Please read the following Spiritual Gift of Discernment description and then rate yourself on a scale of 1 through 5 both in passion and experience. This is to help you from ignoring a gift God may have for you. For example you may be high in passion in the gift of “healing” but as of yet God has not manifested Himself in that way to you. If all you rated was experience you may skip over this very important passion God has given you. Likewise if you are deeply involved in “service” but are more pragmatic and less passionate about it you may be tempted to ignore developing the gift of service in the way God wants you to.
Rate Your Passion For This Gift
The first rating has to do with your passion for the gift. Are you really motivated to act this way? 1 means that you have no interest in or passion to use the gift. 5 means that the definition describes you very accurately, or that you do have a strong interest/passion in the ability.
Next Rate Your Experience With or Evidence For This Gift
The second rating has to do with your experience/evidence of the gift. Rate your experience with or evidence of the gift.
1 means that you have no experience with or evidence of the gift. 5 means that you have a lot of experience with or evidence of the gift.
DISCERNMENT
In I Corinthians 12:10 it says, “and to another distinguishing between spirits” (NIV) Discernment means to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. It is having a logical, judicial ability to think through issues. It is the ability to “discern” whether a saying, teaching, doctrine, written word, or event is good or evil; true or false; and if the source, meaning or intentions are of God, the person or Satanic deception. There is an ability to “read between the lines” and get to the truth of an issue. The“gut” tells them when something doesn’t seem to be right. There is an urgency to pray and ask for wisdom.
Benefits
Spiritual battle, whether in a small group or the church, is a serious concern and discernment is a valuable asset to have. This gift can help guide the church both in more ordinary decisions or deeper spiritual issues.
Pitfalls
There is a temptation to always be “right”; not admit when there has been a mistake. Pride could prevent a humble spirit in the use of the gift. It could be tempting to misuse the trust that someone places in your judgment and use the gift for personal gain or to hurt someone. Finally, it is easy to trust in personal judgment and not consult God, thus being deceived yourself.
Ministry Opportunities
This gift could be used in helping; settle disputes; counseling; spiritual warfare; or assisting church leadership with decisions. This gift can be used in counseling with addictions and low self esteem where deception is sometimes used as a coping mechanism.
Further Training
This is a spiritual skill so good Biblical training is key. Prayer and spiritual warfare are two excellent subjects to study. Listening skills are very important. If possible, intern under someone with the gift.
RATE YOURSELF ON THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT
Passion
Using a scale of 1 – 5, rate whether you have a passion for using discernment
(1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so)
Passion Score ______
Experience/Evidence
Using a scale of 1 – 5, rate whether you have had significant experience in or evidence of discernment.
(1 = Not at all, 5 = Very much so)
Experience/Evidence Score __
How to Rate Your Score
To be more accurate on the Spiritual Gift you need to look both at your passion with the gift and the experience with or evidence of the gift. If your passion is 3 – 5 then it is high. If your passion is 1 – 2 then it is low. It is the same with the experience with or evidence of the gift. Is the experience/evidence high (3 – 5) or is it low (1 – 2)?
Plot your scores on the grid
Notice that Experience/Evidence is on the vertical axis and Passion is on the horizontal axis. So a Experience/Evidence score of 3 and a Passion score of 2 and would be in the number 2 quadrant.
Quadrants
Quadrant 1 = High Passion and High Experience/Evidence
A Spiritual Gift that is in this quadrant seems to be one that God has given you. You are passionate about the gift and have experience and evidence in your life that seems to confirm this. Continue to grow in this gift and use it for His glory.
Quadrant 2 = Low Passion and High Experience/Evidence
A Spiritual Gift in this quadrant may indicate that circumstances have called upon you to exhibit this skill or ministry in your life. For example you don’t have to have a high Passion to be merciful to those that are hungry around you. However your church may have a large feeding program. Just because you are recruited and spend a lot of time doesn’t mean that you have the Gift of Mercy. Rather it simply could mean that you were obedient to God by helping with a need.
Quadrant 3 = High Passion and Low Experience/Evidence
Scoring in this quadrant is common among the Supernatural gifts. Healing , faith, miracles – you may feel really burdened in situations to pray for God’s intervention in mighty ways. You pray believing and trusting that God can and will act. If this is true then you must rate yourself high on Passion. However though you are passionate in your praying for healing your experience may not be successful. You would rate your experience/evidence score low. However, this does not mean give up. It is just an indicator of your personal experience up to this moment in time. If God moves you deeply to pray for the supernatural let Him take care of the results. It is better to pray believing and not see the results you anticipated then to be disobedient and not pray. God has given you the gift, He will use it according to His will. Be faithful to the passion He has given you.
Quadrant 4 = Low Passion and Low Experience/Evidence
A score in this quadrant is usually a good indicator that God, up to this point in time, has not birthed in you this Spiritual Gift. This does not mean that in time God may call upon you to work in this area. God can give any gift at any time. He is sovereign.
Now that you have finished this self assessment, how do you feel about your discovery? Were you surprised or did you find the answer that you expected? Are you intimidated by the significance of the gift and what God may expect from you or are you confident that God has and will continue to use you in this way?
One way to confirm your findings is to ask those Godly people that know you well. Ask them to read the definitions of the gifts that you selected and confirm whether they see this same gift in your life or not. Ask them what they think you need to improve on. Ask them to pray for you that you may have understanding and wisdom in using these gifts.
Another way to grow in your gift is to report to the member of your pastoral staff at church that would be in charge of volunteers in the church. Share with them your discovery and ask them for materials to study and opportunities for service. Perhaps there is someone that they know that could mentor you in this gift.
Finally, seek out others in your church that have the same gift(s). Meet regularly as a group to learn, share stories and pray for each other. As a church you function as a body of believers. You were given these gifts to help each other. There is no limit to what God could do as you and the others in your church are Spirit led in the use of these gifts. What are some ways that you can use your gifts? You can find out more about that in our workbook How Am I Wired For Ministry? CLICK HERE for your FREE download of How Am I Wired for Ministry.
Want to know more about Spiritual Gifts? Download your FREE copy of our Spiritual Gifts Test and Workbook. CLICK HERE for a Spiritual Gifts Test and workbook
Comments
I was deeply blessed about thi gift and what I have learn
I would like more insight on this gift.
God bless.
Excellent post, its amazing that its necessary really but it is. I think Iarfhlaith’s point about bigger buttons attracting more comments is very true.
Outstanding awareness on the subject. Without a doubt a fresh bookmark.pericardial cancer
Thanks for sharing the information, now i know in detail what my purpose is and what to do with the spiritual gift of discernment that God has given me, THANKS AGAIN.. It’s much appreciated…GOD BLESS YOU RICHLY
Thanks for the enlightenment… Continue to pray for the spirit of wisdom & revelation. Glory to God.
Hi,
I was blessed reading this
and i do believe I have the Gift, but i doubt it alot because I dont have the right Guidance. I do get vison and dreams but sometimes I dont know what they mean sometimes I feel that my gift is demising, because of oppression, am trying not to be opressed but i belive I really need healing but the lord really shows me things.
please let me know what you think of this thanx
Yes the enemy will work very hard to attack those of us who are more sensitive to their presence and work. You need to remember that greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. I’ve noticed that Satan attacks my self-worth. Stay in the word.
Excellent post will researh anf follow more this website, Blessings.
Thank You for the reading I was very much inspired by it, Now I am more then sure that I have been bless with the gift of decernment because sometimes I feel like I am the only one that hears or seens things that is not right. Never come understand why? But praise God He has bless me with something so wonderful and I will use it to glorify the Lord always and I will use it to help others in a positive and encouraging way. This I pray in Jesus Christ’s Name amen
Thanks. I have the gift but my major problem is that i dont understand some things that are revealed to me. I really need spiritual guidance.
Im 19 Years Old, And I Know For Sure That I Have That Gift, Sometimes I Dont Understand Why I Have It, Or Why God Has Chosen Me To Have It, But I Know Its For A Reason, I Can Feel Things Too Often, And Sometimes I Feel Like I Know Too Much, Sometimes I Dont Feel Normal, And I Really Wana Be Satisfied With This Gift One Day, I Feel Out Of Place In The World Sometimes….I Will Continue To Pray And Ask God Why Do I Have This Gift, And Why Dont I Feel Normal, He Will Show Me In Due Time…
I’m in the same boat as you.
The Sunday School lesson focuses on Acting with Discernment. As stated in your writing, Discernment is a spiritual gift. It is very difficult for a person to act with discernment unless they have been gifted. I have the gift of discernment and it has allowed me to make Godly decisions for my family, myself and others I have been privileged to lead. Adherence to God’s word, prayer and fasting are critical to ensure our ears and hearts are not corrupted as we see those things that are exposed to us by the Spirit of God. I completely agree a person gifted with discernment should receive mentoring by an individual likewise gifted. Training and wisdom enhances an individual’s understanding of the gift and its proper application. I am convinced if we would study our Bible and pray in earnest to God, he will hear our cry, answer our request while posturing us to advance his work on this earth. Ask and it shall be given. Seek and ye shall find. Knock and the door shall be opened unto you.
I’m 13, I have the gift of discernment. I haven’t told my parents because I worry that they will think that I am lying, or take me to see a therapist or something. My parents are Christians, but they aren’t as strong spiritually as I am. My grandpa is the only one in my house who I can talk to about this, but I know other Christians who can help. I feel really bad about hiding it from my parents. What should I do?
Marie,
I do not believe you have to hide anything form your parents. Rather you could discuss it with them. Tell them you are interested in the Spiritual Gifts and ask them to share with you what Spiritual Gifts they think you have. It could be a great discussion. You can share with them that you feel you have the gift of discernment. It would be interesting to see what they think. I don’t think there is anything they would fear. Also, you could share with your Pastor and see if he can give you some instruction to help you grow in the gift.
I pray that God will help you grow in the gift and that God will give you discernment in this situation.
Ron Ovitt
I can tell you as a mother of someone who I believe has this gift. I was FAR more worried before I found out what the gift actually is. When my daughter (now 11) would say things, all I could picture in my mind was that movie the “sixth sense” and I was genuinely scared. I only just found out what the gift is as my church is doing a study on the Gifts of the Spirit. I am sooooooooooooo relieved to understand a little and be able to encourage her to seek guidance from our church. Trust me, your parents are NOT clueless to this ability, they just may not understand what is going on. This will make them relieved if you discuss it!!!
is this the gift of discernment?? cause i feel that way too
In I Corinthians 12:10 it says, “and to another distinguishing between spirits” (NIV) Discernment means to be able to distinguish between right and wrong, good and evil. It is having a logical, judicial ability to think through issues. It is the ability to “discern” whether a saying, teaching, doctrine, written word, or event is good or evil; true or false; and if the source, meaning or intentions are of God, the person or Satanic deception. There is an ability to “read between the lines” and get to the truth of an issue. The“gut” tells them when something doesn’t seem to be right. There is an urgency to pray and ask for wisdom.
In the early days of the church God used these gifts to help discipleship believers and evangelize. The New Testament was still being written. As His word was complete we were given a new standard by which to use the gift of discernment. I do not believe God will use prophecy, wisdom, knowledge or discernment in any way that contradicts His written word. I think anyone serious about these gifts should be a student of the word and serious about prayer. It would not hurt to get a beginners book on hermeneutics (the art and science of studying the Scriptures) and learn how to study scriptures so you can use it with your spiritual gift.
God bless you as you serve Him.
Ron Ovitt
I trust that God will bless you as you use this gift for His glory.
Ron Ovitt
hello ron my name is lelie willrich i to have the gift of decerment ialways new i had somthing just dident no what it was call iv learn to also watch body langage i can read body langage this gift has soi much to offer it just seem unreal i can pickup on anything i can detect danger quick peopl with gift remember to watch body clay will funtion always funtion out of carrector and spirit of decerment will pick it up certan move look are motion thank you my spelling is not good ron but thank you for listing
well that is nice for u too have mentoring,but not everyone has that..and growing up in a non christain house makes this gift alittle scary as a child…the lord does reveal this too u…and it has really taken alot of praying and study as adult..too relize i am not nuts ….lol like my mom said as she never understood what i so deserpartly needed to know..but the lord knew and was their by my side all along..anyhow beleive it or not their r still people out there that dont beleive in the gifts but the enemy sure does….
It was only two years ago that I was certain I had the gift of discernment. As I pondered and studied, I realised that all the odd but spritually beautiful things that God had allowed me to sense and act upon were a result of this gift all along. I have since mentored a woman. One morning after Mass, I sensed 8 angles around the altar in the chapel. I was working with my ministry watering the plants at the time. Two of the angles were very large. I merely nodded in respect and continued with my chores. I told my friend and she later sensed them too. A long discussion ensued. I have mostly been sent by God to help others in need of Christ’s love. It is a beautiful experience.
is it normal to be underr attack so much when u 1st become a christian
Absoluetly. A young friend of mine was so harassed by demons, even those near to her were no longer skeptical about the power of such evil. She broke down in a very bad part of town. A guy out of no where helped her change the tire. She and I think it was an angel. She lost her purse at church during Good Friday. Much more happened to her as a result of oppression from the devil’s demons; and all in the week preceeeding her baptism and confimation. It doesn’t happen to all. I perceived that she was an important addition to the church, and she was and is, and that the demons worked very hard to turn her away from her spiritual destiny. My advice to is have others pray for you. Be with holy people as much as possible. Seek help from the same. I will pray for you. Just remember, if they’re after you its becuase they know you will make a big difference in the spritual world of man.
I believe that I have the gift of discernment and I would sometime pray for people at night and GOD will simply hear GOD speak to me about certain people and what I needed to pray for for that person. I feel that I can grow more in this gift but I don’t know where to get mentoring from.
so u think the more the lord has a plan for u the more they the demons bother u??this gets very tireing..please pray for me and my family…thank u I think our time is shorter than most people think and we are in our last days…i would like to know what people feel when they sense evil…please share with me…..
The Lord has a plan for everyone. All righteous christians have been given a gift of the Holy Spirit. It is not a supernatural power that we can use on demand. It is a special tool to be used when the Holy Spirit wants us to make a contribution to the Body. We cannot turn it off and on. We can lose it by losing our righteousness. The devil does not want us to know our gift and use it when we are asked to. He certainly doesn’t want us to be righteous (and so temptation happens). If you will make a difference one day with your gift, the demons will try to destroy that chance. Pray to your guardian angel. He is there to make sure you get to heaven by doing the right thing; including the abitlity to exercise your gift when called upon.
Jesus Himself said that we will know that the end of days are at hand when we are persecuted for the sake of His Name. This hasn’t happened quite yet. I do believe in, and I have started to prepare for, very difficult times, however. I “know” these harsh days will be soon.
I am a very experienced hunter and outdoorsman. I am a strong, large man. I have a concealed weapons license and carry a gun all the time. I have no fear of anything. My 84 year old parents live with me. My brother sent a “freind” of his to my house to adjust a WI-FI system that he had installed a few months earlier so that his daughter could talk to her grandmother, my mother, over a laptop in the evenings. I came home one day about 8 months ago, and introduced mysleft to this guy at the breakfast table where he was talking with my parents. There was a young woman all dressed in black with long black hair. I can’t remember her face. I paid no attention to her appearance. (I later found out that this guy had adopted this teenager recently.) When I retired to my room, I was suddenly overcome with a gripping fear like I have never experienced. It was a horrible feeling. I had to think what was going on. Finally, I realized that there was a deomonic presence. I returned to the table and asked this fellow to leave. He told me to leave; he wasn’t going anywhere. I asked my father to come to my room. I told him what was going on. Nothing happended. I went outside to call the police and this guy stormed out of the house with his “daughter” and left.
I’ve experienced this before I knew my gift of the Holy Spirit, but never figured out why I was feeling these things. I was allowed to “discern” that spirit, I believe, so as to protect my parents from some sort of bad situation.
With reference to your comment “Pray to your guardian angel…” One should never pray to anyone but God. Angels are heavenly beings in the service of God, they are not God. Nowhere in the bible is there reference to people having a specific guardian angel either.
or do u think..maybe other people are just not able to feel,or sense evil???
Dear Debbie, I’ve been in many situations where evil is present, the most recent I met a young man in a hospital he was screaming at the top his lungs. Staff didn’t know what to do. I prayed, the Lord told me to tell him loudly ” I Love You” he stopped. He later started punching walls, coming out of his room with bloody knuckles and feet, I prayed again, the Lord told me to have him read 1st Corinthians 13 while he read he smiled and then began vomiting he jerked and smiled many times, as I watched I prayed, the Lord said demons were coming out of him. The Lord was showing me the power of his word. He also wanted to learn how to fight, I said you need psalms, your in spiritual battle. I baptized him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I said read both every day for a month. The following day he read again 1 Corinthians 13 He again began vomiting, shaking and smiling when a demon left. I would also caution not to dwell on what evil is doing. Our strength comes when we are reminded of GODS POWER that’s available to us through Christ Jesus.
Thank you SO MUCH for your presentation here. God’s blessing be upon you in helping me and my parish for the insight that you’ve provided. My most humble thanks. GOD MAKES ALL THINGS NEW!
for my family and ithank you everyone for shareing…and thank u for praying for my family and i..I know the lord is greater than the whole world or any one..I work in the public with alot of contact…sometimes the constant persent of evil is over whelming…however the lord is greater… and i beleive that the enemy seeks to destroy any of the lords childern…I always pray in my mind and have had people offended by this at work,,,so how can they know I am doing this???
thank u everyone for praying for me and my family i just recently found out one of the reasons i am feeling so much of the enemys present..there are wiccans who work there…and they will tell u or show it by wearing the jewerly..which i only knew about,cause one time this lady had some ear rings and a necklace on and she told me what it was and that she was a high pristest..what ever that means i know the lord has been watching over me….thank you lord
Dear debbie, as Jesus entered into towns, if a person had an evil spirit having dominion or power over them saw Jesus the evil spirit would shriek “what do you have to do with us Son of God”. Debbie they see Jesus in you. And the lamp of your body, ” Your eyes ” are shining Gods love, truth and light, when they are used to hate, confusion and darkness. Debbie your doing the right things, keep shining the love of Jesus and continue to ask Jesus to send the Holy Spirit to those who are lost, that they may call on the Name of Jesus and be saved
thank u so much for your reply..It really means alot to hear that from some one else..it took me awhile to figure all this out..I couldnt understand why people i didn even know,looked at me with so much hate or fear and some disguse..and lets not forget the ones with so much love in their eyes that i would be on cloud ten for days..thank u again
I praise Father God for this gift of discernment that’s ultimately for His good pleasure and purpose. My constant prayer is that I, through selfish ways or human tendencies which may arise, be kinly sensitive to Holy Spirit prompting me know to either repent or humble myself. Thus, it is my desire to stay humbled when operating in this blessed and holy gift from God. Thank you Jesus!
I was born with the gift of discernment and would like to learn how to use it more producive.
I am 39 yrs old and just coming to understanding that I have had this my whole life. It has only come “clear” to me what this really is and what I have always carried with me. Since asking God to save me as an adult. And asking him to come into my life. I will be Baptised in 1 week, which happens to be on Easter. I know now, that my purpose for life and being here is now understood. I ONLY want to use this “gift” for the remaining days of my life here on earth to glorify The Lord.
Hi, I am 32 years old female and i have the gift of disernment, I find it pretty overwhelming at times. It is an amazing gift and I thank God for giving me this gift.