Part Two: Growing in Discernment: Training Your Spiritual Senses

In Part One of this series, we looked at what discernment is — and what it is not. We explored how the highest form of discernment is not suspicion, fear, or simply spotting deception, but intimacy with the Father’s heart.

Now in Part Two, we move from what discernment is into how we grow in it. The gift of discernment is given by the Spirit, but like every gift, it matures through use. Hebrews 5:14 says:

“But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

Discernment doesn’t become sharp in a moment. It grows as we keep showing up, testing, learning, and submitting ourselves to the Father.

When I first began pursuing discernment 16 years ago, I thought it would be instant — like a light switch turning on. But I quickly learned it doesn’t work that way. There were times I mistook suspicion for discernment. Other times, I confused my emotions with the Spirit’s prompting. And yes, I got it wrong.

But the Lord didn’t reject me in my immaturity. Instead, He used every mistake as training ground. Every time I leaned back into Him, my senses grew sharper. Every misstep reminded me how desperately I need His heart at the centre.

So how do we grow in discernment? Let’s walk through some key areas of training that have shaped my journey — places where the Father continues to mature me.

Discernment without the Word of God is like trying to navigate a storm without a compass. The Word is our plumb line — the unshakable standard by which every impression, dream, or spiritual experience must be measured.

Hebrews 4:12 says:

“For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

But the Word is not just ink on a page. John 1:1 reminds us that the Word is a Person:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

To be anchored in the Word is to be anchored in Jesus Himself. Logos (the written Word) and Rhema (the spoken Word) both flow from Him. When we test what we sense against Scripture, we’re not just checking verses — we are asking, Does this reflect Christ?

Satan knows how to twist Scripture. When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, the enemy quoted verses — but Jesus discerned the deception and answered with truth: “It is written…” (Matthew 4). In the same way, discerners must be rooted in the Word to rightly divide truth from error.

The Bereans in Acts 17:11 were called “more noble” because they eagerly received the message but tested it against the Scriptures. Discerners today must do the same.

📖 Practice:

• When you sense something, ask: Does this align with Scripture? Does it reflect the nature of Jesus?

• Don’t just look for isolated verses — look for the heart of Christ revealed through the Word.

• Train yourself to run first to the Bible before you run to social media, opinions, or emotions.

⚡ Prophetic Insight: God is raising discerners in this hour who will not weaponise the Word to control, but who will handle it rightly to set captives free.

Discernment is sharpened not by striving, but by intimacy. Jesus said in John 10:27:

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

The more time we spend with Him, the more clearly we recognise His voice.

Think of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3. As a boy, he heard the Lord calling but thought it was Eli. It took time to learn the voice of God. Later, he became the prophet who discerned the Word of the Lord with accuracy. Discernment matures in the secret place of prayer and worship.

David also understood this. As a psalmist and worshipper, he learned to discern atmospheres. In moments of fear, he strengthened himself in the Lord (1 Samuel 30:6). Worship anchored him so he could discern God’s direction for battle and for leadership.

In my own journey, there were times I tried to “work out” what I was sensing in my mind, but the more I wrestled, the more confused I became. Yet in worship, His voice became clear. In prayer, my spirit aligned with His Spirit.

Prophetic discerners are not watchdogs barking at everything that looks wrong — they are sons and daughters who carry their Father’s heart because they have spent time with Him.

📖 Practice:

• Set aside daily time to simply be with the Lord — not asking, not striving, just listening.

• Journal what you sense in His presence.

• Use worship to realign your spirit. When confusion or heaviness hits, lift your voice in praise until His presence shifts the atmosphere.

⚡ Prophetic Insight: In this hour, God is restoring the altar of intimacy. Out of intimacy flows discernment that sees not only what is wrong, but what is on His heart.

Praying in tongues is one of the most powerful ways to sharpen discernment. Romans 8:26 says:

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.”

Praying in the Spirit bypasses the limits of the mind and aligns us directly with God’s will. It strengthens our inner man (1 Cor. 14:4) and tunes us to heaven’s frequency.

There were many times when I discerned something but couldn’t name it — just a heaviness or unsettledness in my spirit. Praying in tongues unlocked clarity. The Spirit highlighted situations and people I needed to pray for, often before I even knew what was happening in the natural.

At one point, I decided to stretch myself. For a year, I set an alarm every hour from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. to pray in tongues for five minutes. It wasn’t about striving but about training my spirit. Just like an athlete builds endurance through regular workouts, I was building spiritual stamina.

That year changed me. I began to pick up the Spirit’s nudges more quickly. Often, I found myself praying into situations hours before I learned about them in the natural. My discernment became sharper because my spirit was alert throughout the day.

The early church modelled this. In Acts 13:2 we read: “While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” Direction came in prayer, sharpened by the Spirit’s voice.

📖 Practice:

• Set aside intentional times to pray in tongues. Try short bursts throughout the day as reminders to stay tuned to the Spirit.

• Journal impressions, scriptures, or names that surface as you pray.

• Later, weigh these with the Word and with trusted leaders.

⚡ Prophetic Insight: In this season, God is calling His people to pray in the Spirit more. Not as a ritual, but as a rhythm. As we do, discernment will sharpen and the church will move with clarity.

Discernment without humility quickly becomes pride. And pride blinds.

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned came in my early years of pastoring a church with my husband. Our network gathered the pastors for a weekend away, and one theme emerged: the apostolic mantle would shift to the next generation.

I was so sure of what I saw — that a particular couple would become the next apostolic leaders. In fact, many pastors felt the same way. After the weekend, I even emailed them, declaring, “The mantle has been placed on you.”

In their grace and mercy, they gently corrected me. They said the vision was right — but my timing was off.

That humbled me deeply. It taught me that discernment is not just about seeing; it’s about waiting for God’s timing. Even the prophet Nathan initially told David to build the temple (2 Samuel 7:3) before God corrected him. Sometimes what we discern is true, but the timing belongs to the Lord.

Peter also had a vision in Acts 10. He discerned the sheet of unclean animals but didn’t fully understand it until he met Cornelius. Discernment often requires confirmation and community.

📖 Practice:

• Share what you discern with trusted leaders or mentors.

• Submit your impressions to testing. If it’s truly from God, it will stand.

• Stay teachable — even correction is part of your training.

⚡ Prophetic Insight: Lone discerners are vulnerable to deception. God is raising discerners who walk in humility and accountability so that revelation protects rather than divides.

Discernment matures through process. Hebrews 5:14 says maturity comes by “constant use.”

Like building muscle in the gym, discernment strengthens through consistent exercise. No one walks into a gym on day one strong and lean. You build strength by showing up, training, and allowing the process to reshape you.

In the same way, we don’t become mature in discernment overnight. We grow by exercising our senses, reflecting on our mistakes, and allowing the Father to correct us.

I’ve learned to treat mistakes not as failures but as part of my training. Each time I missed it, I went back to the Lord and asked: “What was You, and what was me?” Those reflections sharpened my hearing.

📖 Practice:

• Reflect after moments of discernment. Journal what happened, what you sensed, and what the outcome was.

• Ask the Lord to show you where you were right, where you missed it, and what you can learn.

• See mistakes not as shameful but as training weights building maturity.

⚡ Prophetic Insight: In this generation, God is raising discerners who are not afraid of the process. They will be trustworthy because they have been tested, corrected, and refined.

I haven’t always got this right, and I still don’t every time. But one thing I know: the more I pursue His heart, the clearer I see.

Discernment is not about being an expert in deception. It is about intimacy with the Father. Out of that intimacy flows clarity, wisdom, and love.

God is raising discerners who will not operate from suspicion or pride, but who will see with His eyes and guard the purity of what He is birthing. These are the ones who will help the church navigate deception, stand firm in truth, and carry His heart into a confused and broken world.

This is the journey I am still on — and it’s the journey I invite you into.

Father, thank You for training me in discernment. Where I’ve confused suspicion for Your Spirit, teach me again. Where I’ve rushed ahead of Your timing, slow me down. Keep me humble, accountable, and anchored in Your Word. Above all, let me see with Your eyes and carry Your heart.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

1. Anchored in the Word – Reflection Questions

• When you sense something spiritually, is your first instinct to run it through the Word of God, or through your feelings?

• How well do you know the Word as your safeguard? Do you rely on fragments of verses, or do you test things against the whole counsel of Scripture?

• Where might you need to grow in anchoring your discernment in Jesus, the Living Word, rather than your own understanding?

2. Intimacy in Prayer and Worship – Reflection Questions

• Do you intentionally make space in your prayer life to listen, or is most of your prayer filled with speaking?

• How does worship shift your ability to discern? Have you noticed atmospheres changing when you enter into praise?

• Like Samuel, are you learning to recognise the Father’s voice more clearly with time and practice?

3. Praying in the Spirit – Reflection Questions

• How often do you pray in tongues? Is it occasional, or is it part of your daily rhythm?

• Have you ever received clarity or discernment while praying in the Spirit? Write down an example.

• What new rhythms could you introduce (like short bursts throughout the day) to sharpen your discernment through tongues?

4. Humility and Accountability – Reflection Questions

• When was the last time you submitted a discernment or prophetic word to someone you trust? How did they respond?

• How do you react to correction — with defensiveness, or with humility?

• Do you have a community or leaders who can weigh your discernment, or have you been operating in isolation?

5. Practice and Learn from Mistakes – Reflection Questions

• How do you personally view mistakes in discernment: as failure or as training?

• Can you identify a time when you missed it, but later learned a valuable lesson from it?

• What steps could you take to reflect more intentionally after moments of discernment?

6. Journaling and Testing – Reflection Questions

• Do you currently record your impressions, dreams, or discernments? If not, what holds you back?

• When you revisit old journal entries, what patterns or confirmations do you notice?

• How might journaling help you partner with God as a scribe and steward of His revelation?