64c — Clear Guidance
Getting Clear Guidance from God —
Here is a true and false quiz about getting clear guidance from God. See how many you can get right. (The answers are at the bottom of the quiz.)
1. God encourages us to seek fortunetellers when we need quick advice.
2. God will give us 3 wishes each year — all we have to do is rub our fingers over 3 key Bible verses in the right order.
3. We need to use faith when asking God for guidance.
4. Only God is all knowing, all seeing, and all wise.
5. God reveals how he thinks in the Bible.
6. God is our loving Creator — giving each of us the opportunity and responsibility to make our own choices.
7. All choices come with consequences — some immediate, some long term — some good, some bad.
8. If I ask Jesus into my heart, I will never be tempted again to make a bad decision.
9. Many daily decisions in life are neither right or wrong.
10. Hard work is usually necessary to accomplish worthwhile things.
11. God’s character never changes.
12. God will not change his mind about what is right and wrong just because I ask him nicely or pray a lot.
13. God will sometimes lead me to tell a little lie if it keeps a friend from getting into trouble.
14. If something feels good and makes me happy, then for sure I have made a right decision and good choice.
15. God is a kill joy — he likes to spoil all my fun.
16. If I try really hard to please God and ask him in faith to guide me, I will never make any mistakes.
17. When I ask God for guidance, he will always send the answer immediately.
18. To seek God with all my heart means that I am willing to let God change the way I think and act.
19. God’s guidance sometimes comes through other people.
1-F, 2-F, 3-T, 4-T, 5-T, 6-T, 7-T, 8-F, 9-T, 10-T, 11-T, 12-T, 13-F, 14-F, 15-F, 16-F, 17-F, 18-T, 19-T
The Bottom Line About Clear Guidance
When we need clear guidance from God, it is important to remember who God is — and who he is not.
First of all, he is NOT a fortuneteller or a genie, so don’t expect to pay him for advice or tell him what to do. However, as your Creator, there are 5 of his traits that are important to know:
1. God is sovereign = possesses absolute and final authority
2. God is omnipotent = all powerful
3. God is omnipresent = present everywhere at the same time
4. God is omniscient = all knowing, all seeing, all wise
5. God is immutable = unchanging in character
The last 2 characteristics are what make God the perfect source for clear guidance.
For instance, there are certain things he has stated in his Word and will not change his mind on, because they deal with his perfect character. To pray for guidance on one of these topics is to treat God with disrespect — as if we know better than he does. For example:
1. We are never to consult fortune tellers or psychics for guidance.
2. We are to honor and obey our parents.
3. We are not to take things that do not belong to us.
So instead of foolishly spending our time asking God to guide us in these areas, we need to ask him for help in obedience.
But there are many decisions that God leaves up to us — we get to decide, such as:
1. Who we choose as friends.
2. What hobbies we pursue.
3. When we study.
4. How we earn money.
As long as we are following sound principles such as, “Do not be fooled. Bad companions ruin good character.” (I Corinthians 15:33 GNB) — God gives us the freedom to choose and we can have confidence in our ability to make wise decisions.
So let’s look at some life situations that you may desire guidance in.
1. Making friends.
2. Learning to control your temper and what you say.
3. Choosing extracurricular activities.
4. Whether or not to reveal a friend’s secret.
5. Getting all your assignments completed on time.
6. How to act around someone who is mean.
7. Getting a job and earning money.
8. Whether or not to hang around the cool kids.
9. Choosing the style of clothes you wear.
10. How to share Christ with an unbelieving friend.
11. Showing friendship to annoying people.
12. How to say “no” to a classmate or friend.
13. How to improve your grades or skills.
Remember these four factors when asking for God’s guidance:
1. What does God’s Word teach?
2. Why do I want to do this?
3. What do people who love me think?
4. Am I at peace? (When in doubt, don’t!)
Also remember these other guiding principles:
1. Hard work is necessary to accomplish worthwhile things, so don’t presume that God will outright give you something that he wants you to work hard for yourself.
2. Asking in faith is needed if you desire God to guide you.
3. Patient watching for God’s answer is key.
And finally here is a little tip: There is nothing new under the sun! Someone else has been in the same situation you are in right now — maybe even your parents — so give them some credit and include your parents in your decision making even if they tend to freak out a little bit. After all, just like God, they love you and will be glad to give you a few pointers on how to get clear guidance for needs in your life. Since there are several things they probably learned the hard way, their insights may actually help you avoid some bad decisions.
Most of all, memorize these verses from Proverbs 3:5-8 and constantly apply them in your life..
Trust God from the bottom of your heart;
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Run to God! Run from evil!
Your body will glow with health,
your very bones will vibrate with life!
Proverbs 3:5-8 (The Message)
My Prayer
Dearest Father, May these words from Proverbs 3 be true in my life — may I continue to trust, to listen, to run to you for guidance. Thank you for promising to be there for me! Amen.
