In life, we face decisions and choices either big or small such as who to marry, which career/business/investment to go into, what to eat, to embark on that journey or not, where to stay among others.
In times like these we need someone to give us counsel and direction, the one that knows the end from the beginning, the Alpha and Omega, the one that have a good plan for us. Jer 29:11. These attributes are only possessed by God.
In Psalm 32:8, God said He will instruct and teach us the way we should go; He goes further that He will guide us with His eyes. This is one of the promises of God and He has complete knowledge about our situation also, He’s not a son of man that He should lie – Num 23:19. God is ready to teach, instruct, counsel, advise and guide, the question is how does one receive guidance from God?
This post list 8 ways to receive Guidance, Instruction, Advise and Counsel from God.
1. Personal Encounter/Relationship with God.
To experience the divine guidance of God, one must have a personal encounter/relationship with Him.
Maybe you are reading this post and you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and personal saviour; you have the opportunity now to confess Him as your Lord and personal saviour. PLEASE KINDLY CLICK HERE TO THE SALVATION PRAYER or perhaps you have confessed Him has your Lord and personal saviour but you have fallen short of His glory, please don’t be hard on yourself, His grace is still available only if you can return back to Him, The prodigal son came back to himself and said if only I can return to my father, he did and he was accepted back. PLEASE KINDLY CLICK HERE TO RE-DEDICATION/RESTORATION PRAYER, YOU ARE LOVED AND THERE IS NOW NO CONDEMNITAION TO YOU AGAIN).
2. Through the scriptures
As we know that a manufacturer always produce manual for its product(s). The bible is our manual for life.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 says “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
3. Through the power of Holy Spirit.
In one of Jesus’s speeches when He was preparing the disciples for His ascension, He told them that He will send another comforter/helper, the spirit of truth that will reveal and guide us into all truths. John 16:13; John 14:16-17
4. Through Dreams and Visions
God can use dreams or visions or both to guide/instruct us about future events or to convey a certain message. There are many examples in the scriptures where God use dreams and visions to guide is people.
God may place a dream in a Christian’s life to warn them about a future event, show a symbol that is important for that believer’s life, or to convey a certain message.
+ Abram – Gen. 15:12
+ Abimelech – Gen. 20:3
+ Jacob – Gen. 28:12
+ Joseph – Gen. 37
+ Samuel – 1 Samuel 3
+ Daniel – Dan. 7
+ Joshep – Matt 2:13
+ Zacharias – Luke 1:5
+ Pontius Pilate’s wife – Matt 27:19
+ Paul – Acts 18:9-11
Etc
God still uses dreams and visions these days, in Joel 2:28, God promised, “I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.”
Of course, not every dream and vision is from the Lord, these must be in consistent with the scriptures.
5. Through Discernment of the Spirits
Discernment of Spirits. Discernment of the Spirits is on of the gifts of the Holy Spirit and is the ability to judge well, i.e. ability to distinguished between something that seems right but not really right in entirety. Prov. 14:12 says “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, But the end thereof are the ways of death”.
Discernment of Spirits gives seeing eyes and hearing ears.
6. Through Helpers of destiny
God has ordained some people as helpers of destiny to guide us, these include but not limited to relationship in our life, ministry of angels and men.
+ Jethro and Moses – Gen 18
+ A certain man that helped Joseph – Gen 47:15-17
+ The Egyptian that helped David – 1 Sam 30:11-16
+ Elijah and the widow of Zarephath – 1 Kings 17:12-13
+ Namaan and the maid – 2 Kings 5:3
+ Mordecai and Esther – Esh 1
+ Jonathan and David – 1 Sam. 22
+ Ananias and Apostle Paul – Acts 9:17-18
+ Angel and Apostle Peter – Acts 12
+ Timothy and Apostle Paul – 1 Tim. 1:2
And many more
7. Through Wisdom and Understanding
God can guide us through the understand and knowledge that he has given us through reasoning, the children of Issachar they understood the times and they know what they need to do. 1 Chro 12:32.
When Noah wants to check that the water has receded in Gen 8, he sent out raven and at the end he was able to discern that the water has receded. Also, Jesus told us a parable of three people in Matthew 25 that were given talents without telling them what to do with the talents. Two took initiative to invest and one dis not due to his understand and mindset.
8. Through the element of nature
God led the people of Israel by the pillar of cloud during the day and by the of fire during the night – Exod 13:121-22. He also guides the wise men by star.
In conclusion, God can Teach, Advise and Guide in ways that He chooses but it must be in consistent with the scriptures, the word of God brings illumination to every situation. Psalm 119:105.
Divine Guidance is something that grows out of our relationship with Him, the better we know God the better we will be able to discern.
PRAYER POINTS
Texts: Josh 1:8; Col 2:7; Eph 3:16-17; Psa 1:1-3; Psa 32:8-9; Joel 2:28;
- Thank God for His words and the power of Holy Spirit.
- Thank God for the power and revelation in His words.
- Pray for the zeal and desire to delight in His word.
- Pray for the grace to study and meditate upon His words.
- Pray for the grace to be doer of His instruction and guidance through His words.
- Pray that the word of God will illuminate every area of your life.
- Pray to be grounded and rooted in the word of God.
- Pray that the word of God will dwell richly in you.
- Pray that God will deliver you from everything that resists His Spirit and Studying the word.
- Pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon your life.
- Pray for the Spirit of understanding and visibility to rest upon you.