How to Stop Guessing and Start Discovering the Plans God has for You
How do you know what is God’s will and not your own? Do you ever think you know the plans God has for you, but then doubt starts to creep in?
A discovery journal might help you discover those plans with confidence.
How Starting a Discovery Journal Can Help you Gain Confidence and Clarity in the Plans God has for you
Download the free printable discovery journal below. This will give you one spot to record and reflect on the five steps to discovering your purpose.
Step 1: Discover your Purpose from God-Through Friendship with Jesus.
John 15:13 (NIV)
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
Have you ever read the Bible and felt like the stories were just for the people in the Bible? Did it ever feel like friendship with Jesus was something reserved just for them? It took me a long time before I realized Jesus didn’t just call those people friends. He invites you and me to be friends as well.
Learn more about developing a friendship with Jesus here.
Where you’ll Find Friendship Building on your Discovery Journal
Speaking with him in prayer. This can be found under Prayer Life, specifically in the spot that is marked Someone to Pray for.
- Speaking with him in prayer does not need to be formal. When you talk to him, speak from your heart about what's going on in your life. Talk with him like you would, your best friend. Maybe make a cup of coffee, sit down in a comfy chair, and have a conversation with him.
How Starting a Discovery Journal Can Help you Gain Confidence and Clarity in the Plans God has for you
Speaking with Him in Gratitude. This can be found under Prayer Life, specifically the spot that is marked, Gratitude Tracker.
- Part of friendship is letting the other person know how much you appreciate them. Just as you would thank a close friend of yours that did something kind for you, you can reach out and thank God for how He’s helped you in your day.
- The gratitude tracker is a reminder to pause throughout your day and to thank God for the good in it. There is a spot to mark off for the morning, noon, and night.
- Maybe you thank Him for the beauty of the sunrise or the helping hand of a friend who came to your aid.
- What you’ll begin to notice is that by pausing three times throughout your day and thanking God, you’ll see just how much He already is a part of your day.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Step 2 to Discover your Purpose from God- Through Scripture
The next piece of the puzzle is to know who God is. Because once we know who He is, it makes it easier to decipher what he is putting in place for you and what is just something of this world.
I will let the following Scripture speak to this point.
Psalm 119:105 (ESV)-Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
That verse shows me the importance of knowing Scripture. By knowing Scripture, we learn about who God is and what types of things He wants for us. We learn His ways and His truth, so we can find everlasting joy in Him.
Where you’ll Find Scripture Ideas on the Discovery Journal
Scripture Memorization. This can be found under Prayer Life, specifically the spot that is marked Scripture Memorization.
- I never used to read Scripture before, let alone memorize it, but I have learned so much about God and Jesus these past couple of years by being in His word.
- When you memorize Scripture, you carry around encouragement and comfort in your heart.
- If you are interested in techniques that I’ve found helpful for Scripture memorization, you can find that here.
Scripture in Action. This can be found under Be a Doer of the Word.
- There's a spot at the end of each day with a different Scripture and a quick activity that relates to that Scripture.
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
I think that verse from James beautifully illustrates the importance of not just reading Scripture but doing what it says so that it can transform you into who God wants you to be.
Step 3 to Discover your Purpose from God- Through WOW Moment
What are WOW moments? WOW stands for a witness of wonder. These are times when something that happens in your day is so clearly happening from God that there is no other explanation for how it happened.
I think some people shrug them off and say it’s a weird coincidence, but I think these moments are God’s way of saying, “Hey, I am here. I am with you in this. Come follow me!”
These WOW moments shine a bright light on the path Jesus is leading you on.
If you want to learn more about WOW moments with examples, you can find that here.
What first led me to the idea of recording, what I like to call, WOW moments, was discussed in a book called Experiencing God. My biggest takeaway from that book was to write down all the moments you saw God’s hand in your day.
Where you’ll Find WOW Moments on the Discovery Journal
Recording your WOW moments. This can be found on the separate pages marked WOW Moments. You can put those pages at the back of your 21-day discovery journal. Then you can use those pages to record any WOW moments that happen during your 21-day discovery.
I hope that you continue recording your WOW moments long after your 21-day discovery journal is complete. I keep mine in a blank notebook. When I feel lost or defeated, I read through it and am reminded of all the times God showed up for me.
Your WOW journal will become a beautiful collection of moments God was working in your life!
Step 4 to Discover your Purpose from God- Through Patterns and Themes
Random coincidences are the clues Jesus is leaving for you.
I think all the random parts of our lives are not random at all. I believe they are intentionally placed there by God.
Have you ever read a Scripture, and then the same Scripture keeps coming up in different places throughout your week?
Or maybe you get a compliment from different people throughout your day or week. But the interesting thing is they are each complimenting you on the same thing in a different way.
I think these are the clues Jesus is leaving for you.
If you would like a real-life example of these moments, you can find that here.
Where you’ll Find Themes and Patterns on the Discovery Journal
Themes and Patterns. This can be found under Clues, specifically, the spot that is marked Scripture, Themes, People you Keep seeing in your Week. Here is where you jot down things that keep coming up in your day and your week. Again, I think these are the clues Jesus is leaving for you.
- I’ve included a small drawing in the box for your clues. This was intentional. I think the world is filled with noise that distracts us and it’s in the moments of quiet that we hear Jesus the loudest. Coloring can help you zone out of the world and tune into what Jesus is telling you.
What you Enjoy. This can be found under Be Still and Reflect, specifically the spot that is marked Yesterday I enjoyed, and Yesterday I wish I had Time to. Identifying what you enjoy is part of the journey of discovering your purpose. I think God places a passion on your heart to lead you to work He has prepared for you. This section gets you thinking about what you enjoy in your day, so at the end of the 21 days, you can look back and recognize things you have consistently enjoyed.
Step 5 to Discover your Purpose from God- The Role that Service Plays
The last component has to do with service, and it speaks to the importance of community.
The following Scripture drives home this point.
Romans 12:4-8 (NIV)
For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
I believe God created us to be in a community with one another, sharing our time and talents.
God could have made us good at all things, but he didn't. I think He wanted us to be part of a community that needed each other. That’s why I think service to others is so important.
That’s not to say that I think you should only do acts of charity because we live in a world with everyday constraints that require us to work. And there are plenty of examples of the importance of work in the Bible. But what I hope you get from the discovery journal is a practical way to see where Jesus is leading you in your life, at work, with family, and with others in your community.
The 5 Steps to Discover your Purpose-Important to Note
- The five steps to discover the plans God has for you is not the only way to find your purpose. I think God is far too generous to only give you one way to find out where He is leading you. I encourage you to use the steps that work for you and let go of those that don’t. And who knows, maybe they inspire you to come up with a few ideas of your own!
- The discovery journal is not the destination; it is part of the journey. These five steps are about building a genuine friendship with Jesus because I believe He wants you to seek Him throughout your day and work with Him on the plans He has for you.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.-Jeremiah 29:11
Sign up below for the free 21-Day Discovery Journal
If you are interested in going into more detail on any of the five steps, you can find them here:
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