2. Occupy till I come.(Luke 19:13) Doing business for the King must be the goal of our efforts as we serve Him! Laying hold on our God-given territory, the area of ministry He has given us, must be the priority of our life. Where we live, where we work, where we do business are the places our ministry must prosper. Praying, interceding, making supplications, laying the groundwork for effective spiritual ministry to those whom God brings into our path must be our ministry. Warfare is the key word
3. Testify "Ye shall be witnesses unto Me". When we are filled with the Spirit we will testify of Jesus' saving grace, we will be witnesses for Him! This is God's ultimate goal for each and every Christian! Jesus said "Come after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men" (Mark 1:17) What you are fishing for will show who you are coming after! The key word is witness.
The next passage demonstrating the revealed will of God is found in I Peter 3:14-17. "But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye; and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear; Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing." Suffering, the age old question 'Why do we suffer.? Peter gives two distinct categories for this often asked question. Some suffer for evil doing, and others suffer for well doing. Those in God's will suffer for well doing, for His sake, and those not in God's will suffer for evil doing, for their own sake. In each case we can know the reason for suffering. "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution."(II Timothy 3:12) This is one source and reason for godly suffering. "Wherefore, let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to Him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator." (I Peter 4:19) Our resource in suffering is our faithful Creator, He alone can give us peace during these times of physical and spiritual suffering.
The next passage containing God's revealed will is found in II Corinthians 8:5: "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God." Sacrificial Giving is the focus of this teaching as Paul commends the Macedonian churches for their "ministering to the saints." He encourages the Corinthians to "abound in this grace also" using the grace of the Lord Jesus giving Himself to us as the focal point for our example to give ourselves sacrificially in the same manner to others. He ends this long and important section on sacrificial giving with this remarkable statement: "Thanks be unto God for His Unspeakable Gift." (II Corinthians 9:15) For this reason alone, our giving unto the Lord should be in like manner, sacrificial, without man-made boundaries, and from the heart.
If we can say yea and amen to these foundational areas of God's revealed will as found in His Word, we are ready to ask Him to show us His specific will concerning unrevealed matters.
Following these four Biblical guidelines will direct us in knowing God's specific will:
1. Must be Consistent with His revealed Will as found in His Word
(John 7:14-17)
2. Must have the peace of the Comforter within, God the Holy Spirit
(Philippians 4:6,7)
3. Must agree with the wisdom of Counsel (Proverbs 11:14)
4. Must agree with the indicator of Circumstances (Judges 6:36-40)
George Mueller's recommended method for discerning God's will:
1. Have no will of your own in the matter. (Mark 14:36)
2. Seek the will of God in direct connection with the Word of God
(Psalm 119:33-35)
3. Circumstances will agree with the Word of God (Judges 6:36-40)
4. Ask God to reveal His will in prayer (Exodus 33:18)
5. Through prayer/study of the Word/voice of the Spirit gives peace
(Philippians 4:6,7)
6. After two petitions with the peace of God means "YES" (Psalm 143:10)