Firstly, God guides us through the word of God. When we read the word of God and interpret it, and understand, new inspirations will be given to us

Matthew 4:4 – ‘One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. ‘

We should read the word of God and listen to the preaching because through all these God guides us.

Psalm 119:9-11- How can young people keep their way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments.I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you.

Secondly, God guides us through other people; through very good advices of our spiritual fathers, our parents, our confessors and through our best friends. Sometimes even animals speak, guide, and correct us. 

Numbers 22:28- Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?”

The third way by which God guides us is through prayer. When we spent time in prayer, God will send people to us. God will give you a strong inspiration. When Paul was in prayer, God sent Barnabas to invite and help him. When Barnabas was in prayer, God spoke to him about Paul. When Peter was in prayer, God spoke to him. Everyone who prays will be guided. Jesus prayed the whole night, and after his prayer, he made decisions and chose his twelve disciples. God will give us inspirations and guidance through prayer. 

The fourth way God guides us is through devotional music (Christian hymns). When we worship God, singing together, almost all the hymns are connected to the word of God, and to the Bible

During a retreat in Tabor Centre, Father told the choir members to sing the song, “Jumbo Jesus loves you”. People were happily dancing and jumping. Suddenly a girl heard this song and started screaming and crying loudly and said, “Jesus, I love you”. She heard this song for the first time and she could not believe this and was shocked and wanted to give the testimony, as Jumbo was her pet name. 

2 Chronicles 20:1 – After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites, came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 

2 Chronicles 20: 20-22 – They rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa, and as they went out Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Listen to me, O Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God and you will be established; believe his prophets and you will succeed.” When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy splendor, as they went before the army, saying,“Give thanks to the Lord, for his steadfast love endures forever.”

As they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the Ammonites, Moab, and Mount Seir who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 

The fifth way God guides us is through silence. 

1 Kings 19:11 – He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind, and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake 

1 Kings 19:13 – When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 

The sixth way God guides us is through nature, windstorm, lightning, thunders, even animals. When Cain committed sin, and because of his sin, the land would not produce fruit for him. Jonah was asked to go to Nineveh, but instead he went to Tarshish and there was windstorm. The waves were beating into the boat. The nature did not allow Jonah to proceed because he was going against God. The nature was guiding him and telling him not to do this.

Romans 1:20 – Ever since the creation of the world God’s eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been seen and understood through the things God has made. So they are without excuse,

God can even speak to us through the things he has created. 

The seventh way that God guides us is through dreams. In the Old Testament, Joseph was a dreamer. God was speaking to him and guiding him through dreams. If God gives us a dream, he will also give us an interpretation of that dream. 

These are the seven ways God guides us.

Transcribed by Jusfica Lobo