Does God talk to people directly? YES! When God gives someone a message we call that “prophecy.” And the Bible says that we should not treat prophecies with contempt. But we should also be VERY careful any time we think God is speaking to us because claiming that God is talking to you, when He really isn’t, is a very very bad thing.
The most common way that God talks to us is through the Bible, but He can (and has, and does, and will!) communicate with His people directly. So how can you tell if something is from God and not just your own imagination? If something doesn’t happen the way “god” told you it would happen, or it doesn’t agree with what God has already said in Scripture, or the message leads you to follow someone or something other than God, then that message is not from God. If you have claimed that God has spoken to you but any of these things are true, you need to stop. However, if God has truly given you a message to share, then be sure to share it!
Bible Verses:
- 2 Timothy 3:16 | God speaks through the Bible.
- John 17:17 | The Bible is true.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:20 | Don’t treat prophecy as unimportant.
- 1 John 4:1 | Test the spirits to see if they belong to God.
- Deuteronomy 18:21-22 | A prophecy that does not come true is not from God.
- Psalm 33:11 | God is never changing.
- 1 Kings 19:11-13 | Listen for God’s still, small voice.
Family Time Questions:
• What are some ways that God can talk to us?
• What are some ways that we can tell if a message isn’t from God?
• Why is it so important to be careful if we think God is talking to us?
Prayer:
Dear God, thank you for speaking to your people. Help me to hear your voice and to be able to tell when you are speaking to me or if it’s only my imagination. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Would You Like to Download this Video?
This video and mini-devotional are free to download for use in your ministry. Click the buttons below to download.
Suggested Donation: $10
We want to make sure that there is no barrier keeping people from using our content to teach kids about Jesus. With that in mind, even though $10 is the market price for downloading videos like this, we’ve chosen to make this video free to download from this page for anyone who can’t afford it. We are only able to keep making these videos because of the grace of God and the generosity of our incredible supporters who choose to help us financially. If you are blessed by the ministry of Douglas Talks, would you consider making a donation? Every little bit helps!
Terms of Use:
Video Permissions
If you choose to download this video, you have our permission to:
- Display this video during in-person gatherings (such as during church or in a classroom), unless you charge a fee to watch (don’t sell tickets to watch this video).
- Include this video as a part (not the whole) of any video lessons you live stream and/or upload to your website or social media page unless you charge a fee for access. Do not upload this video to your website or social media page if this video is more than 75% of your upload. For example, this video may be a part of your 45-minute Sunday school lesson that you live stream on Facebook and then upload to your church’s YouTube channel, but you may not upload this video by itself to your website or social media page. If you want to share this video by itself, simply post a link to this webpage or this video on the Douglas Talks YouTube channel.
- Alter or make additions to this video for use in your ministry, such as translating and dubbing, adding captions, or even editing out a portion you disagree with.
If you wish to include this video in your product or service (such as a Sunday school curriculum or a video streaming website), please contact us at info@douglastalks.com to discuss.
PDF Permissions
Feel free to use this mini-devotional PDF however you would like, outside of commercial purposes. Make copies, share within your organization, post on social media, etc. Just don’t sell it.