Discerning God’s Will for Our Lives

By Avery P.

We often hear, “God has a plan for your life, just trust Him!” All of this is true; the Lord does have a plan for your life, and we should trust Him. However, those same people forget to explain that it takes patience to know what God's will is for our lives! You may be going through a season of uncertainty. How can you understand God's will when it feels like you are wandering aimlessly? If this is you, it is normal to feel this way. We all question God’s plan for our lives. Maybe, you are struggling with where to go to college, or whom you should marry. Sometimes it is genuinely difficult to decipher what the Lord wants you to do! 

Here are two things you can do when you need to make a decision. 

The first is to take it back to Scripture and confirm if your decision is biblical or not. It is too easy for us to fall into our own desires and decide that what we want is better. We should always take it back to the Word, even when we are making decisions that aren’t explicitly referenced, like college and relationship choices. The Scriptures can still speak into the principles and motivations of your decision.

The second piece of advice is to consult with other believers. Pray and share your decision with someone who is older and wiser. Whether it be a parent, teacher, or small group leader, they can always pray with you and read Scripture with you! It may take a while to settle on your decision, but be patient and wait for the Lord to reveal His plan for you. The longer we walk with the Lord, the more we get to know Him and His mind. And the more comfortable you are with that, the easier it is to discern His will!

When asked how they discern God’s will, a few NSA students said this:

“I think God's will is discerned when we read Scripture and ask the Holy Spirit to guide us. It feels hard for me to discern God's will because I also struggle with what might be called "scruples" or a particularly aggrieved conscience. So, I often find it hard to distinguish between my own preoccupation with sin and an actual command from God. But overall, I would say when you feel real peace in your soul and your conscience is clear, you know that you are where God wants you.” -Onyi

“Prayer(or going on a walk and thinking and praying), reading the Bible, talking to parents and to friends I trust.” -Tim

Additionally, when asked who they go to when they need advice or help discerning God’s will, students said this:

“When I need advice, I sometimes ask my dad. I also like reading the wisdom of the old Christians, particularly St. John of the Cross, C.S. Lewis, and people like that. If I need prayer, I occasionally ask around at NSA, which has a great prayer community!” -Onyi

“My parents, my girlfriend, my other close friends or people which I would consider mentors in my life.” -Tim

Christians can use the Bible, prayer, and other bible believing Christians to help them in their walk with the Lord. It is important to look to Christ and what he did on the Cross to discern his will for our life. The ultimate purpose of the Christian life is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever. 

Avery P. lives in Tennessee with her family. She is a senior and a fourth year NorthStar student, as well as a third year journalist at the Navigator. After graduation, she will be attending community college to pursue a degree in marketing and communications. After college, she hopes to pursue a career in ministry. In her free time, she loves to drink coffee, serve at church, and babysit. 

✝️Spiritual Life, Popular, 🗣️AdviceEIC NSA2025-2026, November 2025 Publication