Breaking the Fear of Being Deceived

Fear of being deceived

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. 2 Timothy 1:7 NKJV

If you want to get eyes to see and ears that hear (Matthew 13) you will need to clear away doubt and unbelief, along with critical and judgmental attitudes. These can lead to spiritual dullness and may have stolen your ability to discern what God is saying and doing today.

When we stop using our spiritual gifts (especially hearing God) we can lose our ability to discern.

Many people are fearful of being deceived. Fear is actually a negative spirit that clouds your vision and brings confusion.

Learning to discern what God is saying is meant to be a joyful process, not one to fear!

Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16 NIV

One of our greatest needs is hearing God’s voice. Trust that God will extend mercy and grace to you as you grow.

Fear of being wrong

You don’t have to share everything you hear. If you get something that is negative, it is best to pray and ask the Lord to change it. This is the most powerful thing you can do for a person.

When it comes to hearing God, there has been an unhealthy emphasis on being perfect all the time. Many people think, if they are not 100 percent certain it’s from God, then they are not saying anything. This is a legalistic view of how God speaks, and it does not reveal His heart of grace.

This fear shuts us down from maturing. It is possible to hear God with increased clarity, but it takes practice, and it is a process. 

No one is perfect.

According to 1 Corinthians 13:9, “We know in part, and we prophesy in part.” Not seeing the full picture is often how God works. This makes us rely on others in the process.

If you strive for perfection, there is no room for growth. God uses our mistakes to train us. I have made my share of mistakes, and I still do. God uses your mistakes to help you make a greater impact later.

You may ask, “What should I do when it turns out I was not correct?” Humility is the key. Own up to your mistakes and admit that you are still learning how to hear and sense God more clearly.

You might not have been technically “wrong,” but you’ve simply picked up on something for later, and it will not be evident until that time comes.

Fear of disappointing God

God does not dislike or reject our immaturity (Matthew 19:14). He sees you as who you will become, even while you still have a long process of development ahead. God is not impatient with immaturity; He enjoys relating to you as you grow.

As you mature, God will test you with the purpose of promoting you to greater levels. 

Go ahead and put on your Holy Spirit training wheels! It is okay to practice and make mistakes. That’s the only way to learn. If you don’t have a lot of experience, you may not want to start by sharing something in front of a group. Instead, start by gathering a few people you trust.

Strong, nurturing relationships create a safe environment to practice without fear. Let people know you are practicing and invite them to practice with you. I’ve trained a lot of people to use the line, “I am taking a class or studying on hearing God and how to encourage people. May I practice with you?”

God loves you, has grace for you … and wants to speak! Remember, learning is a process.

Study the real to spot the counterfeit

You have to become so in touch with the voice of God that you can easily recognize other sources. If you went to work for a bank in the counterfeit department, your training would be focused on how real money looks and feels. By knowing the real, detecting the counterfeit becomes easier. Don’t focus on counterfeit voices; focus on God’s voice!

One of the biggest pitfalls people face when learning to hear is focusing on the enemy and demons rather than God and angels. We can get preoccupied with what is wrong and miss the opportunity to build each other up and celebrate the fact that we are God’s children.

Discerning God’s voice comes with practice. What you perceive needs to be in harmony with biblical principles.

Solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. Hebrews 5:14 NIV

Prayer to activate faith and spiritual senses

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. Ephesians 1:18–19 NIV

The starting place for reversing spiritual dullness is focusing our attention back on the supernatural things of God. Dullness will quickly be wiped away and our focus will be sharpened into greater spiritual awareness.

Blessings, 

Doug Addison
DougAddison.com

P.S. By using the Courts of Heaven keys that have taken me a lifetime to collect, many have experienced radical breakthroughs. Now I’ve combined all my teachings into one—Understanding the Courts of Heaven Mastery Course! This course is jam-packed with detailed training on how to operate in the Courts of Heaven and see radical results. God wants to bless you! Learn how to file a case, unstop the flow, receive justice and repayment! Find out more here. 

Doug Addison is the founder and president of InLight Connection. Doug is a prophetic speaker, author and coach. He is known for his Daily Prophetic Words, Spirit Connection podcast and blog. He and his wife Linda live in Los Angeles, California where they are impacting the arts, entertainment and media industries.