Well, the saints knew the will of God directly from God, this is understandable. And for us, who are still far from the perfection of the saints, how are we to recognize it? This is not a simple or easy task, it is a science that cannot be overcome at once. It cannot be studied purely theoretically, as, for example, the laws of physics or the rules of the road are studied. It is studied only by many labors, many struggles and trials, many experiences of the Christian life. As man draws closer to God, he receives from Him the gift of spiritual discernment and becomes able to recognize His will unerringly.

What is the gift of spiritual discernment? According to Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain, spiritual reasoning is purification, Divine enlightenment, spiritual clarity. Christians should strive in every possible way to acquire this gift. For those who have not yet reached this high measure, there are some ways that can help on the path of studying this science. Let's list the main ones.

So, first of all, those who want to fulfill the will of God in their lives must certainly read and carefully study His Word, the Holy Scriptures, in which the Lord Himself reveals His will to man. And it is not just necessary to read the Scriptures, but it is necessary to fulfill in life what is written there. That is, you need to try to apply the words of Scripture to every situation in life. With any of our choices, we need to remember that the Lord is looking at us now, and think about what He expects from us and how He would like us to act. It is necessary to remember what words, what commandments of the Scriptures can be applied to a given situation and, based on this, try to make the right choice, that is, pleasing to God. A person who conforms his actions to the Word of God will gradually grow in the knowledge of the will of God.

Secondly, whoever wants to fulfill the will of God must read the lives and works of the Holy Fathers. Saints are people who laid down their lives to fulfill the will of God, and therefore they can teach us the same. Reading the lives of the saints, we must imitate them, try to live as they lived. That is, when we do not know what to do, we need to remember how the saints acted in this or a similar situation, and try to act in the same way as much as possible for us. If we do this to the best of our ability, then we will be imitators of the saints in fulfilling the will of God, and little by little we will learn to recognize this will.

Thirdly, there is another way to find out the will of God: to ask your spiritual father or a spirit-bearing elder. However, it is necessary to come to the spiritual father and the elder with faith, and precede your question with a prayer to God, so that He would reveal His will through His servant. In the old days, people did just that: they went to St. Seraphim or Ambrose of Optina, and they revealed to them the will of God in one case or another. And this is the simplest and most reliable way, but for us it is almost inaccessible, for in our time the holy elders have become extremely impoverished, and even today there is rarely a spiritual father.

When it is not possible to ask spiritual fathers or saints, there is another way to find out the will of God: prayer to God for enlightenment. The Holy Fathers teach that it is good to pray three times before making any decision. St. John the Prophet says that when you cannot ask your elder, then you must pray three times about every matter, and after that you should look where your heart inclines, even if it is a hair's breadth, and do so; for the announcement is noticeable and in every way understandable to the heart. In the event that the matter does not require a quick solution, St. John advises to pray three times within three days. For our Saviour also departed three times to pray and, praying three times, pronounced the same words.

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain argues similarly with St. John. According to him, in order to fulfill the will of God in any matter, it is necessary, first, to pray, secondly, to think (since God did not give us our heads in vain), and, thirdly, to act. And this is a very wise rule, for prayer sanctifies a person's mind, so that he becomes able to find the right decision, that is, in accordance with the will of God.