Genesis 15:1-12, 17-16 / Matthew 7:15-20
One of the necessary things to do in the spiritual life is the practice of discernment.
In trying to understand the will and the plans of God, it is certainly necessary to pray.
And in prayer, it is would also be necessary to discern what the Lord is showing us, otherwise our thoughts might be confused with what the Lord wants to show us.
In the 1st reading, Abram was childless and since that meant that there were no descendants, then he thought that some man in his household will be his heir.
But he had to discern further and he had to have faith and trust in the ways of the Lord and the plans He had for him.
In the gospel, Jesus warned against false prophets and He also gave an indication of how to discern.
Jesus said that by the fruits we will be able to tell.
We too need to discern the fruits of our lives. By our words and actions we will know whether we are doing the will of God and what He wants of us.
We certainly need to pray and then discern what God is showing us.