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:

Claire Underwood’s Conscience

I've started re-watching the first two seasons of the Netflix series House of Cards and I noticed something I hadn't before that we can really learn from. Claire and Frank Underwood have an interesting marriage relationship. They work hard together to advance their...

New Life: A Sign of God

One of the most obvious signs of God’s presence are those places we see life.

Not Quite a Do-It-Yourself Spirituality

Ignatian spirituality is a treasure because it is a spirituality that requires your full involvement and God’s full involvement. I cannot solely search within me for the answers and, on the other hand, I cannot discern what God desires for me if I do not look within.

Election (The Ignatian Kind)

Why do we treat important decisions like products, as if we’re “buying” an “add-on” for our life? True Christian discernment ought to be about “selling” and casting off false masks.

Interview with Becky Eldredge

Listen to my conversation with Becky Eldredge on the Examen, spiritual direction, and young adults.

Desiring Our Happily Ever After

The deep desires God plants within our hearts are ultimately oriented to the unfolding of God’s Kingdom; this includes discovering who we’re meant to be.

Communal Discernment

Don’t figure things out on your own! Communal discernment is important to making decisions.

The Stories We Tell

What are the narratives that so affect our lives? Lent is a time to re-evaluate the stories that we tell both to ourselves and to others.

The Power of the Desert

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

Discerning Advent – Nativity

God’s incarnation makes sacred our very decisions and even the process of discernment. Every decision we make becomes an incarnation, a little Christmas through which God enters the world.

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.