Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
Philippians 2:13
The primary way God leads us is through His Word. That’s why it’s so important that the Word of God continues to be taught and preached. The Bible is the will of God. It tells us what pleases Him.
Another way God leads us is by His Spirit. This is where prayer is beneficial. When we pray to God, He begins to work on our behalf. We can pray for material things, and God will give them to us. But the real blessing is the internal change. It’s the change that affects our heart and desire to do the will of God, which in time, will have an effect on our behavior.
In prayer, the Holy Spirit begins to work in us, creating a desire to do God’s will, and also the ability to complete it. He’ll exhort us, comfort us, and strengthen us. He’ll show us things that are going to happen. He’ll lead us in the right direction. And He will tell us what is right and true..
There’s a very simple prayer in the book of Hebrews that good to pray for oneself as well as others. When we pray this prayer, God begins to work both to will and to do of His good pleasure in the individual’s life.
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 1:17-19