God tests every person He calls on the proving grounds of human life, much as a manufacturer tests a product, to see whether they are genuine and will endure. Romans 12:2 ties proving God's will to refusing conformity to the world and renewing the mind; it is one process. Scripture, the Spirit, and discernment make God's will plain in declarations such as the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, and the fruit of the Spirit. Learning and accepting these is only a child's first step. God wants His people to prove them by living them, often in situations where obedience is costly, so that His way is experienced as good, acceptable, and perfect and becomes engraved in character. The Greek dokimazo means to test, examine, or approve as genuine, as with gold refined by fire (I Peter 1). Examples include proving God through tithing (Malachi), testing all things (I Thessalonians 5:21), and testing the spirits (I John 4:1). Proving takes time, thought, and patience, not snap judgments, and Ephesians 5 and Philippians 1 present it as part of the daily walk that bears righteous fruit and glorifies God. Abraham is the chief example. He obeyed God's command and promises, endured trials and learned from his failures, and proved God's will most fully when he offered Isaac. This is the pattern of faith: if God says it, do it, and He will respond.

When faced with situations like impending storms, we often grapple with how to align our prayers with God's will. Many times, the thought arises that if we knew God's will more precisely, our prayers could be more accurate and specific, targeting the exact purpose He intends. As it is written in Exodus 30:36, prayers should be refined and detailed, allowing us to gain insight into various situations and approach God with clarity. If we could know His will better, our prayers would synchronize with what He is working out, eliminating the need to say phrases like "if it's Your will," because we would already understand it. We could confidently submit to His plan, knowing what He aims to accomplish, and pray accordingly in line with His purpose. In Matthew 6, Jesus provides a model prayer, instructing us to ask for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. He does not specify what that will is, implying that whether we know it or not, we must submit to it. Jesus acknowledges that often we do not or cannot know God's will in specific matters, which requires us to exercise faith. God desires us to understand His will as much as possible, yet certain matters remain beyond our grasp, no matter our righteousness or insight, due to our human limitations compared to His omniscience. The example of Abraham in Genesis 18 illustrates this struggle. Though God personally revealed His intent to investigate Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham did not know the specific outcome for Lot. Despite his concern, Abraham never directly mentioned Lot in his bargaining with God, instead focusing on the righteous in the city. He relied on his knowledge of God's character, trusting that God would not destroy the righteous with the wicked and would show mercy. Abraham exercised faith, leaving the determination of righteousness to God, confident that He would do what is best for the righteous based on His perfect nature. Understanding God's will is a lifelong pursuit for the converted, often more complex than we anticipate. Like Abraham, we may need to leave certain matters to Him in faith, accepting our limited understanding. God's instructions, such as those for keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, represent His will for us. These instructions call for dedication and spiritual focus, prioritizing our relationship with Him above all else, revealing His general will for specific times and actions. God's will is an attribute of purpose, encompassing His decisions and actions necessary for the existence and activity of Himself and all creation. It includes both general and specific choices, sustained by His continuous involvement, as seen in Ephesians 1:11, where He works all things according to His purpose. Though we glimpse the scope and certainty of His will, its full breadth remains beyond our comprehension due to our finite minds. His will progresses unhindered toward His aims, demonstrating His sovereignty and omnipotence. God's will can be categorized into necessary and free aspects. His necessary will reflects decisions He must make due to His unchanging, holy character, such as never lying or ceasing to exist. His free will includes choices not bound by His nature, like creating the universe or redeeming a special people for Himself, actions He undertook out of volition, as affirmed in Revelation 4, where creation proceeds from His will and is sustained by Him. Further distinctions exist between God's revealed and secret will. In Deuteronomy 29:29, He states that secret things belong to Him, while revealed things, such as His law, are given to us to follow. By adhering to His revealed will, we can avoid negative consequences, trusting that He withholds certain knowledge for our benefit. In Acts 1, Jesus reinforces this by redirecting the disciples from seeking secret knowledge about future events to focusing on their mission as witnesses, empowered by the Holy Spirit, emphasizing that some aspects of God's will remain in the Father's authority alone.

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 practical instruction urges us to live out our faith by finding out what pleases Him through our conduct. By walking as children of light, we actively demonstrate and discover what aligns with God's will, gaining understanding through obedience to His commands. This process of proving what is acceptable to the Lord often requires us to act in faith, even when full understanding is not immediate. As we submit to His directives, He gradually reveals the reasons behind them, deepening our insight into His purposes. Whether it involves forgiving repeatedly, being slow to speak, or submitting to one another, our obedience in these areas allows us to uncover His will over time, even if it tests our loyalty and patience. In situations where His will is unclear, we are encouraged to rely on a growing knowledge of His character to guide our decisions. By understanding His traits, we can narrow down our choices, eliminating options that do not align with His nature. This approach helps us to behave wisely, ensuring our actions reflect our identity as children of light and representatives of Him, striving to glorify Him in every step we take.