lined up with the dream or vision, unusual circumstance, or act
of nature—it never was in conflict with or opposed to
Scripture.)
Second, consult those in spiritual leadership over you—do
they agree this might be a word from God for you? Proverbs
24:5–6 says, “A wise man has great power, and a man of
knowledge increases strength; for waging war you need
guidance, and for victory many advisers.” Whenever possible,
wait for enough time to pass to confirm that this advice,
opportunity, or idea is from God. God is not usually in a rush—
impulsivity is rarely His method of working. But on those
occasions when God says, “GO NOW,” you must be timely in
your response. When there seems to be an urgency to the
message, I encourage you to do these things with equal
priority: (a) get alone with God for an unlimited amount of time
and ask Him to confirm His direction to you convincingly,
repeatedly, and especially through His written Word; (b) seek
the counsel of those nearest to you, who know how God
normally talks to you and/or works in your life. Ask them to
pray to God on your behalf, asking for His counsel (not their
ideas) to be revealed to all parties; and (c) then convene a
meeting where all responses are brought together to be
prayerfully evaluated.
Third, never consider a dream or vision, an act of nature, or
an unusual circumstance to stand alone as God’s final word to
you. Allow it to confirm the message or direction you’ve
received from God during your regular daily Bible reading and
through the thoughts He has been impressing upon you
through His Holy Spirit.