Knowing God's Will

What are the ways you discern God's will?

The one way that I'll mention, which some people don't believe in, but I think is really important, is answers.

Our old meeting place called them promises, and Bill Gothard's Institute calls them rhemas. Basically, answers are specific parts of the Bible that apply directly to, or answer current situations in our lives.

The Lord who's in control of everything, arranges the circumstances to bring us to these parts of the Bible at the right time. He's a real person who's still alive, and actively interested and working in our lives, and His Word is a living Word that He can use to speak to us when we seek Him.

Example(s) of situations where you've discerned the Lord's will

Like I said earlier, some people don't believe in these answers from the Lord. Sometimes we get confused because we thought we had the Lord speak to us this way, and then it turned out to be wrong, or didn't work out.

So, one time I wanted to whether the Lord really does speak to people like that, so I prayed and asked Him that. Then I read this verse in the Bible, and I got a double answer:

Jeremiah 33:3

Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

First, it shows that when we call on the Lord, He does answer us and show us things. Second, it's an example of just that, because I called on Him for this, and this was His answer to me. The Lord's Word, directly answering us when we call on Him, is definitely a very real thing.

My own question

It's still hard for me to understand when I thought the Lord spoke directly to me, and then it didn't work out the way I thought. Was it not the Lord in the first place? Did I misunderstand Him? How can I know whether something is really an answer from the Lord or not?