5 Prayers for Guidance

Do you need wisdom from the Lord? If so, I wanted to share five of the best simple prayers and Bible promises I know about wisdom! As you pray through these five simple prayers for guidance, God will give you wisdom and show you what to do—no matter what your situation.

Prayer 1: Pray for personal mentoring from Jesus.

Do you need Jesus to help you make a big decision? Read this powerful promise from Psalm 32:8-9:

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with My eye. Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you” (Psalm 32:8-9 NKJV).

In Psalm 32:8-9, the Lord promises that He will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. He is not holding back on you; He is ready and willing to show you exactly what you should do, no matter what you are facing.

He does give us one cautionary word in this passage, though: He tells us not to be stubborn.

Animals like horses and mules have to be compelled to follow their humans through the use of painful metal bits in their mouths. Our Father does not want you and me to be like that! He wants us to follow Him easily, without needing to be dragged or compelled by “tough love.”

If you need the Lord’s instruction today, pray this simple prayer for guidance:

“Dear Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, thank You for Your promise to teach and lead me. I believe You are guiding me right now, and I praise You for the fact that Your loving eye is upon me. I am not lost in Your sight, and I thank You for that.

Lord, please help me to submit to Your guidance today. Help me to follow You and obey You, no matter what You desire me to do. Help me to only go where You want me to go; to only say what You want me to say; and to only do what You want me to do in all things.

Thank You, Abba Father. I give You all the praise. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.”

Prayer 2: Ask God to help you hear His voice of direction behind you.

Are you in a difficult season? God will lead you through it. He is right there with you right now, and He will speak to you to tell you what to do and where to go in order to stay in His highest, best, and most perfect will for your life.

Read the powerful encouragement of Isaiah 30:19-21:

“For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will be very gracious to you at the sound of your cry; when He hears it, He will answer you.

And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left” (Isaiah 30:19-21 NKJV).

In the passage above from Isaiah 30, God tells us that He does sometimes allow us to go through tough times.

He never tempts people to sin, so any difficulty caused by sin is not from Him. However, this life has plenty of struggles that are not caused by sin—and He uses those struggles to refine us, making us more like Jesus every day.

Also, remember this promise:

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

We know from Romans 8:28 that all things work together for good if we love God and are called according to His purpose. Therefore, you have God’s own reassurance that your situation is going to turn out all right.

But along the journey, Isaiah 30:20-21 promises that you will see God, your Teacher—and that you will hear His voice directing you.

When you’re walking through a difficult season, it can be easy to fear making a misstep. However, you don’t have to be afraid.

According to God’s Word, Jesus Himself will not only instruct you and teach you in the way you should go (Psalm 32:8), but He will also remind you of the way at all times. Like the Good Shepherd that He is, His rod and staff will comfort you. He is walking right beside you, and He will help you get back onto the correct path anytime you veer to the right or to the left.

So pray this simple prayer for guidance today:

“Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for leading me and guiding me. Thank You for allowing me to go through this difficult season, for I know You are working it out for my good. I praise You, for You are good and gracious—and You are shepherding me right now.

Abba Father, please help me see You during this season. Help me to see what You are doing, and to commune with You in the secret place of Your presence. Also, please help me to hear Your voice behind me, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it,’ whenever I turn to the right or the left.

Lord, please keep me in the center of Your perfect will.

I don’t want anything that is not Your best plan for me. So please give me wisdom today; give me ears to hear You and eyes to see You. And along the way, Your Word says You will keep me safe—and that You will help me walk in the plans You have for me.

Thank You, Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ precious name I pray, amen.”

Prayer 3: Pray for abundant wisdom.

Do you need wisdom? God will give it to you. Check out His amazing, generous promise in James 1:2-8:

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 

But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways” (James 1:2-8 NKJV).

Anytime you need wisdom, you don’t have to fear that God will ignore your need. He never ignores the heartfelt cry of His children! And as the Fount and Source of all godly wisdom in the universe, He is willing and eager to pour His wisdom out on you right now.

All you have to do is ask in faith.

In the passage from James 1 above, God gives us two conditions for receiving wisdom:

1. We must ask Him for the wisdom we need; and
2. We must ask in faith, with no doubting.

If you doubt, you won’t receive anything from the Lord. The Bible says in Hebrews 11:6 that, without faith, it is impossible to please God:

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV).

However, as long as you believe that He will give you wisdom when you ask, our Father will give you all the wisdom you need for every situation you’re facing.

So pray this prayer for God’s wisdom today:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in the name of Jesus Christ my Savior. Thank You that Your Word is true. I praise You today, for You are a faithful God and You always keep Your promises.

Abba Father, Your Word says in James 1:5-8 that You will give me wisdom when I ask You for it. Therefore, please give me wisdom right now.

Jesus, please show me what to do in this situation I’m facing. Help me to know exactly what Your will is, and keep me on Your straight and narrow path.

Thank You, Lord God. I believe that You are giving me Your wisdom in this very moment, for I am asking in faith—and You always watch over Your Word to perform it. I give You the praise and glory. In Jesus’ holy name I pray, amen.”

Prayer 4: Thank the Lord that you CAN hear His voice.

Are you afraid you don’t hear God’s voice? If so, don’t be afraid anymore after you read the Scriptures below.

First, read John 10:1-5:

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers” (John 10:1-5 NKJV).

Also, read John 10:27-30:

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one” (John 10:27-30 NKJV).

In John 10:1-5 (quoted above), Jesus said specifically that His sheep follow Him, and that they know His voice.

This means:

If you have given your life to Jesus Christ, making Him your personal Savior, Lord, Boss, and Master, then you ARE one of His sheep—and you DO hear His voice. Jesus Christ (who is God Himself) said so, and God is not a man that He should lie. Jesus said it, so it is definitely true! 🙂

Also, in John 10:5, we read that Jesus’ sheep will not follow a stranger.

This means that, as we read in Prayer 2, you will not veer away from God’s perfect will either to the right or to the left. God loves you enough to keep you in His absolute best for you—and He is big enough and strong enough to preserve and protect you as you walk. No one can snatch you out of His hand!

So pray this simple prayer for guidance today:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come before You in Jesus’ name. Thank You for the reassuring words of Jesus that I read today in John chapter 10. Thank You, Jesus, for being my Good Shepherd. You are leading me and guiding me this very moment, and I praise You for it. You are the great and only wise God.

Abba Father, please help me obey You today. I know that no one can snatch me out of Your hand, but I just want You to know that I want to please You. I want to walk as You desire me to walk, and I need Your help to follow You at all times.

Without You, I can do nothing—but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Therefore, Father, please help me to be an obedient sheep. Help me to follow Jesus, my Shepherd, perfectly today. Help me to keep my nose right in Your back, and never to get distracted or discouraged.

Thank You, Abba Father. Thank You for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus’ holy and precious name I pray, amen.”

Prayer 5: Pray for godly discernment, based on the Word. Then, look at the fruit.

Do you need discernment in any situation? If so, look at the fruit.

In Matthew 7:20, Jesus said, “Therefore by their fruits you will know them” (NKJV). And in Galatians 5, He tells us precisely what the works of the flesh are versus what the fruit of the Spirit are.

Look at how God’s Word defines the works of the flesh (evil works) versus the works of the spirit (godly fruit):

“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:19-23 NKJV).

Whenever God is in a person or situation, you will see His Holy Spirit manifesting His fruit.

Remember, the Bible says it’s the fruit of the SPIRIT, not the fruit of you. 🙂 God the Holy Spirit is the One who bears His fruit through you. When someone has made Jesus their Savior, the Holy Spirit will bear His fruit through them.

Similarly, if a certain situation is from God, that situation will be full of His fruit too. You will see Him manifesting His love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, self-control, and so on in that situation.

However, if any situation or person is rife with strife …

If that person, place, or thing is full of the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-21 above), then that situation is not from God.

It’s easy to discern what God is affirming. You will know both people and situations by their fruit. If something is from God, it will align with His Word and the fruit of the Spirit will be evident. But if it’s not from God, it will be contrary to His Word and the works of the flesh will be exhibited therein.

So pray this prayer for guidance and discernment today:

“Dear Heavenly Father, I come to You in Jesus’ name.

Abba Father, thank You for Your Word. Your Word is a road map that helps us make decisions according to Your will, and I praise You for that. You didn’t leave anything to chance; You told us in Your Word exactly how Your Spirit manifests Himself in any situation or person.

Abba Father, in Jesus’ name, I ask You to help me clearly discern the fruit of my situation today.

Show me the fruit of the Spirit versus the works of the flesh. Help me to not be deceived by anything that is false. Help me to know the difference between the holy and the profane, and help me always choose what is holy.

I ask today that You would give me perfect discernment according to Your Word, Father. Help me remember that “To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20 NKJV).

Thank You, Father God. Thank You for giving me discernment and wisdom according to Your Word. In the name of Your holy Son Jesus I pray, amen.”

Did this prayer guide help you see some of the Lord’s direction for your life? If so, leave a comment below! Also, if you would like more guided prayer points and written prayers, check out our library of free prayer guides here!