I believe in dreaming big dreams and pursuing them with tenacity. Since I was a little girl I have believed that it was possible to achieve anything you put your mind to. However many times in my life I was too scared to pursue my desires. Fear is the perfect deterrent to prevent you from going full throttle after your goals. I do believe that God gives us talents so we can accomplish mighty things and give him all the glory. However the question for much of my life has been, how do I know if it’s God’s will or my will? Do YOU struggle with this? It can be pretty debilitating to get stuck in the space of wondering whether YOUR plan matches up with GOD’S plan.

Prayer and diving deep into God’s word is the best answer to deciphering God’s will. His plan is never going to contradict the Bible. That’s clue number one. However, sometimes which house to buy or which job to take just isn’t so obvious. Many times both choices would honor God. How do we confidently choose and know that we are operating within God’s will?

I have found the best answer for these situations is to pray that God will close any doors that he didn’t want me to go through. I pray for situations to be revealed that there is no doubt that God’s answer is NO. A few people over the years have told me this is such a negative attitude and I should be praying for OPEN doors. Perhaps. However, I have found that the devil is really good at opening shiny, pretty doors for me. So many wrong doors one can choose from! I still prefer to pray for closed doors that there is absolutely no way for me to get through. 

In one period of my life I looked for a residence to purchase that would meet the needs of my family and business. It was a very specific set of criteria. Eventually my realtor and I began to wonder if it existed anywhere! We often described it as looking for a needle in a haystack. After two and a half years, we finally found and closed on a home and property. It was nothing short of a miracle in my mind.

This was a LONG process that we diligently chased after during those years. I prayed consistently through many properties and feasibility studies that God would guide our search. I prayed that he would shut any door that he didn’t want us to walk through and I could walk away in peace knowing that property was not his will. I didn’t have to understand the reason. It was a long road, but I always had peace about it. I learned a lot through that process and ultimately ended up with a home and property that was much beyond what I had ever dreamed of owning. God had provided the perfect property for what we needed (and wanted).

That trial was a huge lesson for me that I could trust God through the journey, especially when I had no idea if my dream would EVER be realized. Even if we had never found the perfect residence, I would have trusted that my plan was not his plan. I don’t ever have to worry about whether what I am doing is his will, I just pray for closed doors if it isn’t. It is such a place of peace to know that he is in control of “my” plans. I still go after dreams, but God ultimately holds the keys. If the whole thing goes sideways or blows up in my face, I know God shut the door and I need to prayerfully pursue another direction. I pray this prayer over my husband, my children, and basically anything I am involved with.

I also encourage YOU to pray this over your pursuits and challenges. In addition, I would suggest keeping this in mind when you enter into hardships, perhaps during a job loss, breakup of a friendship, etc. It is still a door being shut. Typically this is a clear sign that you were headed in the wrong direction or God has something different (usually better) planned for you. It really takes the stress out of everything going “all wrong”.

I strongly urge you to daily pray for closed doors to appear if you are not headed in the direction God wants you to go. When that door closes know that he is with you. He wants you to look around and see the door he is holding open for you. God’s plan is always so much better than our own.

Proverbs 16:9 In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.