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Seeking Guidance from Scripture and Prayer in Decision Making

Believers often seek guidance from Scripture and prayer when making decisions, understanding these practices as essential for discerning God's will. The Bible is considered divinely inspired and authoritative [9], providing direction for life. Prayer is understood as direct communication with God, an "intercourse of the soul with God" [4].

Scripture emphasizes the importance of making decisions that align with God's commands. For instance, Deuteronomy 5:32 warns against turning "to the right or left," while Joshua 24:14-15 exhorts individuals to "fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness" [1]. The Psalms highlight the blessedness of those who choose God's precepts [7]. The Scriptures are seen as a "way mark" to direct believers on the path they should take, especially when faced with multiple choices [12]. John Gill notes that the writings of Moses and the prophets, being divinely inspired, are the "standard of faith, and the test of doctrines," and thus should be diligently searched for divine knowledge [13].

Prayer is a fundamental aspect of seeking divine guidance. It is described in various ways, including "beseeching the Lord," "pouring out the soul before the Lord," and "drawing near to God" [4]. Believers are commanded to pray [5], and Scripture provides examples of prayer offered to God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit [5]. A key aspect of prayer in decision-making is asking God for instruction and direction. Jeremiah 42:3 records a plea: "Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do" [2]. Similarly, Psalms 27:11 and 143:10 include requests for divine teaching and guidance [8]. Keil & Delitzsch, in their commentary on Psalms 25:4, note that while God's will is found in His written word, God Himself is the necessary expounder for its right understanding, and thus prayer for knowledge and guiding grace is essential [14].

The New Testament further illustrates the role of prayer in decision-making and ministry. Paul frequently requested prayers for open doors for preaching and for the proclamation of the "secret of Christ" [6]. The Lord's Prayer, as taught by Jesus, serves as a model for prayer, emphasizing simplicity and addressing God as Father [10]. The practice of "calling on the Lord" is also highlighted in passages like 2 Timothy 2:22, which connects it with seeking the Lord "with pure hearts" [11].

The Bible also addresses situations where complex decisions arise. Deuteronomy 17:8 describes a process for resolving difficult matters of judgment by going to "the place which Yahweh your God chooses," implying a reliance on divine authority and established means of discernment [3]. This suggests that for matters "too hard," a structured approach, often involving spiritual leadership or divine revelation, was expected.

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Decision — Necessary to the service of God -- Lu 9:62. Exhortations to -- Jos 24:14,15. Exhibited in Seeking God with the heart. -- 2Ch 15:12. Keeping the commandments of God. -- Ne 10:29. Being on the Lord's side. -- Ex 32:26. Following God fully. -- Nu 14:24; 32:12; Jos 14:8. Serving God. -- Isa 56:6. Loving God perfectly. -- De 6:5. Blessedness of. -- Jos 1:7. Opposed to A divided service. -- Mt 6:24. Double-mindedness. -- Jas 1:8. Halting between two opinions. -- 1Ki 18:21. Turning to the right or left. -- De 5:32. Not setting the heart aright. -- Ps 78:8,37. Exe”
  2. Jeremiah “Jeremiah 42:3 (BSB) — Pray that the LORD your God will tell us the way we should walk and the thing we should do.””
  3. Deuteronomy “If there arises a matter too hard for you in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within your gates; then you shall arise, and go up to the place which Yahweh your God chooses. -- Deuteronomy 17:8”
  4. Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Prayer — Is converse with God; the intercourse of the soul with God, not in contemplation or meditation, but in direct address to him. Prayer may be oral or mental, occasional or constant, ejaculatory or formal. It is a "beseeching the Lord" (Ex. 32:11); "pouring out the soul before the Lord" (1 Sam. 1:15); "praying and crying to heaven" (2 Chr. 32:20); "seeking unto God and making supplication" (Job 8:5); "drawing near to God" (Ps. 73:28); "bowing the knees" (Eph. 3:14). Prayer presupposes a belief in the personality of God, his ability and willingness to hold inter”
  5. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Prayer — Commanded -- Isa 55:6; Mt 7:7; Php 4:6. To be offered To God. -- Ps 5:2; Mt 4:10. To Christ. -- Lu 23:42; Ac 7:59. To the Holy Spirit. -- 2Th 3:5. Through Christ. -- Eph 2:18; Heb 10:19. God hears -- Ps 10:17; 65:2. God answers -- Ps 99:6; Isa 58:9. Is described as Bowing the knees. -- Eph 3:14. Looking up. -- Ps 5:3. Lifting up the soul. -- Ps 25:1. Lifting up the heart. -- La 3:41. Pouring out the heart. -- Ps 62:8. Pouring out the soul. -- 1Sa 1:15. Calling upon the name of the Lord. -- Ge 12:8; Ps 116:4; Ac 22:16. Crying to God. -- Ps 27:7; 34:6. Drawing”
  6. Colossians “Colossians 4:3 (BBE) — And making prayer for us, that God may give us an open door for the preaching of the word, the secret of Christ, for which I am now in chains;”
  7. Psalms “Psalms 119:173 (BSB) — May Your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen Your precepts.”
  8. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Affliction, Prayer Under — Exhortation to -- Jas 5:13. That God would consider our trouble -- 2Ki 19:16; Ne 9:32; Ps 9:13; La 5:1. For the presence and support of God -- Ps 10:1; 102:2. That the Holy Spirit may not be withdrawn -- Ps 51:11. For divine comfort -- Ps 4:6; 119:76. For mitigation of troubles -- Ps 39:12,13. For deliverance -- Ps 25:17,22; 39:10; Isa 64:9-12; Jer 17:14. For pardon and deliverance from sin -- Ps 39:8; 51:1; 79:8. That we may be turned to God -- Ps 80:7; 85:4-6; Jer 31:18. For divine teaching and direction -- Job 34:32; Ps 27:11; 143:10. Fo”
  9. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Scriptures, The — Given by inspiration of God -- 2Ti 3:16. Given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit -- Ac 1:16; Heb 3:7; 2Pe 1:21. Christ sanctioned, by appealing to them -- Mt 4:4; Mr 12:10; Joh 7:42. Christ taught out of -- Lu 24:27. Are called the Word. -- Jas 1:21-23; 1Pe 2:2. Word of God. -- Lu 11:28; Heb 4:12. Word of Christ. -- Col 3:16. Word of truth. -- Jas 1:18. Holy Scriptures. -- Ro 1:2; 2Ti 3:15. Scripture of truth. -- Da 10:21. Book. -- Ps 40:7; Re 22:19. Book of the Lord. -- Isa 34:16. Book of the law. -- Ne 8:3; Ga 3:10. Law of the Lord. -- Ps 1:2; Isa”
  10. Matthew (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Matthew 6:9: 6:9-13 The Lord’s Prayer is similar in form to a common Jewish prayer (the qaddish). Jesus gave this prayer to his followers as a succinct expression of their new faith. 6:9 Pray like this: In contrast to the vain repetition of pagan prayers (6:7-8), “the Lord’s Prayer” is a model of simplicity. • Jews rarely addressed God as Father, but Jesus did so in every prayer but one (Mark 15:34). • may your name be kept holy: God’s name is profaned by the sin of his people (Isa 29:22-24; Jer 34:15-16; Ezek 39:7; Amos 2:7).”
  11. 2 Timothy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 2 Timothy 2:22: 2:22 those who call on the Lord: Cp. Ps 99:6; Joel 2:32; Acts 2:21; 9:14, 21; 22:16; Rom 10:12-13; 1 Cor 1:2. • with pure hearts: Cp. 1 Tim 1:5.”
  12. Jeremiah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Jeremiah 6:16: Thus saith the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see,.... These are the words of the Lord to the people, whom he would have judge for themselves, and not be blindly led by the false prophets and priests; directing them to do what men should, when they are in a place where two or more ways meet, and know not which way to take; they should make a short stop, and look to the way mark or way post, which points whither each path leads, and so accordingly proceed. Now, in religious things, the Scriptures are the way mark to direct us which way we should take: if the inquiry”
  13. John (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on John 5:39: Search the Scriptures,.... The writings of Moses, and the prophets, which were of divine inspiration and authority, and are often appealed unto by Christ, and his apostles, for the truth of what they delivered; and were the standard of faith, and the test of doctrines; and therefore to be searched diligently into, for finding divine knowledge and improvement in it, and for the trial of doctrines. The words may be rendered in the indicative, as an assertion, "ye do search the Scriptures": the Jews had the sacred oracles committed to them, and these they read, not only th”
  14. Psalms (Lutheran) “Keil & Delitzsch on Psalms 25:4: Recognising the infamy of such black ingratitude, he prays for instruction as to the ways which he must take according to the precepts of God (Psa 18:22). The will of God, it is true, lies before us in God's written word, but the expounder required for the right understanding of that word is God Himself. He prays Him for knowledge; but in order to make what he knows a perfect and living reality, he still further needs the grace of God, viz., both His enlightening and also His guiding grace.”
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