This really can seem like a scary thing, because it seems so ambiguous and fragile. Luckily for me I have been blessed to have been taught a lot on the subject this semester, both in institute and church. I can remember one institute lesson and two sacrament meeting talks that really changed, well, my life in particular, so I'll be relating a lot of that back.
The first important thing I learned is that people feel the Spirit in different ways, so recognizing my "Spirit language" was major. For me, I get shivers down my spine (granted, this also happens when I listen to certain music/watch certain movies) and mainly a really calm and peaceful feeling, combined with overwhelming joy. Two things helped me really solidify this. First was my decision to make weekly temple visits a priority. This is the feeling I get while in the temple, and it carries out throughout my week, and it has probably been the best daily-life changing decision I've made. The second thing was the confirmation I got for my decision to serve a mission. As you know, my decision really snuck up me and did a fast surprise attack on my life, compared to your decision (which you were a big part of, a fact that I will be eternally grateful to you for :) ) and at first I wondered how I would be able to really know if it was right, since I hadn't asked for/received this kind of confirmation for a decision like this before. I found that I just had to rely on going back to basics and living so I could have the Spirit with me throughout my days as I studied it out; I wouldn't say that I had this one major prayer where I asked if I should go and then I just knew I should. Instead, I studied it out in my mind daily, it was always on my mind, really. And little by little everything seemed right about it. I continually asked for help in the decision, fasting and praying, until it kind of became a part of me. I tried thinking about not going, and by this point I almost couldn't comprehend not going. I knew that I would always regret not going, and it almost made me sick and stupor-ed trying to picture staying home. I knew that if I had a desire to serve I was called to the work, and that even though it will be one of the hardest things I will probably ever do, it will be one of the most beneficial, and through all the trials if I forget myself and go to work with the best intent, then I will have the Lord with me and I will succeed. And I take the sum total of all these thoughts and experiences as my personal confirmation from the Lord that my decision to serve is a good one, maybe the best one I could make right now.
Speaking more generally, I heard from several sources, and I agree with this, that there are really three ways that a prayer can be answered. Actually, backing up a little: the Lord has given us agency and he wants us to use it, he trusts us to use it. As a starting point, once you have the Spirit confirmed upon you, you need to try and live in a way that the Spirit wants to dwell with you (I keep saying you and I'm meaning everyone, sorry if it sounds accusatory). That does not mean perfection, but rather working hard to live the Gospel principles and trying your very best--- direction is more important than speed, the goal for life is moving forward and not back. When you're faced with a decision, go about praying to have the Spirit's influence, as well as the intelligence that God gave you, to actually make a decision. Decision making is one of the hardest things we do, especially when faced with complicated choices that are all good, but the Lord wants us to be moving and working, not just standing still and waiting to be rescued, and that's the difficult truth.
Now comes the three answers that can come from presenting your problem and decision to the Lord. First, and maybe funnest, can be a direct confirmation that the decision is good. Then you're good to go! This one can be hard with the problem of knowing whether it's just you confirming it to yourself, but I really believe that if you are trying to act with the Lord then you won't be led astray in this. Next can be the stupor of thought, which I don't really have a lot of experience with, but I'm guessing it makes it hard to continue on your path without having a lot of doubts and an absence of the Spirit. And finally, this is the important one, you can get no answer. This one happens a lot to me; maybe because I'm impatient or don't have the Spirit with me like I should, but this is the one I've recently learned most about. It doesn't really mean that you aren't getting an answer, but that the Lord is saying "I trust you. There are many good paths, and I trust you to choose a good one. You can do this." At this point, even though it's scary, I think that it means that you just have to jump in and act. If you somehow mess up badly and things start going wrong, and you are continuing on trying to keep the Spirit with you, then you will be warned and stopped; you won't be abandoned and hung out to dry. But if your path is good and true, which it probably usually is, you will be reassured and confirmed as you go on your way. This last one, I realized after hearing the talk, was how I made the decision to serve a mission, and I have never looked back.
I think, and this is just how I see things, that when we hear of God's plan for us, it doesn't really mean that God has decided where we will go to school and what our career will be and who we will marry and where we will live, and our job is to be constantly listening for the Spirit to tell us this plan piece by piece, and if we miss one part than too bad for us. And maybe no one think like this. God
is omniscient in ways we can't comprehend, and can see the whole layout of the map while we're just traveling the road, and I'm not professing to know how God works. I just see it more like his plan for us is the plan for all his children, to come to Earth and partake in the Plan of Salvation, and return back to him, and he wants us to make our life what we want it to be, keeping Him at the center of it and abiding by his principles and commandments. Maybe it makes some people feel better to believe that an exact life plan is already laid out for them, but it makes me happier to picture him saying "Go for it, girl! Let's see what you can do with this life. Here are some incredible resources, and I'll be here when you need me. I have some things I need you to do when the times are right, so good luck and always keep in touch. I'm excited to see who you become, and to see you discover who you are and what you are capable of, because you have to potential for all the greatness and every blessing possible." Something along those lines.
That was incredibly long, but incredibly needed. If you've made it this far I hope that something resonated with you, if there was something in there you needed to hear. I sure needed to hear myself say most of that.
Good luck studying for finals!
