Breaking the Fear of Being Deceived
We have been in a season of hearing God — from Passover to Pentecost — and we are rolling quickly into a new season coming up in June because of Pentecost.
In this episode of Spirit Connection, I help you break through barriers that may try and stop you from hearing the voice of God. People are often afraid of being deceived when it comes to hearing the Lord, but I have some help for you today!
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- The difference between prophecy as a function and the title of prophet.
- How to break the fear of being wrong or disappointing God.
- Why you might not feel like you’re hearing or seeing correctly.
- Why it’s okay to practice hearing God … and safe ways to do it.
Message
Fear of being deceived
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV.
If you want to get eyes to see and ears that hear (Matthew 13) you will need to clear away doubt and unbelief, along with critical and judgmental attitudes. These can lead to spiritual dullness and may have stolen your ability to discern what God is saying and doing today.
When we stop using our spiritual gifts (especially hearing God) we can lose our ability to discern.
Many people are fearful of being deceived. Fear is actually a negative spirit that clouds your vision and brings confusion.
Learning to discern what God is saying is meant to be a joyful process, not one to fear!
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:16 NIV.
One of our greatest needs is hearing God’s voice. Trust that God will extend mercy and grace to you as you grow.
Fear of being wrong
You don’t have to share everything you hear. If you get something that is negative, it is best to pray and ask the Lord to change it. This is the most powerful thing you can do for a person.
When it comes to hearing God, there has been an unhealthy emphasis on being perfect all the time.
Many people think, if they are not 100 percent certain it’s from God, then they are not saying anything. This is a legalistic view of how God speaks, and it does not reveal His heart of grace.
This fear shuts us down from maturing. It is possible to hear God with increased clarity, but it takes practice, and it is a process.
No one is perfect.
According to 1 Corinthians 13:9, “We know in part, and we prophesy in part.” Not seeing the full picture is often how God works. This makes us rely on others in the process.
If you strive for perfection, there is no room for growth. God uses our mistakes to train us. I have made my share of mistakes, and I still do. God uses your mistakes to help you make a greater impact later.
You may ask, “What should I do when it turns out I was not correct?” Humility is the key. Own up to your mistakes and admit that you are still learning how to hear and sense God more clearly.
You might not have been technically “wrong,” but you’ve simply picked up on something for later, and it will not be evident until that time comes.
Fear of disappointing God
God does not dislike or reject our immaturity (Matthew 19:14). He sees you as who you will become, even while you still have a long process of development ahead. God is not impatient with immaturity; He enjoys relating to you as you grow.
As you mature, God will test you with the purpose of promoting you to greater levels.
Go ahead and put on your Holy Spirit training wheels ! It is okay to practice and make mistakes. That’s the only way to learn.
If you don’t have a lot of experience, you may not want to start by sharing something in front of a group. Instead, start by gathering a few people you trust.
Strong, nurturing relationships create a safe environment to practice without fear. Let people know you are practicing and invite them to practice with you.
I’ve trained a lot of people to use the line, “I am taking a class or studying on hearing God and how to encourage people. May I practice with you?”
God loves you, has grace for you … and wants to speak! Remember, learning is a process.
Study the real to spot the counterfeit
You have to become so in touch with the voice of God that you can easily recognize other sources.
If you went to work for a bank in the counterfeit department, your training would be focused on how real money looks and feels.
By knowing the real, detecting the counterfeit becomes easier. Don’t focus on counterfeit voices; focus on God’s voice!
One of the biggest pitfalls people face when learning to hear is focusing on the enemy and demons rather than God and angels.
We can get preoccupied with what is wrong and miss the opportunity to build each other up and celebrate the fact that we are God’s children.
Discerning God’s voice comes with practice. What you perceive needs to be in harmony with biblical principles.
“Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.” Hebrews 5:14 NIV.
Prayer to activate faith and spiritual senses
“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” Ephesians 1:18–19 NIV.
The starting place for reversing spiritual dullness is focusing our attention back on the supernatural things of God.
Dullness will quickly be wiped away and our focus will be sharpened into greater spiritual awareness.
Blessings,
~ Doug Addison
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Want to hear more on these prophetic words for the month? Watch the replays of my recent Spirit Connection webcasts. Join me and my team for this FREE webcast on the first Wednesday of every month at 6 p.m. Pacific Time.
Doug Addison is a prominent conference speaker captivating audiences with clean stand-up comedy and high energy prophetic messages, also shared on TV, radio and the Internet for over a decade. He brings laughter, fun and a unique prophetic style while empowering people to transform their lives, discover their destiny and understand dreams, tattoos and piercings. His powerful messages stay with his audiences long after hearing him.
Hmmh. May be arguing over semantics, but I have a problem with the words ‘negative’ and ‘fear’. This smacks of the personality and the worldly ‘positive thinking/speaking’pseudo psychology that has made it’s way into the church and other institutes. I would also suggest that it is unscriptural and unwise. I do have the gift of discernment, but if I express something different to what is popular it is taken as being ‘negative’. It often ‘manifests’ in ‘feeling’ grieved, weeping and indignation, so I don’t ‘look’ as though I have ‘faith’. ‘Discernment’ and learning to hear the voice of God is primarily gained from reading the bible. The bible says to rebuke and warn. If someone is going to do something that is going to hurt them or have serious consequences, am I being ‘negative’ if I rebuke or warn them. This is exactly why the church is in a mess.