Category Archives: Pleasant
The Manifest Presence of God Cannot Be Faked
This morning I was so encouraged to read a dream that Rick Joyner had a couple of weeks ago. It is the same thing the Lord has been stirring in my heart.
Here are some excerpts of his dream:
What I saw in the dream of December 5, 2025, eclipsed everything I have experienced or seen in any previous dreams or visions. In this dream, I had been asked to speak in a small Sunday school class about revival. This was at a modest church, and at a class that was usually attended by about a dozen people.
I had learned to measure the spiritual hunger in a crowd rather than its size to judge its importance. So, in this dream, when I entered the class, I was expecting to find about a dozen spiritually hungry people. I was not disappointed by their hunger, as this class was electric with their hunger for God. But it was far more than the dozen people I had expected.
They had packed in every person they could possibly fit into this small classroom. There was not a seat left, nor any place to stand in the room. I could hear more gathering outside, and the people in the back started opening the windows so those outside could hear.
I don’t think I had finished the first sentence when the presence of the Lord entered the room so powerfully we did not need to see Him with our physical eyes to know He was there. Those who could find room on the floor poured out of their seats onto it. The rest who were in their seats or standing were bowing over to get as low as they could. I wanted to do the same and could not imagine talking in His presence like that.
Rick describes a second scene in the dream where even more people came together and again, God’s manifest presence poured in and people were overcome. Leaders assembled to discuss how to host more meetings like it.
He closes by saying, The dream ended with people expecting revival to break out at any time in any place, but I knew it was soon going to be happening all of the time in every place. I have experienced the manifest presence of the Lord many times, personally and in meetings, and even a couple of times when the glory of the Lord appeared. What I experienced in this dream was stronger than any of these, by far. This manifest presence of the Lord is going to be the hallmark of what is coming. This is something that cannot be duplicated. Once you experience His presence, I don’t think we will be fooled by any substitute.
& & & & & & & & & & & & & &
I recently spoke to a local leader who was describing a program he was praying about putting together to help people go deeper in their relationship with God. Immediately I sensed from the Holy Spirit that what was needed was not more teaching or classes, but encounters with God’s manifest presence – like what Rick described happening in his dream. I have felt this stirring for some time and I have wondered what it will look like. Rick’s dream describes what I imagine. People gathering for what they expect will be another teaching or class and instead of hearing a great speaker, they will be overwhelmed by the manifest presence of God.
If you have never been in a meeting where this has occurred, you may not realize what a HUGE impact it has on you. When God’s presence is SO strong in a meeting, no one wants to move or speak. The air feels charged. Every movement feels significant – you don’t want to be foolish or act on your own will. All you want is for God to do whatever it is He wants. There is a deep holy hush or sometimes an explosion of worship – depending on what God is doing. Often people immediately fall to their knees or get on their face and begin to repent. It impacts you deeply and you are never the same.
The Lord recently showed me a vision of what His Tsunami of Love will look like. I was surprised and delighted. For years, He has been showing many people this Tsunami of God’s Love that is coming. But I had no idea what it would look like.
What He showed me was this HUGE wave of people full of the love of God with joy and peace in their hearts loving everyone everywhere they went. It wasn’t just an outpouring of His Spirit in a meeting, it was people consumed with His love and letting it flow out to all those around them. It was amazing to see! Here’s a picture to give you an idea of the image I saw:
Can you imagine what an effect that would have on the world?! It would bring Heaven to Earth – just like Jesus’s prayer: Your Kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:9-13)
One of the things Rick mentioned was people trying to fake this experience of God’s presence. God’s presence will be so popular and will attract such large crowds that there may be those who try to duplicate or “fake” the experience in order to gain attention. But the Manifest Presence of God cannot be faked.
I have been in charismatic church meetings where the leader has said, “Oh, I feel God’s presence. It is really here. Pay attention – God is here!” But I did not sense anything – instead, it felt like emotional manipulation. I am VERY sensitive to God’s manifest presence – I have been in many meetings where it was tangibly felt. You can’t fake it. And people are tired of being duped by leaders who are trying to stir something up that God is not doing. This generation craves authenticity.
If you’d like to read the full post where Rick Joyner shared his dream, it is here. He talks about his previous Vision of the Harvest and how that is being fulfilled. These are exciting days to be alive!
Have YOU ever experienced God’s manifest presence? The kind of experience that is undeniable and very tangible. Please describe it for us – I love to hear stories about God’s presence!
Your kingdom come! Your will be done! We are looking forward to having YOU overwhelm us with Your goodness in the coming days – yes, Lord!! 🔥❤️😊
Spirit of the Antichrist
Recently the Lord has been bringing to my attention the Spirit of the Antichrist. I was not very familiar with this spirit so I did a study of the Scriptures that mention it.
Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us. But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things. I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. I John 2:18-22 NKJV
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. I John 4:1-6 NKJV
For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 2 John 1:7 NKJV
A few key points about the Spirit of the Antichrist stand out to me from these Scriptures:
- It denies that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh
- It denies the Father and the Son
- It is a deceiver
As I pondered these Scriptures with the Lord, this is what came to my heart that I wanted to share with you.
Any spirit or influence on your mind that tries to deny that Jesus Christ is IN you, that’s the spirit of the Antichrist. Anything you hear or read that denies that you have a good heavenly Father, that’s the spirit of the Antichrist. Anything that keeps you from enjoying fellowship with Jesus Christ as a real person, that’s the spirit of the Antichrist.
Jesus Christ came in the flesh and He is currently on the earth – in YOUR flesh and blood. He’s IN YOU. Anything that denies that Jesus is IN you, currently residing in your heart, in oneness with you – that’s the spirit of the Antichrist. You can reject that spirit – it’s the opposite of Christ.
When you feel like an orphan or a victim of circumstances, that’s the spirit of the Antichrist, encouraging you to deny the Father and deny that you are His son or daughter. It is deceiving you to believe you are not loved and taken care of by a good, loving Father. You can reject that.
And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. 2 Thessalonians 2:8-12 NKJV
The Antichrist is often referred to as the lawless one. It is interesting that the Lord will destroy it with the breath of His mouth and the brightness of His coming.
You are the light of the world – you destroy the power of this spirit by BEING that light, by showing who Jesus is in you.
The Holy Spirit is the breath of His mouth. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” John 20:22 NKJV
You have the Holy Spirit. As you walk in the Spirit and speak the truth, you have the power to destroy the spirit of the Antichrist. Isn’t that powerful?
It’s Christ IN YOU, the hope of Glory! (Colossians 1:27)
We know that this spirit is already at work in the world and unfortunately it is also in religious circles. John mentions that in the first Scripture above – They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.
Be careful when someone talks about Jesus or mentions Him in a general way, but He is not real to them. They don’t actually talk TO Him, just about Him. If He is not present in the conversation, begin to ask yourself why. Many people get deceived by what they think are Christian teachers but in reality, they don’t acknowledge Jesus as being real, in the flesh, today.
Here’s the truth you can proclaim and walk in today:
Jesus Christ is IN me and I am God’s beloved child.
The light you shine as you walk in that truth will destroy the power of the enemy every where you go.
Go be dangerous! 😁
Points to Ponder:
Where have you seen Jesus talked about, but not acknowledged as actually being HERE right now?
Could the second coming of Christ have already started by Christ abiding in us, destroying this spirit of the Antichrist by the brightness of His light in us and the breath of His Spirit being released through our mouths?
What is the Lord showing you about the spirit of the Antichrist?
Did you realize you were so powerful?
Please share your thoughts in the comments – that’s how we learn from each other. God bless you today! Thank you for reading this post. ❤️
What Is A Seer?
This came to my attention recently – what exactly IS a Seer? The Bible refers to Seers, but doesn’t define or describe them. Often people use this term interchangeably with the word prophet, but there seems to be a difference. What do you think?
Here is an article from Bob Jones, a famous Seer who is now with Jesus. I like what he says about Seers.
What is a Seer?
by Bob Jones
What is a seer? A seer is everything. Prophets are the eyes, but seers are the entire head: eyes, ears, nose, mouth and feelings. That is what Isaiah 29:10 says: He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers.
As a seer, you can move in all five realms, and because of that, you are more discerning. The enemy is never able to fully shut you down. The prophet can be momentarily blinded, but if the enemy blinds you, you will still be able to hear, smell, taste and feel. If the enemy comes against your feelings, you’ll still be able to see, hear, smell and taste. A seer prophecies by all five senses, and so the seers move in stronger discernment.
God communicates with you through your senses. It takes longer to become a mature seer than to become a mature prophet, because all five senses are involved. You have to learn how to discern your feelings, because there will be times when feelings come to you in ministry and they’re not your feelings. And if you take them personally, you won’t be active.
The one thing the Church has been taught against is feelings. But that’s where you, as a seer, are the most accurate. You can take on how other people are feeling and know exactly how to minister to them. You can move right into their “living room” (their minds) and see what the problem is. You can feel what the person is feeling: depression, self-rejection, joy, anger, happiness. You can feel where they’re coming from and know exactly what to go for as you pray for them. So the seer is really strong in deliverance ministry.
The prophet can speak the future, but the seer can see what the people need to let go of in the past, tell them what the Lord is saying to them today, and declare what the Lord is offering them tomorrow. You can go right into their minds and see where the pain is coming from and what is still affecting and controlling their lives. Seers can help people forgive – usually themselves, help clean their minds out, and invite the Lord there.
A seer can feel the strongholds of a town. If you enter a town and feel lust, lust owns that town. If you feel depression, it’s a depressed place. As you come in there, you’ll take on the feelings of that town, country, or person, whether they are good or bad. You’ll know where there is self-rejection, because of what you feel. If you’re ministering to somebody who has self-rejection, you’ll feel it coming at yourself, and you must never take any of these things personally. So you need to have all these senses sanctified and be able to tell, This is not me. I am not in self-rejection. I love myself.
Seers are kicked out of a lot of churches, because you are the least understood of all the gifts. You are one who feels like you don’t fit any place except with other seers. Because of your revelation and dreams and the way God communicates with you, people think you’re loony. But when churches reject you, they’re bidding good-bye to their own mercy. As a seer, you are there for mercy. You are there to help bring healing to the people and show them what God is doing.
It’s time for the seer to come forth. The Church needs you.
Book Review: Seeing Jesus
I am really enjoying this new book series that I’m reading called Seeing Jesus by Jeffrey McClain Jones. I mentioned it in my previous post on another one of his books that I reviewed recently (The Girl Who Sees Angels).
This book series is very intriguing. I’ve only read the first two books, but they both have a similar theme. In each one the main character has an encounter with Jesus where He appears to them physically. They can see and hear Him as He is standing in their living room. At first they’re shocked and they wonder if they are hallucinating or losing their mind. But through a series of interactions and experiences, Jesus convinces them that He really is there in person. And He begins to simply keep them company in every day life. But of course, there’s a catch – no one else can see or hear Him physically like they can, which makes for some humorous situations!
Reading the books has heightened my awareness that Jesus is always with me. I often stop while I’m reading a chapter and try to imagine where He is right then in the room where I am. It has also increased my perception of His presence throughout my day. THAT is priceless!
I appreciate the way the author weaves insight about Jesus and His interaction with us in our daily lives. Each of the characters has challenges that they face and Jesus offers them His input, if they’re open. I’m learning a lot from these interactions that Jesus is having with the main characters.
He also teaches them life lessons that are at first quite startling to them. He addresses objections that probably many of us have also had. It really makes me think and I appreciate that about these books!
For instance, in one scene, the main character is walking to the bus and he passes a homeless person. He sees Jesus stop and look at the man with such love. The main character puts a little bit of money in the man’s outstretched cup and he smiles at him. The man looks weary and has bloodshot eyes. Jesus just lovingly gets as close to the homeless man as He can in that brief encounter. Then the bus comes and they leave. Jesus explained that by giving the man a few dollars, it acknowledged his worth as a human being. And by interacting with him, he gave Jesus a chance to demonstrate His love to the man with His presence and His attention.
In the books Jesus often explains that He interacts with others through us – our actions and words, even the expression on our face or the look in our eyes.
After I read this in the book, I came across a lady holding a sign outside a store. It said she had bone cancer and had lost her house. Thinking of that scene and imagining Jesus wanting to interact with her with love, I reached into my purse and pulled out a few dollars. I walked up to her, handed her the money and had a brief interaction with her asking about her day. She said she was so tired. I also introduced myself and asked what her name was. I was amazed that Sarah had this beautiful glow in her light blue eyes. After I finished shopping I saw her again as I left the store and I smiled and waved. She waved back.
About a week and a half later, I was coming home from a restaurant with my husband. We were at a stoplight and there was Sarah walking toward the line of cars with her sign. My husband rolled down his window. I called her by name. We gave her a bit more money. She told my husband she remembered me – that I was kind to her. That was Jesus! 😊
So I encourage you to check out this book series called Seeing Jesus by Jeffrey McClain Jones. It might change the way you see the people around you. In each of the books, Jesus encourages the main character to get out of their comfort zone and learn how to reach out to those around them with His love, His power and His words of encouragement. I love that! I want more of that in my daily life, don’t you?
By the way, if you are a Kindle Unlimited user, you can read all of his books for free! I think they’re also free (or 99 cents) if you have an Audible account. I love to read books on my Kindle, but I’ve never had a Kindle Unlimited account. I signed up just so that I could read all these awesome books – there’s 10 books in this series. If you want to sign up, here’s the link for Kindle Unlimited and Audible. I got the first 3 months free. 😊 If you use these links, I receive a small token of appreciation from Amazon for posting them on my blog.
Thank you for reading. Your comments and support are really appreciated by me.
Have a great day!
Timing Is Key in God’s Kingdom
You’ll know what you need to do WHEN you need to do it.
The Lord has emphasized this statement to me over the last few days. It’s a nice reminder. It takes some of the pressure off of me to anticipate things ahead of time.
The Lord taught me that truth many years ago when I took a professional sabbatical. There were so many unknowns – I had left my stable corporate career and was launching out into the great unknown of untapped possibilities lying before me. I was afraid I wouldn’t know how to make good decisions because I didn’t know what to anticipate. Making wise choices is often based on anticipating what will be needed and planning ahead. I had no idea what to expect. I just knew He was asking me to step away from my comfort zone and trust Him with the next step.
He encouraged me to make decisions based on all the information I had at the time. If I later encountered new information, I was not responsible for how I should have acted if I had known this information because I did not have it at the time the decision was made.
It seems pretty simple or obvious now but at the time I was putting a lot of pressure on myself and this simple principle brought great relief. I could let go of all the “what ifs” and simple wait for His timing. When a decision needed to be made, I did my best based on my current awareness of what was needed. I have never regretted this and it taught me not to look back and wonder if I should have done things differently.
It takes a lot of trust in God to let go of control – that’s basically what is at stake here. When we plan our future, we think we are in control of the variables: I will study at this school, I will get this kind of job and I will live in this house in this city, etc. Or whatever plan we think we have.
But following Jesus does not involve this kind of certainty. He asks us to trust Him and follow HIM. Not our ideas or our plans, even if they are good ones.
When I left my secure, corporate job that paid well, I was also choosing to trust God financially. He said to me,
You will have all that you need WHEN you need it.
And I have! I have never lacked for anything I needed.
Timing is KEY in God’s kingdom and often He doesn’t share things with us too far ahead of time. I think it’s like when children are small. If you tell them, “We are going to the park later”, they get so excited that they drive the adults crazy asking over and over, “Is it time to go now?” He knows how we are – we tend to run ahead and try to plan things out. That gives us a sense of control.
Instead He waits to share what we need to know WHEN we need to know it. And often the timing of the information (or provision) is important as well. If you had known ahead of time, you might have made different decisions and it would have impacted the ultimate outcome. By not knowing, and by trusting God instead, you were right where you were supposed to be. Just like a child, trusting a good parent to take care of everything they need.
It takes a deeper level of surrender to simply live life not knowing what is next. To trust God to prompt you to do things when they need to be done. To trust God to provide what you need at the right time.
But I can tell you that He is faithful. I’ve always had all that I needed and I haven’t made bad decisions by trusting Him. Things have worked out beautifully, often miraculously.
What about you? Are you ready to let go of control and let Him lead you into the unknown? Can God be trusted? Can you rely on His certainty instead of your own plans? Share your thoughts or experiences below – that’s how we learn from each other. 😊
Thanks for reading. God bless you today! 💗
P.S. Sometimes God does tell us something ahead of time and we tend to drive ourselves crazy wondering about it, trying to prepare for it, etc. Then we get discouraged when we don’t see it happening the way we think it should or WHEN we think it should. I’ve found it’s actually easier NOT knowing! Ha! 😂 What do you think?
Book Review: The Girl Who Sees Angels
I just found this new series of books that I have fallen in love with! If you’re a seer or you want to be a seer, these books will really encourage you. It’s a fictionalized story of a girl who has the gift of seeing, but doesn’t understand what she sees. The Girl Who Sees Angels by Jeffrey McClain Jones is the first book in the Sophie Ramos series.
Her mother takes her to doctors, psychiatrists and even a priest, trying to figure out how she can see things that nobody else can see. They think she’s very troubled, but instead she’s very gifted.
During the course of the first book, she meets some Pentecostal Christians that help to validate her gift. That’s really cool! If you’ve ever questioned your sanity because of the things that you see or hear or feel – this book will definitely encourage you! 😊
One of the things I really appreciated about these books was that the author writes from a place of authenticity. Some supernatural fiction that I’ve read (actually most) make gifts of the Spirit so unbelievable and they exaggerate things to such a degree that it detracts from the story. This author doesn’t do that.
Many of the things he writes about, I’ve experienced. The reaction of charismatic Christians to her gifts, I have seen. They encouraged her. They nurtured her. They taught her and helped her to understand what she was seeing. During the first book, she has an experience that shows her how she can help people with her gift. That amazes her and inspires her to learn how to use the gift with greater clarity in order to help others. She’s excited to unpack it and learn more – we get to follow her on that journey.
I’ve only read the first 2 books so far, but I was enjoying them so much that I didn’t want to wait until I finished them all to share them with you. There’s 4 books in the series. I encourage you to check them out. They are a lot of fun. I would call them “deliverance fiction”, a category I’ve never heard of but I wish existed. 😁 We get to see how her ability to see the unseen realm impacts her job, her relationships and every day life. If you are a seer, you will definitely relate!
This author has a lot of books and many of them have piqued my interest. You can check them out here. I’m especially curious about his series, Seeing Jesus. I’m hoping to read some of those next! (Update: I did a review of Seeing Jesus here.)
I love reading supernatural fiction that draws my heart closer to experiencing God in the here and now. Have you read any books that are like that? Please share the titles with us in the comments.
I love finding new authors and books that draw me closer to Jesus, don’t you? 🙂
Thanks for reading. I really appreciate it. God bless you richly today. 💗
Low & Slow = Divine Flow
There’s another dimension – much slower than our earthly dimension (which is fast and busy). We have to slow down and pay attention. Be still and silent and you’ll notice it.
This other dimension is in control of our earthly dimension. There’s peace and joy there. There’s resources there for whatever is needed. There’s help and support there.
- Slow Down
- Let go of control
- Pay attention to the other dimension – shift your focus, slow down your breathing and even your thinking
- It takes practice
- Stay in the present
There’s grace (divine enablement) in the moment. Not before or after.
Our time is being stolen by thinking about the future or the past – it’s a distraction from this present moment.
When you have nothing left, you are forced to receive from this other dimension and help comes. As long as you are trying to “save” yourself, you tell the other dimension, “I don’t need your help.” So you struggle and things are hard.
So remain consciously dependent, radically dependent, and “helpless” or powerless in the earthly dimension and you will have divine help constantly. It’s an internal shift inside of you. Oneness with Him. Resting and receiving His goodness, whatever that looks like in the moment.
My grace is sufficient for you. My strength is made perfect in weakness. My power is demonstrated in your powerlessness. Therefore I will boast about my powerlessness that the power of Christ may rest upon me! 2 Corinthians 12:9, paraphrase
Are you willing to let go of your power in order to have His power? It’s not easy – it requires vulnerability.
He told me, “It’s not Me helping you, as though We are separate. It’s Us doing it together, through your surrender.”
HE is not worried. We are the ones who are worried.
Detach from the ego that wants control and likes to worry, especially after midnight when you are trying to sleep. 😴
It’s not comfortable for ego to detach and live from a place of letting go. It doesn’t know what to do with itself. What role does it play?
The ego’s purpose is to be subject. To learn submission, moment by moment.
The ego is transformed through conscious awareness of Oneness with the Lord. It is the channel through which the other dimension comes into this dimension. This is very powerful and beautiful. This is God’s order – the way He created it. Ego is merely a channel for the other dimension, if it submits willingly.
Are you willing?
This is a revelation I received while a friend and I were talking recently. Does it resonate with you? 😊
It is very hard to slow down and pay attention to this other dimension – the kingdom realm of God’s rule and reign. To see what He’s doing, to hear what He’s saying. Yet it is SO worth it! And when we let go, surrender and just rest in Him, everything flows so much more smoothly. That’s what we were created to do – to live in union with Him all day every day.
What are your thought about this? Do you have any specific practices that help you to stay in tune with this other dimension? Please share your comments, questions or ideas below. That’s how we learn from each other – we each share our piece of the peace! God bless you today and thanks for reading! 😊💗
Door of Heaven Opened 🌈
A few nights ago as I was getting ready to go to bed something unusual happened during my bedtime prayers.
I normally pray before I go to sleep, “I close every open door to the enemy’s realm and I seal them shut with the blood of Jesus. I command every spirit not sent here by Jesus Christ to leave now.”
At the end of that prayer, I suddenly felt impressed to say, “And I open the door of heaven over us.” I had never done that before. It had never even occurred to me to do that before.
Immediately I could sense all kinds of goodness ready to be poured out on us. How fun! 😊
I could sense a bright colorful opening above me – kind of like when you open the attic door in your house. There’s a sense of space above you and unidentifiable objects piled up in there. Most attics are dark but this was full of light.
I was reminded of something a close friend said to me one night when we were praying at my house. She saw over herself a portal to heaven and the Lord showed her that wherever she went, she had this portal. She laughed and said, “It’s like a porta-portal!”
The next day I woke up with sore throat. I was miserable all day and when I went to bed that night, I desperately needed to rest. I thought of the open door and I sensed that I could receive from it so I thought of what I needed on a practical level. I asked for my sinuses to clear so I could breathe freely and I asked to be able to fall asleep peacefully. And I did! When I’m sick that rarely happens – I usually really struggle to sleep when my body hurts. And yes, I prayed for healing but didn’t sense that was being released yet.
What the Lord showed me was that this portal required a different kind of attitude of heart – one of resting and receiving instead of standing and declaring. This is preparing us to receive God’s goodness in ways we cannot imagine. In the past we learned how to reach into heaven and pull down what was needed by standing on His word and declaring His promises. It was a type of spiritual warfare and required a lot of courage and determination.
It reminded me of when the Israelites came out of the wilderness into the promised land. They had spent years fighting and conquering in battle. But when they finally entered the promised land, everything was already done for them – vineyards were ripe with grapes, houses were already built and furnished, fields were ready for harvest (Deuteronomy 6:10-12). It required a mindset shift to simply relax and receive.
Over the next week whenever I prayed before bed I could sense that open door. I tried to look into it to see if I could perceive anything specific but it was more of a general impression of goodness. It felt as though it was bursting with resources and assistance, ready to come down from heaven to earth for me. I could see or sense smiles too.
Imagine a well lit child’s playroom with smiling stuffed animals, toys, games, etc. in bright, happy colors.
Or like a beautiful bookstore full of curious objects, big comfy chairs and a delectable cafe full of smiling servers ready to help you.
Some scriptures came to mind regarding this open door of heaven.
Therefore since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12:28-29
I’m receiving God’s unshakable kingdom!
I will open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. Malachi 3:10
I saw light, fluffy pink blessings falling out of the open door onto me the night I asked for specific help with my cold symptoms. It reminded me of the tsunami dream I had awhile back – it looked like bad things were going to happen but instead blessings were released.
Have you ever opened a door of heaven over yourself and your family? If so, please share what happened. If not, why not do that now? (if you feel the Lord’s leading) We are in transition to a new season of God’s favor and blessing being poured out without measure. I can’t wait to see what happens next!
Discerning of Spirits, Gift of Discernment
I came across your blog while seeking answers concerning the gift of discernment. I would like to get help in understanding the gift because there’s a lot I am going through and sometimes it becomes so overwhelming.
Overwhelming? Oh, yes! I can relate. Having the gift of discernment can definitely feel overwhelming at times.
The gift of discernment (aka discerning of spirits) is a very challenging gift to have. Many people have no idea what to do with it and they often feel alone. What they experience seems so weird or odd that they are afraid to tell anyone. If they do mention it to someone close to them, often that person has no idea what they are talking about – which teaches them to not talk about it anymore for fear of being rejected or judged for being abnormal.
Let’s talk about this gift and try to normalize it for those who are uninformed.
Discernment is a gift of the Holy Spirit (I Corinthians 12:10). No instruction manual is provided with this gift so you learn about it through life experience. This forces you to draw close to God and ask HIM to teach you about this gift.
This gift gives you the ability to discern good from evil (or truth from deception) and especially the spirit behind something. Sometimes it is similar to intuition but it usually comes with more information. Discerning the spirit behind something can come in many ways – it might be something you see, or something you hear or something you feel. Or a combination of seeing, hearing or feeling. It can also just be an inner knowing.
Have you ever met someone and immediately you got a bad feeling about the person? They looked like a nice person, but everything inside of you was saying, Watch out! Be very careful – this person is not trustworthy. That was discernment giving you information to protect you. Chances are this was confirmed later by their behavior or attitude toward you, right? Or you saw them hurt someone else and you realized your discernment was accurate.
The number one danger that those with the gift of discernment have is to talk themselves out of their discernment. They assume they are wrong or that they are being judgmental of someone they just met. So they ignore or dismiss their misgivings and then they suffer the consequences.
If this is you, please stop right now and say, “Holy Spirit, I am sorry for ignoring the warnings you have given me. I have not honored this gift you gave me. I apologize. Please help me to pay attention to the things you are showing me. I didn’t realize that it was YOU telling me to be careful.”
Some of us have a stronger gift of discernment and we can perceive angels, demons, etc. in the unseen realm. Some see these beings as shadows or lights. Some feel them as energy or a presence. Some hear them in various ways – words being spoken, sounds of movement or wings, etc. Many with this gift can also discern things about people – they can perceive someone’s gifting or calling, or they can perceive areas of unhealed wounds in their soul. And they can also tell if someone has a demon attached to them.
As you can imagine, discerning things that are invisible, that no one else seems to notice, can make you question your sanity. Am I going crazy? I know too much. How come no one seems to have this gift? How do I know if I can trust what I am perceiving? Is it accurate?
First of all, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I started this blog to help people like you and me – to help us know we are not alone in this gifting. There are many of us and in fact, the Lord is increasing this gift because we need it more now.
The biggest question I get is – What do I do with the information I receive? Is it accurate? Should I take action on it or tell other people what I perceive?
The only answer I have is this – ASK GOD. Become very familiar with the Holy Spirit inside of you. Talk to the Spirit every day. Holy Spirit was sent to us to help us and teach us (John 14:26). This gift forces you to rely on Holy Spirit to show you what to do with what you are receiving from this gift. And that’s a good thing! 😊
So whenever I perceive something, I say in my heart/mind, Holy Spirit, what is this? Do I need to do anything with this? And I wait. It can be hard to do this in a busy, noisy place, but I do my best. And if it is a very strong impression then I try to get away by myself for a minute so that I can discern what, if anything, I am sensing I should do.
Many times I do not sense that I need to DO anything. For a long time this bothered me. Why am I receiving information if I’m not meant to ACT on it? I would ask. But then God showed me that this is just part of the gift. Some people can perceive a lot more detail when they hear music because they are musicians – they hear things that I don’t. Some people perceive a lot more detail when they look at paintings because they are artists – they see things I don’t. It’s the same way with this gift – I perceive things that other people don’t. I don’t usually share what I sense – unless I am talking to someone who also has discernment.
I have discussed this gift with many people who DO have discernment – that’s how I know I am not crazy and I am not alone! That’s actually the best advice I can give you – ask the Lord to bring you 1 or 2 people who have this gift so that you can share your experiences and learn from each other. That helped me learn a lot when I was first exploring this gift – I wrote about my experience in the Introduction on this blog. When you share what you sense with someone who has the gift, it’s such a good experience. You don’t feel weird anymore. 😊
The second thing that really helps is to pursue inner healing for yourself. Often we can get overwhelmed by what we sense because of our own wounding. If I have a lot of unhealed fear or anxiety in my soul and I encounter another person who is struggling with fear or anxiety – WHAM! Suddenly I am drowning in fear or anxiety! And I don’t even realize why. My senses are so overloaded that I can’t think clearly. This could happen with any strong emotion – fear, hate, anger, lust, depression, grief, rejection, etc.
The more you become healed on the inside by receiving God’s love for you and what He says about you, the easier it is to discern what is your stuff and what is someone else’s stuff. Then it doesn’t feel so overwhelming because you are no longer triggered so easily by other people. After you have been healed, you can then use this gift to help others heal – that’s a very powerful and redemptive experience. When you see how your past suffering helps someone else find freedom from the same things that used to plague you, it helps give purpose to your pain.
I hope this article has helped bring some clarity to this topic. Keep in mind that people use the word “discernment” differently. Some use it to mean having wisdom to make a good decision. Some use it in the Catholic community when they are talking about someone discovering their calling in life or ministry. Because of the different uses of this word, it can be hard to find books or articles on this topic.
Here are a few I can recommend:
Seeing the Supernatural: How to Sense, Discern and Battle in the Spiritual Realm by Jennifer Eivaz
The Veil by Blake Healy
Discernment: The Essential Guide to Hearing the Voice of God by Jane Hamon
The Discerner: Hearing, Confirming, and Acting On Prophetic Revelation (A Guide to Receiving Gifts of Discernment and Testing the Spirits) by James Goll
Sometimes this gift is considered part of the prophetic giftings. Some say it is part of being a Seer. This gift can be used to help people with inner healing and deliverance. It is very helpful when dealing with spiritual warfare too. There’s so much this gift can do to assist the body of Christ.
Don’t be afraid. Ask Holy Spirit to teach you and pay attention to what you sense. There are many articles on this blog that describe experiences I have had that might encourage you. You can use the search feature at the top or side to search by a specific word or phrase. You can also look at the Directory for a list of all the articles by name.
Feel free to post your question or comment below – that way we can all learn from each other! I look forward to reading your thoughts and responding to your questions.
Related posts:
- Feeling in the Spirit – What Do I Do With It?
- Spiritual Senses – Which one is your strongest?
- How to See the Unseen Realm
- God’s Voice vs Other Voices: How Can You Tell the Difference?
- How to Remove Blocks to Hearing God
- Spiritual Protection from Dark Forces & Evil Spirits
- Spiritual Cleansing: Taking a Spiritual Shower Each Day
Touched by an Angel
When I was 21 years old, I went on a missions trip to Mexico. The Bible college I attended was sponsoring the trip and the chaperones were instructors from the school. When I signed up, I didn’t know who else was going to be on the team. There were several mission trips scheduled for that summer to different locations around the globe. I prayed about it and felt I was to sign up to go to Mexico.
After joining the team and finding myself in Mexico, I realized this was going to be tougher than I thought. It was a 4 week trip and I was with a bunch of strangers! The leader of the team was from the athletic department of the college. All the guys seemed very familiar with Coach, as they referred to him. I assume they played basketball on his team at school.
All of the girls on the team seemed to know each other. I only recognized one of them from a few classes we had had together. They spent a lot of time harmonizing together, practicing different worship songs, as we rode many hours in the school’s van to reach the border of Mexico.
I loved to worship, but I knew I had no singing talent. I didn’t know the first thing about harmonizing so that excluded me from their practice. I had tried to take a singing course at the college, but I guess I failed the audition because I was not permitted to sign up for the course.
We had a great time in Mexico, ministering to the very poor. It’s a beautiful country and we were traveling in the mountains. The scenery was full of luscious greens and beautiful flowers everywhere. But the longer the trip went, the more isolated I felt. No one was mean to me, I just didn’t “belong” with this group of people. I didn’t play basketball or any other sport and I didn’t sing. I didn’t realize how hard it would be to be away from everyone who knew me for so long.
One day, feeling particularly lonesome, I left the room where I was staying and went for a walk. We were at a large retreat facility that had many buildings and a courtyard. I went to a nearby building and climbed the outdoor stairway. I sat down on one of the steps. I put my head down and just cried. I felt like no one knew what it felt like to be me, all alone in a foreign land with no one to talk to about how I felt.
Very gently I felt someone put their arm around my shoulders. I assumed it was one of the girls from the team, but I couldn’t tell which one it was. I was a bit embarrassed and didn’t raise my head for a few minutes. I waited for the emotional storm to pass and then looked up to see who was with me.
There was no one there! 😲
I quickly stood up and looked around – thinking maybe they had just left and I hadn’t realized it. But there was no one on the stairs or in the courtyard below.
I sat back down and tried to remember if I had heard footsteps on the stairs. No, it had been silent the entire time.
That’s when it dawned on me – that must have been an angel! 😇
Suddenly I felt a lot better! I recalled the comfort I had felt, feeling someone’s arm around my shoulders. I had assumed it was human comfort, but realizing that it was heavenly comfort made me feel “seen” in the best way possible.
God knew where I was and He cared about my sorrow. He CARED and sent a tangible reminder of that. It blew me away. ❤️❤️❤️
That is a very precious memory for me from that trip – something I’ll never forget. The Lord brought it to my mind last night and I wanted to share it with you.
Have you ever felt the presence of an angel during a time of need? Can you describe what it was like? Please comment below – I’d love to hear your story!
Discernment of the Supernatural Realm 