- RSS FeedSubscribe
- « Previous PostThis Is Your Moment!
- Next Post »Best...Christmas Gift...Ever!
5 Great Books on the Will of God
- 11/15/10
- 24
Earlier today I posted an article dealing with one of the popular misconceptions people have with knowing the will of God or hearing the voice of God as it pertains to guidance. This is an area in which there is a lot of misunderstanding among Christians. Thankfully there are all kinds of great books written on the subject. I highly recommend that every Christian try at least one of them (and particularly so if your understanding in this area has been largely influnced by men like Richard Blackaby or John Eldredge). So allow me to make a few suggestions.
Each of these books shares a similar understanding of how we can know God’s will. The differences between them are more size, style and audience than theology.
Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung. Kevin’s book is a good one, written in a fun, accessible way. It’s particularly ideal for a young adult audience and at only 128 pages it doesn’t represent a long or difficult read. It’s priced at just $7 or $8 so is easily affordable. Because of its size and style, it’s a great place to begin as you build or renew a theology of knowing and doing God’s will. (my review)
Can I Know God’s Will? by R.C. Sproul. Sproul’s book has been around for a while now, but has recently been nicely repackaged as part of the Crucial Questions series. He “outlines timeless principles for discovering and applying the will of God in day-to-day decisions. He then illustrates how these principles should inform two of the most significant decisions we face in life--the choice of a career and the choice of a spouse. Here is valuable guidance for those who are passionate to follow God.”
Decisions, Decisions by Dave Swavely. Swavey’s book was the first I read on this subject and, for that reason, the one that had the biggest impact. It is, in many ways, a condensed version of Friesen’s much larger book (coming up next). Swavely sure makes all of this “will of God” stuff seem really simple. I highly recommend this for people looking for a slightly more advanced read than the previous two. It “emphasizes our responsibility to make wise decisions, ones that honor the Lord and benefit us. It also reflects and explains the concept of divine guidance.” (my review)
Decision Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen. This is the classic and the granddaddy of all the books on both decision making and understanding God’s will. The book is very thorough which is both a strength and a weakness. It’s one you can use for reference, turning to just the parts you want to read, or you can read it straight through. In either case you’ll benefit. My favorite bit is where he discusses “the case of the missing dot” and deals with the idea that we can somehow be outside the center of God’s will.
Guidance and the Voice of God by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne. This one comes from Matthias Media so is slightly more difficult to find than the others. But it’s no less valuable. It seeks to answer questions like these: “How do I know what God wants me to do? How can I make decisions which are in line with his will? If God still speaks, will I recognize his voice?” In this way I see it as a bit of a head-on response to the books of Richard Blackaby and others like him. (my review)
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
Releasing on April 1, The Next
Published in 2008, this book
This is a guide that calls men,
This review of the bestselling
New to the site? You can get
This is a guide written
Comments (24)
My church, Riverview in Holt, Michigan, is hosting a conference with DeYoung and Friesen on January 22nd and they will be speaking on this topic. Great reviews! Our website will go live this week and registration will be open by Friday. Thanks!
I love Kevin DeYoung’s book. I have a copy for myself and a loaner copy that I’ve “forced” atleast 5 friends to read.
These are awesome resources! I’ve read Kevin DeYoung’s and recommend it all the time. I work in a high school and disciple youth and this is maybe the most popular question. More than any answer, I want to direct them to run after to God - to pursue Him and His kingdom first (trusting “all these things” will be added unto them, including future plans).
I will definitely check out these books you suggest!
“Decision Making and the Will of God” by Friesen was a life-changer for me.
i still need to read some of these, …but, i’d also highly recommend Greg Koukl’s audio teaching on the subject… str.org “Decision Making and the Will of God”
You mentioned the books by Blackaby and Eldredge, seemingly in contrast to these suggested. Do you disagree with the views presented by them in finding God’s will? I’ve been searching much in Scripture about this very topic and have recently read Blackaby’s book. How do these suggested ones differ?
Let’s not forget Johnny Mac’s book, “Finding the Will of God” which is an excellent 30-60 minute read.
I have read Friesen’s book and wrote a 9-part review on it.
I really enjoyed the book and it was the first time that I actually read a book that approached the subject exegetically from the “Wisdom” point of view. Although that was already the way I believed, I had never seen it put so well. My background is the complete opposite of what Friesen teaches.
The next one I will be reading is Kevin DeYoung’s book, which I bought recently.
You mentioned the books by Blackaby and Eldredge, seemingly in contrast to these suggested. Do you disagree with the views presented by them in finding God's will? I've been searching much in Scripture about this very topic and have recently read Blackaby's book. How do these suggested ones differ?
I’m not able to answer thoroughly (unfortunately—it’s that kind of a day) but I can say that I very much disagree with both of those men and the things they teach about God’s guidance. I highly recommend reading any one of the books I’ve listed in place of Eldredge/Blackaby.
I would recommend adding Step by Step written by James Petty to the list. Petty is a former faculty member at CCEF and has an excellent extended case study about seeking God’s will for a job transition.
An adapted sample resource from his book can be found on my blog at: http://bradhambrick.com/wp/priorities/
Tim - what do you think of Sinclair Ferguson’s book “Discovering God’s Will?”? I think it is an excellent book on the subject of guidance.
This is so hugely important to the church right now. It has to do with the sufficiency of Scripture, with the right knowledge of God, with how we think about all that comes up and happens in our day to day lives… so very, very important. Thanks Tim.
Gary Friesen has reviewed quite a few books about the will of God including Blackaby’s. Check out the reviews here http://www.gfriesen.net/sections/book_reviews_overview.php
I’m a fan of Kevin DeYoung’s book, too.
There is a critique of Blackaby’s Experiencing God on the Stand to Reason website (str.org). Just do a search for “Blackaby” on that website.
I recommend Gary Gilley’s “Is that You Lord?” [Evangelical Press, 2007]. When someone speaks about the center of God’s will, I want them to tell me about the radius of God’s will. Tell me about living on circumference of God’s will. The very idea that a human can act contrary to the Lord’s sovereignly decreed will is simply paganistic. What is it that we can’t understand about Micah 6:8: He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
DeYoung ~ Just Do Something
Excellent book ;-)
DeYoung ~ Just Do Something
Excellent book ;-)
Purchased several … have given them as gifts to high school juniors and seniors … and have recommended to Christian high school guidance counselors to make this “required reading” for the students (AND teachers)!
Currently re-reading ;-) Finding new things!
Sinclair Ferguson’s book is my favorite on thise subject.
Another good one… a booklet by Jim Elliff, “Led By the Spirit” http://www.ccwtoday.org/resource_view.asp?resource_id=6
I loved the Sinclair Ferguson book, although I think some may find his writing less accessible than de Young’s.
I can also recommend MacArthur’s short book on decision making, “Found: God’s Will”. It’s also very short at 64 pages and gives the standard evangelical answer to how to make decisions and ‘know’ God’s will in a plain and easy to read manner.
Just do something is excellent.
Guidance and the Voice of God wasn’t as clear to me but I read it prior to Just Do Something….. and I am an Aussie so it’s very easy to get my hands on Matthias Media stuff… and a bit harder to get to everything else.
Friesen’s book was eye-opening for me and caused a massive paradigm shift in my thinking on God’s will. A friend of mine who agrees with the wisdom model warned me that many Christians can be hostile when first presented with this view. On the few times I’ve been brave enough to bring it up, most people have disagreed with me and didn’t seem to understand it. Just a few weeks ago, the subject came up in my Sunday School class. I very briefly brought up the wisdom view and was refuted by several class members as well as the leader. Afterward, a guy came up to me and told me I wasn’t alone. Not only did he agree with me, but he had taught the very same class a year ago on the subject and ran into resistance.
I must “second” that recommendation of MacArthur’s “Found: God’s Will”. It was previously published as “God’s Will Is Not Lost”. For most folks it gets the point across in a more readily “digestible” span than some of the others recommended above.