Discernment In Prayer: Beyond Goal-Setting
Introduction
In our spiritual journeys, we often put great emphasis on prayerful goal-setting. We look inward, identify areas for growth, and let our desires for deeper virtue and holiness take shape into concrete things we want to achieve. However, simply naming our goals through prayer is not enough to ensure spiritual progress. As St. Paul reminds us, many run the race, but only some take home the imperishable prize (1 Cor 9:24). The true winners are those who combine goal-setting with a firm commitment to the daily pathway required to achieve those objectives.
Podcast Version | Ep 28
The pitfall of unaccompanied goals
Too frequently, our spiritual strategy stalls out after merely defining our aims. We identify admirable targets – growing in patience, temperance, humility, or other virtues. We recognize unhealthy habits that need modifying. Our prayers help crystallize what we’re driving towards. However, we fail to decisively commit to the practical pathway of steps required to achieve those goals. While we’ve decided on the destination, we haven’t decided, with God’s help, on the vehicle and route to get us there. Simply committing to the goal of “winning” is not enough – we have to also commit to the training and practice needed to make that goal attainable.
Runners commit to the path
The athletes who win races are those who decisively commit not just to their goal of victory, but to the rigorous path that makes winning possible. They decide ahead of time to do the hard work of training. Day after day, they show up on the track to put in the consistent practice, exercise, and discipline required to mold themselves into winners over weeks and months. Their daily decisions open the pathway to accomplishing their goal when race day arrives.
The athlete who wins is the one who decisively commits to the rigorous path that makes winning possible.
Prayer-driven pathway to growth
Like elite runners, we need discernment prayers that extend beyond lofty objectives and into the nitty-gritty of how we will achieve spiritual growth. If we want to cultivate patience, we must decisively choose practical ways to face annoyances and challenges with intentional calm rather than reactive upset. If temperance is our aim, we have to commit to avoiding overindulgence in food, drink, media, etc. The purpose of discernment should be to not just identify goals, but to align our daily decisions with the pathway that allows us to reach those aims.
Conclusion
Lofty spiritual aspirations divorced from a rugged game plan are bound to languish unaccomplished. But when we decisively pair our goal-setting with a readiness to walk the tough path toward achieving those aims, we develop the winning combination that spiritual growth requires. With God’s help, we can move beyond aimless wandering and instead embrace the focused, fruitful effort that clears the path for us to joyfully run in a manner worthy of the imperishable prize.
A few questions to take to prayer
- Do you use your time of prayer to build out your pathway to success?
- Have you ever failed at your goals? Do you allow God to help you work through your failures?
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