Help! I Still Can’t “Find” My Calling: More Tips for Finding God’s Purpose for Your Life

In another blog, I discussed finding God’s calling for our lives and tips on how to discover your calling. I also posted blogs about people called by God in the Bible. Today, I want to share with you what you can do if you still don’t know what you’re called to do. In summary, you can try the following: remember the last thing God told you to do, fast and pray, and patiently wait on God. If you want to learn more about these tips, please continue reading below!

Tip #1: Go Back to the Last Thing God Told You to Do

This is a great first step. Is there something you felt God has already asked you to do that you’ve forgotten about? I often find in my own life that if I haven’t pursued something God asked me to do, I don’t hear much else from Him. It is important to be faithful with what God has already asked us to do.

In the Bible, we see an example of this in Jacob’s life. God tells Jacob to return to Bethel, his homeland, after he’d been living away from home for a number of years (Genesis 31:11-13). He’d fled from his brother, Esau, who was angry with Jacob for stealing his birthright and blessing.

Instead of settling in Bethel, Jacob chooses to live in a pagan city in Canaan (Genesis 33:18). Unfortunately for Jacob, this was a bad decision. His daughter is assaulted and two of his sons slaughter the men in the entire city, creating tension between Jacob and the other neighboring cities (Genesis 34:25-27). God then reminds Jacob to return to Bethel and protects him while he journeys there with his family. Once Jacob returned to Bethel, God spoke to him and blessed him (Genesis 35:1-15).

Jacob’s life illustrates that it is important to follow through with something God has already asked us to do. While God loves us and is gracious to remind us of His plan for us, we may find ourselves stagnant in our purpose if we neglect God’s previous instructions.

Tip #2: Don’t Just Pray—Fast and Pray to Find Your Calling!

Fasting is an important part of deepening our relationship with God. It helps us to better focus on God and discover God’s vision for our lives. During a fast, you can choose to give up food for a period of time in order to spend extra time in prayer and reading the Bible. Most importantly, you should give up worldly entertainment—television, movies, music, etc. Use this time to focus on your relationship with God exclusively and to pray over your calling. 

One of my favorite examples of the power of fasting in the Bible comes from the book of Esther. In response to the threat of genocide, Esther asked her Uncle Mordecai to tell every Jew in the city of Susa to fast (Esther 4:16-17). In the end, God blessed them with a plan to advocate for the Jews before the Persian king. If you’re having trouble discerning God’s voice and receiving your calling, give fasting a try. Through fasting you can intentionally seek God in prayer about what He’s calling you to do.

Tip #3: Patiently Wait on God in Faith

God does everything in His timing. Most of our lives, we’ll be waiting on God for something. That includes our calling. We have to trust that God will reveal our purpose when we need to know what He desires us to do. 

We see an illustration of this in King David’s life. David received his calling from God when he was a young boy (1 Samuel 16). However, it would take years before God’s word over his life would come to pass (2 Samuel 5:4). David was meant to be king of Israel, but he had to wait until God decided he was ready. David needed years of preparation to become a warrior so that he could lead Israel’s army (Psalm 144:1). He also had to wait until God removed King Saul so that he could step into the role of king. While waiting, David would face temptation. There were opportunities to kill Saul and take the kingdom, but David rejected them (1 Samuel 26:8-24). He knew that his rise to king needed to happen in God’s time, not his time.

It can be hard to wait on God, especially when we feel like we’re floundering through life. However, we have to trust that God has a good plan and that His timing is perfect.

As always, please feel free to share any tips you have for finding your calling in the comments. I’d love to hear how you pray for purpose and what God has put on your heart to accomplish for Him!