QUESTION:
How does one find God’s Will in courtship?
ANSWER:
““After this manner therefore pray ye: Our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.” [Matthew 6-9-10]
"It is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy." [Romans 9:16]
“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” [Romans 12:2]
“Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 2:5]
“It's God's election and foreknowledge is what makes the thing so. If we have a desire, the Bible said, "It's not him that willeth, or him that runneth, but it's God that showeth mercy." See? It's not whether you will, or whether you want to, or where your desires is, it's whether it is GOD'S WILL or not. Then we have to find out GOD'S WILL, and if it's that perfect, we can just set our faith to that and say, "This is it." And we can run right on the way the WILL OF GOD runs.” [This Great Warrior David, Chicago IL 55-0118]
“I said, the first thing that I always try to find out, Brother Collins, was--was whether it was GOD'S WILL or not to do a certain thing and then test my motive towards doing it. If I have no selfishness, nothing, and I know it's GOD'S WILL and I'm doing it for that purpose because it is His will, He won't fail you then. But if it's His will and you got a selfish motive in it, it's just the same as not being His will, because it won't work. But when all the lines are clear, see, and they're ringing through clear, there all things are possible then to them that believe.” [Inspiration, Owensboro, KY 56-0128]
“In the last few weeks I've been going over some of these things and finding that in the men that I thought was the kernel, yet I found that they're putting emphasis upon temporal things, going around and saying, "God gives me the biggest so-and-so. God gives..." You're bluffing. Great material things don't always rest in GOD'S WILL. God makes the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. But what the world needs today is not a bluff of faith, to try to bluff yourself into something and call it spiritual.” [Be Certain Of God, Jeffersonville, IN 59-0125]
“We'll start at the 8th verse, to get a little background. “Wherein he has abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known to us the mystery of his will.” "The mysteries of His will" And remember how we hung on that? How many was here this morning? Let's see. How we stuck on that, "The mystery of His will." Now, it is not just a little thing; then it's a mystery. GOD'S WILL is a mystery. And each man has to seek out the WILL OF GOD for his or herself, God's mystery.” [Adoption, Part 4, Jeffersonville, IN 60-0522E]
“Let me see if I can get the continuity to it. "How do you feel is the best way…” (I see it should be a comma there, I suppose.) “How do you feel is the best way to find the Lord's will in some important matters?" I tell you, dear friend, the best way to find the WILL OF GOD in some important matters is prayer. See? Now let me... Here's a wonderful little thing here. If you--if--if you have a matter that's very important... Now, here's the way I do it. I take it before the Lord. And it's always been my strength; I wait upon the Lord and see what He says. And I just let myself neutral to it, don't take either side, and say, "Now, heavenly Father, it--it can..." Course, now, in my case, most of the time, if it's very important, I wait on a vision. But many people God doesn't deal with in visions, so therefore I wouldn't advise you to do that. See?
Because it's just some people that has visions and some does something else. Where you do something else that I couldn't do, maybe--in your way of serving the Lord, I do something that you couldn't do. See? God deals with us different. And so I would if I was in your place and didn't have visions from before the Lord, I would just wait upon the Lord and say, "Lord, now You show me what's the decision to make." And then, way you feel led to do it, then wait just a little bit, then wait a little while longer, and see which way, which side you lean towards, which way the Spirit... Say, "Now, Father, in my heart You know it doesn't matter; but I--I want to know what You want to do about it." That's the way I do about meetings sometime. I feel kind of led to go this way or that way, then I follow that way. That's the way to do it, 'cause it's in prayer then; you're doing the best you can. And I believe this, my friends, as Paul was in the--in the New Testament in days gone by. He was between two straits, which way he should go. And he started on the wrong road, and he got a Macedonian call. And I believe if you are making a decision for God and do it the best that you can, I believe God will correct you and don't--see that you don't go wrong. I believe God will do it.” [Questions And Answers, Jeffersonville, IN 61-1015M]
“They went off in such a hurry, without even considering God. And when they found out the seven days was up, well, their water supply was cut off. They didn't have any water to drink. And there they was out there with their cattle, and with their animals, and their water supply was cut off. And looks like that it was just about the end for them. Now, that's what we do. Sometimes we go off on a tantrum somewhere and not think about God, not pray over it, ask the Lord whether we should do it or not, and we find out that our supply of blessings is cut off. Then we wonder sometime, "Well, wonder why I can't have no more blessings." You don't watch, you let down in your prayer life. You say, "Well, I'm a Christian." Well, that's the more sign you should pray, more than ever. Read the Bible every day. Pray every day. Don't make any decisions too harshly or too quickly, without first considering God about it. Ask Him, "Shall I do this, Father?" Ask Him, "Is it Your will for me to do this?" Then see what the Holy Spirit will speak to you. He might not give you a vision, but He will speak in some way to you, to let you know, if you'll be sincere and ask Him.” [Prophet Elisha, Chicago IL 54-0723]
“Well, be easy for me to go home, and just go to bed, and say, "I ain't going out tomorrow, 'cause it's going to rain all day." See? 'Cause if He said so, it's going to rain. Don't you believe that? What you know GOD'S WILL is, then you can look in God's Word here, and find GOD'S WILL for you. Don't you believe that? And then the only thing that this other does is straighten the individual. See? This is for the entire Church, for everybody. And then if you get a full…of faith, clean yourself up, or accept Jesus Christ, and believe Him, it's bound to bring God's Word to pass, 'cause it's a seed.” [For Him Will I Accept, Hammond, IN 52-0718]
“God must have first place in your heart, first place in your life, first place in everything that you do or what you are. God must be first. He doesn't want the second place. He doesn't deserve the second place. He deserves the best, and the first, and all that we've got. He deserves it. Blessed be His holy Name! “For God also bearing witness, he gave testimony, both with signs and wonders, divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?” Not what men say, what the church said, but what GOD'S WILL was. Oh, we need to seek the WILL OF GOD, not the favor of your neighbor, not the favor of your children, not the favor of your husband or your wife. But, seek the WILL OF GOD, and do that first. Then everything else, the will of the wife and the will of the children, will fall right in with it. But, place God first.” [Hebrews, Chapter Two, Jeffersonville, IN 57-0825e]
Bible References: Matthew 6-9-10; Romans 9:16; 12:2; Philippians 2:5
[Answer provided by Bro. Ken Andes, Minister, Lynden, Washington, USA]