Discernment

For sure, I tell you, a person may say to this mountain, ‘Move from here into the sea.’ And if he does not doubt, but believes that what he says will be done, it will happen.

Mark 11:23 (NLV)

Jesus' message is very clear in this passage: (1) Proclaim what you desire to see; (2) Have faith; (3) Do not doubt; and (4) See the fulfillment of what you have proclaimed. If we consider this mountain Jesus refers to as the sum total of a person's difficulties, what would be God's will in this situation? Knowing that God has promised to care for us and free us from our worries, any believer would say that His will would be to eliminate these difficulties from the life of the one who prays and keeps faith. Is this really God's will or what we would like Him to do?

Why not base God's will on reasons other than our own, such as strengthening the believer's faith, encouraging them to devote more time to prayer, preventing them from doing what they would do without hesitation if they were not faced with these difficulties, or using it to demonstrate His glory to those who see Him going through these trials? There is much more to consider than we wish to see, but by focusing too much on our personal desires and expectations, we fail to see God's will from His perspective. This is where discernment becomes an important element in the life of the believer.

Discernment is what the Holy Spirit allows us to see into the spiritual realm to better understand God's will in a given situation. When you are going through difficult times, instead of complaining, ask the Holy Spirit to grant you discernment to better understand what you should pray for.

May God's grace and peace be with you all.