When we talk about calling in religion, we refer to the strong urge to do something for God. Every Christian, at one point or another in their lives, has felt the call of God in their lives.
You must have heard believers say, “God is calling me to do so and so thing”, and you wonder how they know. You may even think God is calling you, too. God calls different people in different ways, and oftentimes these calls are unique and specific to certain people.
It is sometimes hard to decipher whether or not God is calling you to do something because these experiences are not measured by a particular yardstick.
However, there are certain occurrences or circumstances you encounter that show that God is calling you, and these signs that manifest around you may either be clear or vague. It is our desire to know what God wants us to do so we don’t miss out on being a part of the work.
You may ask, how do I know God is calling me to do something? You would know because He gives signs to show He is calling.
So the question to consider is: What are the signs God is calling you to do something? In this article, we will explore some of the signs God is calling you to do something.
Sign 1: When You Have An Increased Desire For God And His Ministry More Than Ever Before
One of the signs God is calling you to do something is that you will have an increased desire for God and his ministry than you had a few days or years ago.
It suddenly feels like you have been sleeping or playing all those years. You feel reawakened, re-quickened, revived, and full of zeal to pursue the things of God.
Most times, you may not even understand where the strength and desire are coming from; you only know it’s there and that you have to pursue it.
You do not care about the cost of sacrificing your time and resources for the cause of God. You do not mind being disciplined when you fall into error. You are just burning on fire for the Lord.
When you notice this in your life, it is a strong sign God is calling you to something.
Sign 2: When You Have Dreams, Visions Or Supernatural Experiences With Clear Directions
Some people receive the call of God through supernatural experiences. It could be a vision, dream, trance, voice, or something else.
Often, people talk about how they got clear directions to build a house, start a career, or do something from their dreams.
We have examples in the Scriptures of Paul, who received a vision directing him to go to Macedonia with the gospel when he wanted to go somewhere else. He had experience on many occasions as well.
There’s also the story of Elisha, who could hear the plots of the king of Syria and warned the king of Israel several times.
I heard the story of a lady who was doing well in an occupation, and one day God spoke to her in a dream to leave the job and start selling ice blocks. This woman was educated. She prayed over it, and together with her husband, she started a small ice block business. Everyone thought she was crazy because why would someone leave a great job to sell ice blocks?
If you were her friend or neighbor, how would you feel? What would you say about this?
When you receive directions or a rundown of specific details of activities to perform for God or in his house, consider it a sign God is calling you to do something.
Sign 3: You Begin To Get Repeated Messages
One sign God is calling you to do something is that you keep getting repeated messages on a particular matter.
Have you ever had a moment when it seems all the Bible passages you’re reading, all your prayer points, words of advice to you, sermons in the church are all on the same issue? Well, I have.
There was a time I was so bitter because of something a certain person did to me. It was so hurtful that I couldn’t find a way to even think of talking to the person, not to mention forgiving.
In that period, my church decided to do a teaching series on forgiveness.
Even the devotional I used hammered on forgiveness that week. It seemed everything and everyone ganged up on me to deal with the matter and forgive. When I noticed the repeated messages, I knew it was a sign God was calling me to do something – forgive.
If you begin to receive repeated messages on a decision, issue, or matter you are seriously struggling with, know for sure that God is calling you to do something. These messages may come from any of the sources listed above, including articles such as this one or even songs. You have to pay attention to them.
Sign 4: If You Experience Repetitive Failures
No one ever wants to fail, even if they didn’t plan well. Now think of you, a meticulous and diligent person who has given your all to your business, projects, jobs, and marriage, only for it to fall flat before your face!
You try again and fail. Again and again. You wonder if you are cursed or something.
If you keep failing in the same area of your life, it can be a sign God is calling you to do something. It might be that business is not the best for you, or your vision for that job is not what God wants for you. It might even be that you’re the modern “Jonah” running away from God’s call upon your life, but instead of going from place to place, you go from one project to another.
If this describes you or someone you know, stop running and understand that repeated failures are a sign God is calling you to do something.
Sign 5: You Hit A Dead End Each Time You Try To Move Forward
This sign looks similar but is different from the sign of repeated failures.
Ever wondered why you’ve been passed over for promotion year in, year out? Why will your proposals be loved and celebrated but never approved for you?
Each time you go in a direction that is against the one God wants you to go, you will hit a dead end. That is a sign God is calling you to do something, but you just can’t see it.
I remember the year someone I knew desperately wanted to leave her country of birth to find a better life in another. She did all things legitimate to get there. She applied for scholarships, wrote mail upon mail, essay upon essay, and received multiple rejections.
She tried different scholarships, different countries, different programs, and different motivations, but no one could get her what she wanted.
She then decided to leave the state she was in for another “big and better” state, but each time she finished her planning, something else would thwart it. If only she had known quickly that those were signs God was calling her to do something, she would not have wasted her time in futile trial and error for years.
When she finally understood and resigned herself to her fate, what God had planned for her began to manifest.
Areas of your life where you may hit dead ends are health, finances, career, having children, business, and investments.
Sign 6: When An Unexpected Opportunity Shows Up
You might be on your own, doing your own things, when an unexpected opportunity for something you’ve had in your heart for a while shows up. That is a sign God is calling you to do something.
God usually surprises us with opportunities to do something we’ve always wanted to do, especially when we’ve prayed for it for a long time.
See the example of Joseph. He had a dream about being someone great, but it seemed the dream wasn’t happening because he was in prison, accused by Potiphar’s wife. Even when he thought he would regain his freedom, he didn’t. Then an unexpected opportunity showed up.
When Pharaoh called on him to interpret his dream, he never knew he would become a prime minister the next minute. That was truly an unexpected opportunity for him.
It could be the case for you. You might find yourself doing a task, handling a section in church, or working when God sends an unexpected opportunity for something you really wanted. It might be a long time coming, but it will surely come.
If that is not a sign God is calling you to do something, I don’t know what is!
A certain lady loved children with all her heart. Nothing gave her more joy than volunteering to serve in the children’s section at church and other events when no one else would. She was jobless at that time and had been praying to God to help her pass her interviews for employment in several organizations she went to, but it seemed her prayers were not being answered.
Then one day, the children in her church had a program, and there were a certain set of children present who wouldn’t sit still or obey instructions. Their disturbances influenced other children to be disorderly as well. All the other children’s teachers had given up on that set, but not this lady. She walked into the scene, coordinated all the children, quieted them, and gave them tasks to do.
Among the visitors present at the children’s event was the director of a big, private children’s center who needed a manager to handle affairs in the center.
She approached the lady at the end of the event and invited her to her office to talk about handling children. This lady never knew this was her door to an unexpected opportunity.
She met with the woman and was offered a job on the spot with a great salary and benefits, all because someone observed her work, which she did with joy.
Even as you wait for something better, do the task you have with diligence and joy.
Sign 7: When You Have A Burden In Your Heart For Something
This is the last in our list of signs God is calling you to do something.
When God is calling you to do something, He might put a burden on your heart for that thing. A burden is a strong desire to do something for people as a service to God, and it doesn’t lift until you’ve done that service.
We’ve all heard people talk about God putting burdens in their hearts for missions—singles, married, young adults, children, the lost, the abused, and so on. This burden spurred them to give their all in service to humanity as well as to God.
When you sense strong burdens in your heart to do something, be it prayer, giving your money, fasting, volunteering your services, going on mission trips, or taking up children’s work, don’t ignore them. It might be a sign God is calling you to do something.
Wrapping Up On The Signs God Is Calling You To Do Something
God sends out signs and signals in unique and diverse ways, so if you don’t recognize them, you’ll miss out on his plan for your life.
You must understand that what worked for one person may not work for you, and vice versa. It is up to you to recognize the signs God is calling you to do something that shows up in your life. This is what this article has attempted to do for you.
Finally, if, after reading this article, you discover God is calling you, you have to ask to find clarity on God’s expectations before embarking on an endeavor. Just as David will always ask for clarity, ask for his guidance to fulfill his will.
Remember that woman in our story who God told to leave her work and sell ice blocks? Well, after a few months, she became a distributor of ice blocks in her environment, and today she is a wholesaler of ice blocks for several communities around her.
If you watch out for the signs God is calling you to do something and obey, you will be amazed at the blessings of God that will follow you.
