Yesterday I posted 30 questions to ask when seeking guidance from God. If you want to take this topic further, here are my top ten books on guidance. (For the complete list of Top 10 Books in categories click here)

1. Just Do Something: A Liberating Approach to Finding God’s Will by Kevin DeYoung

This is the easiest-to-read book on the list, ideal for young people or a young Christian. Covers all the bases in DeYoung’s usual punchy and engaging style.

2. Discovering God’s Will by Sinclair Ferguson

Another short book and a fairly easy read. I especially appreciated Ferguson’s seven simple yet searching questions in chapter 5. Both DeYoung’s and Ferguson’s books apply principles of guidance to work and marriage.

3. Step by Step: Divine Guidance for Ordinary Christians By James Petty

This is a more demanding read but is probably my favorite book on guidance. A couple of memorable graphics and tables to help work our God’s will, and an excellent end section on the seven steps of biblical decision-making. Will bring a lot of clarity and freedom to Christian consciences.

4. Decisions, Decisions: How (and How Not) to Make Them by Dave Swavely

This comes somewhere in between Ferguson’s book and Petty’s book in terms of length and readability. Neatly divided into “How Not To Make Decisions” and “How To Make Decisions.”

5. Can I Know God’s Will? by R. C. Sproul

This short treatment is in Dr. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series and is available for free on Kindle. Not so orderly as DeYoung and Ferguson’s similarly short books, but there are some beautiful gems of wisdom scattered throughout, and, again specific application to marriage and vocation.

6. Finding the Will of God by Bruce Waltke

Waltke compares common Christian methods for seeking guidance with pagan methods and finds them remarkably similar. He then calls Christians to pursue wisdom as a way of life rather than just for decisions in life and outlines God’s program of guidance in six steps. Good emphasis on the objective side of guidance without ruling out the subjective.

7. Decision Making and the Will of God by Garry Friesen

You might view this as an expanded version of Petty’s Step By Step. Not only longer but more scholarly too. A book to graduate to after reading DeYoung, Ferguson, and Petty.

8. God’s Will: Finding Guidance for Everyday Decisions by J. I. Packer

Simple, straightforward, heart-warming. Suggests improvements to the Friesen and Petty models.

If you’ve got these eight books you hardly need any more on guidance, but just to complete the Top 10 I’d add:

9. The Christian’s Guide to Guidance: How to Make Biblical Decisions in Everyday Life by Jay Adams

10. Guidance and the Voice of God by Phillip Jensen and Tony Payne

More Top 10 Books lists here.

  • Daniel

    What’s your opinion about the short book “Found: God’s Will” by John MacArthur?

  • Brandon M.

    Thanks for the list. Just to thrown in another good one, I’d add MacArthur’s “Found: God’s Will”. I found it really helpful, and so have many of those to whom I’ve recommended it.

    Enjoy and God bless,

    • David Murray

      Thanks for the suggestion, Brandon!

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