Finding and Living God's Plan for Your Life - Part 1

God has a plan for everyone. Whether you believe it or not, whether you feel it, whether you've missed it, whether you've had a prophesy, whether you feel qualified or not, the fact remains that God has a plan for you.

God's plan isn't dependant to our capabilities but God's super-ability and for that reason God does not call qualified people, but He qualifies those He calls. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29

If you are waiting until you're qualified or waiting until you're perfect to carry out God's plan, then you'll be in for a very long wait! If God had to wait for us to be perfect, He would never use anyone and nothing would ever get done! There is no such thing as a perfect human being. We are all works in progress. There may be a time of preparation in God but God does not need perfection, He just needs faith and a willing heart.

How to Find God's Plan

The first step to finding God's plan is to know that He has one in the first place. And not just to know it generally but to know it for you, personally. Meditate on the following scriptures to find out what God says about His plan for YOU - Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 139:15-16 NIV, Romans 12:2, Eph 5:17, Romans 8:30

Once you get the revelation that God has an individual plan for you, you will want to find out what that plan is.

God's plan will not come to you automatically neither will it land into your lap. You won't supernaturally just float into the plan of God for your life. To find God's plan for your life, you need to really want it, you need to pursue it and you need to search for it with all your heart. - Jeremiah 29:12-13

You need to want it more than you want anything else in life because if you can live without finding God's plan, then you will. Most of us are like water. We flow to the place of least resistance. In finding God's plan you will find resistance and it will be an effort. If you are half-hearted in wanting God's plan, you will fall at the very first obstacle. That is why you need to really want it enough to persevere.

Unfortunately, most people don’t look for God’s plan. They look for God’s blessing for their plan. Most people don’t want the effort or sacrifice that goes with finding and living out God’s plan, so they live lives of mediocrity just like their unsaved counterparts and miss God’s call or just never fulfil it to its full capacity.

This is where the devil has tricked us. He works hard to beat you down throughout your life so that when it comes to God's plan you just don't have the confidence, the energy or the wherewithal to pursue it. You are just too busy doing lots of daily activities that you end up having no time or inclination to find out what God wants for you.

Here are some other obstacles to finding God's will:

You don’t want it enough.
You can get by without it.
You don’t want to give up what you have.
Fear of change.
Fear of the unknown.
Fear of failure.
Fear of success.
Fear of missing out – (FOMO!)
FEAR OF MAN – those close to us, family and friends, fear of what they might think
Fear of rejection.
Fear of persecution.
Fear of the enemy’s attacks. – Becoming a target.
Fear of being uncomfortable.
Self-centredness.
Pride.
Self-sufficiency. Independence.
Not yet died to self.
DISTRACTIONS of life.

Have you noticed tha all the above have to do with self. We are so concerned with our own welfare, reputation and comfort that we may miss God. This is why Jesus said he who loses His life gets to keep it. He who keeps it loses it. Matthew 16:25

To fulfil God's plan, 'self' has to die.

Paul said in Galatians 2:20, 'I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me'. When we get to the place where it's 'Not I who live but Christ through me' then we are ready for God's will.

God can only use a vessel that is completely surrendered to Him.

Think about it. You hire a helper but you need this person to be completely devoted to you so that you can rely on them for everything you need. Once they start showing half-heartedness or unreliability, would you give them more responsibility? No, you wouldn't. You would deem them irresponsible and find someone else who you could rely on.

God is the same, He doesn't love you any less but by using you when you are not committed, He risks His plan being thwarted but also risks losing you or putting you in danger.

Remember, when you start to live God's plan you become a target for the enemy. He will go after you like he never has before because you are now a threat to his kingdom.

This is why God needs you fully committed because with that commitment will come full devotion to God and He will see you through the trials and temptations. It also means that you will be fully alert to the attacks of the enemy and though God's power, defeat them.

In Romans 12:1-2, it says that we should become a living sacrifice for God. We don't have to die in the physical but we do need to die to our own way of doing things.

Meditate on these scriptures about dying to self and living a surrendered life to God: