Discernment

Discernment

Priscilla Van Sutphin www.upstreamca.org

Heb 5:14 AMP But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.

Heb 5:14 NKJV But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

NT:144 KJV - judgment. aistheterion (ahee-sthay-tay'-ree-on); from a derivative of NT:143; properly, an organ of perception, i.e. (figuratively) judgment:

NT:143 KJV - senses. aisthanomai (ahee-sthan'-om-ahee); of uncertain derivation; to apprehend (properly, by the senses): KJV - perceive.

I love this scripture as there is so much in it that bears comment. Solid food is talking about knowing the depths of the Word of God more. And Priscilla says [ I’m one who believes she wrote it ] our SENSES are involved in it, and mental faculties. The purpose of it is to discriminate between good spirits and bad spirits and what is good or evil in divine or human law.

We have five senses: Taste, Smell, Hearing, Sight & Touch.

TASTING

Taste and see that the Lord is good is not literally meant in that scripture perhaps.

But it is part of our senses and I have known those who tasted honey when there was no honey in their mouth, but they were IN THE SPIRIT at that moment and God was giving them the sensation of honey on their lips, tongue.

Ezekiel had a taste sensation…

Ezek 2:8-3:3 NIV

8 But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you."

9 Then I looked, & I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, 10 which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament & mourning & woe.

Ezekiel 3:1 And he said to me, "Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go & speak to the house of Israel." 2 So I opened my mouth , & he gave me the scroll to eat. 3 Then he said to me, "Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you & fill your stomach with it." So I ate it, & it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth .

Job 6:30 AMP Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern what is destructive?

Ps 119:103 AMP How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! [Ps 19:10; Prov 8:11.]

SMELLING

Dan 3:26-27 NKJV Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire. 27 And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.

This was totally supernatural that they had NO SMELL on their clothes of the fire, when it killed the guards who threw them in! If God can supernaturally keep us from smelling, can He also allow us to smell the supernatural? Yes.

Deut 4:27-29 NKJV And there you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood & stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell . 29 But from there you will seek the LORD your God, & you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart & with all your soul.

Ps 115:6-8 NKJV [ Speaking of idols in comparison to HIMSELF God says:] 6 They have ears, but they do not hear; Noses they have, but they do not smell ; 7 They have hands, but they do not handle; Feet they have, but they do not walk; Nor do they mutter through their throat. 8 Those who make them are like them; So is everyone who trusts in them.

We are made in His image. We have senses & God trains our senses to discern between good & evil through exercising them, becoming aware of them. It takes your senses to see the chabod – the cloud of glory that was seen in the first temple.

It takes senses to feel it, & it takes smell to smell the fire of the Lord, the incense of the Lord, which comes in many varied ways. I’ve smelled roses before in the presence of the Holy Spirit as waves of peace washed over me during worship.

I smelled incense that was so wonderful you wanted to breathe as much in of it as possible when Mahesh Chavda was speaking about ministering to the POOR. I’ve smelled the fire, as if something was burning all during a sermon by a man who spoke in our church once.

I've smelled the roses of His presence on Che Ahn once while following him down some stairs in the old building at Harvest Rock.

I’ve also smelled the sulfuric smell of demons. Cancer spirits especially smell like bad farts…really bad ones. And a spirit of masturbation smells like weird candle wax is the best I can describe it.

I’ve also smelled demons that

Just had an unclean smell. Some have smelled fruit smells with the presence of the Lord. Some have smelled roses, lavendar, or spikenard. I have smelled the soap smell too.

The Lord is like a refiner’s fire & a fuller’s SOAP. That is the presence that comes with cleansing a person sometimes. I kept smelling it in the back of my car once after my divorce & I looked & couldn’t find any spilled detergent…& the Lord spoke the above scripture to me.

I smelled it again in a tent meeting, where there seemed to be in some pockets of the tent…soapy smell, incense smell, & smell of roses in certain places. Perhaps it has to do with assignments of angels, but that is just my speculation because I couldn't see them. The smell of roses is a very common one that people experience.

Isa 3:24 AMP And it shall come to pass that instead of the sweet odor of spices there shall be the stench of rottenness; & instead of a girdle, a rope; & instead of well-set hair, baldness; & instead of a rich robe, a girding of sackcloth; & searing [of captives by the scorching heat] instead of beauty.

HEARING

The Lord makes it obvious that we can hear His voice. John 10:27 NKJV “My sheep hear My voice, & I know them, & they follow Me.”

How did Peter know Ananias & Sapphira had lied to him? Because the Holy Spirit told him. How were scriptures written…old & new? By hearing the Lord’s voice.

2 Peter 1:21 AMP For no prophecy ever originated because some man willed it [to do so--it never came by human impulse], but men spoke from God who were borne along (moved & impelled) by the Holy Spirit.

John 5:28-30 NKJV Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 & come forth — those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, & those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; & My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.

Jesus heard the voice of His Father. He prayed every day to the Father, alone, in the secret place.

John 8:47 NKJV He who is of God hears God's words; therefore you do not hear , because you are not of God."

John 10:2-3 NKJV But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

John 10:16 NKJV And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.

John 14:26 NKJV But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

If He teaches us all things, HOW does He teach us? How will He bring to remembrance. He speaks to us. We hear His voice, or we perceive things [ impressions on the mind] or through nature. He drops in Understanding, wisdom, knowledge; Words of knowledge, words of wisdom. He draws our attention to observe certain things. He really likes it when we meditate on the word, or things He is trying to show us.

John 15:15-16 NKJV No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.

Jesus HEARD from the Father & so can we. He died to RESTORE the relationship Adam & Eve had with Him in the garden! HE made the way through the Holy of Holies so we could have relationship. What kind of relationship would it be if communication was one sided? What kind of relationship would you have with your husband or boyfriend, or wife or girlfriend if you never spoke?

John 15:26-27 NKJV The Coming Rejection

"But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

This is the Spirit of PROPHECY, to testify of Jesus like it says in REVELATION.

My sheep HEAR MY VOICE & they follow ME. Christ is IN US. He can speak to us through the Holy Spirit any time He wants. And he is wanting…we just have to be quiet enough to listen & to patient enough to WAIT on HIM. Sometimes it takes quite a while before you hear. But He promised that if we diligently seek Him more than other things, we would find Him. Jeremiah 29:11-13

Acts 2:7-8 NKJV And how is it that we hear , each in our own language in which we were born?

Acts 2:11 NKJV Cretans & Arabs — we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

Acts 3:22-23 NKJV For Moses truly said to the fathers, 'The LORD your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.'

Acts 10:22 NKJV And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God & has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, & to hear words from you."

He had to have HEARD the angel! Just like Mary the mother of Jesus.

Acts 10:33 NKJV So I sent to you immediately, & you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

Acts 22:9-11 NKJV "And those who were with me indeed saw the light & were afraid, but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said to me, 'Arise & go into Damascus, & there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.' 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

Rom 11:8 NKJV Just as it is written: "God has given them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see & ears that they should not hear, to this very day."

1 Cor 14:21 NKJV In the law it is written: "With men of other tongues & other lips I will speak to this people; & yet, for all that, they will not hear Me," says the Lord.

1 Cor 14:21 AMP It is written in the Law, by men of strange languages & by the lips of foreigners will I speak to this people, & not even then will they listen to Me, says the Lord. [Isa 28:11,12.]

Heb 3:7-8 NKJV Be Faithful (Ps 95:7-11)

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: "Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,

1 John 4:6 NKJV We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth & the spirit of error.

Rev 2:7 NKJV "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God."'

Rev 2:11 NKJV "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."'

Rev 13:8-10 NKJV All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear . 10 He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience & the faith of the saints.

SEEING

One of the words for prophet in the old testament was a SEER.

1 Sam 9:8-9 NKJV (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: "Come, let us go to the seer"; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)

The New Testament is filled with those who prophesied including Philip’s daughters, the apostles, & Stephen who was not one of the 12, but a disciple of them.

Throughout church history, there have been those who pressed in to know HIM more, & received their heart’s desire. And there are those who He has surprised with the gifts of the Spirit. The reason HE allows us to SEE, is out of His love for us, & because these gifts help us to KNOW HIM better…& to have more AWE & RESPECT for HIM, & to encourage, comfort & edify us & others. To share what HE is showing us for warnings, for knowledge & understanding.

And in Daniel 12:4 He said:

Dan 12:4 AMP But you, O Daniel, shut up the words & seal the Book until the time of the end. [Then] many shall run to & fro & search anxiously [through the Book], & knowledge [of God's purposes as revealed by His prophets] shall be increased &

become great. [Amos 8:12.]

Joel also seems to emphasize a time of increased prophetic outpouring: This right AFTER in ch. 2 He describes HIS army who marches in unison…

Joel 2:23-26 NKJV Be glad then, you children of Zion, & rejoice in the LORD your God; For He has given you the former rain faithfully, & He will cause the rain to come down for you — The former rain, & the latter rain in the first month.

24 The threshing floors shall be full of wheat, & the vats shall overflow with new wine & oil.

Wheat is the fresh bread of His word – manna from the Holy Spirit – HEARING His voice; new wine, the Holy Spirit’s presence in revival/awakening; & oil, the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

25 "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, & the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. 26 You shall eat in plenty & be satisfied, & praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; And My people shall never be put to shame.

Joel 2:28-31 NKJV "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons & your daughters shall prophesy, Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall see visions. 29 And also on My menservants & on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

30 "And I will show wonders in the heavens & in the earth: Blood & fire & pillars of smoke. 31 The sun shall be turned into darkness, & the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great & awesome day of the LORD.

THINK OF IT! HE SAYS AFTERWARD OF WHAT HAPPENS ABOVE THAT! AMAZING! HE WILL POUR OUT HIS SPIRIT ON ALL FLESH…ALL STILL MEANS ALL. THERE WILL BE NO EXCUSE FOR NOT SERVING GOD. HE PROMISED THAT THIS WOULD BE HAPPENING BEFORE HE CAME AGAIN. WE SURELY ARE CLOSE TO THE SECOND COMING JUDGING FROM THE EVENTS IN THE WORLD N’EST CE PAS ?

Isaiah 60 says:

Isa 60:1-3 NKJV The Gentiles Bless Zion

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. 2 For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, & deep darkness the people; But the LORD will arise over you, & His glory will be seen upon you. 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, & kings to the brightness of your rising.

NOTE in this experience of Isaiah how many senses were involved. Is God not the same, yesterday, today & tomorrow?

Isa 6:1-7 NKJV Isaiah Called to Be a Prophet (cf. Ezek 1:4-28)

In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high & lifted up, & the train of His robe filled the temple. 2 Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, & with two he flew.

3 And one cried to another & said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, & the house was filled with smoke.

5 So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, & I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts." 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7 & he touched my mouth with it, & said: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away.

Jer 9:24-25 AMP But let him who glories glory in this: that he understands & knows Me [personally & practically, directly discerning & recognizing My character], that I am the Lord, Who practices loving-kindness, judgment, & righteousness in the earth, for in these things I delight, says the Lord. [1 Cor 1:31; 2 Cor 10:17.]

25 Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will punish all who though circumcised [outwardly, in the flesh] are still uncircumcised [in corresponding inward purity]-- [Rom 2:25-29.]

1 Cor 12:4-11 NKJV There are diversities of gifts , but the same Spirit. 5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all:

8 for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit,

10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one & the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

1 Cor 12:31 NKJV But earnestly desire the best gifts . And yet I show you a more excellent way. [ then comes the chapter on LOVE : ) ]

1 Cor 14:1 NKJV Prophecy & Tongues

Pursue love, & desire spiritual gifts , but especially that you may prophesy.

1 Cor 14:12 NKJV Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts , let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

Eph 4:8 NKJV Therefore He says: "When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, & gave gifts to men."

Heb 2:4 NKJV God also bearing witness both with signs & wonders, with various miracles, & gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

Rom 11:29 AMP For God's gifts & His call are irrevocable. [He never withdraws them when once they are given, & He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.]

TOUCHING / FEELING

If GOD is made MANIFEST, the very word manifest means something you are able to see, hear, feel, touch, or smell. In the old testament they could SEE the cloud of glory & feel it, they couldn’t STAND in the manifest glory of God, they fell on their faces.

Just like DANIEL when the angel appeared to him in Daniel 10. He speaks of how he felt, he shares strength was put into him by the angel touching him.

Dan 10:4-11 NKJV Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,[ IRAQ ] 5 I lifted my eyes & looked, & behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!

6 His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.

7 And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves. 8 Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great vision, & no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in me, & I retained no strength. 9 Yet I heard the sound of his words; & while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground.

The men FLED because they FELT TERROR ! Do you think Daniel maybe FELT the presence of the Lord here ? And below he feels a HAND TOUCH HIM. He trembled because he was in the presence of glory.

10Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, & stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

I once felt an angel touch me when I asked God to wake me up in the morning because I had no alarm at the time, & in the morning I was greatly surprised by a rough tap on the bottom of my foot, though no one seeable was there. : )

I’ve felt wind while dancing that went through me & gave me goosebumps, & knew it was angels dancing with me. I was unafraid. But I’ve also felt demons pass right through me to frighten me, years back.

I had many demonic encounters after my mother died especially, because she was a new age witch. I’ve seen demons & felt them in her apartment. I saw one three dimensional the last time I saw one full on, & he was surrounded by light, but bent over hunched back, scraggly grey hair, & he had talons as he scratched my knee pounding on the bed…I looked up to see the back of this figure. By then I was ticked off, and no longer frightened, &

Jumped out of bed, but of course he was long gone. I put on worship & recited REV. 19 & 20 which are my favorites for reminding them of their fate.

They used to torment me after her death, just as I was falling asleep, suddenly would feel gripped from behind and by the third time I cried JESUS...they'd be gone.

Like Daniel, I've felt that sensation of all strength leaving me, when I danced with the Lord, after He asked me to, in worship service, & in faith I put my arms up, and danced, and then lost strength, falling to my knees.

Again, just because it isn’t in the new testament in the same way, doesn’t mean it’s not an authentic type of experience.

REREAD this word from Jeremiah…

Jer 23:9 NKJV False Prophets & Empty Oracles

My heart within me is broken Because of the prophets; all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, & like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the LORD, & because of His holy words.

I believe this is what they felt on Pentacost too, as they were accused of drunkenness. It certainly wasn’t because they spoke in tongues. That doesn’t look like drunkenness ! It was because they staggered and shook. When God MANIFESTS with His presence…there are all kinds of things we FEEL. The scriptures say the when the

presence of the Lord comes down, the mountains TREMBLE ! How much more will man

tremble or shake ?

One can feel the glory when you raise your hands in worship. The air feels HEAVY, as if it has weight. Sometimes our legs feel heavy in the presence of God, or our arms get heavy when healing anointing comes on us.

In the presence of HIS love, my knees get weak, and I fall down. I can FEEL HIS PRESENCE. I can feel peace washing over me, or love. And I can FEEL JOY inexpressible and overflowing. It just bubbles out of us. It is that fountain of Living Waters living inside of us, that out of our innermost being flows the power of the Holy Spirit. But you can also FEEL the Holy Spirit and receive MORE of Him with each encounter in His presence.

We need our senses EXERCISED, because one can also FEEL the presence of evil.

Also, things like divination mimic prophecy and it can feel almost the same, but be

of the enemy. You can SEE visions, but it doesn’t always mean they are from God.

Dreams also are not all from God. The Word instructs us that Satan comes AS AN ANGEL OF LIGHT. So we can be fooled and must not trust in the feelings, senses alone, but always weigh them with the WORD OF GOD. Many people have gotten into error using new age books on dreams to interpret their dreams instead of using bible

Based interpretation, and relying on GOD, waiting on HIM to show you. There absolutely can be mixture.

Pride, Witchcraft and jezebel will dampen your ability to discern or feel anything. So

will heavy rebellion, and rejection, or any other kind of sin, as sin blinds us. If you think you cannot be deceived, you are already in a very bad place.

Rom 11:11 AMP So I ask, Have they stumbled so as to fall [to their utter spiritual ruin, irretrievably]? By no means! But through their false step and transgression salvation [has come] to the Gentiles, so as to arouse Israel [to see and feel what they forfeited] and so to make them jealous.

Ex 10:21 NKJV The Ninth Plague: Darkness

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt ."

Eph 5:13-14 NKJV But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light. 14 Therefore He says: "Awake, you who sleep, Arise from the dead, And Christ will give you light."

John 14:21 NKJV He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him."

Feeling includes not only touch, but actually feeling what another is feeling emotionally.

During revival often I would shake hands with someone or get around them and FEEL

Pain in my heart. I was feeling their pain, or the Lord’s pain for them.

2 Cor 11:29 AMP Who is weak, and I do not feel [his] weakness? Who is made to stumble and fall and have his faith hurt, and I am not on fire [with sorrow or indignation]?

NT:4697 splangchnizomai;

1 aorist esplangchnistheen (compare Buttmann, 52 (45));(splangchnon, which see);

properly, to be moved as to one's bowels, hence, to be moved with compassion, have compassion (for the bowels were thought to be the seat of love and pity): absolutely,

Luke 10:33; 15:20; [From Thayers Lexicon] NT:4696 KJV - spot.

Strongs:

splagchnizomai (splangkh-nid'-zom-ahee); middle voice from NT:4698; to have the bowels yearn, i.e. (figuratively) feel sympathy, to pity: KJV - have (be moved with) compassion.

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Luke 12:56 NKJV Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?

Matt 16:3-4 NKJV and in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.' Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.

Ps 19:9-14 NKJV The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Ps 139:3-4 NIV You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

Phil 1:9-10 NIV And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ,

WOW…Isn’t that interesting ! The more we grow in love, the more DISCERNMENT we get ! Perhaps this is why the church in this hour is lacking in discernment eh ?

Matt 16:9 AMP Do you not yet discern (perceive and understand)? Do you not remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many [small hand] baskets you gathered?

So perception and understanding are related to discernment.

Mark 4:13 AMP And He said to them, Do you not discern and understand this parable? How then is it possible for you to discern and understand all the parables?

Mark 7:18 AMP And He said to them, Then are you also unintelligent and dull and without understanding? Do you not discern and see that whatever goes into a man from the outside cannot make him unhallowed or unclean,

Again, over and over understanding is involved with discernment and the HOLY SPIRIT is the Source because there is a seven fold Spirit of GOD mentioned in Isaiah, and one of these is the Spirit of Understanding.

Isa 11:1 AMP AND THERE shall come forth a Shoot out of the stock of Jesse [David's father], and a Branch out of his roots shall grow and bear fruit. [Isa 4:2; Matt 2:23; Rev 5:5; 22:16.] Isa 11:2-3 NKJV The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding ,The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears;

Mark 8:17 AMP And being aware [of it], Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness? [Isa 6:9,10; Jer 5:21.]

Luke 12:56-57 AMP You play actors (hypocrites)! You know how [intelligently] to discern and interpret and prove the looks of the earth and sky; but how is it that you do not know how to discern and interpret and apply the proof to this present time? 57 And why do you not judge what is just and personally decide what is right?

Rom 7:23-24 AMP But I discern in my bodily members [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh] a different law (rule of action) at war against the law of my mind (my reason) and making me a prisoner to the law of sin that dwells in my bodily organs [in the sensitive appetites and wills of the flesh]. 24 O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from [the shackles of] this body of death?

1 Cor 2:15-16 AMP But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him]. 16 For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. [Isa 40:13.]

A MAJOR key in discernment is knowing the Word of God. You must always be in the word ,if you want to discern. Much discernment comes to us through the words people speak as they give away strongholds in their thinking we can perceive through their words and actions, weighed against the Word of GOD.

1 Cor 12:10-11 AMP To another the working of miracles, to another prophetic insight ( the gift of interpreting the divine will and purpose); to another the ability to discern and distinguish between [the utterances of true] spirits [and false ones], to another various kinds of [unknown] tongues, to another the ability to interpret [such] tongues. 11 All these [ gifts, achievements, abilities] are inspired and brought to pass by one and the same [Holy] Spirit, Who apportions to each person individually [exactly] as He chooses.

1 Cor 14:29 AMP So let two or three prophets speak [those inspired to preach or teach], while the rest pay attention and weigh and discern what is said.

2 Cor 4:4 AMP For the god of this world has blinded the unbelievers' minds [that they should not discern the truth], preventing them from seeing the illuminating light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ (the Messiah), Who is the Image and Likeness of God.

1 Tim 2:4 AMP Who wishes all men to be saved and [increasingly] to perceive and recognize and discern and know precisely and correctly the [divine] Truth.

1 John 2:3-6 AMP And this is how we may discern [daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him]: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments). 4 Whoever says, I know Him [I perceive, recognize, understand, and am acquainted with Him] but fails to keep and obey His commandments (teachings) is a liar, and the Truth [of the Gospel] is not in him.

5 But he who keeps (treasures) His Word [who bears in mind His precepts, who observes His message in its entirety], truly in him has the love of and for God been perfected (completed, reached maturity). By this we may perceive (know, recognize, and be sure) that we are in Him: 6 Whoever says he abides in Him ought [as a personal debt] to walk and conduct himself in the same way in which He walked and conducted Himself.

OT:994 KJV - alas, O, oh. biyn (bene); a primitive root; to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand: KJV - attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill (-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand (-ing), view, (deal) wise (-ly, man).

OT:3044 KJV Yidlaph (yid-lawf'); from OT:1811; tearful; Jidlaph, a Mesopotamian: -Jidlaph.

yada` (yaw-dah'); a primitive root; to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.) [as follow]: KJV - acknowledge, acquaintance (-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, [un-] awares, can [-not], certainly, comprehend, consider, could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be [ig-] norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have [knowledge], (be, make, make to be, makeself) known, be learned, lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have [understanding], will be, wist, wit, wot.