How To Sharpen Your Spiritual Discernment

If any of you lack knowledge, ask God, who generously and without reproach gives to all, and it will be given to him. 1:5 (James)

Even the wisest among us may benefit from a little more discernment. God, thankfully, delights in bestowing insight on those who seek it. Pray for godly wisdom to discern correctly, as well as the determination to follow its lead rather than ignore it.

Trying to develop our discerning skills without prayer is akin to performing surgery with a butter knife. The outcomes will never be as good as they could and should be.

God's Word

I used to read Bible-related books more than the Bible itself. More than I allow the Holy Spirit instruct me via His Word, I let others tell me what the Bible says.

When my biblical literacy was low, I couldn't tell the difference between a lie and the truth about Jesus. When a Bible teacher slipped—or leapt—into wrong, I couldn't tell.

False teaching and misunderstandings abound wherever biblical literacy is lacking.

Awareness of Satan's Schemes

We would not be outwitted by Satan because we are aware of his plans. (2 Corinthians 2:11)

To mention a few, God calls Satan a liar, murderer, accuser, tempter, adversary of humanity, a roaring lion, and the deceiver.

Satan has invented every conceivable strategy to trap humanity in sin. However, he is weak in the face of truth. As a result, one of his primary strategies is to keep humanity away from the Bible. If he can't keep us away from it, he'll try to limit or pervert our comprehension of it until we're gagging on God's Truth and slurping up his deception.

Satan's age-old plans still work today as well as they did in the past. He simply has more modern technologies at his disposal.

Satan's success is based on our lack of knowledge of God's Word. It's much easier to deceive the uninitiated.

Awareness of Areas of Susceptibility

People will no longer tolerate sound education and, with itching ears, will seek out teachers who will cater to their personal interests. 2 Timothy 4:3

We're all prone to making mistakes, especially when it comes to our hobbies. Knowing our vulnerabilities helps us to use the belt of truth to shore up our flaws. However, because we are often blind to our own flaws, reliable friends or family members can provide invaluable advice.

Would our friends describe us as overly trusting? Are you prone to believing anything someone says? Maybe we're just chronic doubters who question everything we hear, including the truth. Carefree spirits may be prone to exaggerating their “freedom in Christ,” and zealous rule-followers may demand adherence to laws that God never established.

We can go to specific truths in Scripture to shore up our vulnerabilities once we've identified where we're most vulnerable.

Godly Counsel

A people falls when there is no guidance, but there is safety when there are many counselors. Proverbs 11:14

If we hang out with leaders, professors, and friends who have a poor image of God and Scripture and a high view of man, we might weaken our discerning skills, much like the well-intentioned creator of my Bible study disaster. When we spend time with people who place a higher value on Jesus and the Bible than on man, it's like iron honing iron.

With the godly, we can learn to recognize truth or fall into mistake with the crowds.

What is the process of spiritual discernment?

Because every decision must be made in line with God's will, Christian spiritual discernment can be distinguished from other types of discernment. Christian discernment is defined as a decision-making process in which an individual discovers something that can lead to future action. God leads the individual through the process of Christian spiritual discernment to help them make the greatest decision possible. In Christian spiritual discernment, the greatest approach to arrive at the best option is to look for internal and outward indicators of God's action and then apply them to the situation at hand. Christian discernment also places a strong emphasis on Jesus and making decisions that are consistent with Jesus' teachings in the New Testament. Christian discernment differs from secular discernment in that it focuses on God and Jesus while making decisions. Ignatius of Loyola is widely regarded as a master of spirit discernment. Ignatian discernment is named after Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556), who developed his own distinct method of Catholic discernment. Ignatian discernment focuses on perceiving God in all aspects of life and uses a series of Spiritual Exercises to help people make better life decisions. The Spiritual Exercises are intended to assist those who are confronted with a significant life decision. Identifying the issue, spending time to pray about the choice, making a wholehearted decision, discussing the choice with a mentor, and lastly trusting the decision made are the seven steps of discernment to be followed.

What are the seven steps of discernment?

With an open mind and an open heart, we must approach the decision in question. We won't be able to discover God's will for us if we go into the decision-making process with a pre-determined outcome based on our own will, biases, and attachments, which Ignatius defines as an attitude of “I already have my mind made up, so don't confuse me with the facts.” Attachments are areas in our lives where we restrict our freedom and impose constraints on our choices. For example, I'll attend college wherever if it's within a day's drive of my parents' house.

Courage:

Such generosity and openness take courage, because God may be calling us to do something tough, demanding, and risky. Giving up control and trustingly placing the decision in God's hands while seeking God's will over our own demands courage.

How do I ask God for discernment?

Dear heavenly Father, you count our hairs and determine our days; you hang the stars and feed the birds; you open and close doors that no one can open or close. Surely, we can put our faith in you when it comes to making significant decisions, or any decisions for that matter. We're through a similar season right now, Father, and we're aware that we're not alone. For the sake of your honor, we will trust you with generous wisdom, straight roads, and quiet hearts.

We adore you for being the God of decision-making. It is your choices, not ours, that determine the outcome. We'll make plans, but we'll entrust our actions to you. We'll pray, but we'd like you to direct our prayers to heaven. We'll seek advice, but you may count on you to veto any incorrect or incomplete information from our closest friends and mentors. We'll read through the Bible, but not for proof passages, but for you, Father. All we want and need is for you to come along.

Free us from the paralysis of analysis—desiring to make the right decision more than being virtuous; desiring to be known as smart people more than knowing you. Free us from the idolatry of believing that there is just one “ideal” option in every scenario. Free us from making decisions based solely on our comfort and the approval of others, or out of fear of their condemnation. Allow us to understand that good decisions do not always result in the most straightforward outcomes, especially at first. Allow us to make decisions without second and twenty-second thoughts.

Father, we know that your will is our sanctification—our becoming more and more like Jesus—in ALL things, whether it's wisdom about purchasing or selling, vocation or vacation, this place or that place, this person or that person. Give us this zeal; make it our pleasure.

So, Father, when we trust you with the opening and closing of doors in front of us, make us more and more like Jesus. Everything we eat and drink is for your glory, as are our whatevers, whenevers, and wherevers. Amen.

What is the spiritual gift of discernment?

Because of their emphasis on the operation of all spiritual gifts inside their churches, Pentecostal and charismatic Christians place a premium on spirit discernment. The ability to discern whether a spiritual gift (such as prophecy or languages interpretation) is exercised by the Holy Spirit, an evil spirit, or simply the human spirit becomes vital. They believe that every Christian has the ability to judge and is accountable for determining whether such an occurrence is beneficial and edifying to the church; yet, they also think that the Holy Spirit has given some people the spiritual gift of distinguishing spirits. It's vital to remember that identifying spirits is not the same as assessing individuals. It's also thought that the ability to identify spirits is required to separate demonic possession from mental or physical disease. This is crucial in the real practice of deliverance, also known as exorcism or demon casting, which was part of Jesus' great commission to his disciples and future generations of believers. Discerning spirits can also be learned, according to the late Albert Taylor's book “Ministering Below the Surface — a practical guide to Inner Healing and Deliverance.”

Furthermore, many Charismatics and members of Pentecostal congregations believe that the gift of Spirit discernment allows some people to see spirits. In Dr. Jonathan Welton's book ‘School of the Seers,' the narrative of Elisha and the army of angels (cf. 2 Kings 6:15-17) is used as an illustration, along with numerous other recent examples.

What is an example of a charism?

Theology describes charism as a gratuitous gift from God, supernatural, transitory, given to the individual for the good of others, for the benefit of the church, according to the technical meaning of the word charism as found in the New Testament, particularly in Saint Paul. This section covers two topics: (1) the nature of the gift, namely what it entails for the person who receives it and (2) the many sorts of charisms as defined by theology.

Nature. The word was employed loosely in the sense of grace or gift by the early Fathers and ecclesiastical writers. It is a favor provided by God not for the individual's personal justification or sanctification, but for the spiritual wellbeing of others, according to Saint Thomas Aquinas. It is fundamentally different from the kind of grace that makes a person appealing to God or holy in His eyes (gratia gratum faciens ). All grace is freely provided (gratis data) by God, as the name implies; nevertheless, because charism lacks the extra perfection of making the individual holy, it keeps the essentially general phrase of freely given grace as its name (gratia gratis data; see Summa theologiae 1a2ae, 111.1 ad 3). Charisms differ from sanctifying or actual grace, virtues, Holy Spirit gifts (see holy spirit, gift of), and graces of state of life in this regard. All of these graces are entitative or operative habits or dispositions that are inherent in the subject and serve the subject's perfection as their primary goal.

Charisms, on the other hand, may be given to an individual solely for the purpose of having a beneficial influence on others. As a result, a charismatic person isn't always a holy person, however God frequently uses someone near to Him as an instrument. Indeed, there may be a link between certain Holy Spirit gifts and charisms, such as the gifts of wisdom and counsel on the one hand, and the charisms of supernatural knowledge and discerning of spirits on the other. In these situations, the individual is given the remarkable ability to impart to others what he has acquired forever through a gift.

The superiority and durability of the graces that make a person holy have no bearing on charisms' ontological and supernatural perfection. God's specific intervention in man's abilities and activity produces charisms. They can be relegated to the category of accidents, transitory traits, or instrumental operating abilities in terms of metaphysics, as they raise man's capacities to action above their original potential. They include various forms of intellectual illuminations, the ability to communicate with others, and the ability to do miraculous feats, among other things.

Charisms, in the purest sense, refer to unusual abilities such as foresight, glossolalia, and so on. Gifts like ecclesiastical authority, the exercise of Sacred Orders, and infallibility, on the other hand, satisfy the criteria because they are all supernatural, freely bestowed gifts ordained for the Church's benefit. These latter presents, on the other hand, are of a more permanent kind.

Types. Theologians' classifications and arrangements are somewhat arbitrary. “They are ordained for the revelation of faith and spiritual teaching,” Saint Thomas says, picturing the role of these gifts in the Church exactly in a doctrinal and apologetic function (Summa theologiae 3a, 7.7). He separates charisms into three categories based on this criterion (Summa theologiae 1a2ae, 111.4). First, there are the charisms that endow the apostle with great divine insight. This is accomplished by particular faith and the word of wisdom (knowledge of divine things).

How many types of discernment are there?

Ignatius' criteria for discerning spirits are divided into four categories: (1) seven attitudes or personal qualities necessary for authentic spirit discernment, (2) three different “times” or conditions in which decisions are made, (3) seven practical techniques that can aid in the discernment process, and (4) some guidelines for determining whether a given inner movement or desire is from a good or evil spirit.

What is the difference between being judgmental and discerning?

A judgemental person is one who goes beyond recognizing disparities in people's talents to draw conclusions about their overall worthiness. A terrible singer is inferior to a judgemental person not just on the level of singing, but also on the more fundamental dimension of being human.

At first glance, it may appear that a wise person has no choice but to pass judgment. That is not the case, and to understand why, consider what we know about intelligence and what it takes to succeed.

Many of us associate intelligence with IQ scores in the areas of analytical, mathematical, and verbal intelligence. Several researchers, including Howard Gardner, have discovered that intelligence comes in many forms: social intelligence (the ability to get along with others), emotional intelligence (one of which is the ability to stay motivated in the face of obstacles), musical intelligence, kinesthetic intelligence (important for athletes and dancers), spatial intelligence (important for architects), and so on. According to Howard Gardner and others, just as some people have a higher IQ than others, there is also variance in terms of other sorts of intelligence. As it turns out, there is no link between one form of intelligence and another, meaning that a person with a high IQ does not necessarily have a high level of intelligence in other areas. This means that, because there is no limit to the number of dimensions of intellect, no one person has complete dominance over another on all dimensions of intelligence. In other words, no human being is “better” to another in terms of overall performance. Indeed, one could argue that, when all intellectual dimensions are taken into account, everyone is equally gifted in their own unique way.

But why are some people more successful in life than others if they are all equally gifted? Why is it that certain people (for example, Federer in tennis) master a domain while others fail miserably at everything they attempt?

This is due to two factors. To begin with, most of us never know our unique brilliance or “God-given” aptitude. This is partly due to the fact that we pay too much attention to what others (parents, teachers, and especially peers) tell us we should do (see videos 1 and 2 on social influence), and partly due to the fact that our schools and universities do not focus on assisting us in discovering our true talents. Second, as Simonton and Gladwell eloquently argued in their respective books, Genius 101 and Outliers, success is largely dependent on chance events and circumstances that place us in the “right place at the right time” to capitalize on our talents, and most of us are simply not fortunate enough to have gotten the right breaks in life-breaks that would have allowed our special talents to blossom if they had occurred.

It is possible to be both discerning and non-judgmental at the same time if one realizes both of these features, namely that no one is superior than anybody else in terms of total intellect and that success is dependent on random events. Even for such a person, however, being a “non-judgmental discerner” may be difficult to maintain, because most of us are so used to connecting people's total worthiness to their achievement that we are either discerning and judgemental or neither.

A person who learns to be both discerning and non-judgmental, on the other hand, will find immense freedom in expressing his actual, authentic ideas about people, because he won't be burdened by the fear of being judged. Furthermore, such a person will have the dual attributes of being driven to find everyone's true-but-perhaps-hidden skills, as well as sympathy for those who haven't had the good fortune to be successful. Finally, because they will realize that the input is not intended to be malevolent, individuals will find it simpler to accept unfavorable feedback from such a person.