How To Get A Spiritual Mentor

These are friendships that will last a lifetime. Having continual discipling connections in your life, whether for three or six months… or a year or a decade, is a huge blessing.

Formal—a formal mentoring relationship is one in which you discuss specific topics. This is frequently accomplished by studying/reading books together or discussing specific topics each month. For example, you could wish to read a book about marriage for a month and then have a discussion about it. The focus for the coming month could be on family, Bible study, prayer, or any number of other issues.

Informal—an informal mentoring relationship meets frequently, but it is less structured and usually does not have a pre-determined theme or goal. These are fantastic occasions to meet for lunch or coffee and talk about whatever is on each other's minds, hearts, or lives at the time.

Seek one time opportunities

These are “The majority of “mentoring” possibilities are one-time deals. Rather than establishing a long-term relationship, this is often a time to ask particular questions to someone with whom you may not have another opportunity to speak or who you may not require ongoing assistance.

If you are engaged, for example, it may be beneficial to locate several older couples in your church who have been married for 40 years or more and schedule a time to speak with each couple about their marriages and their experiences “How they continued to serve and love one another after so many years” was one of their “secrets of longevity.” What were their strategies for keeping Christ at the core of their relationship? What failures or successes did you have that could aid you with your marriage?

If you're interested in a one-time mentoring opportunity, I recommend bringing a list of questions with you. Don't just chat to the person you're seeking advice from—think through and ask more questions than you have time for, prioritize them, and glean fantastic nuggets of information from the person you're speaking with.

Seek resources

Perhaps the most important way I've been personally mentored is through innumerable books, sermons, podcasts, articles, periodicals, and online courses, rather than through one-on-one connections or talks.

Andrew Murray, Oswald Chambers, CT Studd, Hudson Taylor, Amy Carmichael, Samuel Brengle, AW Tozer, Charles Spurgeon, Ian Thomas, Corrie Ten Boom, and countless others have personally mentored me over the years—not through conversations with them (they are all dead), but through their sermons, books, articles, and other resources.

Yes, connecting with someone can be really beneficial, but God has used the people listed above—through their resources and life examples—to deepen my faith and press me deeper into Him—perhaps even more than one-on-one talks and connections.

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What does a spiritual mentor do?

Someone who cares about you and wants the best for you is a spiritual mentor. They understand that having a personal relationship with Christ is the most essential thing in life, so they encourage you to invest in it. As a result, you will be able to progress spiritually and in your religion.

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What should I ask a spiritual mentor?

The term “spiritual disciplines” may sound scary, but it simply refers to the spiritual habits we develop in order to connect with God. Prayer, reading the Bible, fasting, and giving money are all spiritual disciplines through which God meets each person individually. Inquiring into your mentor's unique ways of encountering God on a daily basis can provide you with encouragement as well as a larger understanding of how God operates in the world.

What is the difference between a spiritual father and a mentor?

The most important distinction between a mentor and a spiritual father is that a mentor, in general, leads the mentee through a specific stage of life. A spiritual father has a closer relationship with his “kid” and concentrates on spiritual enrichment and development throughout their lives.

Who were mentors in the Bible?

Abraham, a mentor to Isaac, Jacob, a mentor to Joseph, Moses, a mentor to Joshua, Elijah, a mentor to Elisha, and David, a mentor to Solomon are the Biblical figures.

Is having a mentor biblical?

Mentorship is essential to Christian discipleship, of course. The Twelve—”his own who were in the world,” as John 13:1 puts it—were mentored by Jesus to know him (and, through him, to know the Father) and to re-present God's love in the world. Jesus exhibited God's love for them and called them to love one another through his simple act.

Who are spiritual teachers?

Shaykhs or Sufi teachers, Gurus (including Hindu Gurus, Sant Mat Gurus, and Sikh Gurus), Buddhist teachers, including Tibetan Lamas (which is really just the Tibetan word for Guru), and Mahasiddhas (who may be claimed by both Buddhist and Hindu traditions) are some of the subcategories of spiritual teachers.

Many Western spiritual teachers exist, some of whom claim a spiritual ancestry from the East and others who do not.

The phrase “spiritual teacher” originates in Western tradition and refers to a broader understanding of spirituality.

Who is real guru in the world?

Many people are referred to as (or refer to themselves as) “guru,” but only a few are the real, or authentic Guru, as stated in the Scriptures. A Sat-Guru is a spiritual guru who recognizes his Self as one with God. He has no ego left, no sense of “I,” no sense of “I am this person.” His consciousness is unlimited, and nirbikalpa samadhi is his inner condition.

Consider a clean window with plenty of natural light shining through it. That window is the Guru. God is the sun. God radiates with all of His power via a real Guru (Sat-Guru). Only a Sat-Guru like this can set the soul free.

We can truly bow to such a Guru and offer our complete obedience, our lives, and everything we have. Nobody else.

“Gudarkness is a syllable, and ruthe destroyer is a syllable. He is known as Guru because he is capable of destroying darkness. Only the Guru is the ultimate Absolute. The Guru is the only true path. The Guru is the sole possessor of supreme wisdom. The Guru is the only true refuge. The Guru is the ultimate limit. The Guru is the ultimate wealth. Because he is thatguru's instructor.”

Another scripture (the Kula Arnava Tantra) teaches us something important to consider: “There are many gurus on earth who deliver something other than the Self, but the Guru who exposes the Self is hard to come by in all the realms.”

There are numerous teachers (young, unripe gurus), but only one authentic Sat-Guru, who is your eternal bond to God. In India, it is commonly preached that you need a living guru who is present in your body. But where is the genuine Guru, the Sat-Guru, who is devoid of all ego? I've met a number of outstanding saints, yet even they weren't completely devoid of the ego. If we put our faith in them completely, we can have a rude awakening: we'll eventually see their ego, whether it's a craving for power, a weakness for sex, for money, or an inclination toward self-importance.

How can you find your own Sat-Guru (in or out of the body)? Pray to God and prepare yourself by your earnest sadhana and zealous pursuit of Truth. According to legend, the Guru appears when the pupil is ready. Feel in your heart who is your spiritual family, who is your relationship to God, and where you feel at home spiritually.

Try following different gurus and putting their teachings and practices into practice. Inquire of God: “Is this yours?” Your hunt is done once you've discovered your Guru. You only listen to one Guru. He's all yours. In the Guru-disciple connection, loyalty is essential.

Make the Guru your first priority at that point, over your husband (or wife), your children, your parents, your work, your aspirations, your entire life. The real Guru is God's vehicle on Earth: he is His mouth, arms, heart, and benediction. It's because he's nothing more than a pure window for God's transformative light.