[Ep 77] Three Prayers for Discernment: Making Difficult Choices in Difficult Seasons

As those who care for others, who seek to encourage them during difficult seasons, I know there are many times when we have to make difficult decisions.

We might need to decide where someone we care about is going to live: in a nursing home, at their home with health care stopping in, or at our house. We might need to decide whether or not to have the surgery that may or may not work. We might need to decide if we’re going to give up this aspect of our life for now so that we can provide extra support for someone we love. Or maybe even if we’re going to take on extra work so they have the finances they need to cover medical costs.

Maybe we feel the need to move somewhere, or to pull our kids out of school, or to put them into public school, or to let go of a friendship, or to stop serving at church for a little while.

There are also the more everyday things like, “How can I pray for her today?” “Should I reach out to her today or give her some space?” “What can I say or do to help her?”

My friends, there are so many questions we need to bring to the Lord for discernment and guidance. And God is faithful. He will lead us to the right path for us. Because what’s right for you in this season of your life may not be right for me in this season of mine. While there are some absolutes as we follow Christ—love your neighbor, take care of your family—the way we carry these out look differently. And so we must take time to discern what God is asking us to do.

As we bring these questions before Him, there are also three prayers we can offer to Him so that we can hear Him more clearly: the prayer for indifference, the prayer for wisdom, and the prayer of quiet trust. Let’s look at each one more closely.

Kari

RESOURCES + BIBLE VERSES:

• Book: Ruth Haley Barton, Pursuing God’s Will Together
• “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” (James 1:5 NLT)
• Episode 24: An Example in Spiritual Discernment and Decision Making: Going "All In" With Love Does That

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>> Written Spiritual Direction: Recognize God’s presence in your pain

http://lovedoesthat.org/spiritualdirection