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Q&A: Can I Ask Elders for Advice and if so Where Can I Find Them?


By Fr. Andrew Lemeshonok

I do not know where you can find elders. If you have any question, you should always pray and ask God.  I think that you should try to seek a response to your questions by going to your spiritual father, a priest that you go to confession to, through the Holy Scripture and the writings of the Holy Fathers and even your friends and relatives, you will soon get an answer. The main thing is that  you have to work hard, you have to make an effort and turn to God. If I understand correctly, you are seeking an elder because of a serious doubt or a life changing decision where you can not make up your mind and need advice. But if you have experienced  priests, whom you trust you can and should ask them after praying to God. To go somewhere, look for the elders... This is a difficult task. You man initially desire this but then may end up having to regrets and doubts.

For example there was elder Nikolay Guryanov. I personally visited him for many years and saw God's love in Him. But at some point I saw that I would ask for guidance but would not follow any of the advice that he gave me. This is because I was not ready yet and did not have enough faith. So I stopped asking. I tried to hear that the Lord would tell me through, and see the beauty that God saw in this man. This gave me the strength to live and seek the right answers to my questions.


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