Take 2-3 minutes to quiet yourself and ask God to speak to you today through your devotional time.
Reading: Acts 16
Be sure to highlight or note anything that stands out to you while you read.
After reading the passage, take the next 5-10 minutes and spend time reflecting on what you read. You can write these things down in a journal or record them in your phone. Be attentive to both what you highlighted in the passage and what is going on in your life.
Not everything that appears spiritual comes from the Holy Spirit, which means followers of Jesus need to develop biblical discernment. In Acts 16, Paul recognized that the source behind the slave girl’s words was not the Holy Spirit, even though what she said about Paul and his companions was technically accurate. Discernment is not the same as suspicion, judgment, or second-guessing everyone around us; it is learning to recognize what is producing something and where it is leading. As we grow in Scripture, wisdom, maturity, experience, and attention to spiritual fruit, we become better equipped to recognize what is truly from God.
Is there an area of your life where you need greater biblical discernment about what is influencing you or where something is leading you?
Now, take 10 minutes to seek God in prayer…
- Begin your time in prayer by taking 1-3 minutes to sit in silence (You can take longer if you sense the Spirit already beginning to speak to you).
- Pray through the things you sensed God speaking to you through the Scriptures or pray the following prayer: Holy Spirit, give us wisdom and discernment. Help us recognize what comes from You, what comes from our own thoughts and desires, and what does not reflect Your character. Teach us to test what we hear and see against Scripture and to pay attention to the fruit it produces. Amen.
- Close by taking 5 minutes to sit in silence, asking God if there is anything else He wants to speak to you today.
Faith Step:
Before accepting a spiritual claim, teaching, or strong inner impression, test it against Scripture and consider the fruit and direction it produces.