So you feel like you have been called, what’s next? If you are truly feeling a call from God but have no idea where to go from there, here are six steps I have learned from experience that can get you pointed in the right direction.

1- Pray & Seek Confirmation

The first thing you need to do is pray and be specific! The worst thing you can do is start planning for a ministry you were never actually intended to do. If we’re not careful, we can let our emotions or desires convince us we are being called into a certain area of ministry when God has never explicitly spoken that to us. One way to find out is to pray for confirmation. When you pray, God can confirm your calling in dreams, through other people, the Word, or the preaching. God will reveal if the calling is from Him, or from your own desires. If what you think should happen doesn’t, do not be discouraged. Instead, pray that God will continue to grow you, and lead you to what He wants for your life.

2- Talk to Your Pastor

It is important that when you feel a call, you have a pastor in your life that is aware of it. Pastors are a gift from God because they hold special wisdom and insight that we cannot understand. They have been there and are able to help. They can help steer you in the right direction for where God is leading you. We must give our pastors the ability to tell us no. We must be teachable and willing to be led by them, even when they lead us to serve outside of the spotlight. So if you feel a call, talk to your Pastor. He is there to help.

3- Don’t wait to be a minister

When we feel called, we must look for a place to serve. Bro. Stan Gleason once said, “Be something on your way to something.” We must not wait to become ministers. We can minister where ever we are – in places like our local assemblies, jobs, schools, and the local coffee shop. Wherever your two feet can take you, the Holy Ghost can be with you to minister there. Don’t wait. There are people right where you are that need your words of encouragement, talents, gifts, and willingness to serve.

4- Obtain Spiritual Discipline

Prayer. Fasting. Word. Church Attendance. These are the fundamental pieces of our Christian foundation. How can we plan on fulfilling a calling without a foundation? We need to learn to pray so that God can speak into our lives, and so that the spiritual atmosphere around us can be changed. We need to learn to fast to get our flesh out of the way and to walk in boldness and anointing. We need to get into the Word to solidify our beliefs and doctrines, and so it can sustain us and others when encouragement is needed. Lastly, we need the church for encouragement, edification, and to hear the preached Word. It is by these things that we make our callings and elections sure.

5- Be Wise

With callings comes much passion, but we still have to be wise in our approach! We need to be prayerful and learn to depend on God’s timing. We cannot always just drop out of school, or quit our jobs and go straight to the field. While God may call you to quit your job to go, we must do this with explicit confirmation and a plan in mind. We must think about the future. It could be your job or education that God uses to get you to the place where you are supposed to be. Don’t shut Him out of these places because He can use them for His Glory. Be wise and listen to the voice of God ordering your steps.

6- Be Patient!

No matter where or to what God calls us, we must understand that things will not happen overnight. We need to be secure in knowing that if He has willed something for your life, it will come to pass in HIS timing.

Walking in your calling can seem like a scary thing, but it does not have to be. As long as we are trusting God, and seeking Him, He will provide us with direction. Let us not forget sit still and listen, for many times, God is whispering in His still, small voice.

Kiana Gilchrist is from Anderson, South Carolina at attends Sanctuary of Praise. She has been writing since she could form words together. Writing has been a way to collect her thoughts and escape from the troubles of life. She enjoys writing articles and essays on various topics. She currently has a blog where she shares articles about whatever comes to her heart, and about my experience in the Mission field. She is in the process of publishing a book of poetry.

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