Who Comes to Spiritual Direction?
I am often asked about what sort of person goes to spiritual direction. Here is what I say:
People who come to spiritual direction are Christian believers who long to mature in their prayer life, deepen their relationship with Jesus, and experience a growing awareness of the presence of God. They desire to hear, see, and respond to God’s presence and movement in their lives. They want to feel Him more.
These directees are looking for a trusted soul companion to help them attend to their soul as they share the milestones, detours, and questions of their spiritual stories. They welcome the space and stillness that spiritual direction offers so they can ask questions like: “Where is God in this? What does He want me to notice? What does He desire for me?” Having someone sit with them to help them listen to the Spirit can help them notice the beautiful, holy work that God is doing in their heart and soul.
People come to spiritual direction from a variety of circumstances. They are old and young, female and male, single and married. They are educators, laborers, executives, caregivers, full-time parents, public employees, and pastors. They might be experiencing spiritual transition, new spiritual growth, spiritual dryness, loss and grief, celebration, or just the regular flow of everyday life. And they want more of God and a deeper, richer prayer life. Author Jeanette Bakke explains that rather than looking merely for answers to life situations, directees are looking for the presence of God, and they are wondering how to be awake and available to this ever-present God.
Rather than looking merely for answers to life situations, they are looking for the presence of God, and they are wondering how to be awake and available to this ever-present God.
Jeanette Bakke
People who come to spiritual direction long to be encouraged by God’s love, care, and presence, and to be more open and available to themselves and to God. They are drawn to God’s call to “be still and know that [He] is God” (Psalm 46:10) but perhaps do not yet know what that means or how to do it. And they want to develop the ability to discern what is true and to trust God more completely.
Directees do not come to spiritual direction for counseling, mentoring, or discipleship. While hints of those three things may come up in a direction conversation, spiritual direction is different. Counseling sets out to solve a particular problem, mentoring focuses on a goal to be achieved, and discipleship seeks to develop particular skills and behaviors. Spiritual direction, on the other hand, quietly opens itself to the Spirit’s plans and listens for God’s invitations; it is about slowing down and being available to God.
If you are longing to mature in your prayer life, deepen your relationship with Jesus, and experience a growing awareness of the presence of God in your life, perhaps you would be interested in coming to spiritual direction. Read here about getting started in direction with me.
I would love to hear from you.