Discernment Resources

Making decisions is hard. Ignatian discernment comes in handy when making major life decisions, like when to leave a job, where to move, which person to date, or whether to pursue marriage. Here are a list of resources for decision-making the Ignatian way!

The first section is worth browsing through for the purpose of initial reflection, an Ignatian must. Narrative and questioning is helpful as a first start. The second section is more practical information on Ignatian discernment.

But first consider these two entry-points into the world of Ignatian discernment:

The 5 Keys of Discernment

Use the five keys of discernment to find clarity and direction in all your decisions.

The Fruits of the Spirit(s)

How do we know we’re moving toward union with God? Simple: we can know that by the fruits we see. Ignatius and Paul may use different words, but they’re in sync with the idea of “living by the Spirit”.

Navigating Life with God: More Than a Divine GPS

Ignatian spirituality encourages us to be active partners with God, rather than just blindly following turn-by-turn directions.

Feelings and Emotions: Be Curious in Prayer

Ignatius tells us that feelings are important guides in the spiritual life. How do we discern what feelings are telling us? How do we know they are leading us to God? Be curious.

Does It Spark Joy?

It’s a simple question that can be a powerful discernment tool.

The Power of the Desert

How do we deal with temptation and impulse? Holly says it’s hard, but maybe humility is the answer.

Discernment by Flipping a Coin

The apostles chose Judas’ replacement with (basically) a coin flip! Can I do that in my own discernment? Should we leave big decisions up to chance?

Ignatian Spirituality in Marriage, Family, and Relationships

A conversation with Tim Muldoon on how Ignatian principles can be applied to all kinds of relationships.

Material Things

What would you do if you got $100,000? Saint Ignatius leads us in a meditation on this problem.

Where will you be waiting for me?

The road of discernment can be tough. But I discovered the best discernment question to ask God.

Get a quick overview

A 5-day email series on Ignatian discernment offering prayerful guidance and reflection questions.

Follow the Process

This guide will offer you a process and framework for discerning a particular decision using the approaches and prayer methods in the Ignatian tradition.

Take a deep-dive

A paid course with 2.5 hours of content, giving you nearly everything Ignatius said about discernment and decision-making.

Step 1: Listen

What’s my purpose? – Assessing your talents.
The Principle & Foundation – Ignatius’ statement of our purpose in God (the foundation for everything)
Consolation and Desolation – Hearing the voice of God
Three Circumstances for Making a Decision – Which one are you in?
The Discernment of Spirits – A 3-part series on Ignatius’ insights on hearing the voice of God.
Who You Are: Moana’s Call to Discernment
Three Spiritual Signals: Desires, Feelings, and Challenges
Changing States – A reflection on life changes.
Reading Your Heart – Barney Stinson tells us about discerning our feelings.
The Heart & The Gut – More on reading our interior feelings.
We Can Trust Our Experience – Ignatius’ stance on our experiences.
Dreams & Imagination – Using our imagination as a discernment tool.
Does It Spark Joy? – An important question to ask in the discernment process.
The Sound of Music & Grover – Maria and Grover give us some tips on discernment.
Discerning Advent – Using the Advent and Christmas story as a narrative, we explore Ignatian discernment and decision-making.
A format for personal decision-making by John Veltri, SJ
The brain science behind decision-making – Hidden Brain, NPR
Discernment Wisdom by Becky Eldredge

Step 2: Act

Suscipe, the Radical Prayer – Detachment is the first step in discernment.
Decisions are Difficult – Discernment is not the same as deciding
Ignatian Indifference
– Open the space to let God be God.
The Examen – An important discernment prayer practice.
Election – True discernment and decision-making ought to be about “selling” and casting off false masks, not “adding on” to our lives.
What’s Your Decision? – An excellent and practical book to making decisions using Ignatian discernment.
Where will you be waiting for me? – Trust that God will be waiting for you whatever decision you make.
A Way to Discern God’s Will – A broad overview of the Ignatian method.
Communal Discernment – Others can be valuable resources in discernment.
The Power of No – How quitting might be the answer.
I’m Just Experimenting – Experimentation can help with discernment.
An Ignatian Framework for Making a Decision – The Ignatian method in 11 steps.
A Presentation on Decision-Making
Being a Contemplative in Action – Steps to make discernment part of your everyday.
Spiritual Direction – Q&As and resources; More on spiritual direction; Find a spiritual director here or here.