Question:

How do I know I’m praying inside the will of God?

Answer:

You asked a great question! How do we know if we’re praying inside or outside of God’s will? One very easy test is this: Is your prayer consistent with what the Bible says? For example, if someone who was a Christian were to pray and ask God to bless their upcoming marriage to a non-Christian, then that would be praying outside the will of God. The Bible says that a believer should not “team up with” those who are unbelievers, because “how can light live with darkness?” (See 2 Corinthians 6:14).

You see, anytime we go against what God has instructed us to do in the Bible, then we are going against God’s will.

Now, we won’t find the answers to every situation in the Bible. That’s why God’s will also involves the wise counsel of other mature believers. If you have a question about whether or not you should do something, and you can’t find the answer in the Bible, then go to another Christian who is mature and trustworthy, and get their opinion on the situation.

Finally, there’s the matter of your own heart. When you pray about something, and you don’t feel right about it, the Holy Spirit is probably prompting your heart. You have to be careful about responding to “feelings” that aren’t necessarily coming from God, but if you are at a good place with God, then your restlessness or lack of peace may be a solid indicator that what you are about to do isn’t in God’s will for you.