The best way to know God’s will is to say, “I will” to God.

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

A young man I know has a habit of asking God for signs. That’s not necessarily bad, but his prayers tend to seek confirmation of his feelings. For instance, he’ll pray, “God, if You want me to do X, then You please do Y, and I’ll know it’s okay.”

This has created a dilemma. Because of the way he prays and the way he thinks God is answering, he feels that he should get back with his ex-girlfriend. Perhaps unsurprisingly, she feels strongly that God doesn’t want that.

The religious leaders of Jesus’s day demanded a sign from Him to prove the validity of His claims (Matt. 16:1). They weren’t seeking God’s guidance; they were challenging His divine authority. Jesus replied, “A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign” (v. 4). The Lord’s strong response wasn’t a blanket statement to prevent anyone from seeking God’s guidance. Rather, Jesus was accusing them of ignoring the clear prophecies in Scripture that indicated He was the Messiah.

God wants us to seek His guidance in prayer (James 1:5). He also gives us the guidance of the Spirit (John 14:26) and His Word (Ps. 119:105). He provides us with mentors and wise leaders. And He’s given us the example of Jesus Himself.

It’s wise to ask God for clear direction, but He may not always give it in ways that we expect or want. Perhaps the larger point of prayer is that we learn more about God’s nature and develop a relationship with our Father.

Lord, it is impossible for us to comprehend Your nature, and yet You welcome us to approach You in prayer. And so we seek Your guidance today and ask to know You in ways we haven’t seen before.

顺服是明白上帝旨意的最佳方式。

祢的话是我脚前的灯，是我路上的光。-诗篇119篇105节

我认识一个年轻人，他总是向上帝求印证，当然这并不是件坏事，但他总是凭着自己的感觉要求上帝给他印证。例如，他祈祷说：“上帝啊，如果祢要我做甲，就求祢成就乙。那么，我就知道祢同意了。”

这就产生了一个问题。因为他以这种方式祷告，让他以为上帝回应了他的祈求，需要跟前女友复合。可想而知，他的前女友却没有同样的感动，不认为这是出于上帝的带领。

曾有宗教领袖要求耶稣显神迹，印证祂所做的都是出于上帝（马太福音16章1节） 。他们不是求上帝的引导，而是要挑战耶稣的权柄。耶稣回答说：“一个邪恶淫乱的世代求神迹”（4节） 。耶稣如此回应并非禁止人们寻求上帝的引领，祂乃是指责他们忽视圣经的预言，因圣经早已印证祂是弥赛亚。

上帝要我们祷告祈求祂的引导（雅各书1章5节） 。祂已赐下圣灵的引导（约翰福音14章26节） 和祂的话语（诗篇119篇105节） ，祂也赐给我们属灵的导师和领袖，还让耶稣成为我们的榜样。

祈求上帝给予清楚的指示，确实相当明智。但是，上帝不一定会照我们的期待或想法回应我们。或许祷告的重点是要祈求更认识上帝，并与祂有更亲密的关系。 

Matthew 16:1-4New International Version (NIV)

The Demand for a Sign

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.

2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.[a] 4 A wicked and adulterous generation looks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah.” Jesus then left them and went away.

整理：于姊妹