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Seeking God's Will Through Prayer and Scripture

Seeking God's will involves a combination of prayer and diligent study of Scripture, which are presented in the Bible as essential means for understanding and aligning with divine purposes [8]. The very act of "seeking God" is commanded in Scripture, encompassing a search for His name, His word, His face, His strength, and His commandments [8]. The name "Uel" itself means "desiring God," reflecting a fundamental human inclination [1].

Prayer is a primary means of seeking God's will. It is commanded in passages such as Isaiah 55:6, Matthew 7:7, and Philippians 4:6 [5]. Through prayer, believers are encouraged to approach God, to Christ, and to the Holy Spirit [5]. Access to God in prayer is made possible by Christ and through the Holy Spirit, and it is obtained through faith [2]. The Bible describes prayer in various ways, including bowing the knees, looking up, lifting up the soul or heart, pouring out the heart or soul, calling upon the name of the Lord, and crying to God [5]. Daniel, for instance, sought God by "prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes" [6]. The Apostle Paul urged believers to pray "at every time in the Spirit, and watching to this same thing with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints" [7]. When facing affliction, prayer is exhorted as a means to seek God's presence, support, comfort, and deliverance, as well as divine teaching and direction [10]. The Lord's Prayer, given by Jesus, serves as a model for prayer, emphasizing simplicity and addressing God as Father [11].

Alongside prayer, Scripture is indispensable for discerning God's will. The Scriptures are described as "given by inspiration of God" and "by inspiration of the Holy Spirit" [9]. Jesus Himself sanctioned the Scriptures by appealing to them and teaching from them [9]. They are referred to as "the Word," "Word of God," "Word of Christ," and "Holy Scriptures" [9]. Seeking God's will involves seeking His word and His precepts [8]. John Gill, in his commentary on Lamentations, suggests that instead of murmuring under affliction, one should "search the Scriptures" for support, comfort, teaching, and instruction [13]. The Psalms encourage believers to "search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts," indicating a desire for divine scrutiny and guidance that can be informed by scriptural principles [3].

The act of seeking God's will is not merely an intellectual exercise but involves a deep spiritual engagement. It includes seeking God's strength, which some interpretations connect to the ark of the covenant as a symbol of God's presence and power, and ultimately to Christ Himself [4, 12]. Matthew Henry emphasizes that prayer is an "appointed means of obtaining what we need, especially grace to obey the precepts" [14]. This highlights the interconnectedness of seeking God's will through prayer for guidance and through Scripture for understanding the precepts to be obeyed. The call to "seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more" in Psalm 105:4 encapsulates the continuous and comprehensive nature of this pursuit [4].

Sources

  1. Hitchcock's Bible Names “Hitchcock's Bible Names: Uel — desiring God”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Access to God — Is of God -- Ps 65:4. Is by Christ -- Joh 10:7, 9; 14:6; Ro 5:2; Eph 2:13; 3:12; Heb 7:9, 25; 10:19; 1Pe 3:18. Is by the Holy Spirit -- Eph 2:18. Obtained through faith -- Ac 14:27; Ro 5:2; Eph 3:12; Heb 11:6. Follows upon reconciliation to God -- Col 1:21,22. In Prayer -- See Prayer. De 4:7; Mt 6:6; 1Pe 1:17. In his temple -- Ps 15:1; 27:4; 43:3; 65:4. To obtain mercy and grace -- Heb 4:16. A privilege of saints -- De 4:7; Ps 15:1; 23:6; 24:3,4. Saints have, with confidence -- Eph 3:12; Heb 4:16; 10:19,20. Vouchsafed to repenting sinners -- See Repen”
  3. Psalms “Search me, God, and know my heart. Try me, and know my thoughts. -- Psalms 139:23”
  4. Psalms “Seek Yahweh and his strength. Seek his face forever more. -- Psalms 105:4”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
  6. Daniel “I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. -- Daniel 9:3”
  7. Ephesians “Ephesians 6:18 (LITV) — through all prayer and petition, praying at every time in the Spirit, and watching to this same thing with all perseverance and petition concerning all the saints.”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Seeking God — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7. Includes seeking His Name. -- Ps 83:16. His word. -- Isa 34:16. His face. -- Ps 27:8; 105:4. His strength. -- 1Ch 16:11; Ps 105:4. His commandments. -- 1Ch 28:8; Mal 2:7. His precepts. -- Ps 119:45,94. His kingdom. -- Mt 6:33; Lu 12:31. His righteousness. -- Mt 6:33. Christ. -- Mal 3:1; Lu 2:15,16. Honour which comes from him. -- Joh 5:44. Justification by Christ. -- Ga 2:16,17. The city which God has prepared. -- Heb 11:10,16; 13:14. By prayer -- Job 8:5; Da 9:3. In his house -- De 12:5; Ps 27:4. Should be Immediate. -- H”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Scriptures, The — Given by inspiration of God -- 2Ti 3:16. Given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- Ac 1:16; Heb 3:7; 2Pe 1:21. Christ sanctioned, by appealing to them -- Mt 4:4; Mr 12:10; Joh 7:42. Christ taught out of -- Lu 24:27. Are called the Word. -- Jas 1:21-23; 1Pe 2:2. Word of God. -- Lu 11:28; Heb 4:12. Word of Christ. -- Col 3:16. Word of truth. -- Jas 1:18. Holy Scriptures. -- Ro 1:2; 2Ti 3:15. Scripture of truth. -- Da 10:21. Book. -- Ps 40:7; Re 22:19. Book of the Lord. -- Isa 34:16. Book of the law. -- Ne 8:3; Ga 3:10. Law of the Lord. -- Ps 1:2; Isa”
  10. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Prayer Under — Exhortation to -- Jas 5:13. That God would consider our trouble -- 2Ki 19:16; Ne 9:32; Ps 9:13; La 5:1. For the presence and support of God -- Ps 10:1; 102:2. That the Holy Spirit may not be withdrawn -- Ps 51:11. For divine comfort -- Ps 4:6; 119:76. For mitigation of troubles -- Ps 39:12,13. For deliverance -- Ps 25:17,22; 39:10; Isa 64:9-12; Jer 17:14. For pardon and deliverance from sin -- Ps 39:8; 51:1; 79:8. That we may be turned to God -- Ps 80:7; 85:4-6; Jer 31:18. For divine teaching and direction -- Job 34:32; Ps 27:11; 143:10. Fo”
  11. Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 6:9: 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer is similar in form to a common Jewish prayer (the qaddish). Jesus gave this prayer to his followers as a succinct expression of their new faith. 6:9 Pray like this: In contrast to the vain repetition of pagan prayers (6:7-8), “the Lord’s Prayer” is a model of simplicity. • Jews rarely addressed God as Father, but Jesus did so in every prayer but one (Mark 15:34). • may your name be kept holy: God’s name is profaned by the sin of his people (Isa 29:22-24; Jer 34:15-16; Ezek 39:7; Amos 2:7).”
  12. Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 105:4: Seek the Lord and his strength,.... The ark, which is called his strength, and the ark of his strength, Psa 78:61, because he had shown his great strength by it, in dividing the waters at Jordan, throwing down the walls of Jericho, and plaguing the Philistines because of it, when among them. This was a symbol of God's presence, before which he was sought by his people; and was a type of our Lord Jesus, the man of God's right hand, whom he has made strong for himself, and who is called his strength, Psa 80:18. Some render it, and which Aben Ezra makes mention of, thou”
  13. Lamentations (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Lamentations 3:36: Let us search and try our ways,.... stead of murmuring and complaining, let us search for something that may support and comfort, teach and instruct, under afflictive providences; let us search into the love of God, which, though it cannot be fully searched out, it will be found to be from everlasting to everlasting; and that all afflictions spring from it; and that it continues notwithstanding them: let us search into the covenant of grace, in which provision is made for afflictions in case of disobedience, and for supports under them: let us search the Scriptu”
  14. Matthew (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Matthew 7:7: Our Saviour, in the foregoing chapter, had spoken of prayer as a commanded duty, by which God is honoured, and which, if done aright, shall be rewarded; here he speaks of it as the appointed means of obtaining what we need, especially grace to obey the precepts he had given, some of which are so displeasing to flesh and blood. I. Here is a precept in three words to the same purport, Ask, Seek, Knock (Mat 7:7); that is, in one word, "Pray; pray often; pray with sincerity and seriousness; pray, and pray again; make conscience of prayer, and be constant in it; make a”
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