Conscience VS. Word of God. Am I talking to myself?

OhBrother

OhBrother

Conscience VS. Word of God. Am I talking to myself?

I'm not completely sure if this is the appropriate section in which to post this, but it does seem like the most relevant one. This is what I'm having trouble with:

When I pray or when I try to communicate with God, I normally get different feelings or sometimes outright answers in my head. The thing is that I don't know how to recognize whether I'm talking to myself or to God. I feel like that may be a problem in itself but it's not that one I'm trying to convey. I've questioned myself and my previous beliefs for so long that I'm scared that I don't know how to just stop questioning things. Usually, when a thought pops into my head, my first reaction is to question it.

I would just like any advice at all on how to recognize that I'm not actually just subconsciously putting my own answers into my head.

Thanks in advance for your help
Brother
 
Interesting topic, I have been asking myself the same thing but have not had time to really think about it or study it..
Will be looking forward to following your thread, hope some people reply.

I do have one verse that might help when understanding the Word of god, I think its 'somewhat' relevant to this thread so I will post it.
James 1
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
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Whoo, verse 8 hits hard for me. I know now what I should pray to recieve, for God to help me get rid of that double-mindedness. Doubting truly is a curse. Coming from being a freshman in college, I trained myself to doubt everything because I thought that by doing so, I was opening myself to every possible way to what I percieved as "truth". To be honest, I actually enjoyed having questions more than having answers. Somehow it made me feel more intelligent. Looking back, that makes absolutely no sense haha :p

I suppose doubting things is just another habit to be broken. Lord, help me!

Brother
 
Well I really cant comment on this much as I am as new to it as you and struggling with the same thing, although this verse opened my eyes to what I was doing too.

I do know that we have to discern things to make sure they are RIGHT!
Discernment is a gift to all that is self taught.
There is also spiritual discernment which is a bit different, its the ability to see spiritual things both good and bad.
But the self taught discernment we all need.

I hope someone with a better understanding comes along to explain it all better.
 
The more time you spend in Bible study and prayer, the more your mind/conscience will reflect the mind of God. If a thought or feeling seems questionable to you, other mature believers can help you to discern whether it conforms to Godly wisdom. Frankly, I think this forum is good for this purpose and hopefully you either have a healthy church or will soon find one where you can "compare notes" with other believers. If the Scripture and other mature believers confirm the idea or feeling that pops into your head, that's a good indication that it is of God.

Also, one of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to renew your mind, to give you discernment and to understand what the Word of God means. He will help you to recognize the voice of God so that you may follow Him with confidence.
 
the holy spirit talks to you,not an audiable voice.and not through other people.demons talk through other people.
 
OhBrother

If the thought lines up with the Scripture and nature of God then the Lord is speaking to you. That's why its important to meditate on God's Word to know what it says and means. The Spirit of God will never contradict the Word of God
 
OhBrother said:
I'm not completely sure if this is the appropriate section in which to post this, but it does seem like the most relevant one. This is what I'm having trouble with:

When I pray or when I try to communicate with God, I normally get different feelings or sometimes outright answers in my head. The thing is that I don't know how to recognize whether I'm talking to myself or to God. I feel like that may be a problem in itself but it's not that one I'm trying to convey. I've questioned myself and my previous beliefs for so long that I'm scared that I don't know how to just stop questioning things. Usually, when a thought pops into my head, my first reaction is to question it.

I would just like any advice at all on how to recognize that I'm not actually just subconsciously putting my own answers into my head.

Thanks in advance for your help
Brother
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Hi Brother, please don't think there's something wrong with you - virtually all Christians have difficulty in identifying God's voice from our own. Here are a few thoughts I hope may help.

FIRST, God normally does speak in our head in 'a still small voice', i.e., we have to be tuned in and listening. (On the other hand Satan normally has a 'big' voice when he's trying to lead you astray.) Our own thoughts can crowd out God's small voice too. We need to be relaxed and in a state of quiet faith and expectation before starting prayer.

SECOND, it is very much a learning process to discern if it's God or our own thoughts, and it's unlikely to happen overnight. God has to be 'found'. He wants to know that you're serious about getting to know Him. Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew Ch 7:7. Note that 'seek' there means "keep on seeking" in the Greek.

THIRD, your attitude of questioning all the time, as you commented, is most counter-productive. You have to learn to TRUST. We're told to be still in the presence of the Lord God, Ps 46:10, and learning to be quiet and still and relaxed will help you in prayer. Aim to reach the place where you quietly expect that He WILL speak to you.

FOURTH, when seeking a prayer answer: ask, then WAIT. This is a major concept to grasp. We're always in a hurry; God is not! He may, but will NOT necessarily answer you the moment you ask. If you then panic about this, you'll not be able to hear his voice at all. You wait in FAITH, i.e., trusting, firmly believing that He will answer your earnest request. Oh, if He's not answered by tomorrow it's not just fine but important to ask again. Once again, 'ask and you will receive' (above) is actually "keep on asking" in the Greek. Don't be bossy. Just ask Him again quietly, not doubting, but rather WAITING in FAITH.

FIFTH, ensure what you are asking is correct. The Scriptures say why we don't get an answer: You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your [selfish] pleasures. James Ch 4:3. We are selfish sinful people. Self-centeredly asking for things for ourselves is not the way. (Selflessly asking things for others in need - cos we care about them - IS the way!)

SIXTH, if we ask something that is contrary to Scripture, then it's obvious we'll receive nothing. This is why it's important to KNOW the Scripture. You need to read through the New Testament many times to start to absorb ALL of the things God is saying to us for TODAY.

SEVENTH, this is a big one. If you get what you think is an answer from God, test it with 'peace', i.e., having deep down and settled peace in your heart that it IS what He's said. If you have confusion, then you need to back up, calm yourself, maybe even stop praying, and try again later. You may and should keep asking, many times, for the answer. When you have full peace in your heart about it, then it's highly likely you're on the right track. You may even, if you wish, say to the Lord, "I have peace now about that answer. Thankyou! If I still have peace tomorrow morning then I'm going to act upon it." All done respectfully of course!

EIGHTH, please be wise and take great care when consulting with others. You can very easily be led astray this way, and in some respects it can even be a cop out. Consider: it is not their prayer, it's yours. It is not their life, it's yours. It is not their relationship with God, it's yours. If you do consult, then the final decision MUST still be yours anyway (there's no such thing as a relationship with God through another - it's you and God or it's nothing). If this were me I'd probably want 2, 3, 4 spiritual people I trusted to get together with me to pray about the matter - they praying for ME to get the right answer!

I've probably forgotten some things, but maybe that's a start anyway.

Bless all you guys here!!!

- BM
 
Thank you all so much :) There is some really wonderful advice in here. I've been praying and studying and I'll continue to do just that. It's an important lesson to learn (though possibly one of the hardest to grasp) that God wants us just as much as (if not more than) we want Him, and I'm starting to accept that.

I was reading around in different threads in here last night before I went to sleep and found a quote that has stuck with me. I don't remember who said it, but it was this: "If Satan can get into your head and convince you that you're still a sinner, then you'll keep on sinning. However, if you realize who you are in Jesus Christ, an overcomer, then you will overcome."

That was one of the biggest things I needed to hear and let me tell you, it hit me HARD. Up until last night, I had seen myself in exactly that way. The former way. Sin will happen, I know that, but I refuse to be a slave to that sin any longer.

I think it was this nature and the way I viewed myself that kept me in the cycle of questioning everything.

Thank you all for your wisdom, support and most importantly, your love

Brother
 
OhBrother said:
Thank you all so much :) There is some really wonderful advice in here. I've been praying and studying and I'll continue to do just that. It's an important lesson to learn (though possibly one of the hardest to grasp) that God wants us just as much as (if not more than) we want Him, and I'm starting to accept that.

I was reading around in different threads in here last night before I went to sleep and found a quote that has stuck with me. I don't remember who said it, but it was this: "If Satan can get into your head and convince you that you're still a sinner, then you'll keep on sinning. However, if you realize who you are in Jesus Christ, an overcomer, then you will overcome."

That was one of the biggest things I needed to hear and let me tell you, it hit me HARD. Up until last night, I had seen myself in exactly that way. The former way. Sin will happen, I know that, but I refuse to be a slave to that sin any longer.

I think it was this nature and the way I viewed myself that kept me in the cycle of questioning everything.

Thank you all for your wisdom, support and most importantly, your love

Brother
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This is why its so important to renew our mind with the Word of God concerning who we are in Christ, what He has given us and what we can do in Christ. Instead of being sin conscious we should be God conscious. He is very positive about who and how we are. After all, we are created in His image and through Christ we got back what the enemy stole from us! He gives us the victory and has made us overcomers. We don't have to let the enemy run over us anymore!

2 Corinthians 5:21
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him

1 Corinthians 15:57
But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 2:14
Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

Romans 8:37
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
 
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