How to find a spiritual mentor? Does a person need a spiritual guide?

When severe trials take place, it covers anxiety and unrest, people ask for help from God or the sages to get advice, recommendations for solving their problems. And then there is a need to find a person who can direct on the right path and help to understand themselves and their own turmoil. It is this kind of person who often becomes a spiritual mentor who helps the soul to open up, repent and make a decision to change one's life.

Why is spiritual guidance necessary?

Without a leader, one can not live a life of holiness. You can find a teacher in the church, where you need to come and pray to the Lord to send a confessor who will console, advise and guide the thoughts in a charitable way. The role of the spiritual guide is great. He, communicating with his child, communicates what the spirit of God transmits to him, inspires peace and harmony in his soul.

As a rule, a spiritual mentor is a person who has great life and religious experience, and he is obedient to lead the religious life of other people. The confessor plays a huge role in the life of the layman and clergyman, and he is necessary in order to listen to his advice, live godly and reach the Kingdom of Heaven. The history of the church has several options for mentoring. But the main ones are:

• Service priest in the parish, where he is the spiritual healer of all parishioners;
• Senescence, it was widely spread in Russia.

Elderly - healers of souls

Originated in Byzantium, it firmly entered into Russian culture and occupied one of the important places. The elders carried a vow of obedience and, by their word and deeds, were called to confess their sins and console people who were entangled in their own doubts. Saving conversations and instructions, they healed the souls, brought them peace and pacification.

Russian elders take their origins from the Monk Paisius of Wieliczkowski and achieve its development thanks to the monks of the Optina Desert. Monasteries with their spiritual mentors for a long time were the center of the pilgrimage of the Orthodox people. The old age had its own peculiarity, where strict asceticism alternated with active exits into the world. These exits were expressed in contact with the people and in the service of the world as a spiritual assistant, mentor and advisor.

Achieving simplicity of humility

Engaged in the religious education of their students, the elders taught wisdom, promoted moral growth and perfection. During the earthly life of their spiritual disciple, they coordinated and directed the actions and actions of the child. The connection between teacher and student was very strong, because it was built on trusting and respectful relationships, obedience and love. Father Zachary instructed to cherish his conscience and strive for simplicity, which can only be achieved by humility.

The elders came for advice when there were doubts and difficult situations arose. From the confessor waiting for comfort and help. The uniqueness of the eldership in Orthodoxy lay in the unshakable faith and spiritual strength of the elders and in the delicate work that they conducted in the soul of their pupil. Influencing the human psyche, they delicately and gently direct a person on the path of finding love for the Lord.

Search for a mentor

The great grace for a believing person is to find a priest who will be responsible to the Supreme for his disciple, perform prayers for him, control the growth of spirituality, guide his actions and instruct him in worldly life, and guide to the path of virtue that leads to eternal life .

For a believer, the way to solve problems is different from the path chosen by unbelieving laity. People who are far from religion, as a rule, try to solve their own troubles, relying on the help and advice of their acquaintances and, in the main, far from the religion of people. And often the problem is not solved, but only aggravated. This is because all the complexities are concentrated within us, far from God. And as a result, under the accumulation of sins, the spiritual harmony breaks down.

A person who is a church person, with the advent of unforeseen situations, for advice, should go to his confessor. At the same time, the believer understands that, asking how to proceed, he is waiting for an answer to his question from the Lord. Seeing his humility, God through the priest gives the correct advice and blesses. The Christian will never have doubts that it is necessary to follow the spoken confessor. He is sure that this Almighty sends him his support. Only if you transfer your heart and soul into obedience to the confessor, God's grace will settle in man.

The Church does not impose restrictions and provides an opportunity for a good Christian to choose a confessor himself. How to find a spiritual mentor? Well, if they are a priest from the temple, which often come to pray. But everything is individual, and sometimes it is not easy to meet a confessor with whom trust and cordial relations are established.

The task of the tutor

Spiritual guidance tends to improve the personality and manifestation of the image of God in it, to the upbringing of the spiritual principle in man. An Orthodox Christian should always read and understand the teachings of the Holy Fathers. They read:

• The spiritual intentions of any Orthodox should be directed by a priest, to whose help one must turn and confess, and in teaching;
• Try to communicate with the confessor throughout his life, revealing his sins and wicked thoughts;
• Following the teachings of his spiritual father, you will certainly find the Kingdom of Heaven;
• If you entrust your heart to the confessor, God's grace will dwell in the soul.

How to choose a spiritual father?

How to choose a spiritual mentor? Do not look for any ways. It is not necessary and make special efforts, beginning the search for a spiritual guide. This will tell the heart. Understanding whether your is a person or not, will come by itself if:

• The advice of the priest has a beneficial effect and heals the soul;
• You get consolation and support;
• You experience joy and peace while dealing with it;
• Feel and believe in the power of his prayer and mutual benevolence.

How to start a spiritual father search

That God prompted how to find a spiritual guide, it is necessary to pray a lot and passionately. Beginning the search you need to take a closer look at the parish in which the priest holds services. A good priest in the temple always has a benevolent atmosphere. It is worthwhile to communicate with parishioners, to learn their opinion about the pastor.

Do not go to distant lands, wondering where to find your spiritual mentor. He may be closer and closer than you think. You do not need to tell anyone about your mentor by meeting him. Religious life is private, and there is no need to put it on public display.

Often come to church, which is to your liking. Open to the priest in confession and pray for him, and then God through him will open his will. When communication with a clergyman is conducted in confidence, then it is worth following the advice of the priest and, having received the farewell message, execute it. It is not necessary to come with one question or problem to many priests, hoping for a change of reason.

You do not need to hurry and call the first priest Father your confessor. When attending church, confess and ask the priest's advice about his sore. And then it is possible to meet a close confessor.

Communicating with parishioners, find out where to find your confessor, and what priest enjoys the authority and respect of the flock.

Beginning to read religious literature is necessary with simple and understandable texts. Spiritual books will help to determine correctly the goals and priorities in life.

Does a person need a spiritual guide?

In any field of activity or in sports, a novice specialist, athlete or schoolchild always has a mentor. He helps to master the profession, shares experience, advice. The mentoring of the clergyman is aimed at the achievement of the disciple's fortress spirit, religious self-awareness and fulfillment of the divine commandments.

The relationship between the child and confessor is not measured by the amount of time spent together. Sometimes it is enough to make several suggestions that the soul is calm and the questions are resolved. It is important to follow all the advice received from the confessor.

In worldly life, families who follow the laws of God, it is important to confess to one confessor. It happens that the arising internal family problems can be solved together.

How to apply for advice to the confessor?

It is desirable for a person with a church to record their sins and then, as often as possible, to confess their confessor. It is believed that salvation is in many councils. Therefore, it is useful for the soul to seek answers from several priests. But it is better to open thoughts and sinful thoughts only to your spiritual father.

Some believers do not know that when going to the shepherd, one should read a prayer: "Lord! Give me mercy and inspire the spiritual father to give me an answer according to your will. " To entrust yourself to a spiritual father is the best way to take the path of correction. The devil can not intervene where all the secret and sinful things were revealed to the confessor. It is important to obey your leader, for through him you obey God.

Spiritual Teacher

The confessor is like a teacher, revealing the true meaning of many things and the truth to his charges. The teacher, the spiritual instructor, should expand the inner potential of the personality, influence it, make the pupil's mental world consonant with his own.

Mentoring is also the spiritual father's prayers about sending him wisdom in teaching his disciples. This is his conversion to God in insoluble situations, the request of support from Heavenly Intercessor in moments of doubt and helplessness. The spiritual father is responsible to Jesus Christ for the children entrusted to him.

Spiritual Mentors of Man

On our way, many people come across who call themselves and consider themselves spiritual guides. Often they have their own teaching, schools, or they call themselves followers of certain spiritual personalities. Such mentors have disciples, like-minded people and admirers who support their views and beliefs.

In addition, each person has his invisible spiritual helpers. These include the angels who protect and protect throughout life. If you manage to learn to understand them, then life will become much easier and easier. Coming to the world together with the born baby, the angels leave him after death.

A believing person who seeks to follow God's commandments with a clear conscience and thoughts, does not fall in spirit before adversity. They only strengthen beliefs and improve his soul. Going to his confessor, he realizes that he asks for advice not from man, but from the Lord, who through the priest gives the necessary advice and blesses. Farewell to the spiritual father, carried out rigorously, will lead to help from God. For the purpose of the existence of man on earth is to purify his heart and feel the closeness of God.