12 Common Ways God Leads You into Your Destiny

Mark Virkler's picture

I have recently enjoyed reading two books by Tony Stoltzfus: The Invitation and The Encounter Coach's Cheat Sheet. In another of Tony's books, I discovered the innovative list below of 12 ways God leads us.

I see God has used all twelve of these methods to reveal and confirm His will and destiny for my life. With permission from the author, I am sharing this helpful list with you for your edification and for you to share with others, helping them discern God’s gifting, leading, call, and destiny God has for them. Pursuing one’s God-ordained destiny is the KEY to an effective, fun, fulfilling, and abundant life!


12 Common Ways People Experience Hearing a Call from God - by Tony Stoltzfus

  1. Drawing to a Need  I see a person, group, or need my heart is drawn to serve, and through that feel a larger sense of calling to meet those needs long-term (Moses).
  2. Personal Suffering – My call grows out of a personal experience of suffering and what is birthed in my heart through it (Job).
  3. Personal Success – God speaks to me through my success or overcoming something with a realization of what I can do on behalf of others (David with Goliath).
  4. Demonstration of Gifting – My calling is demonstrated (and often recognized by others) through unusual or early manifestations of gifting or ability (Joseph).
  5. Childhood Dreams – God implants significant insights about the future in the hearts of children (Samuel).
  6. Holy Discontent – I can’t stand something that is going on, and in the process of working against that injustice I discover my calling (Nehemiah).
  7. Inheritance/Community – My call comes through being part of my family, tribe or community, and embracing that group’s sense of collective call (Isaac, Jacob, Ruth).
  8. Affirmation/Confirmation – God uses others to name, confirm, or prophetically reveal my calling to me (David).
  9. Scripture – God reveals my call through a Scripture that is brought to life for me (Josiah).
  10. Circumstances – I find myself in a place of destiny where circumstances force me to respond (Esther).
  11. Direct Revelation – God speaks directly through an inner witness, dreams, visions or other supernatural means (Paul, Mary).
  12. Progressive Revelation – God uses many events, circumstances and insights to progressively unfold my call over a period of years (Abraham).

Stoltzfus, Tony. A Leader's Life Purpose Workbook: Calling and Destiny Discovery Tools for Christian Life Coaching. Pegasus Creative Arts. Kindle Edition.

Testimony: How I (Mark Virkler) have experienced these twelve ways God guides

  1. Drawing to a Need  I got saved in a church that didn’t believe God spoke today. Even churches that do believe God speaks have many in their congregations who did not know how to clearly and easily hear His voice as no one had ever mentioned to them that God’s voice is experienced as flowing thoughts which light upon your mind, while your eyes are fixed on Jesus.
  2. Personal Suffering – I was devastated with sadness and regret that I didn’t live when Jesus was alive on the earth, so I could walk and talk with Him. Now He was far away in heaven.
  3. Personal Success – I realized the final words of Jesus were: Behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the world.” (Matt. 28:20 Modern KJV) Yay! Also see #11 below concerning direct revelation.
  4. Demonstration of GiftingOnce God revealed to me the four keys to hearing His voice, I discovered as I shared them, others could hear God’s voice too.
  5. Childhood DreamsGod put in my heart as a child the passion to LIVE the Bible.
  6. Holy Discontent – I could not accept that God no longer allowed His sheep to hear His voice.
  7. Inheritance/Community  My call came based on a family heritage of parents who loved the Lord and sought to serve Him with all their lives.
  8. Affirmation/ConfirmationRev. Tommy Reid, John Arnott, and Randy Clark all confirmed the 4 Keys and had me teach them continuously in their ministries. Shawn Bolz, Sid Roth, Patricia King, and many others have video interviews with me on the 4 Keys. The 4 Keys have been translated into 56 languages. Nearly 100 other authors have added the 4 Keys to their books. I have traveled for 40 years on six continents teaching How to Hear God’s Voice. Now we have students in 127 nations who have taken our training on communion with God and provided hundreds of testimonies of transformed lives. (See also Trustpilot Reviews.)
  9. Scripture – God showed me His guarantee: “My sheep hear My voice!” (Jn. 10:27)
  10. Circumstances – I found myself kicked out of my church when I first taught the 4 Keys. This opened the door for me to become a co-pastor in a church of 3,000. When let go from that church, God used that to fulfill His ultimate destiny for my life: He led me to the nations to teach communion with God.
  11. Direct RevelationAs I honored the inner leading to set aside a year of my life to learn God’s voice, He woke me halfway through that year with a booming bass voice, saying “Get up, I am going to teach you how to hear My voice.” That morning He taught me 1) stillness, 2) vision, 3) flow, 4) journaling. God’s voice is as simple as quieting down, fixing my eyes on Jesus, tuning to flow, and journaling out the flowing thoughts (God’s voice), and flowing pictures (God’s vision). See: www.CWGministries.org/4keys 
  12. Progressive Revelation I have been a Christian since age 15. I learned the 4 Keys at age 25. Now at age 72, I have over 50 books that bring the voice of God to 50 areas of one’s life. We have 100 university courses that bring the voice of God to your university education and a School of the Spirit which brings the voice of God to over 25 e-learning training modules. We also have a website committed to communion with God (www.CWGministries.org/4keys). God has confirmed that I am living out my destiny. To God be the glory, great things He has done!

Now It's Your Turn: Personal Journaling Application

Ask God for direction for your life’s ministry by asking Him for revelation in these 12 areas.

  1. Drawing to a Need – Lord, what need do I feel drawn to meet?
  2. Personal Suffering – Lord, where have I personally suffered?
  3. Personal Success – Lord, where has Your comfort granted me the grace to overcome this suffering so I can minister this same healing to others who have experienced similar suffering?
  4. Demonstration of Gifting – Lord, what gifts and strengths have I expressed so far in my life?
  5. Childhood Dreams – Lord, what dreams did You place in my heart as a child?
  6. Holy Discontent – Lord, what is it that I can’t stand and believe needs fixing?
  7. Inheritance/Community – Lord, what are the gifts in my family's heritage which I see are now present in my life also?
  8. Affirmation/Confirmation – What do others tell me my gifts and calling are?
  9. Scripture – Lord, what Scripture supports my gifts and calling?
  10. Circumstances – Lord, what circumstances are pushing me in the direction of my calling?
  11. Direct Revelation – Lord, what would You say to me about my gifts and calling?
  12. Progressive Revelation – Lord, what ongoing revelation confirms and expands my gifts and calling?

Dig Deeper: Personality Profiles, 4 Keys Training, & More Journaling Questions

Related Resources: 

How to Hear God's Voice!   
Add new comment

Add new comment

CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Results

Results 1 - 10 of 485

Pages

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 305 Pages | Retail: $16.99

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond?


Price: $14.95

Dialogue with God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 296 Pages

This top seller for 30 years from Bridge Logos provides a narrative, right-brain presentation of the principles of how to hear God's voice. Especially enjoyable for personal use, it makes a great gift for introducing a loved one to the voice of God. This book teaches the four keys to hearing God's voice in readable style, and also devotes two entire chapters to moving samples of people's journaling (i.e. their two-way dialogue with God).

Price: $17.95
Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

Hear God's Voice Guaranteed Package

9 Books | 10 CDs | 10 DVDs | Save Over 20%

Have you ever wished you could just sit down and have a long talk with the Lord? Wouldn't it be wonderful to move beyond having a theology that states that God loves you to actually hearing Him whisper words of love into your heart? When you're worried or confused, wouldn't you love to see the situation from His perspective and hear how He wants you to respond? When things don't seem to be going your way and your prayers aren't answered the way you had hoped, wouldn't it be great to hear Him tell you where He is in the midst of it, and what He is working out in your life? Are you ever just a little bit jealous of others who say with such confidence, "The Lord said...."?

Price: $175.00

How to Hear God's Voice

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 317 Pages

We recommend that you order the newest revision of this book titled 4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice. It includes 95% of the content of How to Hear God's Voice but is reorganized so it fits perfectly with the 10 DVDs on this subject by Mark Virkler. In addition, it gets you started using the four keys earlier in the book and gives you more journaling samples and exercises. Since we have removed the large margins, it is a smaller and less expensive book.

Price: $24.95

Prayers That Heal the Heart - Revised & Expanded 20th Anniversary Edition

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 320 Pages

Prayer counseling that breaks every yoke! Everything you need to experience deep healing of your soul and spirit.

Did you know that you don’t need to be continually plagued by negative thoughts, feelings, pictures or memories?

It is not part of the "human condition" to feel the constant nagging of doubt, insecurity, or anger. No matter what sin you are trying to overcome, what lie you think you’ll always believe, or what traumas your heart has suffered in the past, you will receive total freedom and restoration by praying these prayers in faith. 

Price: $19.95

Counseled by God

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 146 Pages

Have you ever been defeated by negative emotions such as anger, fear, guilt, inferiority, condemnation or depression? Have you tried to fight them off unsuccessfully? Is there an answer that is deeper than simply trying to mentally reason yourself out of these emotions? Is there a way that Jesus can speak a word of life into the depths of your emotional despair and bring healing on a deep level? Is there a form of Christian counseling that begins and ends with the movement of Christ within your heart, rather than simply with the words of man?

Price: $10.95
Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook Cover

Hear God Through Your Dreams Workbook

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 92 Pages

A newer book has been released that accompanies this workbook: Click here for Hearing God Through Your Dreams by Charity Kayembe and Mark Virkler (featured on Sid Roth's "It's Supernatural", with almost a million views just on YouTube).


Do you often wake up feeling there was a significant message in your dream, but you’re just not sure what it is? Like Daniel and Joseph, do you long to be able to help others understand their own dreams and win them to Christ as you explain His night messages to them? Wouldn't it be nice if you could receive mid-course corrections from the Lord while you sleep? Do you wish you could be receiving divine inspiration, creative solutions to problems, and direction from the Lord during that third of your life that you’re “just” sleeping?

Price: $11.95

Hearing God Through Your Dreams

by Mark Virkler and Charity Virkler Kayembe | 292 Pages

Learn How to Hear God’s Voice, Even When You Are Sleeping

It is always fun to be on the winning team. Well look what God has done with Charity's new dreams teaching. It has taken off like a rocket with a live TV interview on Cornerstone Network and her Sid Roth interview which has almost a million views on YouTube!

Price: $16.99

Everyday Angels

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock 289 Pages

You can partner with Heaven’s angelic hosts!

Do you have guardian angels? Does God want you to know them? Find out what Scripture reveals and how YOU can interact with the company of Heaven!

The supernatural realm permeates our natural world! Therefore, experiencing angels should be an everyday occurrence–we simply need to open our spiritual eyes to their reality and role in our lives.

Price: $16.99
Hearing God

Hearing God - for Intimacy, Healing, Creativity, Meditation and Dream Interpretation

by Mark Virkler and Patti Virkler | 192 Pages

Reviewed by Sid Roth on It's SupernaturalWhat does it sound like to hear from Heaven? In this interactive journal, Dr. Mark Virkler takes you on a life-changing journey that reveals three powerful ways you can hear God’s voice and recognize how He is speaking in your life everyday.

Price: $16.95

Pages