How do you know when the answer is from God and not from your own mind? I would like to hear people's experiences.

Well, this is a hard one to explain. I thought It would be easy until I started to write about it. <p>When I pray, I try to make a decision first, and then go to God with it and ask him if it is right. If I feel positive about it, no doubt at all, then I go ahead with it. Often related ideas will come to me about whatever it is, things that I have not considered but that will help me. I consider these to be additional helps from God. If I feel doubt, dark feelings, negative thoughts about it, I re-consider and seek additional ideas. <p>How do I know if it is from God or myself? <p>Well, if we want something badly, sometimes our judgment can cloud our decision. We don't listen very well. In 1Kings 19: 9-12 we read the story of Elijah who went to Mt Horab to speak with God. There was a mighty wind, an earthquake, and a fire, but the Lord was not in any of them. Then there was a still small voice - the voice of the Lord speaking through the Holy Spirit. It is sometimes hard to hear, and we don't hear it very well when we are doing things that we know are wrong. <p> I have heard our ability to hear that voice likened to a radio receiver. There are radio waves all around us. If we tune in to the right band, we can hear music, news and talk. If we don't tune in, we can't hear anything. I believe our listening to God is like this. For me, it is a still quiet voice. I hear it better as I try to tune my life to Gods word and commandments. When I obey, I hear well, when I disobey, I cannot hear and understand. <p>If I want something badly and I have a hard time listening, I pray like this. " Father, I think I should do this, but I want it badly and believe my desire may cloud my judgment. Please help me understand well enough to do the right thing, even though I may want the wrong thing." I try to listen even harder in this case. Usually I try to make decisions where I don't care about the outcome, I just want to do the right thing. It is easier to hear the answer then. <p>I have a couple of stories for you. <p>I used to work in the plumbing and heating business. On one service call I had to repair a elderly women's water heater. It is customary for me to pray in the mornings that I may do the best job at work that I can. As I left the shop driveway I had a strong feeling to go back and get some freon, and other air conditioning supplies and a vacuum pump used to evacuate the air from air cond lines. When I got to the women's home, she mentioned that someone building a wall next to her home had disconnected the air conditioner from the lines and moved it to get a backhoe in to work, and they had never fixed it. ( done in the winter, so air cond not needed.) She wanted to know how much more it would cost to repair it. I figured it would take another hour longer that repairing the water heater and she seemed very concerned. Then I told her that if everything went just right, I possibly could finish in the one hour I had allotted for the call. She said to do my best. I moved the air conditioner back on its pad, started the vacuum pump, and repaired the water heater. Charged the lines and was finished in exactly one hour. I found out that the women's husband had passed away, and she was on a fixed income and had very little money. She could afford the one hour, and it took one hour. If I had needed to return to the shop for the materials and tools, it would have added another hour at least. <p>Story 2.
One Sunday morning we prepared to go to church and we couldn't find one of my sons shoes. We looked for it for about 15 minutes and it was time to go. Wife was pulling out her hair with frustration. Small son (about 5 at the time) said "Lets say a prayer." We did, and upon saying "Amen" I arose, walked to the close hamper and pulled out the shoe. It had come to me very strongly where it was as we finished the prayer. We were to church on time. <p>Story 3.
My W and I have been married 25 years. Outwardly we have always done well. Privately I have had a problem with LB's. It has hurt W so badly that she wanted to leave more than once. I have had feelings for a few years that I needed to do something to change some of my habits and I have taken a "Family Relations" class in church that helped me to understand what improvements to make, but - how to do them? I found marriage builders and the book "Love Busters" and "HNHN" and after reading them, started to make the changes. Early on, W would not have anything to do with this material, and if asked to talk about it would say " perhaps someday, but right now, I hurt to much to even talk about it." After a few months, she began to realize that the changes were real, and she began to talk to me. She confided that many times she had prayed to know if she could be released from the pain and just leave me. She always got strong feelings to stay. She says now - " I am so glad I listened to those feelings.."
Note that I always wanted to be a good person, that I did not really know what was wrong with me, and that I thought that the Angry Outbursts and Disrespectful Judgments were the proper way to "Teach" my wife her duties. Had I gone to counseling early on, I would have gotten help, but I didn't think I needed it. ( heard that before? ) <p>I could go on with the stories. I have gotten so many answers over so many years that I cannot doubt. I have learned that God knows each of us. He cares about us and will help us as much as we permit him to. In the book of Revelations 3:20, 21 we read
"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."<p>He will help us with every decision we have to make in our lives, if we will knock, and ask him to help, and listen for the answer. We need to be willing to follow his example and overcome our hardships and troubles as he overcame his. He never gave up, we need to never give up. He came to do the will of his Father, we need to seek to do Gods will also. <p>The problems of this world can be overcome, we can find happiness, and peace.
One of the Saviors promises to us was this: from John 14:27 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." <p>That is one of the ways you know if an answer is from God. If it is, you feel at peace with it, you feel calm about what you are going to do, even if it makes no sense in the eyes of the world. When an answer comes from God, you feel good about it, it feels right. Feelings of love and strength come to you as you think about it and pray about it. It is hard to describe those feelings but you will know them when you feel them. <p>Well, this went on longer than I intended. It is a subject that I have strong feelings about, for HE has saved me from mistakes over and over again.
Remember that the closer you follow his commandments and do his will, the easier it is to hear and understand. <p>Hope it helps. <p>SS

Wow, SS, that was great stuff, and SO practical.<p>Thanks for answering on this thread. I have learned a LOT just reading your stories.<p>For myself, "Fingers," I find that the "Know the Word of God well...." that SS spoke of is very true. I had an occasion very early on during all this madness, when I actually felt like maybe God wanted me to "give it up." IT was as if I were being called on to put my M on the altar, and let God end it, if that was what He wanted. I "heard" that still, small voice say, "I HATE DIVORCE." <p>My answer back was, "I know you do, Lord, BUT, HE committed Adultery, so doesn't that mean it's OK if he filed, and we end up divorced?" God's answer (same still, small voice!) to me then was, "My people (the Isrealites) "cheated" on me over and over, and left me and broke my heart many times. I threatened to destroy them, I COULD HAVE divorced them, BUT I HATE THAT!!! I wanted to reconcile to them as many times as I needed to so people could learn that reconciliation is what I AM all about. Your restored M will show others what the power of God can do in people's lives." <p>Then examples from Numbers, Jeremiah, Isaiah, Psalms, the little prophets all came into my head....almost like you think of when someone says, "My life flashed before me"? It was as if EVERY story I knew from those Books of the Bible, just came flashing through my head, like "What about so-and-so, and thus-and-such" and I could see the stories of how God had reconciled those people to Himself, OVER AND OVER!! That gave me my answer. That was the most powerful example of God actually "speaking" with me I have ever experienced. And, yes, the PEACE that followed was also a "sign" that I had heard from God.<p>Next, I will pray for an answer, similar to what Stillseeking said....however, I don't usually go into it with a preconcieved answer in my head, and then ask God if that is HIS answer. Sorry, SS, but that's not the way I do it! Well, usually, within a day or two, I will recieve an "answer" to my prayer. Usually by scripture, but sometimes by something someone says. Do I take THAT to be the WORD OF THE LORD? No. I LOOK FOR IT THREE TIMES. At least ONE of the answers has to be scripture.<p>Understand THIS IS JUST ME, OK? I do this. When I am asking God for a direction to go, or which way to turn, I DO look for scripture to lead me, and THEN two other "confirmations" of it. They have come from casual conversations with someone (who knows nothing about what I am praying for), or something I read somewhere (a book or whatever, NOT always the Bible), or some other source. I just always make sure ONE of my confirmations has been HIS WORD FROM HIS BOOK.
THERE IS NO OTHER SOURCE FROM WHICH WE SHOULD TAKE ANYTHING as being God speaking to us. Only to confirm if we are too DENSE (which I AM sometimes!!).<p>It almost sounds zany, and I am reluctant to post this, but you asked, and that's how I "hear" God's answer spoken to my heart and mind. As long as your request is NOT outside God's express Will, I think you can pray EXPECTING that He wants to grant that request!<p>May God Bless you in your quest.<p>[ May 29, 2002: Message edited by: lupolady ]</p>

For me, I pray to my Father, in Jesus name, through the power of the holy spirit. If it's right, I get a really "peaceful, calm, comforting feeling" and I get a tingling sensation where hair's on arms stand on end and goose bumps appear. This is similiar to chills, yet "VERY" different. <p>If I don't get that feeling and I feel obvious discomfort inside "I know it's not right". And I have troubled even getting words out or keeping my thoughts focused. It is an obvious "not right feeling".<p>I too have had scripture seem to jump right off the pages and slap me right up side the head. (Not literally of course but seems like it).<p>[ May 29, 2002: Message edited by: BetrayedAgain ]</p>

Thank you for the great responses. This is something I have struggled with for a long time even before this problem with my WS. In January when my WS withdrew from me and before I knew what was happening, I prayed and felt I got an answer. It said "have patience, he will return to you". I strongly believed this for several weeks then found out he was leaving me for another woman. I started doubting what I thought was an answer from God and began to think it was just my wishful thinking. I even got angry at that time with God. I am in Plan B and patience is getting difficult. I have been praying for help and answers but haven't felt anything in a long time.