Refutation of the Individual Will

• There is little or no support in the Bible.
• There is no mention of "finding God's will", nor the means to find it. No passage indicates communication of God's will via inner impressions.
• Passages that may appear to mention God's individual will, under closer scrutiny, are much more likely to be about God's moral will (biblically-revealed will for humanity).
  

• In every example, the means of communication is supernatural revelation: visions, angelic messenger, physical miracle, or audible voice of God; not inward impressions. No one ever gave reasons like "I felt in my heart that this is God's will", or "I knew this was God's will for me."
• Such guidance for specific decisions was the exception to the rule. The number of recorded cases is sporadic and inconsistent; is not sufficient to be normative.
• Although Paul received some supernatural revelations, relatively few of his decisions were based on revelation. (Acts 15:36, 20:16, Romans 1:10-13, 1 Cor 16:4-9, 2 Cor 1:15-2:4.)
• The people who received supernatural guidance played extraordinary roles. They were usually apostles, prophets, kings, or other leaders.

Practical Considerations

• The official teaching claims that all decisions are to be made by God. The idea of following inward impressions and signs for every decision of your life is ridiculous. Which shoe should you put on first? What should I eat for lunch? Therefore, the method must be abandoned for what are considered the minor decisions of life.
• The possibility of missing God's individual will causes anxiety and frustration. God's will is binding, so to go against His will would be sin!
• Decisions that are made via impressions and signs are not open to criticism. All decisions, whether wise or not, are "God's decisions". Allowing people to say, "God told me to do it" only promotes irresponsibility.
• Because of uncertainty, decision-making via impressions and signs fosters costly delays and procrastination, which can also lead to more complications and may change the original circumstances surrounding the decision.
• Some uncertain people, when confronted with two equal options, may choose the one that's less appealing, in order to guard against self-centered ambitions (God may not want what you want).

The Subjectivity of Impressions and Signs

• There is no objective source of truth to substantiate an impression (you can't simply check with the Bible).
• Impressions, by their nature, are vague and uncertain.
• How can you ever be sure the still small voice is not your own, or a demon's?
• Christians often disagree when they make decisions or interpret scripture.
• Why would God want you to confirm your impression with signs? If God is going to speak to you personally, why not just be clear about it in the first place? Signs are also subjective and uncertain, even if you get more than one (how can two uncertainties make a certainty?)
• Questions you would always have to ask yourself:
  • Do I really sense an impression?
  • Who or where is this impression coming from?
  • What does this impression want to tell me?
  • Will there be signs to confirm or correct this impression?
  • What are the signs trying to tell me?

Example : "Finding Our Ideal Mate"

If the teaching of the individual will is true, then certainly choosing a mate will be a decision God has already made for you - since it's most likely the most important decision you'll ever have to make, except for accepting Y'shua as your Master and Savior. But can a plan like that ever succeed?

If God wants you to remain single, and you marry anyone at all, you would be out of God's will. If you marry anyone other than the person God chose, you would be out of His will. If your chosen spouse remains single or marries someone else, you are both out of God's will. Once you marry the wrong person, you can never return to the center of God's will.

If only one person makes the wrong decision, it creates a chain reaction. His or her ideal mate will have to marry someone else's ideal mate, and so on. A few mistakes means that millions of Christians would have to marry God's second (or third, or fourth,...) best - if the teaching of the individual will is true.

For a Thorough Study:

Decision Making & the Will of God: A Biblical Alternative to the Traditional View, by Garry Friesen. 1980, Multnomah Press. Portland, Oregon.