Your desire is to walk in God's will, but how can you be sure you are hearing Him?  You can rest assured that God's ability to make His will known is greater than your ability to hear. 

Personal revelation is subjective.  When I say subjective, I mean that your understanding will be in direct relationship to things personal to you.  The question then comes, if it is personal to me, how will I know it is God?

Consider the following as aids to determining the source:

• YOUR SPIRIT PERCEIVES REVELATION.  Your mind then apprehends and understands.  This is an action deep within, as opposed to a mental or emotional process.  In order to discern the still small voice of the Spirit, you need to quiet your emotions. Can you hear your voice over the sound of a roaring storm?  It is equally difficult to hear the Holy Spirit over the storm of emotion.

• THE HOLY SPIRIT IS THE ONE WHO BEARS WITNESS WITHIN YOU.  He directs and leads from deep within your spirit.  As you remain sensitive to Him, He will lead.

• LOOK FOR THE WITNESS  OF THE HOLY SPIRIT TO RISE IN YOUR SPIRIT.  At times, you will sense that you are not to pursue this or that thing, no matter how good it looks outwardly.  At other times, it is just the opposite, and the urging within is to proceed ahead.  Often it is only much later that you understand the reason.

• THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL NOT LEAD IN CONTRADICTION TO THE WORD OF GOD.  Many decisions that you must make, however, are not addressed in the Bible. For instance, should you pursue this course of action or that, move to another state, etc.  These decisions require that you to seek God for guidance.

• YOU MUST REMAIN SENSITIVE TO THE RISE AND FALL OF LIFE WITHIN YOUR SPIRIT.  Ask yourself, is the activity I am considering causing the life of God within me to rise or to fall? 

• SATAN CANNOT WITHSTAND TESTING.  Pray, wait and listen until you have the witness of the Spirit.  The thoughts that are not coming from the Holy Spirit will fade.  This is true even of thoughts coming out of your own desire and emotion.  If it is the voice of God, however, it will get stronger as you wait in faith.

Refuse to be afraid or discouraged.  God desires that you know His will. 

As you walk in faith, trust in His ability to direct your steps!