In these contentious times, many people are claiming to have heard from God. However, one thing that is generally missing from such pronouncements is how the person knows that they have heard from God.
This is especially interesting since the Bible is clear, in both the Old and New Testaments, that we need to be discerning about such claims, and that while we should not despise prophecy, we should carefully test the spirits. Jesus, Paul, and John all warned us about the deceptions that would occur. In most cases, the context is when people are claiming to speak for God. In those cases, Scripture is clear that they need to be tested because the danger of false prophets is real and significant.
Thus, while we should probably be open when others claim to have heard from the Spirit, we should be discerning and careful to test. This is particularly important when what is said affects other people. This is certainly true when the guidance affects many people, but probably applies even when it affects one other person. In generally, whenever someone claims to speak for God into someone else’s life, that claim should be tested.
This is easy to say, but how does this work out in reality? Fortunately, many Christians have thought about this, and Scripture has a lot of guidance and examples. My studies and experience suggest a number of ways to approach this.
Although books could be written about this, some principles can be described briefly. Here are some I’ve gathered, leveraging what’s been expressed in teachings through the years, and including observations from Scripture.
First, the Spirit may guide us directly, often described as a “still, small voice”. In other words, someone may sense that they’ve received guidance directly. Of course, the challenge is to be sure that the spirit that was heard was actually God’s.
Another way people receive guidance is through study and meditation on Scripture. When applied diligently, this can help verify that anything one may have directly sensed was from God.
Thirdly, it often seems that events indicate God’s hand at work in the world around us. It may be unexpected opportunities, sometimes referred to as “open doors”, or it may be singular unexpected events that carry special significance, sometimes referred to as “signs”.
These three things — spiritual promptings, Scripture, and events — have been called the three lights, but sometimes people add another one to the list – seeking the council of other Godly believers.
The general idea is to seek agreement between these things. In this way, it’s possible to increase one’s confidence that the guidance we’re sensing is really from the Lord. It may seem somewhat programmatic to be this deliberate about the details, but I think of it as a way to love God with our minds.
So, these are the things we should look for from people who claim to be speaking for the Lord. Did they spend time in prayer about this topic? Have they studied the Scripture and can they share their understanding? Can they point to ways that seem to indicate God’s hand in the world in ways that are characteristic of Him and consistent with whatever they are claiming? Have they consulted with other believers and do they agree with the speaker’s assessment?
We can see this play out in a passage from Scripture. In Acts 15, the leaders of the church came together to decide what to do about Gentiles that were coming into the faith. Specifically, whether or not they needed to be circumcised and follow the Law of Moses. As the leaders discussed this, they heard Peter describe a vision that the Holy Spirit gave him as well as how the Spirit’s infilling of Cornelius and his house manifested itself in their speech. Paul related how God’s hand was evident in the events they saw through the miracles being done. James wrapped up by confirming their observations and interpretations through Scripture.
In this one example, we see multiple Godly believers coming together to share counsel, aligning revelation from the Spirit, God’s work in the world, and Scripture. The same elements that we can use today. Of course, it’s not reasonable to test every “leading” of the Spirit this way; some things are so minor, subtle, or private that these may not all apply.
However, public proclamations are a different matter. When someone claims to be speaking for God in a matter of public policy, for example, I think it is reasonable, maybe even expected, to ask how they know they’ve heard from the Holy Spirit, rather than some other spirits. There seems to be no lack of misleading forces out there.
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