Mukhtasar Bukhari

Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with him) says that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) used to teach us to perform Istikhara (seeking guidance from Allah) in all matters (and with such emphasis) as he used to teach us a Surah from the Qur'an. He (peace be upon him) used to say: "When any one of you intends to do any work, he should offer two rak'ahs of prayer other than the obligatory prayer and (after the prayer) say: 'O Allah! I seek goodness from Your knowledge and I seek power from Your might and I ask You from Your great bounty. Surely, You have power and I have no power, and You know and I do not know, and You are the Knower of the unseen. O Allah! If You know that this matter is good for me in my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affairs, then ordain it for me and make it easy for me, and if You know that this matter is harmful for me in my religion, my worldly life, and the outcome of my affairs, then turn it away from me and turn me away from it, and ordain for me what is good wherever it may be, and make me pleased with it.'" He (peace be upon him) said: "And he should mention his need (to Allah)."