Recently, I received a revelation from the Lord that has stayed so deeply in my heart that I felt compelled to share it with others. It came while I was preparing to lead a small group on the topic of discerning the voice of God. For weeks, I planned what to say—Scriptures to share, examples to give, and practical exercises that would help people understand how God speaks. I thought I had everything prepared.
But the night before the meeting, the Lord gently interrupted my thoughts. In my spirit, He convinced me that I needed to start the entire lesson with a simple but profound question:
“Do you know where you are?”
When He spoke that to me, something shifted inside. I realized that before we try to hear God’s voice—before we seek His direction, wisdom, or clarity—we must first understand where we currently stand with Him. This was not just a teaching for others; it was a personal reminder for my own life as well.
How the Lord Spoke to Me Through a Paper Map
That night, the Lord gave me an image of an old-fashioned paper map. Today we rely on GPS, but in the past, traveling with a paper map required attention and preparation. You could not simply press “Start” and follow directions. You had to study the map, understand the routes, check the distance, and most importantly—identify your starting point.
If you didn’t know where you were on the map, everything else became confusing.
As I pictured the map in my mind, the Lord showed me that the same principle applies to our spiritual lives. Last year, He might have asked me to move from point A to point B. But this year, I might no longer be at point A. Life changes. My heart changes. My maturity changes. Yet sometimes, without thinking, I continue acting as if I am still in the same place spiritually.
If I start moving toward God’s destination from the wrong starting point, I can end up in a completely different direction—even while trying to obey Him.
This revelation humbled me deeply because I realized how easily we assume we know what God wants based on past experience. We cling to old instructions without checking our current position with Him. But the Lord reminded me:
“My child, you cannot follow My direction today if you are standing in yesterday’s place.”
A Gentle Warning Against Presumption
Through this revelation, God also showed me how often we make mistakes simply because we presume He will work the same way He did before. We think, “This is how God led me last time,” or “This is how He answered me in the past.” But God is not a formula. He is not predictable. He is creative. His ways are higher than ours, and He chooses the method that fits each season of our lives.
Jesus Himself healed people in different ways—even people with the same condition. Not because He was inconsistent, but because He was teaching us to trust His voice, not His methods.
This truth became so clear to me:
When we follow the method instead of the Master, we lose our way.
I realized that I, too, had sometimes tried to follow God using the memory of what He once told me—rather than seeking Him for His fresh direction today. This revelation brought both conviction and freedom to my heart.
Why We Must Continually Check Our Spiritual Position
As I reflected on the Lord’s question—“Do you know where you are?”—I understood that discerning His voice requires continual alignment. Not sometimes. Not once a year. Continually. Because if we don’t check where we are, we can drift without noticing.
We drift when:
- Our hearts change through disappointment or joy
- Our circumstances shift
- Our understanding deepens
- Our spiritual maturity grows
- Our responsibilities increase
The Lord helped me see that even in seasons when I feel confident, I still need to pause and ask Him where I truly stand. Because the danger is not always rebellion—sometimes the danger is assumption. And assumption quietly leads us off the path.
The further we walk in the wrong direction, the harder it becomes to return. This truth humbled me in a new way and reminded me of Jesus’ words:
“Remain in Me, as I remain in My Father.”
Remaining is not passive. It is an intentional choice every single day—to stay close, to stay aware, and to stay dependent.
My Personal Awakening About Remaining in Christ
This revelation awakened something new in me. I saw that remaining in Christ is the only way to stay spiritually grounded. If I am not remaining in Him, my roots weaken. Without strong roots, my mind becomes distracted, my emotions become reactive, and my ears become less sensitive to His voice.
What surprised me most was how gentle the Lord was in showing this to me. He didn’t rebuke me. He simply invited me to look at my own spiritual map—to notice where I was standing—and to realign myself with Him.
I realized that discernment is not about achieving perfect accuracy. It is about staying close enough to Jesus that when He whispers, my heart immediately recognizes His voice.
Sharing This Revelation With the Group
When it came time to lead the group, I followed the Lord’s prompting and began with the same question He asked me:
“Before we talk about hearing God’s voice, do you know where you are with God today?”
As I shared the picture of the paper map and the importance of knowing our current position, I saw many people nodding, reflecting, and even softly crying. I understood then that this revelation was not only for me. It was something God wanted His people to receive.
I spoke to them about presumption, about the need to stay close, about the danger of carrying yesterday’s instruction into today’s season. I could feel the Holy Spirit moving, gently realigning hearts as He had aligned mine.
The room felt tender—quiet, yet full of God’s presence. And I realized something beautiful:
When God teaches me personally, He often uses it to bless others through my testimony.
What I Learned From This Revelation
As I continued to process what the Lord showed me, several truths became clear:
1. Discernment begins with honesty.
We must honestly ask God to show us where we are—not where we imagine ourselves to be.
2. God leads us differently in each season.
Not because He changes, but because we change.
3. Presumption is a subtle threat.
It feels like faith, but it often leads us away from God’s current direction.
4. Remaining in Christ keeps our hearts aligned.
Without daily surrender, our spiritual ears grow dull.
5. God’s voice is clearest when we are closest.
Distance creates confusion; closeness brings clarity.
A Final Word I Want to Share From My Heart
This revelation has left a deep mark on my spirit. It has made me more aware of the need to pause, to breathe, and to ask simple but life-changing questions:
- “Lord, where am I today?”
- “Is my heart still aligned with You?”
- “Am I following Your voice or my assumption?”
- “Do You want to redirect me?”
I felt the Lord saying to me—and now I say it to you:
“You will hear Me more clearly when you know where you stand with Me.”
From this one question, God brought new direction, new intimacy, and new understanding into my walk with Him. And because it blessed me so deeply, I wanted to share it with others—so that they too may learn to discern His voice with sensitivity and humility.
My prayer is that this personal revelation also becomes a gentle invitation for you. May it lead you closer to Jesus, more aware of His presence, and more attuned to His voice in every step of your journey.