“How can I know if I am hearing God, hearing Satan, or hearing my own thoughts?”……Life is full of decisions we must make that do not have absolute, specific-by-name, how-to directions in the Bible.

How many hours a day should my kids watch TV?

Is it okay to play shoot-ÔÇÿem-up video games?

Am I allowed to go on a date with a co-worker?

Does God get mad if I miss work because I stayed up too late the night before?

We all have notions about the truth, but how do we know for sure that these ideas are coming from a Divine Source? Sometimes distinguishing our own ideas from God's leading is difficult. And what if our urges are actually coming from the enemy of our souls and not from God? How do we “take every thought captive”

when we aren’t sure where the thoughts are coming from?

2 Corinthians 10:5

We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.

…God speaks in varied ways to each individual. He knows how we will respond and will use whatever methods are necessary to get through to us. The three most common ways God communicates are through prayer, the Bible, and leadings of the Holy Spirit.

Also, God can use a godly mentor to provide wise counsel

Proverbs 12:15

Fools think their own way is right, but the wise listen to others.

If God wants to speak to us, nothing can stop Him. He may use one, all, or a combination of methods to make Himself known, but one thing remains the same: our duty is to listen and obey.……Pray…Prayer is an honest, two-way conversation with God that involves both speaking as God hears us and being quiet as we hear God.

James 1:6

"But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.“.

James 1:7

Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

If we have no faith, we “should not expect to receive anything from the Lord"

We must “be still” and willing to hear …

Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation.I will be honored throughout the world."

Matthew 13:16

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.

…Talk to God in prayer and earnestly listen for His response. However, keep in mind that sometimes

He doesn’t give us all the answers we desire.

He knows what we need to know at any given time, and He will tell us if it is best.……Study the Word…Reading the Bible is the best way to learn about God’s character and His dealings with people throughout history.

2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.

The more familiar you are with how God works, His desires for His people, and what He has said to others in the past, the more you will be able to recognize what He is saying to you now

Psalm 32:8

The Lord says, "I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.

While we speak to God in prayer, He will very often speak to us through His Word. Again, as we read, we must listen.……Listen to the Holy Spirit’s Voice…The Holy Spirit is God-a divine Being with a mind, emotions, and will. He is always with us,His purposes include interceding for us

Psalm 139:7-8

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!…If I go up to heaven, you are there;if I go down to the grave, you are there.

Romans 8:26-27

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don't know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers[a] in harmony with God's own will.

and making decisions to benefit the church

1 Corinthians 12:7-11

A spiritual gift is given to each of us so we can help each other.To one person the Spirit gives the ability to give wise advice; to another the same Spirit gives a message of special knowledge. The same Spirit gives great faith to another, and to someone else the one Spirit gives the gift of healing.He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages,[c] while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said.It is the one and only Spirit who distributes all these gifts. He alone decides which gift each person should have.

His voice comforts, and He offers counsel when we ask and listen

John 14:16

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate,[a] who will never leave you.…When we feel that we have received personal instruction from God, we need to remain wise

Proverbs 4:7

Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment.

We must "Test the Spirits"

1 John 4:1

Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world..

The world is full of noise and distractions, and so are our minds.

Life on earth is a "Spiritual battle".

The enemy is eager to supply diversions to detract us from God’s will

1 Peter 5:8

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

We must be vigilant to ensure that what we have heard is more than a feeling but is truly from God Himself.…Remember, God wants to show us the right path to take. He's not in the business of hiding "His will"from those who seek Him.

Isaiah 30:21

Your own ears will hear him.Right behind you a voice will say,"This is the way you should go," whether to the right or to the left.

…Some questions to ask as we examine whether or not promptings are from the Lord:

1.Are the promptings confusing or vague? God is not the author of confusion;

He is the bringer of peace

1 Corinthians 14:33

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace, as in all the meetings of God's holy people.

2. Do they go against God’s Word? God will not contradict Himself.

3. Will following these promptings lead to sin? Those who live by the Spirit will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

Galatians 5:16So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature craves.…In addition to prayer, studying God’s Word, and listening to the Holy Spirit, you may want to seek counsel from a Christian friend, family member, or pastorto help answer your questions with biblical truth.…Proverbs 15:22

Plans go wrong for lack of advice; many advisers bring success.. …God does not want us to fail. The more we listen to God, the better able we will be at distinguishing His voice from the other noises in our heads.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, leads us:

John 10:4

After he has gathered his own flock, he walks ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice.

Others may speak, "but the sheep [do] not listen to them"

John 10:8

All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them.

The better we know our Shepherd, the less we have to worry about hearing the wrong voice.