How can we know we are following God’s plan day by day?
And when we sense His calling, how should we respond?
Throughout Scripture, we read about men and women who answered God’s call with courage and faith. Ezekiel boldly prophesied to a people who would reject him. Daniel and his friends stood firm for the Lord in the face of fire and lions. They were confident in God’s call, and they obeyed.
For those like Ezekiel and Daniel, God’s plan seemed obvious.
But what about us—those living ordinary lives in everyday places? How can we discern God’s call and confidently walk in His plan?
For one group of women, following God’s call began with one simple step.
Allow God to Move Your Heart
In 2019, Carol’s life turned upside down with one diagnosis: cancer. While she struggled to understand how this could be a part of God’s plan, she knew that only He could get her through this journey.
Carol joined an online support group for Mandarin-speaking women with breast cancer. She listened as members shared their medical struggles—but she noticed something was missing—eternal hope. Carol felt God stirring her heart to serve them.
Her opportunity soon arrived. Linda, a fellow group member, invited her to join in prayer for another woman—an unbeliever—grappling with the frightening spread of her cancer.
“We started from a very humble prayer meeting, praying for just one person,” Carol shared. “In the beginning, maybe seven people joined.”
Carol never planned to start a large-scale support group, but when God moved her heart, she responded. Today, more than 1,000 Mandarin-speaking women from around the world have been part of the group—finding hope and comfort as they gather online each week.
“We are praying for one another and supporting each other through breast cancer. It really started very simply, and we never expected it to last this long!”
We often look for dramatic signs or perfect timing, but God’s call usually begins with a gentle nudge.
Ezra 1:5 reminds us of a timeless truth: “Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites—everyone whose heart God had moved—prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.”
These men and women didn’t have all the answers. They couldn’t see what waited for them in Jerusalem. But when God moved their hearts, they responded—and He worked beyond what they could imagine.
We often look for dramatic signs or perfect timing, but God’s call usually begins with a gentle nudge: “Pray for her.” “Reach out.” “Go.”
As we seek God through His Word and prayer, God faithfully shows the way. He may not speak audibly, but His Spirit stirs within us, prompting one step—and then another.
Trust God to Provide and Equip
As Carol’s prayer group grew, several women—curious about Christianity—wanted to learn more. Others, already believers, longed to go deeper.
One member, Nancy, sensed the next step clearly: introduce them to BSF.
“Before I was diagnosed with cancer, I believed the Bible in my head but not in my heart,” Nancy said. “Through BSF, God’s Word helped me overcome fear and anxiety during treatment. I knew only God could truly help these women, and I wanted them to experience BSF for themselves.”
At that time, BSF was already expanding its Mandarin-speaking online groups. Connecting the support group to this growing network came naturally. By the end of the study year, two BSF groups of Mandarin-speaking breast cancer survivors were studying together. And God changed many lives along the way, including one member from Guam.
“When she joined, she was desperate and sad because her husband had passed away and she was really sick. She needed hope. So when she got involved in BSF, she found something to hold on to. She could devote her time and energy into the study of God’s Word. Plugging into BSF kept her grounded during a very difficult time.”
Today, that member is serving as a Group Leader and hopes to start the very first BSF class in Guam.
We can confidently step out in faith when we fix our eyes on Jesus and stay true to His Word.
Ezra 1:7 reminds us that God not only moves hearts—He supplies everything His people need to follow His call: “Moreover, King Cyrus brought out the articles belonging to the temple of the LORD, which Nebuchadnezzar had carried away from Jerusalem and had placed in the temple of his god.”
Just as God restored what was taken from His people, He often provides what we could never gather on our own. Through BSF, God gave Carol and Nancy the resources, community, and courage to carry out His work.
Step Forward in Faith
Carol and Nancy’s stories remind us that God often begins His work with a simple stirring. He moves within ordinary people—through prayer, Scripture, and small acts of obedience—to accomplish extraordinary things.
How will you respond when God stirs your heart to reach out to a neighbor, show generosity, or pray for someone in need? How will you respond when God gives you a burden that lingers?
We may not always perfectly discern God’s plan, but we can confidently step out in faith when we fix our eyes on Jesus and stay true to His Word.
God moves in the hearts of His people to accomplish His work. How is He moving your heart today?