Discerning God's Will For My Life
“Show me the path where I should go, O Lord; point out the right road for me to walk. Lead me; teach me; for you are the God who gives me salvation. I have no hope except in you.” (Psalm 25:4-5 The Living Bible)
Every day of our lives, we are faced with choices. We have decisions to make about whether we should or should not do certain things. Some are major, life-changing decisions while others may be of lesser importance. How do we know what is the right decision? How do we know which decision is in keeping with God’s will?
Practicing discernment is using the mind and senses to gather all of the options available in a given situation and then to detect or recognize what needs to be done.
Practicing spiritual discernment enables us to go deeper to discover if our decision is aligned with God’s will.
This playlist will help you to explore what spiritual discernment is and will give you a model for practicing it.
Every day of our lives, we are faced with choices. We have decisions to make about whether we should or should not do certain things. Some are major, life-changing decisions while others may be of lesser importance. How do we know what is the right decision? How do we know which decision is in keeping with God’s will?
Practicing discernment is using the mind and senses to gather all of the options available in a given situation and then to detect or recognize what needs to be done.
Practicing spiritual discernment enables us to go deeper to discover if our decision is aligned with God’s will.
This playlist will help you to explore what spiritual discernment is and will give you a model for practicing it.
What is spiritual discernment?
"God's will: nothing more,' nothing less; nothing else.” St. Ignatius of Loyola
Spiritual Discernment is prayerfully seeking the will of God. It is to distinguish (separate) the good from the evil, the valuable from the invaluable, the authentic from the counterfeit.
Conditions Necessary For Discernment
- Willing to look at the situation honestly, without bias
- Trust in God’s wisdom
- Openness to God’s leading
- Patience to wait for God’s leading
Holy Indifference is needed. It is an ability to say, "I am indifferent to anything but God's will." or "I am open to anything that is God's will.”
Do Not Enter Into Discernment…
…without a willingness to trust God's presence in the process.
… without a true desire to be open to where the process may lead.
… without the patience to allow the process to unfold in its own time and way.
Enter Into Discernment:
- Prayerfully
- Open to any outcome
- Humbly and in awe
Need For Silence
Silence allows time to enter God's presence, receive wisdom, and reflect on how God is moving in what is being said.
(Paraphrased from handout developed by Dr. Judith Burns and presented by Brent and Patti Meyer in September, 2006)
HOW DO I KNOW IT’S GOD’S WILL?
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Knowing God’s will comes from a spiritual understanding that something is either right or wrong. You will either experience consolation or desolation.
Consolation is the interior movement of the heart that gives me a deep sense of life-giving connection with God, others, and my most authentic self in God. It is the sense that all is right with the world, that I am free to be given over to God and to love even in moments of pain and crisis. Desolation is the loss of a sense of God’s presence. I feel out of touch with God, with others, and with my most authentic self. It is the experience of being off center, full of turmoil, confusion and maybe even rebellion. |
HOW DO I PRACTICE DISCERNMENT?Now it is time to practice discernment. Take an issue that you are grappling with and apply these steps. Click here: A Step-by-Step Discernment Process | Teresa Blythe (patheos.com) |
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