This past Sunday i was preaching on the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) and Jesus encouraged us to acknowledge and pray about the will of God. It is NOT an unknown truth that we must try to discover -- nine times in the New Testament we are clearly directed WHAT the will of God is -- here there are:
1. Salvation - 1 Tim. 2:4
3 This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
2. Surrender - Rom. 12:1,2
1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
3. Spirit-Filled - Eph. 5:18
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit,
4. Submission to authorities - 1 Pet. 2:13–15
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
5. Suffering - 1 Pet. 3:17
17 For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.
6. Steadfast - Heb. 10:36
36 For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
7. Shepherding – 1 Peter 5:2
1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,
2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;
8. Satisfied – 1 Thess. 5:18
18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
9. Sanctification – 1 Thess 4:3 – this is the will of God, your sanctification is that you will remain sexually purity “