How to pray the will of God

On a personal note:
I have to say that this little blog started out as a "note of encouragement" to some of the ladies that attend my local church. It was a way that we could keep in touch and my hope was that they would find something helpful to their lives in these short little posts. I knew them and they knew me, and with that would come "forgiveness" for typos or run-on sentences because I tend to write slower than my mind gives it to me. And also, because often, I write very early in the morning when the coffee has not kicked in and the senses are not in full attention.
So I must apologise to you all, who stop by and read these posts. Lately, my typos have been many. I noticed this, because as you send me e-mails and tag the post, I re-read what I wrote and say "oops!". I hope to improve on this and I hope you still come to the full understanding of what is being said. Thanks for your patience. If you can offer any insight, let me know.
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We have been discussing "prayer" in the name of Jesus and for a believer. How to pray God's will is always something that comes up. I ran into this Question and Answer session John MacArthur gave and once again, why try and re-write what is so clear and Biblical ? Hope this adds to your understanding and provides clarity.
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He starts...
"How do I know the Will of God?" "I'm trying, I'm praying, I'm asking how do I know if its me or if its God, and so forth and so on?" How can I know the Will of God? Here is a simple plan...

The first thing you do is to go to the Bible. Sound reasonable? You go to the Bible and find out what the Will of God is. Good, let's look very quickly.

1Timothy 2:3-4
"God our Savior, who will have all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." The first thing that God wills, is that you be what? Saved. You be saved. Do you want to do the will of God? Then get saved, come to Christ.

Second thing, Ephesians 5:17 "So then, do not be, Foolish." Can you think of a word that means the same and starts with "S"? Right. Don't be Stupid. "But understand what the will of the Lord is."

Now, let me ask you a question, if you don't know what the will of God is, what are you? What are you? You say, "Is that in the Bible?" It says, "Don't be stupid, know the will of God. If you don't know the will of God then you are stupid. You say, "Well, now wait a minute, it should say, 'Don't be foolish, but try to find the will of God.’" No. You say, "I'm looking, I'm looking."

Well, don't look too far its in the next verse, "Do not get drunk with wine for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit." The first thing God wills is that you be saved, the second thing He wills is that you be Spirit filled.

"Spirit filled," what does that mean? Controlled by the Holy Spirit. That's God's will. That's God's will. 1Thessalonians 4:3 you know it is amazing to me, people running around looking for God's will. I have seen this through the years, "You know I am trying to find God's will. I am searching for God's will, you know." And they get real mystical, they think they are going to run down the street, slip on a banana peel and land on a map of Argentina. You know, that's a missionary call. They are waiting for God to say something out of heaven.

Look, verse 3, "This is the will of God, your," what? "Sanctification." God wills that you be saved; God wills that you be Spirit filled; God wills that you be sanctified. What do you mean by that? "That you abstain from," what? "Sexual immorality." That's God's will. Stay away from sexual immorality.

You see God's will is very, very specific. Look at 1Peter, chapter 2, verse 13, "Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake, to every human institution, whether to a King as one in authority, or to governors as sent by Him for the punishment of evil doers, and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God, that by doing right, you may silence the ignorance of foolish men."

Fourth thing, be submissive. Submit to the authorities, be a model citizen, do right, that's the will of God, that's the will of God. Very basic, that's God's will. God's will is that you be saved; God's will is that you be Spirit filled; God's will is that you be sanctified; God's will is that you be submissive.

And then would you notice in chapter 3, verse 17, "It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer, for doing for what is right." How committed are you to doing what is right?

Five things, Saved; Spirit filled; Sanctified; Submissive; willing to Suffer for doing what is right. You say, "That doesn't help me to know God's will." Sure it does. Let me tell you something. If you are saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and doing right to the degree that you would even suffer, do you know what the next step in God's will is? Whatever you want!

You say, "You are kidding." No, because, who is controlling your desires? Do you know what it says in Psalm 37:4? "Delight in the Lord, and he will give you," what? "The desires of your heart." Do you know what that means? That doesn't mean, "Delight in the Lord, and he will give you what you want." What it means is, "Delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." He will put His desires in your heart.

People say, "Well, why did you go to Grace Church?" And I say, "I wanted too." "Oh! You wanted too! That's not very Spiritual." Well, it is if you are saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering, because who is in control of my wants? God leads through your desire, beloved. But don't trust you desire unless the things you know of God's will are true.

Simply, this is the system: If I am doing what is already revealed as God's will, then I am not going to have any trouble with the part that isn't revealed. Right? He's going to lead me to the right place; lead me to the right people; lead me to the right relationship.

Guys always say, "How do I find the right wife?" Very simple, be the right husband. You be all that God has called you to be, you be living in the will of God, saved, Spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, suffering if need be for what is right, and if you are the person that God has designed you to be then God will lead you the next step and give you the desire of your heart for the woman that he wants you to marry.

God moves through desires in the heart of the person that is committed to Him.