Discerning Godly Counsel
It had been a while since I returned to this space, and in all honesty, I thought I was ready. But I’ve come to realize something powerful: the very things God asks of us are often what He uses to prune, sharpen, and reconstruct us. I entered what I believed would be a season of writing about forgiveness—the little foxes of offense and the baggage of unforgiveness. And while I still believe that topic will surface in time, the Lord has led me to share something else first: Discerning Godly Counsel.
A Personal Lens
By the grace of God, I write this from a place of personal experience and revelation. Not my own understanding, but through the lens God has graciously allowed me to recognize his truth. Every journey is different, every encounter with God is uniquely crafted. What He reveals to you may become an inheritance for generations to come. That doesn’t diminish anyone else’s path—it simply affirms that God’s dealings with us are personal and profound. None supersedes the other.
I have mentioned in my previous entries that our experiences shape our character, and in turn, our behavior patterns—both positive and negative. They also influence how we give and receive counsel. When we look at our generation and those before us, we begin to see that certain strongholds persist depending on the kind of counsel we embrace. It has impacted our psychology and often leads us to justify poor decisions.
Your most important agenda in life is to know God for yourself. Not through your spiritual leaders, mentors, or even friends in Christ. But by cultivating sincere fellowship with Him. Having them in your life is important, after all it is not good for man to be alone. What I am redirecting us to is to make God our ultimate source of dependency and not man.
John 4:24 (The Passion Translation)
“From now on, worshiping the Father will not be a matter of the right place but with the right heart. For God is a Spirit, and He longs to have sincere worshipers who adore Him in the realm of the Spirit and in truth.”John 4:24 (Good News Translation)
“God is Spirit, and only by the power of His Spirit can people worship Him as He really is.”Worship and relationship with God are spiritual pursuits—an unquenchable thirst for more of Him and less of us. In that sacred place of fellowship, we begin to discern the heart and will of the Father. Every piece of counsel—whether a word of wisdom or prophecy—should either confirm what God has already spoken to you or illuminate the path ahead.
The Power of Influence
We live in a time of overwhelming noise and influence. From friendships and mentors to spiritual leaders and media, voices are everywhere. But everything about your journey is a beautiful sequence of a story written before your mother conceived you. It is your kingdom responsibility to manifest it right here on earth.
Demonic influences don’t just come through dreams or daily attacks. The enemy is far more strategic than we often give him credit for. He customizes weapons for each generation—and each family. My question is: Do you know what weapons have been fashioned against you? Are you aware of the patterns the enemy keeps trying to exploit in your life?
In my view, one of the enemy’s greatest tools today is emotional influence—voices fueled by fear, insecurity, or false empathy. Sometimes, people counsel us from a sincere heart but with misguided intentions. Others may be influenced by familiar spirits, past trauma, or even unhealed wounds or experiences.
Time in this realm is a currency. God is able to redeem time for your sake. Some seasons by mercy may return, some seasons missed can never be recouped. The word of God residing on the inside of us is what makes the difference. The magnitude or the lack thereof manifests when we are confronted in challenging times. Be alert of the devices of the enemy.
Let us learn from Jesus himself:
Matthew 16:21–23 (GNT):
“From that time on Jesus began to say plainly to his disciples, “I must go to Jerusalem and suffer much from the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. I will be put to death, but three days later I will be raised to life.”Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “God forbid it, Lord!” he said. “That must never happen to you!”
Jesus turned around and said to Peter, “Get away from me, Satan! You’re an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don’t come from God but from human nature.
Verse 15 of the same Chapter tells us about a conversation Jesus had with his disciples asking them who they believed he was. Peter answered saying that Jesus was the Messiah, son of the living God to which Jesus declared the following over Peter’s life: “
And so, I tell you, Peter: you are a rock and on this rock foundation I will build my church and not even death will ever be able to overcome it! I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven, what you will prohibit on earth will be prohibited in heaven, and what you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
Only moments before, Peter had received divine revelation and was called the ‘rock’. Yet here, he allowed human emotions to obstruct divine purpose. Jesus discerned this and rebuked it—not Peter’s heart, but the spirit behind his words. Jesus overcame and so can you – Hallelujah!
Peter is a mirror of us. Unless we surrender every part of ourselves to the Holy Spirit, the enemy will exploit our blind spots—even using us against God’s will in our lives or those we are assigned to.
Relationships, Altars, and Alignment
We are living altars. Agreements between people are agreements between altars—spiritual covenants. So, be careful who you align with. The same people who play pivotal roles in our lives—those we love—can unintentionally steer us off course out of fear, protection, or love.
Yet, Jesus still took Peter to the mountain. (Matthew 17),
“Six days later Jesus took with him Peter and the brothers James and John and led them up high a mountain where they are alone. As they looked on, a change came over Jesus, his face was shining like the sun, and his clothes were dazzling white. Then the three disciples saw Moses and Elijah talking with Jesus. So, Peter spoke up and said to Jesus, Lord how good it is that we are here! If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah. While he was talking, a shining cloud came over them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my own dear Son, with whom I am pleased – listen to him!Revealing His glory in the presence of the very man He had just rebuked. That’s grace.
- Familiarity can deceive us.
- Love can misguide us.
- Counsel can come from a sincere heart but still be wrong.
- Still, grace remains.
Anyone can be used by the enemy in a moment of weakness. We must maintain the stance of holiness and extend grace at all times.
Anchored in Truth
Truth is costly. And rare. When someone refuses to shy away from speaking the truth by using the word of God—no matter how uncomfortable—don’t be offended. Make it a habit to submit yourself to the truth always. It is this same truth that will set you free. We’re in a generation with itching ears, craving validation more than transformation. But when darkness agrees with darkness, even darkness looks like light.
John 6:63:
“What gives life is God’s Spirit; human power is of no use at all. The words I have spoken to you bring God’s life-giving Spirit.”God can use any vessel to speak life into you. So can the enemy use any vessel to speak death. Know the difference.
Final Thoughts: Stay Alert. Stay Rooted.
Know God. Know His Word. Expose yourself to truth. Denounce every lie you’ve accepted. Pray for mercy. Because it’s possible to live in rebellion simply by following ungodly counsel.
Let’s reflect:
- Who are the voices influencing my decision making right now?
- Have I mistaken emotional advice for spiritual direction?
- Am I anchored in the Word of God or in my feelings?
My prayer is that you meditate on these questions and seek the father sincerely. No matter how far you’ve gone off track, God will always be there with arms wide open, the moment you repent and return.
And if you’ve struggled with accepting God’s love, felt weak in trying times then may this prayer strengthen your heart:
Ephesians 3:14–20 (NIV):
For this reason, I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lords holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.Amen.
