Is God Speaking to You?
Introduction: Pastor Finley likens the principles of divine guidance to a Band-Aid—everyone will need these principles eventually, but someone listening needs them urgently right now to find direction for a major choice. While many rely on personal impressions or convictions to make decisions, our own feelings are not a safe or foolproof guide. To discern God's voice properly, we must rely on seven eternal principles found in Scripture.
Principle 1: Read the promises of God on His guidance and believe He desires to guide you. When you are confused or perplexed, fill your mind with God's promises to build your confidence in His ability to lead you. God wants to guide us even more than we want to be guided. He promises to instruct us continually and satisfy our souls in times of drought (Psalm 32:8, Isaiah 58:11).
Principle 2: Ask God for guidance and believe He will guide you. There is a distinct difference between believing God can guide you and believing that He will step into your specific circumstances to guide you. Jesus is our "Wonderful Counselor" (Isaiah 9:6) in whom all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge reside (Colossians 2:2-3). When asking for guidance, remember that answers may not come instantly. Like driving a car on a dark road where the headlights only illuminate the next 350 to 400 feet, you must walk in the light God has given you today, trusting that more light will appear as you move forward.
Principle 3: Search the Word to be sure your decision is in harmony with God's Word. The Holy Spirit will never prompt you to do something that contradicts the Bible. If you are seeking guidance for finances, relationships, or your living situation, search for the biblical principles governing those areas. Make a firm decision not to pursue any course of action that would displease God.
Principle 4: Seek Godly counsel. Proverbs 11:14 states that there is safety in a multitude of counselors. Do not rely on just one person, as you risk becoming so dependent on them that their opinion becomes a substitute for God's voice. Instead, consult several trusted, faithful people who will present you with options and pros and cons, but who will leave the ultimate decision between you and God.
Principle 5: Look for the providences of God. Seeking providence means prayerfully observing the doors God opens (or closes) in your given situation (Proverbs 23:26). Sometimes Satan acts as a "hinderer" to block your path (1 Thessalonians 2:18), but God uses these delays to test your patience and faith. As George Müller noted, hindrances shouldn't cause anxiety, but rather anticipation for the miraculous ways God is about to interpose on your behalf.
Principle 6: Consider your options. God gave you a mind and expects you to evaluate the benefits and liabilities of your potential decisions. Come to God in prayer (James 1:5) but ensure you do so with a humble, meek spirit, rather than an arrogant mind that has already decided what it wants. God guides the meek and tilts the balance of evidence in a specific direction when a person is genuinely open to His will (Psalm 25:9).
Principle 7: It is time to act. Once you have prayed, claimed God's promises, searched the Scriptures, sought wise counsel, watched for providences, and evaluated your options, you must make the best decision possible and move forward. Endlessly mulling over a problem only breeds confusion and depletes your energy. As God commanded Israel in Deuteronomy 2:3, "You have skirted this mountain long enough; turn northward." Stop going around in circles, stop delaying, and take action