The problem of hearing clearly from the Lord is always with us. I want to share some practical tips that might help you do this better in your own life. They are not infallible but they have worked for me for over three decades now.

Discerning your thoughts

I do not want to get into arguments here. But it has been clear to me for a long time that my thoughts have three sources: the Lord, myself, & the enemy. So when I am looking to get guidance from the Lord I need to be careful. As I make my daily, moment-by-moment decisions I need to be careful

More than that, I need to seriously practice hearing the Lord. You will never hear clearly from Him unless you practice hearing His voice and learning to recognize when it is Him and when it is not.

Your own thoughts are as dangerous as the enemy’s

This is the first thing you need to understand. If it is not from God, it really does not matter. Remember that the original sin was wanting to know good from evil. We do not know enough to make that determination. God was not being mean when He told us not to eat from that tree. Our database is no where nearly comprehensive enough to handle decisions like that.

We regularly make decisions that seem good but prove to be bad in the long run. Let's give a few examples:

• The Industrial Revolution is good

We had no idea about the problems of pollution when we started down the road of technology.

• Cars are good

But we had no idea what they would ultimately do to the nuclear family. We never foresaw suburbs, exurbs, or commuting.

• Drugs are good

But who foresaw a society who turns to drugs instead of God: medically, socially, and emotionally.

• The Internet is good

But who saw it would spring free the spirit of lawlessness?

Examine your thoughts

When you ask yourself a serious question, listen to the answers you get. “Should I marry this woman?” Only God knows the answer to that. So you need to hear from him. You need to carefully examine your thoughts about matters like these

Thoughts from God

They will manifest his character. We have several ways to discern that. You can see the two descriptions of his character to the right in I Cor 13 and Galatians 5. How does this work out in real life as you listen to you thoughts?

• God is a gentleman
• God is Kind, patient, generous
• He is never in a hurry, never pushy

Thoughts from the enemy

They manifest his character. He is a liar, cheat, and thief. He comes to kill and destroy. His tools are the the works of the flesh

Often thoughts from God will pop into to your mind fully formed. Of course, the enemy’s do that also. But the enemy usually has a nasty, pushy edge. The enemy often tries to insist that you make a decision immediately.

Testing the spirits

If you have a thought come into your mind like that. Simply ask the spirit giving you that thought, “Do you confess that Jesus came in the flesh and that he is Lord of Lords?" Often your next thought will be a brusque, “No!” Of course, if you ask out loud and any one hears you, they’ll think you’re insane. But then we are fools for Christ, right?

Remember the sound & feel of the voice

As you practice these things, remember voices that you identify. As you practice you will learn the subtle differences and come to know the voice of God. You may not always recognize the enemy. It’s hard to tell between the enemy and your self. But you will know that it is not God, and you will increasingly learn to know the voice of God.

It’s different for every one, but God’s voice often brings a feeling of peace, joy, comfort, and so on. Also, his voice is constantly changing and your methods of hearing must constantly change. That is because it si a walk of faith and He does not want you dependent on a method but in Him.

Listen carefully...