Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.
1 John 4:1 NLT
There are many who claim to speak what the Holy Spirit is saying, but they are misleading people. There are many who say what the Holy Spirit is saying, and they are speaking the unadulterated truth in love.
How do you discern who is speaking the truth and who is lying?
There are three voices in this world. There are three possible origins for any utterance under the sun. There is the divine, the carnal and the demonic. Which of those voices would you trust?
The easiest way to deceive yourself is to listen to what the world produces.
Those people belong to this world, so they speak from the world’s viewpoint, and the world listens to them.
But we belong to God, and those who know God listen to us. If they do not belong to God, they do not listen to us. That is how we know if someone has the Spirit of truth or the spirit of deception.
1 John 4:5-6 NLT
Worldly people speak from the world’s viewpoint. Don’t allow yourself to be deceived. Renew your mind with God’s viewpoint — pray and read your Bible. Fellowship in the truth with the Holy Spirit and other believers.
In the days ahead, it will be imperative for you to know how to recognize God’s voice for yourself. It will be absolutely essential to be able to discern what spirit is speaking.
Don’t believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. Test them. Don’t believe every word that you hear. Test them.
Do not quench [subdue, or be unresponsive to the working and guidance of] the [Holy] Spirit. Do not scorn or reject gifts of prophecy or prophecies [spoken revelations — words of instruction or exhortation or warning]. But test all things carefully [so you can recognize what is good]. Hold firmly to that which is good.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-21 AMP
Now is the time to prepare yourself. Be ready. Know God. Know His voice. Know His written word. Abide in His love. The end is coming. When? We do not know. Therefore, always be ready.
Prayer Points
- Ask God to give you a spirit of wisdom and discernment.
- Ask God to reveal any lies that you’ve been believing and acting on and to replace them with His truth.
- Pray that God would open the eyes of the spiritually blind and that they would come to recognize and respond to the truth that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Father in Heaven, let Your Name be kept holy. May the words we speak be few. Let Your Holy Spirit inspire us to speak and to act according to Your divine will. Bring repentance upon Your Body so that Your people would turn from their cherished sins and live holy lives that bring glory to Your Name. May our witness not be false. Amen.
Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons. These people are hypocrites and liars, and their consciences are dead.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 NLT
Recommended reading: 1 John 4, 1 Thessalonians 5 and 1 Timothy 4.
Igniter Ministries 