But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth.
This week, we’re focusing on the different ways God speaks to us. Throughout the Bible, we see that God communicated with His people.
Adam and Eve used to walk in the Garden with the Father (Genesis 3:8). Moses would talk with Him in the tent of meeting as if talking with a friend (Exodus 33:11). The disciples followed Jesus, conversed with Him, and heard His teachings (The gospels, for example, Mark 6).
But before Jesus left the disciples and ascended to heaven, He promised them a new means of communication: the Holy Spirit.
But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come. – John 16:13 NIV
The Holy Spirit speaks to everyone, not just prophets or pastors. We all can receive His guidance. However, whenever you feel that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you, it is always important to test it.
Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. – 1 Thessalonians 5:20-22 NIV
Ask yourself, “Does it align with the Bible?” “Does it give me peace?” “Does it increase shame or guilt?” These are all important indicators of whether it is God speaking to you through His Spirit or the devil trying to mess with your mind.
I’d like to point out one more thing. Unfortunately, it happens too often in the Christian world that people claim they have heard things directly from God, but later it turns out it wasn’t from God at all. In recent years, we’ve also seen many so-called prophets exposed for deliberately misleading people under the guise of prophecy.
Whenever you receive a prophecy or word from God through another believer, no matter how Godly, important or famous they are, ALWAYS test it and ask God for confirmation.
If God wants to speak to you, He will do so clearly and repeatedly. One word does not become truth simply because someone says, “God told me.” And if someone is truly a servant of God, they will encourage you to test their words and not be offended if you don’t blindly follow them.
If you need any help in this area or have been confused about prophecies you’ve received. Please feel free to send us a message.
