It’s really confusing when we ask God for guidance about important decisions, but we don’t hear clear answers.

Is He really speaking to us, but we don’t hear Him—or worse yet, did He already speak, and we forever missed His plan? Is He saying no through His silence? We might even wonder if our question is not important enough for Him to bother.

Below are some examples of important decision-making questions we might ask God:

• What is my Christian calling?
• What do you want me to do next in my Christian calling?
• Should I take this job opportunity?
• Do you want me to do this particular ministry?
• Which church do you want me to join?
• Where do you want me to live?
• What do you want me to do about this health challenge?
• Where do you want my children to go to school?
• What do you want me to do about this strained relationship?
• What do you want me to do in retirement?
  
  

5 Biblical Steps for Decision-Making

It’s wonderful when God clearly shows us what He wants us to do. This is the biblical model with which we’re most familiar:

James 1:5: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

5 Biblical Steps for Seeking God’s Guidance About Decisions:

1. Ask God to show you what His will is.

My example: God, my husband and I sense that you’re approving our desire to move to a state with a warmer climate, where we can do more of the activities that we love, and where we can fulfill your purposes for our lives. If that’s true, please show us where you want us to go.

2. Read the Bible daily, and listen for God to speak to you through it.

Because the Bible is God’s Word, He speaks through it uniquely to each of His children. That’s one reason why it’s important to read the Bible every day. God often speaks guidance through the Bible in ways that seem to have nothing to do with the original biblical context. Of course, we never want to twist Bible verses into something that is not from God. But we also need to be open to new ways the Holy Spirit can speak to us through His Word.

My example: On the first day that Ron and I visited the area of Florida that eventually became our home, the verse below appeared in my daily Bible reading:

John 8:12: When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.

The biblical context of this verse is Jesus’ declaration that He is the long-expected Messiah.

But when I read this verse after having just arrived in Florida, God showed me how meaningful the whole concept of light is to me personally. Jesus, my Savior, is the light of the world. I love long summer days of sunshine. All of the brilliant colors of God’s creation shine with His light. God twinkles His smiles through the thousands of sparkles of light on the surfaces of cerulean lakes. His bright promises sing from His majestic mountain vistas. His love gleams from the sunny twinkle in my husband’s eyes. And in Florida, God connected that verse about light with all of the hope and joy of moving to the Sunshine State!

3. When you believe God has given you the answer, look for confirmation—God sightings!

My example: God gave my husband and me more confirming signs about moving to Florida than I could list in this short blog. One of the biggest confirmations was that my husband was the one who suggested the move. This was amazing, because He grew up in the Pittsburgh area and is very attached to it. Also, in the middle of a vacation, we learned about the area of Florida that eventually became our home, and we were immediately and strongly drawn to it. Furthermore, even though the sales representatives in that area of Florida were usually booked weeks in advance, we got an appointment immediately, and so we drove directly from our vacation destination to Florida to take a look. After we arrived, we immediately fell in love with a particular neighborhood, and we discovered multiple ways we could fulfill our calling there.

4. Follow your heart.

If you’ve asked for God’s guidance, heard from Him through the Bible, and seen his confirming signs, you’ll probably get an inner sense of joy and peace that is the Holy Spirit’s go-ahead to move forward.

My example: When the tour bus rolled into the newest neighborhood, still in the early stages of development, I gasped. It borders a nature preserve, and the Spanish moss on the majestic oak trees was so beautiful. Both of our hearts sang the second we saw it. I clearly heard God exclaim, as if He were literally sitting there beside us on the tour bus, “WELCOME HOME!”

5. Do it!

When God guides us so clearly, as in the steps above, it’s easy to hear and see—and almost even to touch, taste, and smell—God’s clear guidance and confirmation for marching confidently onward.

I am convinced that, when God moves so clearly and quickly, His main purpose is to glorify Himself with how wonderfully and uniquely He blesses us.

Why God Sometimes Doesn’t Give Us Clear Answers

What if, every time a person needed to make an important decision, he’d run to his parents and insist, “Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it!”? We can think of many legitimate reasons for the parents not to do that!

So also, God has legitimate reasons for not always telling us what to do when we ask Him. Of course, we can’t know all of His reasons, but we can identify some of them.

God doesn’t always tell us what to do because that would short-circuit His purposes for our life and calling.

I’m convinced that the main reason God often doesn’t tell us what decision to make is that He wants us to talk WITH Him, not just listen TO Him.

Of course, we talk TO God when we use the common ACTS model for prayer: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. And we hear FROM God when we ask Him to guide us.

However, the truly transformational interactions are when we talk WITH God in more relational ways.

When we talk WITH God instead of just listen TO Him about decisions, our relationship WITH God becomes as important as our obedience TO God.

4 Steps for Relational Decision-Making with God

1. Tell God what you’re thinking and how you’re feeling about your decision, and ask Him what He wants to say back to you.

Tell God about your fondest hopes and deepest fears related to the decision. Often, what you’ll hear back from God is transformational validation of who you are and what you do well. He’ll speak peace into your fears. Eventually, He’ll let you know any practical steps you need to take to grow into your decision, such as emotional healing, new or improved skills, etc. He’ll surprise you with lots more wonderful stuff that you could never even imagine!

2. Repeat Step 1 again and again!

As you talk more and more WITH God, you’ll start carrying on long conversations with Him. No, you probably won’t hear God’s audible voice. And you won’t always hear Him correctly. But you’ll experience His transformation of your life, calling, and relationship with Him.

3. Then go to the section above, entitled “5 Biblical Steps for Decision-Making.”

After you talk WITH God in conversation, and He transforms you and your relationship with Him, He might indeed tell you which way to go with your decision! Glory be! But the most wonderful thing is that your much-deeper relationship with Him will now be far more important than your clarity about your decision! J

4. If you still don’t have clarity about your decision, God could be telling you to make the decision yourself!

God doesn’t always have a preference which decision you make, even about important stuff. You are after all, His ADULT child!

From God’s perspective, your most important step might not be what decision you make, but that you make that decision with Him!

My example: I kind of felt that way about our move to Florida. I’m still not sure if God wanted us to make the decision to move to Florida, or if He simply and gloriously affirmed us as He gave us the desire of our heart! Either way, we had a blast on the journey with Him!

• What decision do you want to take to God now?
• Do the “5 Biblical Steps for Decision-Making.”
• If God doesn’t speak through those steps—or even if He does—do the “4 Steps for Relational Decision-Making with God.”
• How has this blog helped you with your decision-making process?