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Questions & Answers

Voice of God

Faith Q&A › Metropolitan Youssef › Our Lord and the Faith › Voice of God

The question

How can we discern God's voice and differentiate it from the devil's? Even the saints were momentarily tricked by the latter at times, so what chance do we have?

The answer

Discernment of the spirits is a gift from God (1 Corinthians 12:10). The Holy Spirit's guidance assists the spiritual father or confessional father whose roles are very important in helping their sons and daughters, to differentiate between God's voice and the devil's deception. God's voice can only lead to goodness. The devil's voice always has a hidden agenda. Prayer is necessary and noble deeds are required. In addition, honesty with ourselves as to our motives and intentions will help reveal if the devil is lurking and whispering somewhere in the back of our minds. David the Prophet instructed his son Solomon, "know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts" (1 Chronicles 28:9).

Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)

Questions answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab) of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. Question 1342 on the Diocese’s Q&A site. Questions and answers © Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. All rights reserved.