Was that God...or moi?

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Paris_Blues

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How do you know if God speaks to you? I mean, how do you know if it’s Him and not your own thoughts, feelings, etc?
 
If you think you’ve heard God’s voice, or felt a movement of the Spirit, I’d recommend asking God for some sign that it was really Him. Though we are certainly not to test the Lord, since you don’t know if it was the Lord or not it doesn’t seem unreasonable to ask God for some help discerning it. After all scripture says “test everything, hold fast to what is good.”
 
There is always the possibility that he talked to you through your own thoughts.

If the thought leads you towards God, then fine. It doesnt matter if it was from Him or not.

If it doesnt, then you can cast it away, knowing it to be from the evil one.

In Christ.

Andre.
 
I often ask myself the same thing. In the past few months I have been blessed with receiving “Words” from God.

They DO seem to come to me moreso through thoughts than through words I hear (although that has happened to me once, and I was, most appropriately, awe-struck). I feel immense peace when receiving a Word, even when the Word tells me to do something that will be difficult. I think that’s how I have identified thoughts as coming from God- the peace and goodness associated with them. I have a feeling of “yes- that’s RIGHT… that’s what I’m supposed to do, or what I’m supposed to believe”.

Have you ever heard Truth? It’s awesome and inspiring.
If the thought leads you towards God, then fine. It doesnt matter if it was from Him or not.
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I agree with that too… God speaks to us not only through thoughts and words outloud, but through Scripture, through our friends, even through music, film, nature, etc… God is in all things good and holy. We can receive His Word, His Wisdom, through all things He has created, and through all which He touches with His Divine Hand!

God bless,

Mary
 
If you levitate, then it might have been God speaking.

If you don’t levitate, then don’t presume anything.
 
This is me personally speaking so take it for what it’s worth …

I believe that unless God has chosen us, as He has done with the saints, God speaks to us DIRECTLY very rarely. I have been a life-long Catholic for over four decades. There have been MANY times that I thought God was speaking to me. I asked for signs and some of those signs INITIALLY pointed to that fact but later were proven to be false.

As I said, I thought that I was touched by God MANY times but in all of those times, there were only three times that I was certain. If you are touched by God you will KNOW it. If you want to know more, PM me and I’ll share some details.
 
A deep and consistent prayer life will make you more aware of God’s presence.

By the way, God talks to us all the time. His message never ceases. We just aren’t that sensitized to His presence. That’s what deep prayer does - sensitize you to His presence and and message. In fact, it’s called “contemplation”. Very rarely do I reach this stage of prayer, but I have a few times when I’ve prayed in earnest on a constant basis. ( The Liturgy of the Hours helps to get in the rythym.)

When we give ourselves the message, then think about your prayer life. It’s probably not the most robust. That’s how you can tell the difference.

Plato
 
Be cautious! Pray and fast a bit (with prudence). The evil one can come as a angel of light and as such we can think something comes from God but it is not. Focus on the fruits of the Spirit. What is the insight or ‘light’ leading you to - if it is anxiety and lack of prayer then it comes not from God. Spend time before the Blessed Sacrament daily, pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Holy Rosary. Attend daily Mass. Read the Sacred Scripture. The primary attribute of God is Mercy. Remember the words Deus Caritas est and Deus Veritas est and you will be just fine. Wait for the still quite voice of Mercy within and listen. Begin practicing Lectio Divina with the daily Mass readings. You will do just fine.
 
Does it leave you feeling peaceful, or does it agitate you? …God’s word brings peace.
Does it contradict Scripture, or oppose existing dogma? God does not contradict Himself.
Does it urge you to break a Commandment? God never urges anyone to sin.
 
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JimG:
If you levitate, then it might have been God speaking.

If you don’t levitate, then don’t presume anything.
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Well, I wasn’t, therefore, it must’ve been my own thoughts?
 
I started a thread on this same thing. However, it was concerning a friend of mine who thought God was speaking to her and did not know how to discern if that was so.

The three places that a message could come from are
  1. Above (God or a heavenly messenger)
  2. This world (self, others, mental illness, etc)
  3. Below (devil, demons)
Discernment is key. I thought this article (The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola) had wonderful insight on how to discern where the message originated. Page 1 and Page 2
 
I have found that beyond the gut, “that wasnt me” feeling that you sometimes get. It often does not matter from whence the message came. if you had a licit pious desire, go ahead. If God planted the seed of the thought, so much the better as you will have providence on your side.

Also WILD coincidences are a good sign too. Like when i was trying to decide whether or not to apply for the seminary (still in the process, but have begun), i was praying about it and i had a wild compulsion to go to mass, so i did and the opening hymn was “two fishermen” (…leave all things you have and come and follow…) and the gospel was the calling of andrew and peter. Hence i thought, “i should probably call the chancery. This is a little too direct to be my imagination…”
 
well in my case they halped but were not the basis of all that jazz. plus:
  1. there was more going on than just those coincidences.
  2. They happened regularly
  3. They occurred when i had been praying asking for some guidance.
  4. I didnt keep it to myself, i sought advice, so i would have been called on it if i was dillusional
 
I’d also recommend finding a spiritual director. I’m in the process of looking for one. A devout woman I know told me that if I start to make decisions (and serious ones- vocation related) based on what I’ve received, or thought I’ve received through prayer and contemplation, I should find a spiritual director. It’s very hard to know what comes from self or from Satan, and what comes from Christ.

I have to agree somewhat with what Brain said… We discount anything “coincidental” these days as chance… But God is always with us… and “wild coincidences”, while not necessarily being directly created by God (God: “hmmm… maybe I’ll put it in that choir director’s mind to lead the congregation in Amazing Grace- Mary really needs to repent today!”) can lead us towards God’s plan for us… I may hear Amazing Grace and be suddenly overwhelmed with my need for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Hmmm… This thread has really got me thinking! Thanks!
 
Brain said:
1. there was more going on than just those coincidences.
2. They happened regularly
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I found myself infatuated with a particular gal and I kept running into her for over a year.

Brain said:
3. They occurred when i had been praying asking for some guidance.
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I spent an hour in the chapel praying the rosary asking for guidance regarding this gal and if all of these chance run-ins were coincidences or signs from God. She was walking past the chapel just as I was walking out of it.
 
Sir Knight:
I believe that unless God has chosen us, as He has done with the saints, God speaks to us DIRECTLY very rarely. I have been a life-long Catholic for over four decades. There have been MANY times that I thought God was speaking to me. I asked for signs and some of those signs INITIALLY pointed to that fact but later were proven to be false.
Click to expand...
I agree with Sir Knight that God may not speak to us directly many times, but he does speak in many ways through the events in our lives, though things that seem a co-incidence, though people. As Sir Knight says we have to ask for signs and confirmation, and I think God will always provide them. Unless we are VERY SURE, we should not without getting that confirmation. Look at the story of Gideon, he asked several times for confirmation, and got it.
 
A sign from God will leave you with NO doubt and it will “feel” different from coincidences.
 
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