss out on God’s best. Like so many Christians, I also struggled in this area until through prayer, the study of the Word, spiritual discernment and wise counsel, I have learned to discover God’s will for my life.

For example, many young teenagers are anxious about their future. They are often preoccupied with questions, such as What career is best for me? Should I live on campus or reside with my parents? Should I complete my education before thinking about courtship? For those who feel a call to Christian ministry, there is sometimes a conflict concerning right timing. For example, there are questions, such as Is now a good time to respond to the call of ministry? Should I pursue a secular education first and then attend seminary since there is life after ministry? Is God calling me to an itinerant ministry or pastoral ministry? Should I marry or am I called to a life of celibacy?

Perhaps you will be encouraged to know you are not alone in struggling to discover God’s will for your life. I believe most, if not all believers have experienced this ambivalence at one time or another. It’s a standard process for everyone. Unfortunately, some of us have resorted to trial and errors, the tossing of the coin, and have become frustrated in the process. Like any other area of human endeavor, having the guidance of experienced role models, mentors, coaches, and counselors can be of tremendous help in assisting you to negotiate the choppy waters of life and to avoid certain pitfalls and thus make an enormous difference, whether you succeed or not. However, this is not always possible, and hence, many young Christians are left to struggle on their own.

One effective way to discern God’s will for your life, says Laura Krokos, is seeking advice from mature Christians who are viewed by many as mature, who are informed about what God is doing around the world, someone who knows you well, who will be objective and who walk with God and knows his ways.

Discernment begins with the premise that God has a perfect plan for your life and when you seek to know him intimately and to discover his