As children of light, we are called to walk in a manner that reflects our transformation from darkness to light, proving what is acceptable to the Lord. This process of proving involves finding out what aligns with God's will through our conduct and obedience. By walking as children of light, we actively seek to understand what pleases Him, trusting that through our faithful actions, He will grant us insight into His expectations. In situations where God's will is unclear, we often find ourselves at a loss, unable to recall a specific example or command that fits our circumstances. Yet, the key to discerning His will lies in knowing His character. The more we understand His nature and traits, the better equipped we are to make decisions that align with His desires. By reflecting on how He would act in our place, we can narrow down our options, eliminating choices that do not conform to His character. Obedience to God's commands, even when we do not fully grasp the reasons behind them, is a vital step in seeking His will. As we submit to His instructions, He often reveals the purpose and understanding over time, testing our loyalty and faith. This act of walking in faith, though challenging, eventually leads to clarity, as He shows us why certain actions are required, guiding us toward a deeper comprehension of His intentions. To behave wisely, we must strive to understand what the will of the Lord is, especially in complex or ambiguous situations. This pursuit involves a continuous effort to align our thoughts and actions with His character, using every opportunity to grow in His image. By redeeming the time and taking advantage of each moment to apply what we know of His ways, we position ourselves to receive further guidance and insight into His will. Ultimately, seeking God's will is an ongoing journey of imitating Him, as children mimic their parents. By following His example in our beliefs, words, and deeds, we come to embody His character, making decisions that reflect His light. This commitment to walk as children of light ensures that we are always moving toward a fuller understanding of what He desires for us.

In seeking God's will, we are called to a profound transformation from darkness to light, as we once embodied darkness but are now light in the Lord through the Father's calling. This radical change obligates us to walk as children of light, reflecting the presence of the Father and the Son within us, striving to live up to the high standard of Almighty God's spotless character. By living as children of light, we engage in sanctification, an exercise in doing what is right and good, growing in God's character over time until we shine with His light. Walking as children of light proves what is acceptable to the Lord, as the proof lies in the doing. Over time, by putting God's way into practice, we come to understand what pleases Him, seeing the blessings and joy that result from living His truth. This understanding of God's will emerges from consistent action, building a record of proof that His way is best, as we grow in His wisdom through experience. We are urged to walk in wisdom, not just obeying blindly, but applying knowledge and understanding to make godly decisions, even in situations not explicitly covered by His word. This higher level of walking with God requires us to evaluate circumstances circumspectly and make choices within His standards, showing real growth in His way of life. We must think deeply, using what He has revealed about His way, to determine His will in any matter, knowing that He has given us the tools and power to understand it, though it may require thought, study, and prayer. Emulating God's character traits—holiness, faithfulness, patience, sacrifice, goodness, and forethought—guides us in aligning with His will, as His will is tied to His character. By striving to embody these traits in our interactions, we fall in line with what He desires for us. God is faithful, ensuring that no trial exceeds our ability to handle, providing a way of escape, and working all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Through the indwelling of the Father and the Son via the Holy Spirit, we are never alone, having immediate access to help in times of need by asking in His name according to His will. He abundantly supplies what we need to face life's trials, equipping us with spiritual gifts and examples within the church to follow. Thus, we are encouraged to trust Him, press forward, and finish strong in seeking and doing His will, assured of the promises awaiting us in His kingdom.

In seeking God's will, we are called to understand what the will of the Lord is, as a command to study and discern His desires. His will aligns with His character, and by learning His traits, we can act and react as He does in our practical situations and relationships. One vital aspect of His character is His foresight, the ability to foresee end results, which forms the basis of His love and grace. Every action He takes is guided by His vision of what He wants us to become. God expresses grief over His people's lack of foresight, yearning for them to consider their latter end and understand the law of cause and effect. He desires that they recognize how their actions lead to specific outcomes, lamenting their refusal to link their problems to their conduct and their separation from Him. If they would only pause to consider the trajectory of their choices, they could avoid destruction. He urges them to stop and think about where their actions will take them, to weigh their options, and to choose the path that leads to the best end. God's forethought is evident in creation, where He prepared the earth to support life with intricate details, planning far ahead for mankind's needs. In response to Adam and Eve's sin, He considered the disastrous potential of them eating from the Tree of Life and acted to prevent an unmitigated disaster by expelling them from the Garden. His logical foresight determined a harder path to eternal life, involving sacrifice and growth, rather than an easy solution. In contrast, Jesus Christ exemplified perfect forethought, seeing beyond immediate losses to the ultimate glory and eternal life for billions. He endured humiliation and sacrifice, despising the shame for the joy set before Him. His ministry was marked by deliberate choices, planning His actions to maximize His witness and avoid premature confrontation, all while preparing His disciples and reaching the people. In raising Lazarus, He foresaw the impact of the miracle, knowing it would glorify God and Himself, leading to His death and resurrection. God desires us to develop this mind of foresight, to consider both the good and bad outcomes of our choices, and to accept necessary sacrifices to reach the goal He has for us. By walking in the day with Christ as our light, and building on faith, love, and hope, we align with His desires and goals. This enables us to foresee outcomes more accurately, to speak and act thoughtfully, and to live in harmony without stumbling blocks. He calls us to teach our children to think ahead, to consider their actions, and to develop habits of discernment for spiritual decisions. With a new heart and spirit, we are to take advantage of this time to consider our ways and make the changes needed to be in the Kingdom of God.

In seeking God's will, we are urged to understand the character of God as a guide for our actions and interactions. Ephesians 5:17 instructs us not to be unwise, but to comprehend what the will of the Lord is. By exploring various traits of God, we can discern His will in any situation we encounter. This understanding is particularly vital in resolving personal conflicts, as acting in a godly manner with one another diminishes the problems and friction that arise in our relationships. Knowing His character enables us to speak and act in ways that reflect His nature, fostering better outcomes in our interactions.

When faced with situations like an impending storm, we often grapple with how to pray and what to ask of God. Many of us ponder if we truly understand God's will, wishing to pray more accurately by knowing His desires precisely. If we could grasp His will more clearly, our prayers would align with what He is working out, eliminating the need to say phrases like "if it's Your will," because we would know it. We would be able to pray with certainty, submitting in full knowledge of what He aims to accomplish. Jesus, in His model prayer, instructs us to ask for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven, without specifying what that will is. By praying in this way, we submit to His will, acknowledging that often we do not or cannot know it in specific matters. This submission requires faith, as there are times when His will remains beyond our understanding, no matter our righteousness or insight. God desires us to know His will as much as possible, yet certain matters exceed our human limitations compared to His infinite knowledge. In the example of Abraham, though God revealed His intent to judge Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham remained unaware of His specific will toward Lot. Despite this, Abraham's understanding of God's character—that He would not destroy the righteous with the wicked—guided his bargaining for the righteous in the city. Abraham exercised faith, leaving the determination of righteousness to God, trusting in His mercy and perfect ways to protect those who follow Him, even without knowing the outcome. Knowing God's will is a lifelong pursuit for us, often fraught with complexity and frustration. We spend our converted lives striving to grasp it better, learning, like Abraham, to leave certain things to Him in faith. God's instructions, such as those for keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, represent His will for us during specific times. His will calls for dedication and devotion, prioritizing our spiritual relationship with Him above all else, trusting that He has revealed what we need to know through His Word. God's will encompasses both His revealed and secret aspects. His revealed will, found in His instructions and law, is what we are to follow to avoid curses and destruction. His secret will, the future things He has not disclosed, remains in His domain. We are to focus on what He has made known, trusting that if the secret things were essential for us now, He would have revealed them. Our task is to walk in wisdom, filling our time with understanding His revealed will, having faith that He knows best when to unveil the rest.

God urges us to reason with Him, inviting us to come and let us reason together. Reasoning with Him means offering reasons for our requests, not arguing or seeking to change His laws. However, our pleas must align with His will, for if what we ask is not according to His will, or if it would be detrimental to us or others, or if it does not fit His master plan, He will not grant it. His decisions are always based on what is best for everyone. We have confidence that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us favorably. Jesus Christ Himself sought not His own will but the will of the Father who sent Him. Effectively reasoning with Him requires understanding His will, which comes through constant contact and obedience to Him. Abraham, being close to God and submissive to Him, understood His plan and felt confident in reasoning with Him about Sodom. David also sought to learn God's will, asking in prayer to be taught to do His will. Christ teaches that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us, we will ask what we desire, and it shall be done for us. Obedience is key, as we receive from Him when we keep His commandments and do what is pleasing in His sight. God wants us to reason with Him, using this interaction to gauge our spiritual growth, to see if we are carnal and self-centered or showing love for others. To know His will, we must remain in constant contact with Him and be consistently obedient. How He answers our prayers may be flexible, depending on the reasons and sincerity behind our requests. Reasoning with Him according to His will has the power to change the course of history and can profoundly impact us and our brethren.

Seeking God's will is presented as a lifelong process that begins with imperfect, self-directed motives and must mature into wholehearted alignment with the Father's purpose. A personal account of baptism in 1983 illustrates this journey: a series of well-intentioned but misguided attempts to become "better Catholics," then "better Christians," and finally an incorrect observance of the Sabbath on the wrong day, all before God removed ingrained prejudices and drew the seekers into the truth. This history demonstrates that people often begin seeking God for self-serving or narrow reasons, yet God patiently works through these flawed pursuits to bring them to genuine conversion. This theme is anchored in John 1, where Jesus Christ, revealed as the eternal Word made flesh, asks Andrew and John His first recorded words: "What do you seek?" This question, rooted in the Greek dzateo (Strong's 2212), meaning to seek literally or figuratively, whether in worship of God or in opposition to Him, becomes the central challenge for every believer. The Louw and Nida Lexicon's definition, "to desire to have or experience something with the probable implication of making an attempt to realize one's desire," presses the question of whether one's efforts truly align with God's purpose or remain self-focused. Judas Iscariot is cited as an example of someone who may have sought Jesus for a personal agenda (national deliverance from Rome) without ever moving beyond that self-interest, ultimately leading to betrayal. John 6 provides a further illustration: the crowd sought Jesus not because they understood the sign of the miraculous feeding, but because their physical hunger was satisfied. Jesus rebukes this shallow motivation, urging them instead to labor for the imperishable food that leads to eternal life and to believe in the One whom the Father sent. This contrast between seeking physical satisfaction and seeking the true "bread of life" reinforces the need to examine one's own motives, especially those that first drew one to conversion, and to move beyond them. The Old Testament reinforces this call through 1 Chronicles 16, where the Hebrew words darash and baqash both express seeking the Lord's strength and presence continually, often tied to entering and maintaining covenant relationship with God. This seeking is described as an ongoing, wholehearted pursuit of God's presence, not a one-time act of belief. Luke 2 offers a parallel first-mention example: the twelve-year-old Jesus, found in the temple, asks His parents, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" This establishes that a life devoted to God's will must be centered on the Father's business, foreshadowing Christ's ultimate mission. The unifying message is that self-examination before Passover requires believers to move beyond the original, often self-centered motives that first drew them to God, and to grow into outgoing concern for others, pleasing God rather than self, as exemplified in Romans 15.