How To Ask For Guidance

What is Guidance

We are not separate from Source. We are eternally joined to the infinite intelligence of the One Creator — the living truth beneath every passing thought and form. Guidance, then, is not something we reach for or summon. It is already here, because our connection to Source has never been broken.

The mind may become noisy with fear, judgment, or doubt, but these are passing clouds that obscure a sky that has never changed. Guidance is that steady, unchanging light — the quiet presence of truth that speaks beneath the ego’s noise.

Forms of Guidance

Quiet inner knowing

Guidance often appears as stillness — a subtle sense of “rightness” or clarity that requires no explanation. It is calm, sure, and peaceful. Unlike the ego’s urgency, it doesn’t push; it rests. When the mind settles, knowing becomes self-evident.

Subtle intuitive thought

Sometimes guidance takes the form of a gentle idea, inspiration, or phrase that feels loving and unforced. It may come as a spontaneous thought, inner word, or realization that feels light and benevolent. These thoughts feel unlike ordinary thinking — they arrive rather than being produced.

Felt resonance

The body can serve as an instrument of intuition. When something is aligned with truth, the heart expands, the breath softens, and the body relaxes. When something is misaligned, there is tension or contraction. Learn to feel the difference; peace is the signal of alignment.

Outer reflections

The inner world is mirrored outwardly. Once you ask for guidance, the answer may show up through a book, a conversation, a line of music, or a “chance” encounter. These are not coincidences — they are reflections of what you have already accepted within.

Remember: Guidance is never fearful, rushed, or punishing. It is calm, direct, and loving. Anything that induces anxiety or guilt is not guidance but the echo of the ego.

Practical Steps to Receive Guidance

Become still.

Pause. Breathe deeply and release tension. Stillness is the doorway through which guidance enters.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, echoed in ACIM)

Acknowledge the false belief.

Recognize when the ego says, “I have to figure this out alone.” This recognition itself opens the space for correction.

Ask sincerely.

With humility, ask: “What would You have me do?” or “Show me another way to see this.” The sincerity of the question determines the clarity of the answer.

Listen without strain.

Guidance is not heard through effort. Let the answer arise naturally — through a feeling, word, or sense of knowing. If nothing comes, wait in peace. Silence is sometimes the answer itself.

Trust peace as your compass.

Whatever brings a genuine sense of peace, even if it doesn’t make logical sense, is aligned with truth. The ego plans for safety; the Holy Spirit leads to peace.

Affirmations to Anchor the Practice

“I open my mind to the Voice for God.”

“I rest in stillness, and guidance comes.”

“I need not plan alone.” (W-pI.135)

“The way is already prepared for me.”

“Peace is the evidence of truth.”

When you first begin listening, you may doubt the guidance you receive. That is normal. The ego will question what it cannot control. Continue anyway. Ask for confirmation, and you will be shown. Over time, trust grows not from blind faith but from lived experience. Each time you follow peace, you see its wisdom confirmed.

Eventually, listening becomes effortless. The distinction between “you” and “Guidance” fades. You realize that the Voice you hear is not separate — it is your true Mind remembering itself.