Can I Miss God's Will?
1) Direct Answer
Yes—a person can step out of God’s perfect will by unbelief or disobedience and miss His best in a season. But if you truly belong to Him, His purpose will stand; He will correct and bring you back. The Bride will not miss her place.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- The Bible shows a perfect will and a permissive will. “Prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2). That means some things are allowed, but they are not His best.
- Israel wanted a king. God let them have Saul, but said, “they have rejected Me” (1 Samuel 8:7). Permitted, yet outside His perfect plan.
- Balaam pressed past God’s “No” until he got a “Go,” and it led to judgment (Numbers 22; 31:16). That’s permissive will—dangerous ground.
- Jonah ran from God’s will, but God corrected him and set him back on the path (Jonah 1–3). You can detour, but God can bring His own back.
- Not everyone doing religious works is in the will of God (Matthew 7:21). We must do the Father’s will, not our own way.
- For those who are His: “All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me” (John 6:37). “My sheep hear My voice… and no man is able to pluck them out of My hand” (John 10:27–29). He finishes what He starts (Philippians 1:6).
- We are told, “Be not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Ephesians 5:17). That means it can be known, and it can be missed if we are unwise.
- God’s will is first moral and spiritual: “This is the will of God, even your sanctification” (1 Thessalonians 4:3). As we walk clean, He orders our steps (Proverbs 3:5–6).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- If everything that happens were God’s perfect will, there would be no warnings to “understand” His will, no call to “prove” it, and no need to pray “Thy will be done.” The Bible gives those commands because our choices matter.
- You can miss timing, peace, and reward by choosing your own way (1 Corinthians 3:13–15). But if you are His, you won’t miss salvation or your ordained place; He disciplines and restores His own.
- The Bride hears the Word, follows the Spirit, and will not fail to take her place. She is called, washed, and kept.
Practical counsel to stay in His perfect will
- Yield fully: Present your body a living sacrifice so you can “prove” His perfect will (Romans 12:1–2).
- Stay in the Word: His will never contradicts Scripture (Psalm 119:105).
- Be led by the Spirit: “As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Romans 8:14).
- Watch the fruit and the peace: The wisdom from above is pure and peaceable (James 3:17); let His peace rule in your heart (Colossians 3:15).
- Don’t force God after He has spoken: Balaam did and paid dearly. Wait, obey, and don’t press past the check of the Word and Spirit.
- If you’ve stepped off: Repent now. He restores and even redeems lost time (Joel 2:25). “All things work together for good” to them that love God (Romans 8:28).
Short reinforcing statement
Don’t live in the permissive will. Walk in the light you have, and God will make the next step plain. His perfect will is knowable, walkable, and sure for those who yield to His Word and Spirit.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
The believer's position in Christ
55-0116A §6
The main thing is, if we can find where God's Word belongs in our life. God sets times, and time limits, and then it works all to that time. Many of them... Before the coming of the Lord Jesus, there was many false things raised up and said, "This is the Messiah, and this is..." Many false things taken place, according to the Scriptures, just before the coming of the Lord Jesus. And people try to do it within themselves; they try to make God's Word fit in their program. But you've got it vice-versa. You've got to f...
Does God ever change His mind about His Word?
65-0418E §70
But now we find Balaam, a servant of God... And many of those men start out and are ordained of God, and does speak God's Word in many things, but when it comes to the full truth, they won't do it. Notice here, as a prophet of God, he should not've been caught in such a group as that to begin with. He shouldn't have went with them. But watch. For popularity's sake, see, for his conscience's sake, he said, "Well, stay all night, and I'll try again." See, "I'll try again"? What do you want to try again for? God alrea...
Does God ever change His mind about His Word?
65-0418E §89
Yet He grants you permission for ... permits your will, a permissive will, knowing what's in your heart. He knows it. You say, "Well, Brother Branham, I do so-and-so. It don't bother me. God blesses me every day. I sing in the Spirit, I dance in the Spirit, I..." He'll permit it. Go ahead. That's right. But what are you going to do? "I wear shorts, and I do this---it don't bother me. I know my faith is in Christ, not in what I wear." But the Bible said there is something to it. What'll you do? You'll make a stumbli...
New Ministry (William Branham)
59-1115 §91
Now, each of you people that come through the line this morning, was prayed for, just remember that the same God that granted all these things that you have heard done around the country... And they are true, just as true as they can be. And all these ministers here, and what's been done in their ministry, what's been done in the ministry the Lord has given me. We have stood here with sincerity, with all of our hearts, pray and laying hands on you, just exactly what Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that b...
Does God ever change His mind about His Word?
65-0418E §91
Oh, God, help us. God don't change his will, He don't change his mind; but He'll bless you. Sure, He blessed Balaam. And what did he do down there? He polluted the whole camp. See, you have to stay with what He said. He never changed his original plan. Now, look at the Balaams today in the field, would you. Just look around: prospering, speaking in tongues, sure, using God's gift to gain, everything. Sure. But it defiles the whole church of God with their corrupt teaching. That's right. One said to me, he said, "Wh...