How Can I Know God’s Will For My Life?

A lot of people get anxious about trying to figure out what God wants them to do, but this is unnecessary.  God can and does speak and guide our lives in a number of ways.

1.  The Bible:  Scripture says of itself, “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”  Meditating on Scripture regularly continues to be the clearest and surest ways God speaks to us and is the one to which all other ways must be tested and measured.  
2. Reason and Desire:  Scripture says, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made” and “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.”  God has wired you to enjoy and do certain things.  If you worship God and put him first much of God’s will is what you want to do and what seems like the surest path.  If you follow Christ and you have a strong desire to be a dentist, go for it!
3.  Prayer:  Sometimes God specifically speaks by his Spirit to us (Sometimes directly in prayer, a dream or sometimes through someone else speaking by God’s Spirit to us). At times these words can seem to defy our reason (because even our godly reason is not yet fully mature).  These words should be tested to make sure they are not the result of our or someone else’s imagination, but the Bible is full of God speaking in supernatural ways.  
4. Godly Counsel: What do all of the mature Christians in my life seem to be saying?  Pastors, disciplers, mentors and godly friends may have wise advice.  (Warning:  A pastor’s opinion is not authoritive and should be considered as one opinion among many.  At times in abusive discipleship relationships or pastoral structures people have not taken their discipler’s advice and been labelled as “disobedient”.  Yes, even in Nottingham.  This is an unhealthy and unbiblical form of Christian leadership and you should not submit to it.  You are Christ’s disciple and are free to follow Scripture and what you believe to be his leading, not forced to submit to the opinions of those in leadership on non-moral issues.)  When getting counsel, listen to a lot of different, experienced and godly voices from in and outside your church and then do what you believe God is saying.
5. Experience: Obey what you already know God wants you to be doing.  A moving ship is easier to steer than a still one.  If we're disobeying God in some areas, he may not give us more to do until we've got doing what he's already revealed.
6. Tea Leaves:  If you are enlightened enough to drink masala chai or earl grey then … nah, I won’t carry this one any further.  Just get a quality cuppa … show’s you have a good taste, no divine revelation. ;)