Every Christian's ultimate desire is to be a pleasing vessel to God and, in seeking to please him, we must first know what it takes to do so. In order to surmise how to please God, we have to know what he expects, what his will is for our lives, and how to line up with his expectations.
The Apostle Paul says in Colossians chapter one, verses nine and ten that we must pray without ceasing so that we might know God's will and walk worthy of him and do his good work (paraphrased). In essence, we have to constantly seek God in order to fulfill his divine plan for our lives.
God has given us a moral will; those things that are required for us to be pleasing unto him, and a principle of freedom of choice; the ability to live as we so desire. God has given us guidelines that we are to live by such as the Ten Commandments, but he loves us so much that he allows us to choose whether or not we will follow his guidelines or live as we so desire.
Throughout the Bible we see the many ways that God has communicated his will; he has used visions such as in the case of Isaiah 6:1; theophany (def: any direct, visual manifestation of the presence of God) when Jesus came to earth in human form, Hebrews 1:5-6; his audible voice when he spoke to Moses, Exodus 3:4; angels, as when he sent an angel to the virgin Mary, Luke 1:28-38; direct revelation as given to John on the isle of Patmos, the Revelation of St. John; and through the reading of his word, the Bible.
Praying and studying God's word helps us to understand that God's will takes on many facets of fulfilling our God-given responsibilities:
1. To glorify him
2. To minister to others
3. To evangelize
4. To do Good Works.
5. To produce spiritual fruits
In order to carry out our responsibilities we must be saved, live holy, surrender our lives to Christ, be obedient, and have humble trust in him.
God's will for us has long term benefits, while our will for our lives has short term benefits. Choosing to do God's will may have a few bumps in the road, but so does choosing our own course. Our way can have dire consequences while God's way leads to eternal life.
If we choose to serve God according to his will, in the long run we find that no matter what state we are in, we know that he is with us all the way, for he says he will never leave us or forsake us. He is in it for the long haul, as we should be. We should have a made-up mind to follow Jesus at any cost, because serving him will pay off in the end. Let us focus on purpose, apply Biblical principles, have a heart for God and be a willing vessel of his Holy Spirit.
Let us stay on course so that we will finish the race, don't give up, for as he said to Paul “my strength is made perfect in weakness”. 2 Corinthians 12:9.
God's will is that we might all be saved, living a righteous life that he might be glorified in Heaven.
Lastly, doing God's will should be a way of life, not for vainglory or as a show for others, but as a means of pleasing God. Paul said in Philippians 2:12-13, “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.”