Knowing the Will of God

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Quaere_Verum

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Could you give me your (name removed by moderator)ut on this matter. I pray continuously for God to guide me; rarely do I know whether how I am acting is based on God’s guidance or my own common sense. This is most evident in decision making where I’m often lost. I’m feeling exhausted from trying to listen to God’s will, from trying to discern, from having to decide how to side on today’s issues. Some days I’d love it if God would say, “Now turn right. Now turn left. Now drive straight 5 blocks. Today buy Colgate instead of Crest. Etc., Etc., Etc.” O.K. I’d settle for assistance in decision making on major issues.

How do you know if God is speaking to you? How do you know if God is guiding you instead of you just using your common sense?
 
Quaere Verum:
Could you give me your (name removed by moderator)ut on this matter. I pray continuously for God to guide me; rarely do I know whether how I am acting is based on God’s guidance or my own common sense. This is most evident in decision making where I’m often lost. I’m feeling exhausted from trying to listen to God’s will, from trying to discern, from having to decide how to side on today’s issues. Some days I’d love it if God would say, “Now turn right. Now turn left. Now drive straight 5 blocks. Today buy Colgate instead of Crest. Etc., Etc., Etc.” O.K. I’d settle for assistance in decision making on major issues.

How do you know if God is speaking to you? How do you know if God is guiding you instead of you just using your common sense?
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Well God did give us our common sense as well, don’t forget … it’s not all burning bushes and angels appearing to us in dreams.

In some situations there isn’t just one clear-cut appropriate thing to do or say either. Just pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and trust that if you’re doing something WRONG you will feel it.
 
I think that’s something every Christian struggles with. I know I do. There are different ways He guides us. Sometimes it’s an inner prompting, sometimes it’s through circumstances or other people. You might want to check the Catholic Answers website because I think I remember seeing advertised in *This Rock *that Rosalind Moss has a set of tapes on this very topic. I’m sure there are other books on it, too, and it might be helpful to read what others have to say on this. I should probably do that, too 🙂
 
This is a big, big topic.

Back in 2003/4 there was a major issue I needed to deal with and I was constantly pounding Heaven with prayers and Masses offered through the Don Bosco Indian Missions. Locally, this journey in seeking God’s Will in the matter led me to many people across the full spectrum of thought, ranging from “abandon everything to God”, through to “just get on with life”.

However, I needed to make major decisions quickly which would impact on my life and that of another. It was an extremely serious and a dangerous matter.

I was guided to form this method below in seeking God’s Will:
  1. I went to Mass and the Rosary daily and Confession weekly to avail myself to God’s Graces;
  2. I prayed to God in conversation style asking Him what I should do and most importantly I was quiet to listen to promptings;
  3. When promoted, I would take it to a priest for discernment after weighing it up according to scripture and Catholic Church teaching - theological and moral issues etc;
  4. I’d analyse the promptings throught reason - “did the idea make sense”;
  5. I sought professional advise on the matter.
After 2 years, through an incremental process that provided evidence for me of the Hand of God, the matter was completely rectified for the Glory of God, 100%!.

I was indeed tempted to let God just fix it BUT I believe that is not the way of a Loving Father. We grow through trials. Also, it is by no accident that the human brain generates more energy than any other organ so I presume God intends for us to use it while being guided by Him.

Luke
 
Quaere Verum:
How do you know if God is speaking to you? How do you know if God is guiding you instead of you just using your common sense?
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the ordinary way God speaks to us is through Sacred Scripture and the teaching and preaching office of the Catholic Church. If you are in communion with the Church, participating in Mass and the sacraments, making efforts to grow in knowledge and practice of the faith, and reading and praying with scripture regularly, hearing and discerning the will of God for you becomes second nature. God is not a divine puppet master. He gave us free will, the ability to hear, know and obey his commands, and leaves the rest up to us.

The Church has a long reliable tradition of spiritual direction and discernment. For instance, St. Ignatius promoted his spiritual exercises as a tool for discerning major life decisions. St. Francis de Sales is the master of discerning God’s will for those in the world grappling with the everyday issues of life. St. Therese became a doctor of the Church by describing her little way of choosing to conform every minor act of the day to God’s will.
 
Somebody on this board (I’m sorry that I can’t give that person the due credit they deserve) gave me this link when I asked this question about a month or so ago. Very good article.

Discernment - by Peter Kreeft
 
It seems as if we have some very wise people on CA. Thanks! Any more comments would be welcome.
 
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MaryD7:
Somebody on this board (I’m sorry that I can’t give that person the due credit they deserve) gave me this link when I asked this question about a month or so ago. Very good article.

Discernment - by Peter Kreeft
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I just read that article – very good! Thanks for sharing 🙂
 
Quaere Verum:
Could you give me your (name removed by moderator)ut on this matter. I pray continuously for God to guide me; rarely do I know whether how I am acting is based on God’s guidance or my own common sense. This is most evident in decision making where I’m often lost. I’m feeling exhausted from trying to listen to God’s will, from trying to discern, from having to decide how to side on today’s issues. Some days I’d love it if God would say, “Now turn right. Now turn left. Now drive straight 5 blocks. Today buy Colgate instead of Crest. Etc., Etc., Etc.” O.K. I’d settle for assistance in decision making on major issues.

How do you know if God is speaking to you? How do you know if God is guiding you instead of you just using your common sense?
Click to expand...
First of all, I don’t think God concerns himself w/ what toothpaste to buy or whether to get you where you are going. Not because he doesn’t care but because that is why he gave you a mind, free will and the ability to reason. I know you used those examples partly in jest. But there is a point in my response- God is going to most often speak to your conscience on matters of moral implications.

Second, we can be confident we hear God when we have Peace, as Christ is the Prince of Peace. If we feel conflict, confusion, etc., we can be confident that we either have too much noise going on or it is the cacophony of Satan, the Prince of Clanging Cymbals. If it is the former (noise), it is incumbent on us to step back and remove that which is causing the noise (as in just stopping the car at a gas station and asking directions, getting out a map or calling a person who knows the directions). If it is Satan, we need to step back and calm our hearts such they rest in the Lord’s hands.
 
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Orionthehunter:
Second, we can be confident we hear God when we have Peace, as Christ is the Prince of Peace. If we feel conflict, confusion, etc., we can be confident that we either have too much noise going on or it is the cacophony of Satan, the Prince of Clanging Cymbals. If it is the former (noise), it is incumbent on us to step back and remove that which is causing the noise (as in just stopping the car at a gas station and asking directions, getting out a map or calling a person who knows the directions). If it is Satan, we need to step back and calm our hearts such they rest in the Lord’s hands.
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But how **do ** you find peace and confidence? Maybe that’s the question I should be asking.
 
Dear Quaere,

persevere in patience.

At the moment…focus on being a good Christian. This is ultimately God’s will: for you to be happy as you are in union with Him and his people.

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and everything will be given unto you.

Seek first the goodness of your soul; everything else will follow. focus on the moment, every baby step. In our hurry to find what God’s will is for us, we forget to see what God’s will is for us at this moment.

-unworthy
 
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