In 20 years of ministry, I’ve discovered many people want to be in God’s Will, but are not obedient to His Word. Then when things go horribly wrong, they want to know how to pray for guidance.
Sometimes, we humans work backwards in our relationship with Christ. In the Bible, Jesus Christ talks about “abiding” in Him. So when we don’t do that, we find ourselves further way from the grace of God through Christ.
Abiding In Jesus: Three Verses To Consider
- John 15:4 – “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.”
- 1 John 2:6 – “Whoever claims to live in Him must live as Jesus did.”
- Colossians 3:3-4 – “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.”
What I want to do is give you three steps in how to pray for guidance. They are simple, reflective, and will help you truly make sure you understand what you’re saying when you pray.
Time needed: 30 minutes
The following is how to pray for guidance before making any brash decisions.
- Be completely available spiritually.
Don’t be the type where you pray for an answer, God sends the answer, and then you don’t accept it. Be ready to go on an adventure with God! You asked! You prayed for it. Most people are not truly ready to take delivery of God’s answers.
- Surrender Completely Before You Speak.
Before asking God to guide you, make sure your heart is fully yielded to His will. Guidance doesn’t begin with direction; it begins with surrender. When you approach prayer already determined to obey whatever He reveals, you open the door for His Spirit to move freely.
Say in your own words:
“Lord, I don’t want to run ahead of You or fall behind You. Lead me where You desire. If it’s not from You, I don’t want it. If it is, give me the faith to follow.”
This kind of surrender removes confusion. When you stop wrestling for control, you make room for peace. True direction comes when you release your own agenda and invite God to take the lead. - Actively Invite God Into Each Decision.
Guidance grows through partnership, not passivity. Prayer is not just asking God to show the way; it is walking with Him as you take each step. After you pray, start inviting Him into every decision of your day, both big and small.
When you make plans, pause and ask,
“Lord, is this where You want me to go?”
Before you commit to something, pray,
“Father, give me peace if this is Your will, and unrest if it is not.”
Then pay attention to how He responds through Scripture, wise counsel, opportunities, or that steady sense of peace in your spirit. God often confirms His guidance through consistency when the same direction aligns with His Word, wise advice, and an inner assurance.
Be intentional. Keep a small prayer journal or use your phone notes to record what you sense God saying, the verses that stand out, and the doors that open or close. Over time, you will start recognizing His pattern of leading in your life.
A Prayer to Find God’s Guidance
Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being the One who sees the path ahead when I cannot. I come before You with a humble heart, asking for Your wisdom and direction in every step I take. Teach me to trust Your timing and Your plan, even when I do not understand the process.
When my thoughts become clouded and my emotions pull me in different directions, remind me that Your Word is the lamp to my feet and the light to my path. Help me quiet every voice that competes with Yours so I can recognize Your peace guiding my choices.
Pastor Rick Penn is an ordained pastor, writer, and the founder of Get-Prayer.com, a resource built to help believers develop a consistent, grounded prayer life.
With more than 20 years of preaching the Gospel, Pastor Rick brings deep theological training and lived pastoral experience to everything he writes. He holds a Master of Divinity from Virginia University of Lynchburg, an M.A. with a concentration in New Testament Studies from Baptist Bible Seminary, and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Averett University.
His writing reflects a personal commitment to making prayer accessible to everyday Christians. Whether he is writing a prayer for someone in a hospital waiting room, walking through fear about the future, or sitting down with a blank prayer journal for the first time, Pastor Rick writes from a place of both theological grounding and pastoral care.
Pastor Rick hosts In The Moment, a Christian television program airing on Roku through AIM Christian Television. Viewers can watch the show at aimchristian.com/yourmoment and listen as a podcast on Spotify.
Before founding Get-Prayer.com, he served in the U.S. Navy, where he built his communication skills as a writer, editor, and public affairs professional. He now applies those disciplines directly to ministry and teaching.
Every article on this site reflects his core conviction: Prayer is not a performance of faith. It is the daily practice that holds everything else together.
Pastor Rick Penn is the author of all content on Get-Prayer.com.
Rick currently resides in Pennsylvania, where he continues to teach, write, and encourage believers to deepen their walk with God through prayer and the study of Scripture.
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