Watch this excerpt of the broadcast of Life in the Faith Lane on August 16, 2023, where Annamarie Strawhand addressed the following question from a viewer and read the notes that follow.

Question: What is the difference between discernment and judgment?

TEACHING NOTES

Judgment is when you judge something and bring a verdict on it.

Discernment is when you bring understanding. 

They are two different things but have sometimes been used as the same. 

Discernment is when you have complete and total understanding and clarity of something. 

You go to the Lord for discernment to have complete understanding, clarity, and revelation.

If you have to judge something, a verdict must come and be carried out, so there’s a big difference between the two!

If you’re going to bring judgment on something, you better make sure you have discernment first. 

If you’re looking at someone and saying they ARE something, then you’re judging them. You’ve come to a verdict about them, and you carry our that verdict by saying, “You better ___.”

Discernment is when you say, “Hmm, I’m discerning and getting clarity on what’s going on with that person, and I’m going to pray for them so they don’t suffer judgment from the Lord.”

We are supposed to judge righteously, and that’s why we MUST have good discernment. 

We have to be careful not to falsely accuse people because when you accuse them it means you’re bringing judgment, and God hates false accusations. 

There are sins that God hates — gossip, slanderous mouth, and false accusations — because they are judgments.

Satan means accuser in Hebrew!

You must have good discernment and seek the Lord first, according to Jeremiah 33:3.

Discernment and judgment must go together!

As Christians, if we are going to judge, we are to judge righteously.

So before judging, we ask for discernment on the matter (Jeremiah 33:3) and wait for the Lord to give us clarity and confirmation that something is evil. Then we can judge righteously on the situation and bring our verdict on the situation, but we must do this with the partnership of THE RIGHTEOUS ONE — JESUS CHRIST.

Steps For Righteous Judgment

1. Pray for discernment, understanding, and clarity
2. Get confirmation from the Lord of exactly what’s going on
3. Then you can judge righteously and come to a verdict on something, and then you can say, “Look, this is what’s going on. I want to judge righteously. I don’t want to falsely accuse them. I’m going to pray that they don’t suffer God’s judgment and that they come to their knees in repentance, a free gift for everyone.”
4. Make sure all of your sins are repented for and covered in the blood of Jesus Christ, lest you be judged
5. You can also go into the Courts of Heaven and ask for a judgment from God through the blood of Jesus. 

When you ask for a judgment from God in the Courts of Heaven, it will be carried out on your behalf by the authority of Jesus Christ, the anointing of the Holy Spirit, and by the angels of the Lord. God gives you a verdict, and He always judges in your favor if you repent and ask for the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus will always give you a judgment verdict from God in your favor!

When you stand in the gap and repent for somebody, ask Father God to move them from the Courtroom of Judgment to the Throne of Grace and Mercy and for the blood of Jesus Christ to speak for them until He brings them to repentance. 

When you do this, you’re asking for a reprieve for that person. You’re interceding for them because you’re a king and a priest. Priests make intercession for others before God through King Jesus. Kings make commands and carry out decrees. 

If you discern that there are bad influences around your family members or others, you can also pray the Ax of God’s Judgment Prayer to remove them. This is a safe way to pray because you aren’t judging. You are discerning that there are influences that do not bear the good fruits of the Holy Spirit, and you are asking God to remove them. You won’t be judged for judging others. God does the judgment! 

Discernment is the most important thing you can have!

Study author Jeanette Strauss for more information about judgment, discernment, and how the Courts of Heaven work — how Heaven works as a legal system with Jeanette’s book, From The Courtroom of Heaven to The Throne of Grace and Mercy, available at. www.gloriouscreations.net.