1/ I need counsel, feed back and wisdom from my friends.  The "God told me" line shuts down all feedback.  Who wants to argue with God?  Stay teachable, approachable and humble.  We (as a collective body of Christ, not as an individual) have the mind of Christ.

2/ I have been around long enough to know that many of my "God told me" moments have been wrong. 

3/ All is known by fruit.  Declaration means little. If God has spoken, He will also give grace to work, wait, sacrifice and keep your mouth shut until the fruit comes.  The proof is in the pudding, not the recipe.

4/ It seems that the more insecure one is about God speaking, the more they will use the mantra "God told me."  They are not proclaiming faith.   They are proclaiming their doubt, insecurity and fear.  They are not trying to convince you that God spoke.  They are trying to convince themselves.

5/ The "God told me" line often seems to be a responsibility avoidance mechanism as in "Don't blame me.  What else can I do.  God told  me." It is the super spiritual equivalent of "the devil made me do it".  The command is to love people, not bull doze them in the direction we think they should go.  We are always responsible for our thoughts, words and deeds.

6/ The "God told me" line is a, not very subtle, device to try to lift you up above those around you who do not hear God as clearly as you do.  You are not trying to be "spiritually superior"?  Good, then stop using this 

phrase.  Yes, just stop it.  

But do you not believe that God speaks?  

Yes.  However, not so much as some try to make us believe.  If I raise a son to work the family business, I do not need to stand over him all day giving him instructions.  He knows my heart, he knows the business and just gets on with it.  If you are sons and daughters of the God who reveals Himself in Jesus and have been raised in His household then just get on with the family business.  

Your brother 

Steve