“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.”

(1 John 4:1 ESV)

“And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ.”

(Philippians 1:9-10 ESV)

According to google, discernment is “to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit.”

I was scrolling Facebook yesterday and saw an ad for black Friday sale at Big Lots. I saw something I wanted and I felt it wasn’t true. But I wanted this item so much I went ahead and ordered it. Long story short, it is a scam. So I called my bank and had to stop the payment. But even though I ignored that small voice nagging me not to order it, God still took care of me. My bank did not charge me a stop payment fee. 

It is a good idea to listen to your gut feeling. It is usually right. God gives us discernment so we can avoid stupid decisions like the one I made yesterday. We need to listen to those feelings.

I like this definition of discernment, “to understand or know something through the power of the Spirit.”

The Holy Spirit will never lead you astray. But the devil will. You need to know if it’s the right decision or not. I have learned to listen to my gut. If I have a gut feeling about something, listen to it. 

Have a blessed day, and don’t fall for any of the scams going around this holiday season.

Kathy Keller
Writer and Prayer warrior with Answers2Prayer Ministries
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