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How can I grow my discernment?

False discernment exists. When a Christian has been thoroughly indoctrinated in a certain theology, anything outside of that theology can feel unreal and even evil.

Spend time in the presence of God. Be mindful of His presence even when you are busy. Also, set time aside specifically to seek Him. It’s not time wasted. Ask Him to show you where you have been deceived. Ask Him what lies you believe about various things, and ask Him to show you the truth. Just spending a lot of time with Him will give you a sense of Him and His nature so you know when someone is speaking by Him.

Avoid voices that are not of God. The media and education system acts as the false prophet of the apocalypse. The entertainment industry is almost completely of the wrong spirit. That includes music, TV, movies, and the Internet. It’s not enough to know the difference. Once you know, you must avoid the false and spend time with the genuine. Failing to do this will dull your spiritual senses.

Spend time reading the Bible. Make friends with mature Christians. They may not always be right, but they have the Spirit of Christ. Seek out those who want to spend their time with Jesus. If you spend your time with light and fluffy Christians who are more interested in sports and entertainment than spiritual things, you will end up being light and fluffy without discernment.

When God leads you to do something, allow the Holy Spirit to do it through you. This builds up Christ in you and diminishes the carnal mind.

When God brings to mind a stronghold, deal with it immediately. It may be a grudge, guilt, trauma, or one of hundreds of other strongholds. You’ll recognize it as that Holy Spirit lets you know it’s inhibiting your growth. Ask God how to deal with it, and follow what He says. In most cases, it’s enough to reject the stronghold and ask God to remove it while filling the void with His essence and glory.

Ask God to answer these questions.

1. What is discernment?
2. How can you spend time in God’s presence?
3. What does it mean to ask God to show you lies you believe?
4. In what way is most of the entertainment industry of the wrong spirit?
5. How do you avoid voices that are not from God?

Bonus Questions:

1. What does it mean to be light and fluffy as a Christian?
2. How can you tell if God is leading you to do something?
3. What is a stronghold, and how can you recognize one?
4. How do you deal with a stronghold when the Holy Spirit shows it to you?
5. What happens when you let the Holy Spirit work through you?

SEEKING GOD

audio recording for reflection:

1. Pray for the Lord to protect you and keep you in His presence and His presence only.
2. Direct your mind toward the Lord only.
3. Ask God what He want’s to talk about.
4. You can ask God any questions. In all of this, be led by the Holy Spirit. God promises that He will answer you if you ask Him.
5. Do not edit or change what God says even if you don’t understand it.
6. Reject the lies and receive the truth.
7. Take notes.
8. Transfer your notes to your journal without editing what God said to you.