11 Prayers for Direction and Guidance From God
Twenty-five years ago, I vividly remember sitting on a hillside while praying prayers for direction and guidance from God. I wanted to know what I was supposed to do with the rest of my life, and I hoped that if I sat quietly for long enough, God would tell me.
God didn’t speak to me in an audible voice or give me an immediate sense of knowing what to do. Instead, he began slowly imparting his wisdom to me. In time, I discerned his calling and followed him into it.
If you’re wrestling with this question today, I invite you to join me as we explore 11 prayers for direction and guidance from God.
11 Prayers for Direction and Guidance
If you’re seeking God’s guidance in some area of your life or simply creating space to assess your everyday rhythms, I invite you to talk with God using these prayer points as well.
Prayers for Direction and Guidance
1. Father, what would it look like for me to embrace my calling for this day?
What is God calling you to do today? Is he asking you to get out of bed and go to work or school? Will this be another day spent caring for your family?
You can find God’s will for tomorrow by giving your best effort in today’s work. This work might not feel like the sweet spot of your calling in life, but God will use it to prepare your heart for what lies ahead.
Simply put, when you do what you know God is calling you to do today, he will give you the direction you need for tomorrow.
I’ve been known to hurry ahead of God, to take 20 steps when God only asked me to take two. (Join me here for details.) I’ve been known to turn a nudge from God into a full-blown 30-step action plan and dive in without looking back.
2. Lord, please show me if I am not obeying you in any way today.
God won’t tell you what to do next until you obey what he has already told you.
A few years ago, I had a big decision to make. I was hashing it out with a friend, and she said something like this: “It sounds like you already know what God is leading you to do. God hasn’t gone silent. He already told you what to do, and now he’s waiting for you to do it.”
Sometimes God graciously confirms our decisions and sends miraculous signs. More often, he waits for us to do what he already asked us to do.
Have you been putting off a step of obedience? Until you obey God in this area, he won’t show you what step to take next.
3. Father, please give me wisdom as I continue moving forward in your calling.
God will call you to step out in wisdom.
At times, I’ve tried to determine God’s calling by asking for miraculous signs. As I’ve grown in faith, I’ve learned that God rarely gives me these signs. Instead, he gives wisdom.
More often than not, a simple, three-word question will lead to the best answer when it comes to finding direction. The question is this: “Is it wise?”
God gave us common sense for making decisions. Ask God for wisdom. Talk to wise people. God always leads us in wisdom.
4. God, please help me assess your guidance in the light of your Word.
Your calling from God will align with Scripture.
God will lead you as you encounter him in his written Word.
Make Bible reading a part of your everyday routine, and God will use this practice to guide you.
God will never lead you to do something that does not align with Scripture. For this reason, spend time in the Word. Connect with God and learn who he is. In the process, he will align your heart with his heart and give you his vision.
5. Father, open my heart to receive your guidance through other people.
Other people can help you step into your calling from God.
Conversations with others can guide our lives.
Spend time with people who know you well. Ask them to help you discern where God might be leading you. Ask them for wisdom. These people can help you find ways to use your passions to help others.
More Prayers for Direction and Guidance
6. God, how can I use my greatest gifts and passions to help others.
Your calling will use your greatest passions to help others.
What fills you with life and makes you feel purposeful?
Ask God to show you how to use this passion to help others. He wants to lead you down a path that is wholly fulfilling, a path that brings him glory. Keep seeking this path and trust that he will show you the way in his perfect timing.
7. God, what do you want me to know about my calling right now?
God wants to show you things you do not know. He wants to give you his heart for your family, friends, coworkers, and community.
Ask him to show you what he wants you to know about your calling. He will reveal himself to you.
8. Lord, does my life exude the love, joy, and peace with which you have called me to live?
Assess whether you feel joyful, loving, fulfilled, and peaceful. If not, talk to God about it. What does he want to show you? Where is he leading?
God wants you to bear fruit.
Maybe you notice that some areas of your life are joyful and peaceful, while other areas lack these characteristics. Ask God to show you what you need to know (or change) so that his peace, joy, and love might permeate every realm of your life.
9. In which areas of my life have I become complacent?
Ask God to show you if you have become apathetic or complacent in any realm of your life.
Have you stopped praying for your coworkers or seeing your job as a ministry?
Have you forgotten your “why” or lost sight of your calling? What does God want you to know?
10. God, are you calling me to step out in faith in any areas right now?
Perhaps you’ve grown too comfortable in your life. I regularly ask God to show me if he is calling me to step out and follow him into new endeavors.
He often shows me new ventures into which he is calling me.
It’s easy to ignore these nudges when I let myself become too comfortable.
11. What longings are welling up within me?
Our longings and desires can be sinful, but they can also be seeds planted by God. I regularly step back to assess my longings. At times, I recognize longings such as the longing for deeper connection in my friendships, the longing for more playful fun, the longing for time with my husband, or the longing for solitude.
Listen to these longings. If they are biblical longings and seem to be from God, ask him to help you follow them.
Read here for 11 prayers for direction and guidance from God. #prayer #guidance Share on XA Reflection on These Prayers for Direction and Guidance
I’ve spent much of my life grappling with the idea of a calling. Meanwhile, God’s calling is often less complicated than we make it. His calling is about how we live more than what we spend our time doing.
God's calling is often less complicated than we make it. His calling is about how we live more than what we spend our time doing. #calling #Godscalling Share on X
Calling All Parents (and Grandparents)!
As the parent of two sons and a daughter, I have a heart for helping parents develop deeper relationships with their children and with God. Our kids, ages 6, 11, and 15, share this vision. They have helped me write three family devotionals for parents or older relatives to read with the children and teens they love. You can find all three books here or read more below.
Calling All Boy Moms (and Dads)!
God’s Warrior: Devotions for Boys Who Want to Grow in Courage and Strength helps young boys, ages 5-13, learn what it means to trust God and become strong warriors for his kingdom. Now, more than ever, our world needs men who are willing to boldly carry God’s love into the world. I wrote this boys’ devotional book with our two young sons, Aiden and Caleb, ages six and eleven! You’ll enjoy their honesty as we teach boys how to be strong warriors for the Lord. Find this life-changing devotional book here.
Mother-Daughter Devotionals by a Mom and Daughter
Girl to Girl: 60 Mother-Daughter Devotions for a Closer Relationship and Deeper Faith is written for girls ages 7-12. It includes 60 devotions with Scripture, conversation starters, and a shared journaling section for moms and daughters after each devotion. I wrote this book with the help of our daughter, Bekah, when she was eleven. Find this one-of-a-kind shared devotional here.
Heart to Heart: A Mother-Daughter Devotional With 50 Devotions for Teen Girls is for teenage girls ages 13-20. It includes 50 devotions, each with a shared journaling section to help moms and daughters connect through writing. This is a great book for moms who want to communicate about awkward topics—like dating, sexuality, peer pressure, and more—but don’t know where to start. Bekah and I will help you right here.
Find Our Family Devotionals Here
Find all three books right here. They are also free on the Kindle Unlimited plan, which you can enjoy with a free three-month trial! These books make great gifts, and you don’t need to be the parent of young children to read them. Share them with your grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or the young ones you love.
Learn Why Willpower Doesn’t Work and Experience God’s Deliverance and Healing
God wants to work in your life to accomplish what you’ve been unable to do through willpower alone. Lean Into Grace: Let God’s Grace Heal Your Heart, Refresh Your Soul, and Set You Free shares practical ways to experience God’s freedom, healing, power, and presence in your life. Find this life-changing book as a free eBook on Kindle Unlimited or for 12.99 in print right here. (If you do not have Kindle Unlimited, you can try it out with a free three-month trial!) This book will transform your life and revitalize your relationship with the Lord!
A Free Devotional to Help You Find Peace in God’s Presence
I invite you to create space for God to transform your life by downloading a free copy of my devotional eBook, The Lean Into Grace Devotional: An 8-Day Devotional for Healing, Deliverance, and Replenishment. Find it for free here. I also offer a library of free online devotional eBooks for free. I invite you to explore the collection right here!
