One day a friend came to visit me. He was always really on fire for God. I enjoyed spending time with him because he always had new things to share with me that our heavenly Father had shown him.

We were sitting in the living room getting caught up, when he turned to me and said, “Did you know you can visit heaven before you die?” I looked at him quizzically. No one had ever said that to me before.

I was taught (and you probably were too) that we only see heaven after we die. In fact, that seems to be the emphasis of most preaching – accept Jesus so you can go to heaven when you die. So I always assumed that heaven was not for now.

Guess what? My friend was right!! He taught me what he learned about it. We visited a friend later that evening and told her too and all three of us visited heaven that night – together! It was a blast!

WHAT?! I can just hear some of you right now thinking, “Has this woman lost her mind? WHAT is she talking about?”

So let’s start with what the Scriptures say about it.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:1-2

How do you “seek those things which are above, where Christ is”? What if this is not figurative, but something you can literally do?

Paul said we are already there! How can that be?

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7

What does it mean to “sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus”? Ponder that with the Lord.

John was invited to make this a reality – he saw a door open in heaven.

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.” Revelation 4:1

Yes, John was given a special revelation for the church. But why not ask Jesus, “Can I go too?” 😁

Lastly, think about what Jesus said. This is one of my favorite passages in the book of John. I thought it was for “some day”, but what if it’s for now?

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” John 14:2-6

When did Jesus come to you and receive you to Himself? Well, for me it was when I opened my heart to Him and asked Him to guide me and be my Lord and Savior. He came to me and received me. So then He says why He went to prepare a place – that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know. I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

Jesus Christ is the only way this visit to heaven can work – never forget that. He’s the one who invites us to sit with Him in heavenly places, that where He is, we can be also. Isn’t that cool? 🙂

I know it’s kind of a mind blowing idea, but stay with me.

Take a moment and say in your heart, “Lord, show me if this is true.” Then wait and see what He says.

The easiest way to do this is simply spend some time with Jesus. Ask Him to open the eyes of your heart. And while you are with Him, say, “Jesus, will you please take me to heaven?” Then see what happens.

The first time I went with my friends to heaven, we were talking to Jesus and we asked Him to take us. We were sitting in my friend’s living room when we said this. But suddenly we all had the experience of moving up and we all saw ourselves in a convertible car going up to heaven. It was so fun! I said to my friend, “Hey, did you bring the popcorn?” She laughed because we just had been talking about eating popcorn on road trips.

Then we were brought into a courthouse building. We were standing in the lobby outside a courtroom. We saw a bunch of children being escorted into the courtroom and we each immediately knew that justice was being given to these children that had experienced abuse. It was solemn but there was also a sense of joy that justice was being served for them. They were no longer victims without a voice.

After that I became aware that we were in the living room again. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at my friends. We smiled and tried to process what we had just experienced together. It was amazing!

I don’t think I left earth – my body was still here because I hadn’t died yet. But my spirit was definitely somewhere else – up in heaven. Just like John in the book of Revelation. He was in two places at once. Remember Revelation 10:4? Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them.” So John was in heaven seeing and hearing all these things and he was also writing them down on earth. What he wrote down is what we call the book of Revelation in the Bible.

Other people have experienced this too – many of the prophets were shown things and they wrote them.

So why not us?

Many people see things when they pray for others – like a picture from the Holy Spirit showing them something about the person. I was taught to “pray into the picture” and more would be revealed. So as I concentrated on what Holy Spirit was showing me, in an attitude of prayer, He would expand what He was showing me in the picture. Often I received more revelation by getting more details about the picture. For instance, if I was praying for someone and I saw a picture of a man, I would look more closely and ask Holy Spirit for more information.

Holy Spirit might show me who the man was or why this man was significant to this person. It would go from a generic man to a more specific man – perhaps it was the person’s grandfather. Then I could continue to pray and perhaps the Holy Spirit would show me WHY I was seeing a picture of the grandfather.

Does that make sense?

So taking a trip to heaven is kind of similar. It’s a revelatory experience of the heavenly realm because Jesus wants to show you something.

You might visit a garden. Or ask Jesus to show you your mansion in heaven. You might visit a courtroom to get justice for your situation (see my post here).

So go ahead – ask Jesus to take you to heaven and see what He shows YOU!

Enjoy your trip! 🙂