Start Here: A Guide to "Listening for Guidance"
Start here to learn about the little known but life-changing spiritual practice of Listening for Guidance.
In 1990, I learned a spiritual practice that would change my life in unbelievable ways. I like to call it Listening for Guidance. Describing it in the simplest possible terms, I have conversations with God. In writing. And God gives me superb advice in every key area of my life. It has made all the difference.
I used to think my ability to talk to God was a special gift. And it is. But what I didn’t know then is that this gift is available to anyone. Specifically, it’s available to you, dear reader.
This book is the beginning of my crusade to get people just like you to accept this gift. If enough people started talking to God, it could change the world.
A Spiritual Practice with Many Names
The practice of Listening for Guidance has been somewhat widely adopted for at least a century. You’ll find it described under a variety of names, including Two-Way Prayer, Deep Soul Writing, and Letters from Love.
If you look around, it is possible to find others writing about this spiritual discipline. But because different authors have given it different names, you have to know where to look. Sometimes you just have to get lucky.
What’s more, mention of it can be tricky to spot. You have to know what you’re looking for and you have to be paying attention. But now that I’m looking, I see references all over the place.
Let’s Begin with Some Expectations
My goal here is not to write The Ultimate Guide to Listening for Guidance. I don’t feel the need to repeat what others say about it elsewhere. For example, I won’t get deep into the scriptural basis. Or the scientific basis. But I will tell you where to find that information.
Nevertheless, as I have researched the discipline, I have realized I have things to say about it that I haven’t found elsewhere. Also, compared to other spiritual disciplines, there just aren’t that many references.
Here are my goals in writing this introduction to Listening for Guidance:
To raise awareness of this amazing practice
To give you a straight-forward, high-level understanding of how it works
To pass on some hard-won lessons and caveats
To encourage you to research and experiment with the practice for yourself
By sharing a few of my own stories, I hope to give you a taste of what Listening for Guidance could mean in your life. Consider them an appetizer. I’ll be sharing lots more stories in future volumes in the Well Guided series.
Wording and Inclusivity
As a progressive Christian minister, I most often refer to the Divine as “God.” I grew up using the name “Father.” Sometimes I say “Lord.” Lately, as I’ve been working on drawing in a more inclusive audience, I tend to use “Spirit” when I write.
But you can take those names to refer to Yahweh, Jesus, Allah, any other deity, Source, the Universe, or even Inner Knowing. You do you. I’ll do me.
Oh, and I like to use “They/Them” for God’s pronouns. In some Christian circles, it’s become popular to not use pronouns for God, so as to allow for the Divine Feminine. While I sympathize with that intention, avoiding pronouns feels too stilted for me. Hence, I offer the compromise of “They.”
Now that I’ve drawn the circle wide, let’s get started.
Chapter 1. What is Listening for Guidance?
Chapter 2. Should I Admit I Hear God’s Voice?
Chapter 3. What Does the Voice of God Sound Like?
Chapter 4. Beware These 2 Sources of Inner Guidance
Chapter 5. Can Anybody Hear God's Voice?
Chapter 6. 2 Ways to Banish Spiritual Doubt
Chapter 7. A Personal Story of Listening for Guidance, Part 1
Chapter 8. A Personal Story of Listening for Guidance, Part 2
Chapter 9. A Personal Story of Listening for Guidance, Part 3
This is a beautiful guide Sharon! I found you in the Mind of a Writer community. Thank you for taking the time to put this together.