God wants you to enjoy your life. He wants to see you blessed, abundantly blessed! Every day the Lord gives you so many opportunities. And today is no exception – it is your opportunity, an opportunity for change!
But maybe you have asked yourself or others, “How to know if an opportunity is from God?” It looks good, but something doesn’t feel right. Or you feel it is the right thing to do, but still not sure and would like a confirmation.
Sounds familiar?
We all come across different opportunities. Some are great, some not so great. It is difficult to know whether an opportunity is from God or not. Especially when many doors open at the same time and you have to choose one.
The Word teaches us not to believe every spirit, but carefully examine what they say to determine if they are from God. (1 John 4:1)
The truth is though some opportunities look great, they are meant to distract us from receiving God’s best. Other opportunities may be good, but it may not be the right time for you to have them. While others may look vague but when they are the best. That’s why it is important to find out if what is before us is from God.
But…
How do you Know if an Opportunity is from God?
1. Godly Opportunities Come with no Sorrow
(Proverbs 10:22) says the blessings of God add no sorrow with it. If an opportunity is from God, there will be no drawbacks, fears, or tormenting cares. Whether big or small, you will be content with it because you know it is from God.
Now that doesn’t mean that you won’t face any challenges if an opportunity is from God. You may have to work extra hours at times to meet specific deadlines. Some colleagues may hate you for no good reason. And you will have to put in the effort to produce quality work.
But you will not bribe someone to get that position that has opened up. And you certainly won’t have to forge documents to get that chance. God will grant you favor even if you’re unqualified.
2. It will not Cause you to Forfeit your Christian Values
Okay, so maybe there is this opportunity that has come up. It looks good on paper, but the problem is you are being asked to do things that are against God’s word.
Or you have been praying for a spouse. And finally, someone wants to marry you. They are great, but they don’t share your faith. They have given you one condition: you have to deny your faith for the sake of your relationship.
If you are being pushed to question your faith because of a person or something, you need to back away. Yes, that thing may be matching all the qualities you have been praying for, and it is only your faith that is an issue. But remember, what does it profit you to gain that thing and lose your soul? (Mark 8:36)
3. It will Draw you Closer to God
God never gives you something that you can handle on your own. He always presents opportunities that draw us closer to the Lord. If an opportunity is causing you to pull away from God, then chances are it is not from Him.
The way forward would be to spend time with God and ask Him to help you.
Focus on God during the times of uncertainty and ask Him to reveal to you why you are straying away from Him. If the opportunity is not from Him, He will make it clear. If you have allowed the blessing to distract you, God will also make it clear and show you what to do.
4. The Opportunity will Stand the Test of Time
Just because God has given you an opportunity does not mean that everything will go smoothly. There will be challenges along the way. But an opportunity that is from God will always stand the test of time.
It may not come the way you expected, but it will stand every test if it is from God. You may not like it at first, but you will begin to enjoy it as time goes on.
But won’t it take me forever to know if this thing is from God? I need to know if this is from God before I embark on anything, you may say.
Well, the good thing is we don’t serve a God of confusion. He will always confirm to you whether something is from Him or not.
How does He do it?
How to Know Whether Something is from God or Not?
• God will Give you Peace
Have you ever embraced something quickly though you felt restless in your heart? It looked great on the outside, so you didn’t even try to check in with God whether it was from Him. But after a while, you started regretting why you took it because it came with so many challenges and sorrows?
If something is from God, it will not steal your peace away. An opportunity may not make sense to you or look like something that you were expecting. But if you have peace in your heart, chances are that opportunity is from God. (Philippians 4:7)
God confirms His blessings to us by giving us the peace that surpasses all understanding. It may look ridiculous to the outside world, but that should not stop you from taking that thing as long as you have peace in your heart.
• God will Speak Through other People
Another way that God confirms something is from Him is through other people. These may be our spiritual leaders, loved ones, or even random person in the streets.
You may go to church, and the sermon will be in line with that opportunity that has come in your life. The preacher will unknowingly encourage you to go ahead and take that opportunity because it is from God.
When the Lord told me to leave a Christian ministry I was working for, I felt I had to move to London. During a transition time, I was in a church with my friends. A pastor said these words, “If God tells you to move to London, then move!” I was at the back. My lovely friends turned their heads, giggling and pointing at me. I will never forget that moment.
At that time I did not have a clue what God was doing. But God by His grace confirmed the word He gave me a while back. The path was not clear, but because of that confirmation, I knew I was in the right direction.
Other people have received confirmation through their family members who are led by God to encourage them to embrace new opportunities.
There are even cases of someone in the streets speaking a word of knowledge concerning the door that God has just opened to the message’s recipient. See, God can use anyone to confirm that something is from Him. But you need to listen, especially if the open door scares or doesn’t excite you. Remember, God doesn’t give us what we want. He always gives us what we need.
• God will Speak Through His Word
As we have already seen, God will never contradict His word. If you ask Him for confirmation, He will always point you back to His word.
If you are unsure whether an opportunity is from God, ask Him to confirm it to you through His word. Ask the Holy Spirit for direction, and remember to ask for wisdom so that you can know how to apply the word of God to that given situation.
See, when God opens a door, He also gives you instructions on what to do with it. That open door will not benefit you alone, but it will also help the kingdom of God.
Here are some other ways how God speaks to us.
Now, maybe you have asked God for confirmation, but it is not yet clear.
Can you Ask God for a Sign?
Well, I must admit there is no definite answer to this.
Let’s look at two answers – Yes, You CAN ask God for a Sign and No, You Should NOT Ask God for a Sign:
- Yes, you CAN Ask for a Sign
To know whether you are doing the right thing or not, you may have to ask God for a sign.
Look, some things can be confusing. You may have the peace, and the thing may seem to align with the word of God. But because of past mistakes, you may need more confirmation. And the kind of confirmation needs to be a sign for you to be sure.
Gideon needed a sign from God for him to know that it was indeed the Lord who was speaking to him. Even after being shown the first sign, He asked for another one, and God still proved Himself to Him (Judges 6:33-7:22). Given that the enemy likes to pretend to be the angel of light, we can say that it is okay for us to ask for a sign to not fall for his schemes.
- No, you Should NOT Ask for a Sign
If you have been asking for something and have the peace that surpasses all understanding in your heart, asking God for a sign may not be necessary. God wants you to walk by faith and not by sight! He wants you to trust Him through the process, even if everything is not clear.
Asking for a sign may come off as you admitting that you are not walking by faith. Not operating in faith may open up doors for that opportunity to be stolen from you. It may also cause you to stay longer in a particular season because the enemy also performs false signs.
Final Thoughts
At times it is easy for us to know if an opportunity is from God.
But there are those times when so many opportunities present themselves, and we are forced to choose one that is the best.
Just because an opportunity looks good or matches everything you’ve been praying for does not necessarily mean that it is from God. It is not good to jump at every chance, even if the person presenting it to you is a believer.
On the other hand, some opportunities may not look attractive from the outside. But they may be from God. That’s why I encourage you to pray and spend time in the word so that God can reveal to you whether an opportunity is from Him or not.
But even if… even if you make the wrong turn, do not be hard on yourself. At least you tried. God will redirect your steps and bring you to the right path.
I hope this video by Dr. Charles Stanley – When Opportunities Appear will be a blessing and encouragement to you as it was to me.
Are you at a crossroads in life and you do not know if an opportunity is from God or not? Has this article given you a few ideas and reassured you that God will confirm His word using different ways? Share it in the comments below.
Shalom & Blessings,
Haly
Latest Articles:
- Step into a Bright Tomorrow with a New Chapter: Prophetic Word
- Prophetic Blessings: Blessed Going Out and Coming In
- Realignment, Promise and Destiny: Prophetic Word for January & New Year 2024
- Powerful Prophetic Word: A Season of Harvest, Fruitfulness, and Prosperity!
- Rise and Prophesy: Transforming Dry Bones into Life
- Celebrate Your Success: Harvest Time is Here! – Prophetic Word
Thank you Haly. I love what you said The opportunity from God will not benefit us alone, but it will also help the kingdom of God. We were blessed in our lives to see so many right doors opened by the hand of our loving Father🚪 Every time we also needed all our patience and humbleness to receive the blessings on the God’s right time. Love.
Amen, Iryna. When God blesses us, those blessings touch other people’s lives, too.
God is so trustworthy. Life could be hard, but the Lord always gives us an opportunity to succeed in life. And as you said – patience is the key. Trust + Patience + Action.
Have a blessed week,
Haly
Thanks for the detailed sharing. it really speaks to me and I am excited to share what I learnt from your sharing to my church friends later =)
Hi Joanne,
That’s great this message speaks to your situation.
I pray God will redirect your steps and bring you to the right path!
Blessings,
Haly
I have been living in another state since Dec. 2019 and there are times that I feel very lonely. I miss my close friends from “back home”. However, my son and grandchildren are here and I know I would miss them (even though we can still visit). The man I am living with claims to be a Christian but he isn’t actively searching for a church home like I am. I need and want to be a part of a church family. I have not been able to get a teaching job here. I had one interview but I was not selected. I have had many phone calls from the other state. Last week I had an online interview but have not heard back yet. If I am offered the position, how will I know that I am making the right decision?