In a time when many Christians are desperate for clarity amid chaos, pastor and author Costi Hinn believes the Church must be more discerning than ever, especially when it comes to identifying false teaching.
“One of the most blatant and prevalent [red flags] today is when church leaders say, ‘God told me that you need to … ‘” Hinn, pastor of Shepherd’s House Bible Church in Chandler, Arizona, told The Christian Post. “And then they give some sort of command or directive, and it’s related to things that are self-interested. That could be money. That could be guilt-tripping someone into staying in their church. That’s not biblical. That’s manipulation.”
Hinn, who is also the founder and president of For The Gospel, speaks from experience. The nephew of famed prosperity gospel televangelist Benny Hinn, he once worked inside the very ministry he now critiques. In his bestselling debut God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel, Hinn, who now leads a reformed church, offered an insider’s view of a theology he now says is “one of the most prominent and dangerous in the world.”
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Now, in his new book,Walking in God’s Will: Demystify God’s Plan for Your Life and Make Decisions with Confidence, Hinn brings his pastoral insight into how Christians can know and do the will of God.
“I had two ideas for my next book,” he says. “I took them to one of our pastors and our director of prayer ministry, and they both jumped at this one. They said, ‘You have to write on God’s will. That’s the number one question we get.'”
What followed is a guide that the pastor described as both theological and practical. It’s not about checking spiritual boxes, Hinn emphasized, but about pursuing God’s revealed Word and embracing His grace.
“I want people to be confident. I’ve been through anxiety, perfectionism and second-guessing decisions. But when you look at what the Bible teaches, there’s a framework for making confident, no-regret decisions,” he said.
In Walking in God’s Will, Hinn structures that framework around what he calls the “Seven Ps” of decision-making: Process, Prayer, Priorities, Principles, People, Providence and Peace.
“Usually, the best decisions aren’t made in haste,” he explained. “First, think through your process like an architect would. Second, ask: Have we prayed? One of the worst things is to be prayerless when we need wisdom. James 1:5 tells us if we ask in faith, God gives wisdom.”
From there, priorities must be considered: spiritual, financial, relational and eternal, Hinn said, encouraging believers to ask if a decision will draw them closer to Christ, whether it aligns with their financial responsibilities and what kind of eternal impact it might have.
Hinn shared a story from his own church, where a man asked if relocating his family to Tennessee for a quieter life would be considered sinful. “My heart exploded,” Hinn said. “Imagine if we were that person. God’s not mad at you because you want to move or have a few acres. He’s interested in the heart.”
It’s a theme that runs through the book: liberty, not legalism. “God has given us permission to enjoy good gifts, to live and make decisions within the bounds of Christian liberty,” Hinn said. “We don’t need to feel guilty for wants, as long as our priorities are in order.”
He also emphasized the importance of community and wise counsel. “When a husband and wife aren’t on the same page, that’s grounds to pause. We should seek peace, not just a feeling, but peace confirmed by the right relationships: spouses, pastors, godly mentors.”
One of the book’s most vital chapters addresses suffering as a part of God’s will, a subject Hinn feels is too often ignored or distorted by misguided pastors and ministry leaders.
“There are a lot of people that are teaching the wrong things about suffering, and they will tell people, ‘You’re just not living the victorious life,’ and, ‘You’re not a very good Christian,’ and ‘You’re not walking in blessing, and you don’t have enough faith, and you’re not doing all the right things. Otherwise, your life wouldn’t be this hard.’”
But suffering, the pastor contended, is something God uses for His purposes: “Why is it essential to understand suffering in the Christian journey? First of all, because God cares,” Hinn said. “He’s not some sadistic cosmic abuser. He’s a loving Father who walks with us in our brokenness.”
He quoted Joni Eareckson Tada: “God allows what He hates to accomplish what He loves.”
“That brought me so much comfort,” he said. “It reminded me that God doesn’t take pleasure in our pain. But He uses it to cleanse us of pride, selfishness, and to give us eternal perspective.”
“God’s will is not detached from your situation,” Hinn added. “He cares about the cancer diagnosis. He cares about the job loss. He cares about the sin that someone committed against you and how it destroyed a relationship or your marriage. He cares about the abused and the neglected and the forgotten, and His will is not detached from those things.”
A father of six, Hinn said he’s thankful his eyes were opened to the truth of the Gospel and the errors of theologies like the prosperity gospel, especially as he raises his own children.
“I’m thankful for the testimony God’s given, but the goal isn’t to have a hardcore testimony. The goal is to be faithful and be raised in the ways of the Lord,” he said.
And through Walking in God’s Will, the pastor said he wants to equip believers to make confident, biblically-grounded decisions.
“We don’t have to second guess ourselves as Christians,” he said. “Focus on living all out for the Lord and for the Gospel and for the glory of God. Watch: as your life is saturated with prayer and Scripture, the Lord will put your feet right where they’re supposed to go.”
Walking in God’s Will: Demystify God’s Plan for Your Life and Make Decisions with Confidence is now available.
Leah M. Klett is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: leah.klett@christianpost.com
