Have you ever prayed about something, had a thought come into your mind, and immediately wondered:
“Was that God speaking to me…or was that just me?”
Maybe you’re trying to make a decision.
Maybe you’ve been praying for direction.
Maybe something unexpectedly came to mind and you wondered if God was putting it on your heart.
Or maybe you already know what you want—and now you’re struggling to tell the difference between your desires and God’s direction.
So how do we actually know?
In this episode of Healing Through Scripture, we’re talking about biblical discernment and how we can test what we think we’re hearing instead of automatically assigning God’s authority to every thought that enters our minds.
Because God’s guidance isn’t something we have to figure out by chasing signs, analyzing every coincidence, or becoming paralyzed because we’re terrified of making the wrong decision.
We have something solid to come back to:
The more familiar we become with God’s Word, His character, and His truth, the better equipped we are to recognize what aligns with Him—and what doesn’t.
In This Episode
How to know if God is speaking to you or if it’s your own thoughtsWhat it can look like when God doesn’t speak to us audiblyWhy not every unexpected thought should automatically be labeled “God”How Scripture tells us to test what we hearWhy the Bible should be our first filter for discernmentHow to distinguish biblical conviction from condemnationWhether fear means something isn’t from GodWhy an open door doesn’t automatically mean it’s God’s willWhy a difficult road doesn’t necessarily mean God is closing the doorHow our own desires can influence what we think God is telling usThe importance of checking our motivesHow to look at the fruit a decision or thought is producingWhy sometimes discernment requires waitingWhat to do when you’re terrified of making the wrong decisionHow spending more time in Scripture helps us become increasingly familiar with God’s characterScriptures From This Episode
1 John 4:1 — Don’t believe everything without discernment; test what you’re hearing.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 — “Test everything; hold fast what is good.”
2 Timothy 1:7 — God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control.
Romans 8:1 — There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 26:36–46 — Jesus in Gethsemane: honestly expressing His desire while remaining surrendered to the Father’s will.
Matthew 7:16–20 — Recognizing something by its fruit.
Galatians 5:22–23 — The fruit of the Spirit.
James 1:5 — Asking God for wisdom when we lack it.
5 Questions to Ask When You’re Not Sure
When you find yourself thinking, “Was that God or was that me?”, don’t panic and don’t immediately chase another sign.
1. Does it align with Scripture?
God’s leading will not require us to contradict what He has already revealed in His Word.
2. Does it align with God’s character?
Compare what you believe you’re hearing with who Scripture tells us God is.
Am I genuinely asking God to lead me—or have I already decided what I want and I’m asking Him to approve it?
4. What fruit is this producing?
Is it moving me toward truth, obedience, humility, love, and the fruit of the Spirit?
5. Have I given God room to redirect me?
Have I prayed, searched Scripture, sought wisdom, allowed time when possible, and remained willing for God’s answer to look different from mine?
Conviction or Condemnation?
There’s an important difference.
Conviction brings something into the light and draws us toward repentance and God.
Condemnation tries to bury us beneath shame and make us hide from Him.
That’s why we have to know Scripture.
When a thought tells you that you’re worthless, hopeless, abandoned, unforgivable, or too far gone, you can hold that thought against what God has already said.
What About Open and Closed Doors?
Circumstances can give us information, but circumstances shouldn’t become our Bible.
An opportunity going smoothly doesn’t automatically prove:
And resistance doesn’t automatically mean:
“God must be telling me no.”
Sometimes obedience itself leads through difficult places.
So we notice circumstances—but we continue bringing them back to Scripture, prayer, wisdom, motives, and fruit.
Before You Ask God for Another Sign…
Sometimes we’re asking God to speak while the Bible is sitting unopened beside us.
Scripture may not tell you which job offer to accept, which house to purchase, or exactly what will happen next.
But it reveals something even more foundational:
And the more time we spend with Him, the more familiar His character becomes.
Think about someone you love calling you on the phone.
They don’t always have to identify themselves.
You’ve spent enough time with them that you recognize their voice.
Our goal isn’t to obsess over every thought trying to determine whether it came directly from God.
Our goal is to become increasingly familiar with God’s Word and character so we have a biblical foundation for discernment.
A Prayer for Discernment
Father, give me wisdom and discernment.
Where fear is loud, bring me back to truth.
Where my own desires are loud, teach me surrender.
Where I’m rushing, give me patience.
Where I’m confused, lead me back to Your Word.
Help me recognize what aligns with Your character and have the humility to be redirected when it doesn’t.
When You convict me, give me courage to obey.
When You ask me to wait, give me patience.
And when You’ve given me enough wisdom to move, give me courage to take the next step.
Healing Through Scripture
The heart behind Healing Through Scripture is simple:
Whatever we’re walking through, we take it back to God’s Word.
We don’t have to allow every thought, feeling, circumstance, or outside voice to determine what we believe.
We can continually return to the truth of Scripture.
One Scripture.
Stay Connected
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