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 131 - 140 of 487

Pages

Your Extraordinary Life DVD Package

197 Page Book | 16 DVD Sessions | Save 10% | by Mark & Patti Virkler

Can you imagine starting new believers off with the Holy Spirit! What if the first thing you were taught as a newborn Christian was how to connect easily and daily with the Holy Spirit Who was living inside you, anointing you, empowering you and transforming you?

Price: $45.00
4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice Audio CD Package

4 Keys to Hearing God's Voice Audio CD Package

By Mark Virkler | 4 Keys book | 10 hours of CDs | LEARN notebook

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: $79.95
Complete Library of Virkler CDs (Not All Items Pictured)

Complete Library of Virkler CDs

23 Titles - Save $215!

Benefit from 40+ years of teachings by Drs. Mark and Patti Virkler. They are passionate to lead you into Spirit-anointed living by providing biblically-based, real life, "how to" training on Christian spirituality. Their down-to-earth teachings are perfect for personal and small group training experiences. Special Bonus: Includes teachings by their daughter, Charity Virkler Kayembe. This is an ideal library of materials for a home, church or Christian school to have on hand.

Price: $449.00

Counseled by God Audio CD Package

Book, LEARN Notebook & 13 sessions on 6 CDs

Recently Released – 35th Anniversary Edition. The foremost training series in the world teaching you how to become emotionally whole by hearing the voice of the Wonderful Counselor (Isa. 9:6)! This package gives you the tools you will need to ensure this message bears fruit in your life and equips you to share it with others.

Price: $76.85

Everyday Angels CD Package

by Charity Virkler Kayembe and Joe Brock

You can partner with Heaven's angelic hosts!

Discover how to encounter, engage and experience angels in everyday life.

I GUARANTEE you will learn more about the angelic realm than you ever thought possible and you WILL experience a new awareness of the spiritual world!

Price: $67.99
Prayers That Heal the Heart Audio CD Package

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

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 2 Books | 2 Contributing Strands Worksheets | 15 CD Sessions

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: $85.85

49 Lies CD Package - 49 Religious Lies Jesus Told Me to Stop Believing

2 Books & 7 CDs

If you have ever believed any of the following lies, then this training package is for you: "Emotions are soulish;" "Money is evil or secular;" "It is wrong to seek vision;" "Don’t trust experiences;" "God gave me a mind and expects me to use it;" "Politics are evil;" God is always beating on me;" or one of 43 more such deceptive lies...

This package is composed of two books, 49 Lies  (100 pages of God's revelation through two-way journaling) and Release from Religion which contains 100 pages of Bible meditation where we search the Scriptures to see if they confirm that these things are so. 

This package includes 49 professionally recorded sessions, each 5-12 minutes long, which is my testimony of breaking free from each lie. I discuss what the lie is, its impact on my life, what Jesus spoke, my prayer of repentance and the new freedom I experienced which allows me to step into a new life in Christ.

Price: $69.95
Fulfill Your Financial Destiny Audio CD Package

Fulfill Your Financial Destiny Audio CD Package

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 1 book | 22 Audio Sessions

Newly recorded for 2023! Though the economic system (mammon) of this world is under a curse, we have received instructions for how to move out from that dominion and into the blessing of the Kingdom of God. God’s promises to His children have not changed with the whims of government or Wall Street, nor have His directions for how to walk in those promises. We can “choose not to participate” in the economic recession that is around us if we instead choose to obey the logos and rhema of the Lord and enjoy the blessings that result.

Price: $69.90
Hear God Through Your Dreams Audio CD Package

Hear God Through Your Dreams Audio CD Package

by Mark and Patti Virkler | 1 Book | 5 CD sessions | $36.90

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: $36.90
Hearing God Through Your Dreams CD Package

Hearing God Through Your Dreams CD Package

by Mark Virkler and Charity Kayembe | 10 Sessions on 4 Discs | 1 Book

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

Receive divine counsel nightly. Increase emotional health, wisdom and creativity.

Price: $56.94

Pages