Lesson 20: God’s Guidance

“I win life’s battles only with directions from my commander.”

To learn to be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

► What is something that is installed in every military vehicle?

Every tank, jeep, plane, etc. has a radio. It’s not a radio for listening to their favorite music station, but a radio for communication.

Communication is essential to winning a battle. Soldiers in the battle cannot see the whole field of action. They may not know where their friends are and where their enemies are. They don’t know which direction they should be shooting, and which direction they should be moving, except by communication from the commander.

There have been many cases where soldiers have been killed by “friendly fire,” misdirected bullets from their fellow soldiers. There have been times when missiles and bombs have struck friends instead of enemies because of bad communication.

In modern warfare, it’s a common strategy to try to knock out the enemy’s communication center. The side that succeeds at that will probably win the battle.

We are in a spiritual war. The devil tempts and tries to deceive us. The world tries to pull us into its lifestyle and values. People around us sometimes hinder and discourage us from living for God. We are like soldiers in a hostile country, with only a few friends and many enemies.

God wants us to win the spiritual war. Prayer is our means of communicating with our commander.

Imagine a soldier in a battle who decided to ignore his orders and go on his own. He might do harm instead of good; he might fail to help people who are depending on him; and he would probably be killed or captured.

Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:18).

This verse comes at the end of a passage where Paul illustrated a Christian’s spiritual armor with the military armor of his era. He said that our enemies are not physical, but spiritual.

Maybe if radios had been available for soldiers at that time, Paul would have used them to illustrate another part of the equipment of the spiritual soldier—prayer. After describing armor, he did talk about prayer to be used along with the spiritual armor.

While we are standing in battle against spiritual evil, we are to be praying, staying in communication with our commander. We are called to be vigilant in prayer, being watchful and perseverant.

God has promised guidance for those who will listen and trust him.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The steps of a good man are established by the Lord (Psalm 37:23).

We need God’s guidance all the time, and he is guiding us in ways that we are not always conscious of. He never forgets us, even when we are not thinking of him. But there are some times when we especially need to seek his direction and ask him to help us see choices as they really are. God may want to change our course in an unexpected way.

We need to be ready to listen to him…

1. When making life-changing decisions: marriage, occupation, education, commitment to a local church.

2. When making practical decisions: job opportunities, where to live, large purchases.

3. When planning and doing ministry: personal calling, where and with whom to minister, themes to preach and teach.

4. When participating in the life of the church: how to worship, what to learn, what to give, how to be a part of the body of Christ on the earth.

1. Stay close to God in prayer. If much of your life becomes disconnected from your conversations with God, you are following your own inclinations and limited perceptions.

2. Don’t trust your own reasoning more than definite scriptural truth. As the verse above says, “...do not lean on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5).

3. Always obey what you know for certain to be God’s will. That will improve your perception. A person who is disobeying God’s Word does not really want God’s will because God expresses his will through scripture. If you obey only part of what you know of God’s will for you, you will get more confused—the light will turn to darkness (Luke 11:35).

4. Don’t postpone obedience to the will of God. Don’t wait for circumstances to change before you obey God. You will not experience God’s best unless you stay in his time.

5. Be patient. You may need to wait while God opens doors and prepares situations for you. Don’t take matters in your own hands because of impatience. “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him” (Psalm 37:7). Never do something you know is wrong because of a sense of urgency.

6. Listen to good advice, “for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory” (Proverbs 24:6). When God wants you to make a big decision, he will often show that to other important people in your life. If there are godly, older people who know you and care about you, you should not easily decide to do something they think is a mistake.

Share an example of a decision that you know was directed by God. How did God show you that it was the right decision?

It would be helpful if you could also share an example of a wrong decision. Did you fail to follow one of the four principles for being better guided by God? Allow others to share similarly.

Someone may be presently trying to make a decision that they would be willing to discuss with the group.

Heavenly Father,

I’m glad that you know what the results will be of any choice I make. Thank you for planning good things for me. I know that you are guiding my steps even more than I can see.

Help me learn to better follow your guidance. Help me to stay close to you in prayer. Help me to pay attention to the truth that you show me. Help me to patiently wait for your direction.

I want to trust you in every decision. I want to follow your will with wholehearted obedience.

Thank you for wanting the best for me.

Amen

Study Proverbs 3:1-12. What values, attitudes, and character are described here that would be typical of a life that God guides and blesses? How can you personally develop those?