Discerning if the message is from God can be difficult. Keeping
in mind the characteristics of God, these guidelines can help:
What you can do:
- Listen carefully. Listen for what the person is actually
saying, not for what you want to hear. Try not to color the
message with prejudices, past pain, or personal issues. Don't
interrupt. Concentrate on what's being said.
- Respond thoughtfully. It's easy to thank someone who delivers
a positive message, but also try to respond graciously to a
person with criticism. Tell the person you'll consider the
input, and try not to react by throwing back negative words.
- Consider the message. Does the message "witness" within your
spirit? Does it fit your circumstances? After you've peeled
away layers of pain, denial, or confusion, is there a kernel
of truth in the message? If the answer to any of these is
yes, God may be speaking.
- Consider the source. Is this message from someone you trust?
Is it delivered in a spirit of love and concern? Remember
that no messenger is perfect and that people with their own
unresolved personal issues can speak God's truth to you.
- Check your attitude. Is pride or disobedience making you
resist the message? Perhaps pain or confusion? You may need
to confess and deal with your barriers before discerning a
message's validity.
- Check for confirmation. Look for confirmation through the
other ways that God speaks, such as prayer, impressions of
the soul, the truth of scripture, other messages, spiritual
gifts, and the extraordinary.
- Watch God move. Often when you receive words from messengers,
they explain what God is going to do. You don't have to run
off immediately to make it happen. You can savor the message
in your heart and watch God fulfill His words to you. If the
messenger describes something you need to alter, God will
enable you to make the change.
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