God is not a man that He should lie. What He says in His Word, He cannot contradict. If He contradicts Himself, He is not God. If God promises in the Bible, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee" then He will not. If we cannot trust His written Word, how will we ever learn to trust word of knowledge, word of wisdom, and discerning of spirits when they come.

  The Word of God is the only standard for godly living. Its presence in our hearts functions like a lie-detector against the devil. Filtering what comes to our minds through His wonderful matchless Word will keep us from being deceived.

  We learn to recognize God’s voice because it flows with His written Word?not just the letter of it, but the “spirit” of it, also. Will it ever be condemning or disparaging? I don’t think so. God can help us figure out what scriptures apply to what situations. Many times revelation will come in the form of scripture. Remember:

  It is during our time spent with God in His Word when we begin to learn how God speaks to our hearts. God’s Word expressly declares God’s will and lights our path so we can walk with Him. There is no substitute for being diligent to present ourselves approved unto God as workmen who need not to be ashamed as we rightly divide the Word of truth. When we know what the Word says, we know what God wants us to do. When we know the Word we will be less likely to be surprised at His direction via the revelation manifestations.

  Do you remember the old TVs with the fine tuning adjustment that surrounded the knob that changed the channels? God’s Word gets us on the right channel, and the manifestations provide the “fine tuning” we need to tune “the signal” of God’s will into focused, concrete reality in specific situations.

  For example, God’s Word declares God’s will that we prosper and be in health. We confess that promise from the Word of God expecting to manifest health and prosperity. However, when sickness occurs or financial decisions need to be made, sometimes we need further information—specific details, to bring God’s will to pass. Sometimes the laying on of hands with the revelation and impartation manifestations provides specific direction and deliverance so we receive the wholeness God promised in His Word. Sometimes we need more information about making a purchase or an investment. We do the best we can to get as much information as we can so we can make an intelligent, informed decision, but God can provide further information that is impossible for us to know by our five senses. Then we can make the right decision and prosper as He directs.

  There is no way to get around the importance of spending time with God in His Word. If we do not know His Word, we will never know His will and being Led By God’s Power will only happen in our dreams.