Seeking corporate guidance is more than asking for advice or opinion.
This is Felicia Ferguson with Christian Mix 106, helping you build faith for the journey.
When western Christians typically think of being guided by the Holy Spirit or by teachings from the bible, we think of individual guidance. We pray to God and He gives us guidance directly. But according to Richard Foster in Celebration of Discipline, there is another guidance, one God offers through the partnership with others.
Corporate guidance may be better understood as seeking out prayer warriors when an issue arises. Asking trusted godly friends to pray for you when you struggle with choosing between two different directions or opportunities. St Francis of Assisi provides an excellent demonstration of this when he was torn between pursuing preaching and a life of prayer and meditation. He asked two devout friends to pray and seek God’s will. They each returned with the same answer.
Seeking corporate guidance is more than asking for advice or opinion. It is partnering with others to pray deeply and expectantly for the Holy Spirit’s answer and direction. His guidance and will for the matter. Corporate guidance may be used to confirm a person’s calling, a couple’s desire to marry, even for business decisions. The important thing to remember is that you are not looking for human answers, but God’s. If they are from God, those answers will line up with scripture. They will bring you closer to Christ, not pull you away. And they will bring you peace.
Seeking corporate guidance is yet another act of humility on our parts. We don’t lean into our own understanding but seek God’s with the help of our brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s important to partner with our fellow believers, especially before we make life altering decisions. Because who knows? Our idea to sell everything and go into the mission field may be due to last night’s meat lover’s pizza rather than a Holy Spirit urging, and no one wants to change their life because of pepperoni.
This is Felicia Ferguson, thanks for listening to Christian Mix 106.
