7 Steps to Identify Purpose

As believer's, we all have been called to do a God-ordained purpose on this earth. Unfortunately, many people go through life unsure of the assignment that God has called them to do. After salvation, identifying the calling of God for your life is one of the most important things you should do as a believer. It brings identity, confidence, growth, a deeper longing for God, and causes you to walk in your dominion as you establish God’s kingdom here on earth!

Here are 7 ways to begin to identify your calling…

1. Simply Ask 

This sounds so simple and a bit silly, but it’s so important to ask. Ask God what He put you on this earth to do. It’s so easy to get caught up in the mystery of purpose, that you forget to go to the creator and simply ask Him what it is. 

In Matthew 7:7 it says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

So go to God and ask Him what He is calling you to do, and expect an answer! 

I used to sit on my bed and turn a chair towards me and imagine Jesus was sitting there, and I’d just talk. I'd pour out everything on my mind and ask every question that I had. Then I’d sit there and refuse to move until I heard an answer back. Sometimes I’d be sitting there for almost an hour before I heard something, but I always got my answer. 

“The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.”  (Lamentations 3:25)

2. Serve

God commands us in His word to serve others the way Jesus serves us. Find a place where you can serve, to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth. As you serve, you'll begin to take on the heart and character of Christ. 

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”  (Matthew 20:28)

So many people want God to show them the plan for their life and make them successful, but forget that the heart behind our calling is service. If you don’t first recognize that you are called to serve first and foremost, God won’t be able to trust you with purpose. 

Serve at church, a shelter, school, it doesn't matter; you just need to learn that whatever God has called you to isn’t about you.

3. Passion

Is there something that you are passionate about? Sometimes that is a clue to the calling of God. Be mindful that every passion isn’t from God. Some things that we are passionate about could be due to sin, negative influence, insecurities, or ignorance. So be mindful.

But some things you’re passionate about has been placed there by God. For example, when I was a teenager I was super passionate about understanding the WHY behind things I was doing, especially at church. In the youth group, I would be very flustered if there wasn’t an understanding behind why we were doing a certain activity. I felt like if we didn’t understand the importance behind what we were doing, the lesson would go over our heads. 

Fast forward to current day, God has used that very thing I was passionate about to help others. I know I am called to help other people navigate through purpose. With navigation comes helping people understand WHY what they do or don’t do affects their purpose. I’m called to help people understand how things God said in His word directly affect their destiny. 

I say that to say, something you're passionate about today can be the key to what God calls you to do tomorrow. 

4. Spend Time in His Presence

A lot of times we just want easy 1, 2, 3 steps to success. We want someone else to give us the answer to life without doing any work. When it comes to your calling, you can’t do that. It’s something that you must go get from God yourself. 

The calling on our lives is a great mystery and that mystery can only be discovered in the presence of God. You must learn to fall in love with God’s presence because it is only there that purpose can be revealed. 

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence, there is the fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalms 16:11)

Spend time in prayer, worship, read your word, listen to Spirit-filled ministers, and read blogs like this one! If you don’t create a habit of being in God’s presence you’ll never walk in the purpose of God for your life, and if you do, you’ll never be able to sustain it.

5. Leave Old Identity Behind

Sometimes God is trying to give us instructions that will lead us right into purpose, but we can’t hear Him. We can’t remain who we currently are and step into purpose at the same time. You have to let go of who you once were.

Jeremiah 1:5 says, “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

    Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

God knew us before sin and iniquity entered the picture once we were born. As we recover who we once were, we can then discover our calling. In order to do that, we have to leave the sin and iniquity behind in order to step into the calling. 

6. Learn Yourself

You can begin to learn who you are in Christ when you pull away from people and get alone with God. I know I keep saying this in different variations, but that’s because it really is the key to it all.

Learn who God says you are in His word. Learn the gifts that He put inside of you. Learn what makes you insecure and fix it. Learn the good characteristics that you possess, as well as the bad ones. Learn your family history and how the generational curses and generational blessings have affected your life. Figure out the best method for you to learn and retain information the easiest.

When you take the time to learn yourself, it’s a lot easier to understand why God wants to use you the way He does.

“Your hands made me and formed me; give me the understanding to learn your commands.” (Psalms 119:73)

7. Have a Willing & Obedient Heart

This is so important! God can’t take you but so far without these two things. 

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land” (Isaiah 1:19)

You must be open and willing to do whatever God tells you to do. You can’t already have a preconceived idea of what you will and won’t do for God. When you’re willing to do whatever He needs you to do, you’re then open to hearing instruction. Whatever instruction He gives you, you must immediately obey it. You may not understand it at first, but I promise you, whatever He’s instructing you to do is positioning you for what He's calling you to.