How do Saints Tell the Will of God?

Protopriest Konstantin Rovinsky. "Old priest’s conversations with his spiritual children".

Protopriest Konstantin Rovinsky (1862 - 5.9.1942)

About Fr. Alexis Mechev

When everything happened as the Father had said, I asked him once during one of our conversations how he could know exactly the will of God when revealing it to me.

The Father wasn’t a little surprised at my question and answered me: ‘The very first thought that comes to one’s mind after the prayer, comes from God, and one has to follow it [1]. As I noticed that many times and got absolutely sure about this, in certain cases after an ardent prayer, I began to proclaim His will. This was my way with you, too…’

I also heard that from an archbishop, a great man of prayer. He said, when giving me an example, ‘Sometimes, after having prayed, I made my decision to punish a faulty clergyman, but later felt pity for him and didn’t discipline him strictly, which was not good for him, as the future revealed. One must stick to the first thought that comes after one’s prayer.’

[1] The first thought of a person who leads a holy life is meant. St. Alexis (Mechev) was one of such persons. Especially the first thought when the person is asked by another person, not when he thinks something by himself.– Eds.

Source

The Hermit could not Distinguish his Own Thoughts from those of the Enemy

St. Leo of Optina (1768 - 1841)

Elder Fr. Leonid answering questions from Alexey Polikarpovich Bochkov, later Antony, Hegumen of the Cheremenetsky monastery.

6. How do we know which thoughts are actually ours and which are from the devil?

I was told by a hermit of Konevets that while he practiced the noetic prayer for a long time, he could not distinguish his own thoughts from ones of the enemy. The enemy when drawing your thought to something, does not say to you, ‘Go, do this and that,’ but as if thinks for you, and tells you with your thought, ‘I want to do this and that; I believe that this is useful, and this is harmful; I have decided to do this and that.’ And all these things are often not yours, but the thoughts of the enemy, covered by your or his self. You think they are your thoughts. No, you are only listening to the enemy's suggestions [Those who heed their salvation should remember this carefully].

Source

The Ladder about Discernment

St. John of Sinai. "The Ladder of Divine Ascent". Step 26.

On discernment of thoughts, passions and virtues

1. Discernment in beginners is true knowledge of themselves; in intermediate souls it is a spiritual sense that faultlessly distinguishes what is truly good from what is of nature and opposed to it; and in the perfect it is the knowledge which they possess by divine illumination, and which can enlighten with its lamp what is dark in others. Or perhaps, generally speaking, discernment is, and is recognized as, the assured understanding of the divine will on all occasions, in every place and in all matters; and it is only found in those who are pure in heart, and in body and in mouth.

2. He who has piously destroyed within him the three passions [gluttony, cupidity, vainglory] has destroyed the five [lust, anger, despair, despondency, pride (St. Gregory of Sinai, ch. 91)] too; but he who has been negligent about the former will not conquer even one passion.

3. Discernment is undefiled conscience and purity of feeling.

4. Let no one on seeing or hearing something supernatural in the monastic way of life fall into unbelief out of ignorance; for where the supernatural God dwells, much that is supernatural happens.

5. Every satanic conflict in us comes from these three generic causes: either from negligence, or from pride, or from the envy of the demons. The first is pitiable, the second is disastrous, but the third is blessed.

6. After God, let us have our conscience as our aim and rule in all things, so that we may know which way the wind is blowing and set our sails accordingly. 

How to Acquire Discernment of Thoughts

Evagrius. "On thoughts".

26. How to Acquire the Knowledge of Discernment.

If any of the hermits wishes to receive from the Lord the knowledge of discernment (diakrisis), he should first work eagerly at the commandments that are at hand [in his power], not omitting anything. And so at the time of prayer he should request knowledge from God, who gives generously to all without reproaching; but let him ask without doubting (Jas 1:5), not thrown about by waves of doubt (cf. Mt. 8:24) , and it will be given him (Jas 1:5).

For it is not possible to receive knowledge of even more matters if one has been neglectful of those matters already known otherwise, having transgressed greatly one would be answerable for even more sins.

And it is a blessed thing to serve the knowledge of God, for it is truly dangerous not to do what [such knowledge] advises, and it is blessed to do all that it teaches.

The nous [wanders in] circles when it is impassioned (empathēs) and becomes difficult to restrain when it reflects [within itself] on matters that produce pleasures.

But it ceases to wander when, having attained apatheia, it meets the incorporeal [beings], who fulfill its spiritual desires (epithumias).

HOWEVER, it is impossible to receive knowledge without having made the first, second, and third renunciation[s].

The first renunciation is to voluntarily leave all worldly things for the knowledge of God; the second is the casting aside of evil which occurs through the grace of Christ our Savior and the zeal of the human person; the third renunciation is separation from ignorance concerning those things that are naturally manifested to people in accordance with their state.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-spiritual-delusion/698-how-to-acquire-discernment-of-thoughts

About Discernment of Thoughts

Saints Barsanuphius and John the Prophet. "Letters".

Letter 124
Question from a monk named Theodore to the Great Old Man: 'How can I know which thoughts are from God, which are natural and which are from the demons?" Response by Barsanuphius.

My child, Theodore, when you ask a question, you should understand what you are asking and prepare yourself for work. For it is written: "Do not be haughty, but give yourselves to humble tasks."(Rom 12.16) Your questions, brother, belong to someone with high measures. Therefore, unless the inner eye is purified by means of much sweat, you cannot be detached from thorns and prickles in order to seize the grape that strengthens and gladdens the heart. If one does not reach this measure, then one is unable to discern whether one is ridiculed and deceived by the demons in trusting them. For they transform matters as they desire, especially for those who are not familiar with their tricks. Therefore, beloved one, hope in the Lord, "and he shall give you the desires of your heart."(Ps 36.4) Cut off your own will, and in all things say to the Lord: "Not as I want, but as you want,"(Mt 26.39) and then he shall treat you in accordance with his mercy.

Child, listen to the way of discerning the three thoughts, about which you have inquired. When your thought suggests that you are doing something according to the will of God, and you find joy in the matter but also find affliction resisting you, learn that this is from God and struggle to endure, according to the words of Paul: "I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified";(1 Cor 9.27) so just fulfill the will of God.