(The following excerpt has been taken from the book, Prayer and Worship by Cheryl Taylor and Russ Michaels)
First John 4: 1 instructs us to “not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” Fortunately, there are several criteria to test spiritual leadings we receive. Thoughtful reflection on the following guidelines is helpful as we explore this dynamic of prayer.
1. It Will Line Up with the Word
Ask: Is this leading consistent with God’s character as revealed in His written Word?
The Bible is our litmus test for any revelation we sense we are receiving. If we think we have heard from God, we must check it against Scripture, for when God speaks to us, it will always be consistent with His character, as revealed in the Word. For example, if I went shopping and came home with an extra item in my bag that I did not pay for, and I thought God was telling me that it was His way of blessing me, I would know the voice was not God’s because He is always honest. The Holy Spirit and the Word will always agree. The Spirit will not tell you to do something that is contradictory to the Word! One young woman announced she was going to marry her non-Christian boyfriend because the Holy Spirit had told her he was the one for her. She did not hear from God. Nor did the pastor who ran off with his secretary, stating God had blessed their love and they “felt a real peace about it.” In each of these cases, they failed to test what they heard in God’s Word. If we think we have heard God, but what we are hearing contradicts the Bible in any way, we can be sure that it is not God’s voice we are hearing! Nothing that comes from God would contradict the principles contained in the authoritative teaching of Scripture. We must not ascribe the same authority to what we hear as we ascribe to the Bible. When God speaks to us today, it is in no way the equivalent of the closed canon of the Scriptures. Therefore, all communication being declared in the name of the Lord is to be examined and evaluated in light of the Word. This is why it is so important to become students of the Word. In order for the Word to be our standard by which all else is judged, we must know the Word; that will help us to recognize the voice of error.
2. Godly Counsel Will Confirm It
Ask: Do my closest friends and spiritual mentors sense this leading to be from God?
If we believe we have heard some specific direction for our lives, we should seek confirmation and counsel from wise friends and spiritually mature counselors, such as pastors. We can trust that God will confirm His word through godly people in our lives— people who truly have our best interest at heart. This brings safety and stability. Luke writes that Paul began his missionary journey after the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” and after the brothers of the church of Antioch “placed their hands on them and sent them off” (Acts 13: 2,3). Especially when it comes to major life decisions, it is wise to err on the side of caution, humbly asking others you know and trust what they feel about your sense of God’s direction. Hybels writes this caution: If a leading creates unrest in the spirit of mature Christian friends or counselors as you share it with them, question it. If a leading requires you to shatter family relationships or important friendships, question it. If a leading requires you to go deeply in debt or place someone else in a position of awkwardness, compromise, or danger, question it. I am not saying you should automatically reject such leadings (unless they are also against Scripture), but reconsider them and treat them very carefully. (Hybels 1998, 165) There is wisdom in godly counsel.
3. You Will Have Peace about Doing It
Ask: Even if it may be tough, does my spirit tell me I am doing the right thing?
When we have heard from God, we will feel a peace knowing that we are taking the right action or making the right decision. “You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26: 3). Peace is an internal confirmation that what we are doing is approved by God. It should be noted that it is possible to have peace, even in the face of problems, challenges, or fears. Paul and Silas had such peace that they could sing praises to God, even though they had been stripped, beaten, and thrown into a dark, cold prison cell (Acts 16: 22– 25). Despite the challenges we face, we can experience a deep, abiding peace that carries us through the storm. If you question whether a leading is from God, figuratively place it on the scale with peace; do not proceed if peace cannot hold its weight against the guidance you have heard. You may simply have to say, “It is not wise for me to do this, because I do not have peace about it.” Even when you are confident God has spoken to you, you should wait until peace fills your soul to do what He has instructed you to do— this will ensure that the timing is right. A word of caution should be noted. While God’s leading will have an emotional impact on our lives, we should remember that emotions are great servants, but terrible masters. Emotions serve us best as signals to what is going on beneath the surface. If we feel nothing but anger, anxiety, depression, fear, and deflated faith, these emotions could be warning signals. By contrast, we can typically associate the emotions of love, peace, and joy with a movement toward God, surrender to His kingdom, and the infilling presence of Jesus. Do you feel an increased sense of hope? Is your faith increased? If you can answer yes to these kinds of questions, there is great likelihood the leading is of God.
4. It Calls Us to Service
Ask: Is this leading self-serving and self-promoting, or does it call me to serve others?
Many counterfeit leadings are fairly easy to discern, because they are self-promoting or self-serving. One frustrated man said, “I have been an elder in my church for thirty years, and I have seen a lot of pastors come and go. I would like to know why every one of them has felt a ‘leading’ to leave this church when the invitation elsewhere involved more money, more benefits, a bigger staff and a larger house. No pastor has ever been led to a smaller church with a smaller salary and fewer benefits. (Hybels 1998, 163) On the other hand, we can usually sense that a leading is from the Holy Spirit when it calls us to humble ourselves, serve somebody, encourage somebody, or give something away. This is what Paul told the Ephesian elders about one of his leadings: “Now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me” (Acts 20: 22– 23). Paul was being asked to sacrifice safety and comfort for the sake of the Kingdom. Not every leading from God will involve pain and sacrifice, but expect that often. God’s leadings will mean making gut-wrenching decisions that test the limits of our faith. “Many of God’s leadings will require you to choose between being comfortable and building a godly character, amassing money and seeking first God’s kingdom, being a winner in the world’s eyes and being a winner in God’s eyes (Hybels 1998, 164).
5. It Will Stand the Test of Time
Ask: As I obey this leading, is the Holy Spirit confirming it?
As we daily spend time in prayer and respond to what we believe to be God’s leading, we will either have a growing sense of the Holy Spirit’s confirmation, or else we will develop a nagging sense that maybe we did not have it right. It is possible that we did not hear right. On some occasions, and for a variety of reasons, we realize that what we thought was God’s leading was not. In such cases, we should take steps to correct the situation as quickly as possible. I have a friend who resigned a pastorate to accept a position halfway across the country. One week into the job he realized that this was not the right move for him. He cut his losses and returned to seek God’s further direction. As hard as this must have been, it was still easier than trying to stick it out in a place that was not God’s will. God honored his courage to make it right. It is also possible that we heard right, but the timing was wrong. Sometimes God gives us a vision for a ministry, task, or promise, and we assume that this word is for right now. The counsel of wise friends, family, and counselors can prevent us from pushing the plan before its time. Remember Abraham and Sarah? In their impatience they ended up forcing God’s promise for a son in order to bring God’s plan to pass, thereby greatly complicating the situation. Even when we are confident that God has spoken, we may need to wait for His timing. If a leading requires you to make a major, life-changing decision in a very short period of time, question it. A little time of waiting is always wise, especially on important decisions. The Bible tells us not to be rash in what we say or hasty in the commitments we make (Ecclesiastes 5: 2– 5). It is possible that we are simply facing resistance and need to press forward. As we mentioned regarding the apostles, sometimes the challenges are an indication that we are exactly where we need to be. It is so easy to slip into an immediate perspective without considering the long-range perspective. In the present, looking at physical circumstances, we just do not see how God’s word could possibly come to pass. But sometimes, hindsight is bliss. If we are patient, our spiritual hindsight may be correct, and we will be able to look back and see how God was working in our lives and in the situation.
6. God Will Give You the Ability to Achieve It
Ask: What circumstances have confirmed that this leading is God’s will for you?
God does not always call the equipped, but He always equips those He calls. No matter what God calls us to do, He will be with us every step of the way, giving us the strength and ability to accomplish it. We can be assured that we serve a God who is big enough to open the right doors, and if God is opening a door, no person can shut it (1 Corinthians 16: 9). God’s leadings are usually consistent with the person He made you to be. He uniquely wired you for His purposes. Your spiritual giftings, heart passions, natural abilities, personality, and life experiences all go into making you uniquely prepared to live for Him and serve Him. Some Christians falsely assume that something could not be God’s will if it is personally rewarding, satisfying, and brings joy when you do it. Some people seem to think that God creates a person with certain gifts and then expects them to excel in totally unrelated fields. But why do you assume God’s leadings would contradict who He made you to be? Why would He design you for one purpose and then ask you to fulfill another? To be sure, He loves to stretch our abilities and expand our potential, and that often involves leading us along untried paths. That does not mean, however, that He ignores our gifts and inherent interests. After all, He gave them to us in the first place so that we could serve Him more effectively. Instead, He strengthens our natural abilities and builds on them (Hybels 1998, 162).
7. God Will Be Glorified by It
Ask: What is likely to be the result (outcome) of this leading?
So we must stop and consider, “what is likely to be the fruit of this leading?” Will this bring glory and honor to the name of the Lord? Will it bear fruit in faith (belief) and faithfulness (behavior) on the part of the one receiving it? Does it help me to be conformed to the image of Christ? Is it consistent with the fruit of the Spirit? Does it promote the growth of Christ’s character in me? Answering yes to these questions is a good indication of God’s speaking.
References and Further Reading
Taylor, Cheryl and Michaels, Russ. Prayer and Worship (Kindle Locations 1959-2007). Global University.
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