Another window into my world - decision making -

Another window into my world - decision making - 

It occurs to me that I should share my journey as to how to hear God’s will.  This is not a perfect way to do this. This is not the only way to do this -  It is just how I have done it in the past and it has blessed me.

God speaks through the bible, prayer, circumstances and the church (Godly counsel).  When I am seeking God’s will, I go to those 4 places.  

The bible is pretty straight forward.  Pick it up and read it.  Generally, my go to place when I am confused and struggling is the Psalms.  You can find just about every emotion in Psalms. ( Ps 119:105) Your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path...

Before I read, I ask God to open His word to me - “Father, teach me what you need me to hear. Open your word so i can understand it.  Thank you for helping me in this.”

Prayer for some people is a one way street, “ God please do xyz....”

A richer form of this is to close your mouth and ask God to speak to you.  It takes self discipline to just listen and not talk.  Listen with your heart and your soul.  This is very difficult to describe, but you are listening for the tug on your heart, the gut insinct, sometimes it is a single word or phrase.  Write it down - and I usually date and time stamp it (tell you why later) Sometimes, on some subjects, this process takes a very long time - especially if you are trying to understand someone’s actions, or get guidance about what to do with your life.  As you revisit the topic, listen for the tug, the gut instinct, the single word or the feeling that God is drawing you down a path.  Rom 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer...

Circumstances are somewhat complex.  It refers to what is happening around the situation you are praying about.  For me, in this “to chemo or not to chemo,” I look at which doctor said what, and in what order, which one resonates to my heart more.  I listen to what friends mirror back to me  or say that they hear me saying. Hear random words/phrases that they say.   Observe what is happening.  Be aware of things happening around the situation that you are praying about.  Look for clues about what direction God thinks is best for you.

The Church refers to Godly friends - not necessarily the actual church body.  When you seek advice, it is wise to seek it from friends who are solid in their faith and in their walk with the Lord.  That being said, I have had it happen where someone I did not know made some random comment that played into my decision — God can use anyone!  Wisdom comes as you spend time processing with friends. They can mirror back to you what it is that they hear you saying.  I always journal this so that as I review the answers and the time stamps, I can see how God is leading.  It does not have to be elaborate journaling - but words/phrases are helpful.

Sometimes, you use all these techniques to hear God and you just do not get an answer.  Persevere!  Keep doing the things that you know are healthy.  Trust God to lead you through. Trust Him to bring you to an answer that brings you peace.  Peace is the litmus test about the answer.  If you have peace, you can be sure that your answer is God pleasing.  If you have not attained peace yet, hang on to God and keep on keeping on, even when it seems that there is no answer.  Sometimes God just needs us to hang on to him tightly and keep on trusting.  This trusting and hanging on builds our spiritual muscles- builds our spiritual strength- makes us stronger for the next time.

I am praying a prayer that as I go down this path, that God would bless the path that is His will and that He block the path that is not his will...  

To bless or to block....

We also pray for our friends to have wisdom as we chat with them and ponder all this.

Just wanted to share that because it is very frustrating when you want an answer, and are seeking an answer and seemingly it is a desert.   If you are helping a friend with a situation like this, or are going through your own desert of decision making, perhaps this can be a help.  

In the next day I need to decide whether I continue chemo treatments, or discontinue them...Very very heavy, scary decision.  Your prayers for our wisdom are appreciated!  Right now I have an appointment Tuesday morning for chemo treatment...Do we continue this journey or do we go back to what we originally thought - no chemo?  

If I were sure about my response to the chemo, it would be easy...but I could end up in the hospital again, very sick and very weak - so weak it takes a whole we to bounce partially back...Do we trade quality of life (as best as we know it) for quantity of life - and precious little of that!  What does this do to my time here........

Thanks for the prayers -we so appreciate them. Thanks for checkin in!