SDS: Spiritual Discernment Survey

This is an anonymous survey regarding your opinions and ideas about spiritual discernment or “spiritual guidance”.  Please answer all questions honestly and to the best of your knowledge. 
Do NOT put your name on this survey.  All individual data will remain confidential. Group data will be compiled for research purposes only.
1. Spiritual discernment is the ability or power to distinguish good from evil.
   

2. God is a personal being who is vitally interested in every aspect of my life.
   

3. My spiritual discernment abilities are learned and can be increased by my experiences and by training.
   

4. God has communicated with me in ways other than spoken words.
   

5. At times I have been moved by the Holy Spirit to speak or to take action.
   

6. I have sometimes doubted that God really exists.
   

7. God has clearly answered some of my prayers by intervening in this world.
   

8. My spiritual discernment allows me to distinguish righteous people from wicked people.
   

9. God has spoken to me in an audible voice (outside my head) at times.
   

10. God never condemns—if I hear a condemning voice, it must NOT be God.
   

11. God sometimes reveals his will for me through my dreams as I sleep.
   

12. Spiritual discernment makes it possible for me to become aware of a reality beyond good and evil.
   

13. My feelings are one of the ways that I know God’s will for me.
   

14. Atheists have no spiritual discernment.
   

15. God has used me to warn others about impending disaster.
   

16. Crystals have healing powers.
   

17. God has communicated with me through my senses of smell, taste, or touch.
   

18. God has called me to a special vocation, ministry, or to serve others.
   

19. I have definitely experienced God’s presence at times.
   

20. Only I can know God’s will for my life—no one else can discern for me.
   

21. Psychic powers such as ESP, mental telepathy, and clairvoyance are real.
   

22. The fear of God is necessary for spiritual discernment.
   

23. I have experienced ghosts directly and personally.
   

24. The Holy Spirit has moved me to speak in tongues, dance, or lift my hands.
   

25. Everyone who does NOT accept Jesus as their personal Savior will go to hell.
   

26. It is necessary for me to be silent and listen in order for God to speak to me.
   

27. God sometimes puts thoughts in my mind to show me his will.
   

28. I sometimes pray for God to help others who are in need.
   

29. God loves me non-contingently because I have accepted Jesus.
   

30. Spiritual discernment is the same as “intuition.”
   

31. God would NEVER ask me to kill or harm another person.
   

32. I am able to discern unclean spirits and false teachings at times.
   

33. God has spoken to me in an “inner voice”.
   

34. It is a good idea to test the spirits to see whether they are from God.
   

35. God has communicated with me through music or art.
   

36. The best way to discern God’s will for me is to ask my minister or some else that I trust.
   

37. Reading the Bible is one of the ways I discern God’s will for my life.
   

38. I have difficulty distinguishing God’s will from my own personal desires.
   

39. I have a feeling of inner peace when God communicates with me.
   

40. I have experienced God’s healing hand directly in my life.
   

41. I can sense the presence of an evil or a demonic force.
   

42. God has communicated with me through nature.
   

43. God sometimes tells me when to speak and what to say.
   

44. Spiritual discernment is essentially the same as rational problem-solving.
   

45. Unbelievers can NOT experience spiritual discernment.
   

46. God’s will for me sometimes appears as my imagination.
   

47. I have asked the Holy Spirit to guide me and lead me.
   

48. God does NOT intervene in this world.
   

49. Sometimes people are able to “channel” people who are dead.
   

50. God is good but NOT evil.
   

51. Since spiritual discernment is a gift from God, there is nothing I can do to improve my abilities to discern.
   

52. God does communicate with me.
   

53. I have asked the Holy Spirit to guide me.
   

__________________________________________________________________________________________
 
My spiritual discernment abilities are:
  
 
God has communicated with me directly and personally:
   
 
God has communicated with me: (please click all that apply)
Small still voice (internal)
Music and singing
Nature
Recognition of evil
By answering my prayer
Through other persons I trust
Physical touch
Feelings and emotions
Dreams		 Audible voice (external)
Art
Bible
By influencing my decisions
By speaking in tongues
Recognition of the right choice to make
Tastes and smells
Ideas that come to mind
Imagination
 
Please list specific ways that God has communicated with you:

 
My ethnic group is:
   
 
If Other, what is your ethnic group?
   

My age is:
   
 
My home zip code is:
   
 
My gender is:
   
 
My education level is:
   
 
My occupation is:
   

If Other, what is occupation?
   
 
My religious affiliation is:
   
 
If Other, what is your religious affiliation?
   

I attend church (on average):
   
 
My political orientation is:
   
 
My belief in God is: