THE NEED FOR DISCERNMENT Series #4

Knowing the Truth

The way that you spot a counterfeit is by being very familiar with the real thing. Then the deceit loses its sublety and becomes blatantly obvious. The same is true when it comes to knowing the Truth. False teachings become obvious, and evil spiritual motives will be detected and exposed without giving in to fear of any kind.

Is there a discipline for developing discernment of the Truth? Yes. Join centuries of Christian faithful by learning to pray the Scriptures.

Here is a place to start:

• Read Psalm 145.
• Make sure you understand the message of praise and worship.
• Pray through the psalm making the inspired words of God your words of praise back to Him.

Some other Psalms to pray through include: 1,23,24,25,45,51,84,90, and 139.
After you work through these you will discover others or portions that are meaningful to you.

Another essential method of developing discernment is to pray through Bible passages that form your identity in Christ. We need to undo spiritual hindrances from our soul and spirit through forgiving others their offenses against us, and seeking forgiveness for known and unconfessed sins. We also need to renounce hindering beliefs and lies that we have come to believe about ourselves. This is called "demolishing strongholds," (2 Corinthians 10:3-6).

Then we need to form our new identity as one set free by the Savior. So pray through passages that fill you with the truth of who you are in Christ.

- Read Ephesians 3:16-21
- Make sure you understand, or at least accept, that Jesus wants to form this in you through the Holy Spirit.
- Pray through the passage and let those words soak into to your mind and heart.

Look at how powerful these verses sound in the Amplified version:
16 May He grant you out of the rich treasury of His glory to be strengthened and reinforced with mighty power in the inner man by the [Holy] Spirit [Himself indwelling your innermost being and personality].

17 May Christ through your faith [actually] dwell (settle down, abide, make His permanent home) in your hearts! May you be rooted deep in love and founded securely on love,

18 That you may have the power and be strong to apprehend and grasp with all the saints [God's devoted people, the experience of that love] what is the breadth and length and height and depth [of it];

If you pray through those verses over the next couple of weeks you will begin to discern, experience and know the truth because the Truth is dwelling within you.