People are imperfect. They have their own agendas and fears and goals. I have heard many horror stories of authoritarian pastors damaging people’s faith as they abused "their" authority. Some have told their people that God doesn't speak today nor does He give dreams or do miracles. I even had one young lady in my class who was told by a prophet who she had to marry! One person who spoke to me had quit journaling because his pastor told him God wasn't speaking. Wow! We know what Jesus' thoughts are about those who damage a child's faith (Matt. 18:6 - better to be drowned).  

"I don’t mind submitting to God, Who is perfect, but to submit to people? No way! I wouldn’t submit my life to the counsel of any other person. It is my life and I am to take control and responsibility for it. Besides, others do not understand me well enough to have that kind of authority in my life. People are imperfect." I used to believe the lie that I should not trust the counsel of others.


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Jesus spoke in my journaling

Mark, I know that there are no perfect authorities. That is why I have chosen to rule over all authorities and to change their hearts whenever necessary. You see, the heart of the king is in the hand of the Lord and I turn it however I please (Prov. 21:1). So I rule over authority and I work out My perfection through their lives insofar as their lives touch you. That is why I can say to you to submit and obey your leaders, who keep watch over your soul (Heb. 13:17). It is because I keep watch over them, working My perfection even through their imperfection.

Therefore, your trust is in Me, not in them. That is why I have said that in the multitude of counselors there is safety because various parts of My voice come through each counselor. And the one who will listen to all his counselors, he shall be blessed. Do not ask your counselors for their thoughts. No. Instead, ask them for My thoughts. Ask them to sense their hearts and give unto you that which I am saying. Then their counsel will be full. Then it will be complete. Remember, I resist the proud and give grace unto the humble. As you humble yourself one before another, you shall be healed.

My repentance: Lord, I choose to ask for and honor input from those whom You have placed around me as spiritual leaders.

So what qualities do I look for in my three spiritual advisors

  1. A friend
  2. Knows the Bible
  3. Can hear God’s voice
  4. Will commit themselves to me
  5. Themselves submitted to others – meekness
  6. Alongside or ahead of me in the area being discussed

How this has worked out in my life

I submit my journaling to my three spiritual advisors and ask what God is speaking in their hearts concerning it (2 Cor. 13:1). After receiving Spirit-led counsel from my three spiritual advisors I ask God to show me the truth in what they have spoken. This has caused me to make much better decisions which means I am more likely to succeed and not find myself in a ditch.

For major decisions, I use The Leader's Paradigm – which is a broad-based method for knowing, based on the harmonizing of God’s voice through six ways the Bible says God speaks to us. If you don't already have a revelation-based methodology for discovering truth you may want to adopt this. Some people's paradigm for discovering truth is, "If New Agers do it then it is evil and Christians shouldn't do it." Well, since New Agers wear clothes, that would mean Christians need to become nudists! Really! Not sure this is a great system for discovering truth.

The Emmaus Road is an example of coming to truth by honoring the six ways God grants revelation to us (Lk. 24:13-35).

The disciples were facing a major decision: Would they believe Jesus is alive and His kingdom is being established, or that His death meant their dreams were dashed and everything is over? So they receive encouraging revelation through the six ways God speaks as we outline them in “The Leader's Paradigm”.

  1. Illumined counsel of others – the women shared that they had seen a vision of angels who said that Jesus was alive (Lk. 24:1-12)
  2. Illumined Scripture - Jesus explained to the disciples the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures (Lk. 24:25-27)
  3. Illumined reasoning - their theology was changed with this new scriptural insight. They went from gloom to joy (Lk. 27:17,35)
  4. Illumined heart - Were not our hearts burning within us as He was opening Scriptures (Lk. 24:32)
  5. Illumined understanding of life’s experiences - The disciples encountered Jesus ALIVE and then they shared their experience with others (Lk. 24:13-35)
  6. Direct revelation – dream, vision, prophecy - as Jesus blessed the bread the disciples' eyes were opened and they recognized Him (Lk. 24:30,31,36-49)

My prayer for you

That you discover wise spiritual advisors, that you succeed in an ever greater way, and that you utilize a revelation-based biblical process such as The Leader's Paradigm when making major decisions. May you always know it is the Spirit Who leads you into all truth (Jn. 16:13)!

I invite you to join me in speaking life over yourself

I am free from this lie that I should not trust the counsel of others and the prison it created in my life. I stand on God’s revealed truth that God has ordained that the heart of the leader is channels of water in the hand of the Lord and He turns it wherever He wants (Prov. 21:1). I am now freed to honor and receive from those God chooses to be my spiritual advisors. Thank You, Lord!

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