What have YOU been praying for in this season? Every week, I sit down to pray with many others at our church to pray over our people and their prayer requests. One prayer request that is very common comes from people looking to God for wisdom and direction.
As you grow in your spiritual walk, over time you will become more and more certain of when a thought is either yours, from God, or from Satan. That’s right, Satan throws his two cents in there too! Differentiating God’s and Satan’s voice is easier than you think!
When the enemy tries to talk to you, it’s called temptation.
When God talks to you, it’s called inspiration.
That leave’s our voice in the mix. And I don’t know about you, but sometimes I mix up my desires and God’s will. A lot of people do this because we want to do what we want to do, and we hope God agrees with it. The better way to go about discerning between God’s voice and our own voice is to simply ask, “God, what do you want me to do?”
Now it’s not a big deal if you’re just trying to figure out where to eat after service. But, it’s an issue if you’re talking about who you’re going to marry, a career change, or a big move. We can trust that God has our best interests in mind, and He wants to speak to us!
Here are three ways you can double-check to see if you’re on track to hearing God clearly!
- Does it agree with the Bible? Your situation is not a surprise to God. He’s known it and He’s seen it before. He’s given us His Word to help us line up truth against lies. It says in Luke 21:33, that “Heaven and earth will pass away but my words will never pass away.” God will never give you an idea or tell you to do something that contradicts His Word.
When you’re wondering if a thought or idea is from God, the best place to start is always His Word. It is the primary way He has chosen to communicate with us. Many people tend to use it as a last resort, your prayer life will take on new meaning when you go to the Bible first. - Will it help my growth as a Christian? The reality is that we have a ton of freedom in Christ! But in that freedom, we want to be growing in a direction that makes us more like Jesus Christ. Let’s look at 1 Corinthians 6:12.
You say, “I am allowed to do anything” – but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything.
If you’re struggling with a decision that doesn’t go against the Bible but it may not be helpful to your walk with Jesus Christ it’s important to check it up against this test. Seek God’s wisdom even for something that isn’t bad for you … but may not be wise either. - The Jerk Test. Ideas from God don’t cause people to act like jerks. So, if someone ever tells you that “God told them to do this or that ” and they’re acting like a complete jerk, then you know that idea did not come from God. God isn’t going to tell you to do something if it makes you act like a jerk. There are a lot of things going on in our world that people blame on God, yet Scripture reminds us in Proverbs 19:3
“People ruin their lives by their own foolishness and then are angry at the LORD.” Don’t use the “God told me” card and then act the opposite of Jesus Christ.
I want to encourage you to continue praying! Continue reaching out to your small group, mentors, and church family. I’m certain that God wants to direct, guide, and show you what He has for you in this life. He’s got plans for you even if we in San Diego are in the purple tier, red tier, or have torn down the tiers, God has a plan and He will come through for you. Keep praying, keep hoping, keep on keeping on!
I want to continue praying for you too. Send your prayer requests by filling out a Connection Card at SkylineChurch.org. Or download our APP and send in your request there. AND, if you believe God has answered your prayers and given you the wisdom to make a decision, we want to celebrate with you! Fill out the same connection card and tell us about your Praise Reports!
God bless you, friend! May God give you wisdom as you prayerfully seek to be more like Jesus Christ.
