Discernment
How to Discern God's Will in a Major Decision
Discernment · 8 steps
A practical Catholic discernment for a big decision: prayer for openness, the facts, the options, counsel, the rules of Saint Ignatius on consolation and desolation, a provisional decision, confirmation in peace, and acting in trust.
8 steps · About 30 minutes
Discernment is the art of finding what God wants in a concrete situation where more than one good is possible — a job, a move, a relationship, a commitment. The Church's most tested method is that of Saint Ignatius of Loyola in the Spiritual Exercises: a decision is made in prayer, with the facts in hand, by weighing the movements of consolation and desolation in the heart and then confirming the choice in peace. The Catechism reminds us that prayer is a battle, and that dryness and distraction are part of it; Pope Francis in Evangelii Gaudium asks for 'an evangelical discernment', the approach of a missionary disciple nourished by the light and strength of the Holy Spirit, rather than a merely clinical method. God does not usually shout; he draws.
What you need
- A decision that is real and yours to make, with a deadline you know
- Time set aside for prayer over days or weeks, not a single evening
- A notebook for facts, options and the movements you notice in prayer
- A wise person to consult: a spiritual director, a priest, or a mature friend in the faith
When to pray it
Daily, for as long as the decision takes; each session begins with a prayer to the Holy Spirit and ends with a brief examen of what moved in you.
Steps
Step 1: Pray for openness
Begin every session with the or the Prayer to the Holy Spirit, asking not for the answer but for freedom: the 'indifference' Saint Ignatius describes, in which you are ready for either outcome so long as it is God's will. Name honestly which way you are leaning and what you are afraid of, and hand both over. Without this step you will hear your own voice and call it God's.
Tips
- Do not discern between good and evil; that is not discernment but obedience. Discernment is for choosing among goods.
- Ignatius's first rule for hard times: never make a change in desolation. Wait for the light you had before it came.
- Beware of discerning what you have already decided. Ask for indifference — the freedom to want only what God wants — before you ask for an answer.
- Most decisions are confirmed not by a sign but by a quiet, lasting peace that survives being looked at.