Keeps saying troublesome priests need direction (8)
I believe the answer is:
persists
'keeps saying' is the definition.
The answer and definition can be both to do with fundamental existence as well as being verbs in their -s form.
Maybe there's a link between them I don't understand?
'troublesome priests need direction' is the wordplay.
'troublesome' is an anagram indicator.
'need' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'direction' becomes 's' (S is an example).
'priests' with letters rearranged gives 'persist'.
'persist'+'s'='PERSISTS'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for persists that I've seen before include "Carries on, perseveres" , "Continues to exist" , "Continues firmly or obstinately" , "Maintains a course against opposition" , "Continues on a course in spite of opposition" .)