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Back to Podcast EpisodesDWG2 – God’s Guidance in Everyday Decisions – The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Discerning Hearts Podcast
God’s Guidance in Everyday Decisions – “What am I to do?” The Discernment of God’s Will in Everyday Decisions with Fr. Timothy Gallagher
Fr. Timothy Gallagher discusses how Christians can seek God’s direction not only in major life choices but also in the ordinary moments of each day. Discerning God’s will begins with prayer and openness — asking God for light, reviewing the factors involved in a decision, acting with peace, and later reflecting on the outcome to learn from it. Drawing on St. Thomas Aquinas, this process cultivates the virtue of prudence — the habit of seeing what best leads to good ends. Through this daily attentiveness, our capacity to recognize divine guidance grows, especially when paired with a life of prayerful self-examination.
God’s love is intimately present in both great and small matters — even the most ordinary decisions can be part of a life offered to God. Living this way transforms daily actions into a continual offering, as described in Romans 12:1, making one’s life a “living sacrifice.” Fr. Gallagher shares from his own experience that prayerful discernment brings real clarity and peace — a partnership between human reason and divine wisdom. Over time, such faithfulness leads to serenity, as Dante wrote: “In your will is our peace.”
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
- How do I invite God into my small, everyday choices rather than only my major life decisions?
- When I face uncertainty, do I take time to pray before deciding, or do I act on impulse?
- In what ways can I grow in the virtue of prudence through reflection on past experiences?
- How might I let Jesus truly be “Lord” of my ordinary routines and interactions?
- Do I view daily decisions as opportunities to offer my life as a “living sacrifice” to God?
- How do I practice trust that God cares about the details of my life as deeply as the larger events?
- What keeps me from turning first to prayer when discerning what to do?
- How can I make my nightly examen a time to learn from the day’s choices and notice God’s guidance?
- When have I experienced peace after following what I sensed to be God’s direction?
- How does Jesus’ example of always doing the Father’s will challenge or inspire my own decision-making?
Published on 12 hours ago