From Slammed Doors to Divine Guidance: A Five-Step Prayer Practice
by Leslie Platner
When I last wrote, I promised to describe five steps to a simple, focused way to use prayer to tap into guidance.
The prayer I am referring to is not passive wishing or vague longing, and it is not a laundry list of demands upon God or the Universe — it is an active connection to a Divine Source that can inspire us with unexpected insights.
In my last post, I wrote about prayer as the foundation of our 49-year marriage. If you missed it, you can read it here.
And, luckily, In my experience, you don't have to be calm or composed to use this process for guidance. You don't have to have it all together or feel “spiritual.” In fact, one of the most vivid examples I have comes from one of my least composed moments.
I Slammed the Door
One morning, my daughter, Genny, was really grouchy and sullen. The school bus was coming in 15 minutes and she wouldn't get dressed or eat her breakfast. It had been a trying morning and I was, truly, one irritated mom. I had a baby, and two other kids to get off to school, and the morning was escalating.
In frustration, I went into my room and slammed the door.
In a huff, I sat down and asked, "OK God, what does she need? Medicine? Food? What?"
And then I just sat there trying to calm down for a couple of minutes and listen.
The answer came clearly: She just needs love.
I felt relief wash over me. I got up and went to find Genny. Bending down, I gave her a hug, and told her I loved her.
Her relief was palpable.
Her whole demeanor changed instantly. She got up, got dressed, ate her breakfast, and walked out the door with a smile on her face — just in time for the bus.
I hadn't wished the morning into being different. I had said a simple prayer in desperation and was willing to feel a sense of connection. Forcing myself to sit and wait for guidance, a clear answer came. Even though the answer seemed a bit unbelievable, when I followed through, there was a dynamic effect. I had an experience that was, in some ways, life altering.
I could go in a whole different direction here, about the power of Love to heal, and unconditional Love being our true essence. Opening our hearts and leaning into Love can truly heal all aspects of our lives, but I will save that for another time.
That morning stayed with me. The shift was so immediate, so dramatic, that I began sharing this process with others — and I've watched it work across the full range of human experience, from emotionally charged situations to everyday decisions like which house to buy, which school to choose, or which direction to take a career. Whatever you are facing, this process meets you there.
The Five Steps
I am giving this process to you exactly as it came to me:
These five steps come from “pilgrim's notes” — a personal record by a woman who was conversing with Shoghi Effendi, the beloved Guardian of the Bahá'í Faith. It has been passed along widely because it is so clear and practical — and because it works for anyone, of any background or tradition.
1st Step: Pray and meditate about it. Use the prayers of the Manifestations (prophets of God) as they have the greatest power. Then remain in the silence of contemplation for a few minutes.
2nd Step: Arrive at a decision and hold this. This decision is usually born during the contemplation. It may seem almost impossible of accomplishment but if it seems to be an answer to a prayer or a way of solving the problem, then immediately take the next step.
3rd Step: Have determination to carry the decision through. Many fail here. The decision, budding into determination, is blighted and instead becomes a wish or a vague longing. When determination is born, immediately take the next step.
4th Step: Have faith and confidence that the power will flow through you, the right way will appear, the door will open, the right thought, the right message, the right principle, or the right book will be given to you. Have confidence and the right thing will come to your need. Then, as you rise from prayer, take at once the 5th step.
5th Step: Act as though it had all been answered. Then act with tireless, ceaseless energy. And as you act, you, yourself, will become a magnet, which will attract more power to your being, until you become an unobstructed channel for the Divine power to flow through you.
The Power Will Flow Through You
I love the idea and experience that the power to accomplish the inspired action will flow through you. If you trust and continue to take action you become a clear channel for the solution to manifest. It’s as if there is a Greater Part of you, a Life-Force energy, that pulls you to succeed, to create, to be enlightened and bring your gifts to the world.
A young woman I work with told me she has used these steps across many different decisions — practical ones like whether to make a big move, and what kind of work to do, and deeply personal decisions like how to approach a family member after years of painful distance, and whether to end a relationship.
She mentioned recently how much it helps to have a clear process to return to when life feels tangled and she doesn't know which way to turn.
The answers feel grounded and a sense of calm washes over her, releasing feelings of anxiety or guilt. The sense of paralysis and indecision lifts and she can take action.
I've seen the same thing many times: the answer is usually closer than we think. When we create even a few moments of stillness and truly ask, inspiration has a way of rising up — as a word, an image, a feeling of settling, or simply a knowing.
That is where hope and longings transform, and inspired action begins.
If something in this speaks to you, I'd love to connect.
LPlatner9@gmail.com | (530) 559-3921
With love,
Leslie