John Eldredge concludes Chapter 11 of Moving Mountains by describing how to pray for guidance, clarity or revelation. He provides four steps.
1. Do whatever you can to reduce the pressure. John emphasizes that pressure is a killer and almost always gets in the way of hearing from God. As you seek guidance, lay down the pressure and give the search some breathing room. Inhale deeply yourself.
2. Be open to whatever it may be that God has to say to you. It is not likely at all that you will hear anything from God if you are, in truth, only open to hearing the answer you want from God. The key is surrender. Yield your plans and hunches to God so you will receive something far better- His counsel.
3. Do not fill in the blanks. Don’t divide your energy, spending half trying to figure out the situation and the other half seeking God. John states: “Far better to live with uncertainty for a while than to be your own counselor.”
4. When it comes to major decisions, give it some time. Seek the Holy Spirit when you are seeking counsel.
John encourages specificity in prayer. If your decision is complex, break it down into parts and take one step at a time. When you feel you are receiving counsel or guidance from the Holy Spirit, ask Him to confirm that you are following God’s will. If you are still awaiting an answer, try another round of prayer.
The author concludes that God speaks to us in many ways, but most often He wants to speak to us intimately and personally:
“He wants us to hear his voice and feel confident that we are hearing from him. The beauty of prayer for guidance is that it requires two-way communication; we can’t just make prayer speeches at God; we need to hear from him.”
Today’s question: What methods do you find effective when you pray for guidance? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Pressing into maturity”
