Whenever I need direction from God, I have a short “Lord, show me your good way” prayer I use that’s based on Scripture.

How to do this prayer practice:

1.  Decide if you truly want God’s direction.

This might sound like a strange place to start, but often we already know what we should do, but we can’t bring ourselves to ask God and get an answer we don’t want to hear.  My friend Marion Bond West told me one time, “Everyone says they want to hear from God, but they really don’t because if they hear from Him, then they need to do what He says.”

I had an email from a woman I don’t know who saw one of my blogs and she poured out her bad life situation.  Reading over the summary, it was obvious to me that she’d made some unfortunate relationship choices that had continuously compounded over a five year period.  She said she had prayed over and over, but hadn’t gotten anywhere.  But she said in her email that she felt she was finally ready to do whatever God says.

2.  Sincerely pray this simple prayer, “Lord, show me your good way.”

I base this prayer on Jeremiah 6:16  If you read the whole passage you’ll find this:  “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Take this short prayer and as you pray it again, meditate on a word or two at a time, just as Jeremiah tells us to stand, look, ask and then walk.

3.  Meditate on the word “Lord.”

Take your eyes off yourself and your feelings and your situation and think deeply on the Lord.  Refresh yourself by thinking about who He is and how much He loves you.   Thank and praise Him, recall times when you felt close to Him.

4.  Meditate on the words “Show Me.”

Think about the times in the past when God has seemed to guide you.  Open the Scriptures for inspiration.  Open your eyes and ears to the good advice of spiritual leaders and Christian friends.

5. Meditate on the word “Your”

Pray this word as Jesus did in Gethsemane when Jesus prayed, “Not my will but your will be done.” (See Luke 22:42)  Use this word to work through your own prejudices, expectations and fears about doing something other than what you currently have planned out or have envisioned.

6.  Mediate on the words “Good Way.”

Good is one of the strongest words in this prayer.  That’s because God is good.

The word good has a lot of meanings and one or more will apply to your situation.  Here are some definitions: morally excellent, honorable, worthy, generous, loving, kind, favorable, pleasant, beneficial, reliable, suitable, genuine, excellent in quality, ample, unspoiled, healthy, appropriate.

7.  Walk in it.

Guidance is not an exercise in mental assent.  Guidance is meant to be acted upon.  As you take the first step, the next step will be shown you by God.  Remember, the Scripture says, “For the Lord is good and his live endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”  (Psalm 100:5)

My Personal Experiences and Tips:

Whenever I need guidance, I often take out my journal and write out the problem and the alternatives as a prayer to God.  Often by the time I finish I have an idea of the direction God is leading me.  More often than not, I realize that I already knew in my heart what to do before I began journaling but I really needed the prayer time to work through my own fears, misgivings and feelings of inadequacy and the feeling that the task was too big for me. 

The Biblical Origins and Traditional Roots of This Method of Prayer

Jeremiah 6:16

Copyright Karen Barber 2011