Editor: Al Vesper
INTRODUCTION
Dreams remain one of the most controversial subjects in the church today. Some people simply say, "I never dream." Others state emphatically, "I don't pay any attention to dreams. They don't mean anything. They come from eating too much." Yet others seem to obtain valuable insight by meditating upon their dreams. They claim that dreams are a dependable source of guidance and information for their lives. Which group is right? Should we pay attention to our dreams, or just ignore them as just so much junk mail?
The Bible gives us a direct answer to this question: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams" (Acts 2:17). Without dreams, a large part of the Bible would be missing. Without dreams, a large part of our own personal guidance from God is also missing. God has always used dreams to communicate with His people. God does not change, therefore He has not, and will not change the way He speaks to us! Although dreams are only one of the many ways that He speaks, they are certainly a legitimate source of Divine information and knowledge.
For those who say that they don't dream at all, my advice is for them to ask God for dreams, and then pay close attention each morning for His answer. James said that we receive not because we ask not, and Paul told us to seek God for His gifts. Dreams are one of the ways that God has of imparting "a word of wisdom" and "a word of knowledge" to us, and James said that if any man lacked wisdom that he should ask God and He would give it to him liberally. I know of one man who did not dream at all and he received ten distinct dreams in the first three weeks after he began to seek God for them. In addition to wisdom and knowledge, some dreams are given directly by the spirit of prophesy, and are "thus saith the Lord." We should no more ignore our dreams than our mail. Certainly all of our mail is not valuable, but it would be foolish to throw out all of it without opening it just because in the past some of it has proven to be junk mail.
The following information is given in condensed form because of the limited space. Each point is important to observe as you learn to sort out the good from the nonsense, properly discerning God's word from the confusion which proceeds from the world in which we live. Sweet dreams!
HOW TO REMEMBER YOUR DREAMS
Start a dream journal: record the date, location, significant events of your life at the time you had the dream and the dream's details, including your feelings while you were dreaming. Colors, numbers and names are very important. If someone in the dream reminds you of someone else that you know, note this also. Then note whatever interpretation you think the dream may possibly mean. Trust, not doubt, your feelings concerning the dream's meaning.
UNDERSTANDING DREAMS
Probably the most important key to correct dream interpretation is this: Dreams usually address the circumstances of one's life as they presently exist. Although some dreams are prophetic, dealing with future events, most dreams are relevant to whatever is going on in the dreamer's life at the time of the dream. Another exception is a dream that refers to the dreamer's past. In that case there is usually something in the dream that will point to past events (a former residence, a grand-parent's home, etc.). Dreaming of one's own back yard almost always refers to one's past. Trouble that comes in through the back door originates from the past.
WHAT KIND OF INFORMATION DO DREAMS SUPPLY?
Although dreams may cover almost any situation that one may encounter in life, there are several areas in which God often deals with us through dreams. As Elihu said when he was teaching Job about God's dealing with man through dreams, "Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man" (Job 33:29).
- PERSONAL SALVATION (If Pilate had listened to his wife's warning, he may have been saved!): Matt. 27:19: "When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."
- SELF EXAMINATION (PERSONAL HOLINESS) "We are not hypocrites in our sleep" (William Hazlitt): II Cor. 13:5: "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"
Phil. 3:15: "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you."
For instance, smoking cigarettes in a dream usually indicates that one is walking in pride or bitterness (unforgiving). Smoking cigars usually speaks of arrogance. Likewise, Nudity may mean walking in the flesh or being without God's covering (i.e., being justified by one's own works, instead of by grace); on the other hand it may indicate that one is vulnerable.
- PERSONAL GUIDANCE and DIRECTIONS (Marriage, Career, Location, Etc.): Matt. 1:20: "But while [Joseph] thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost."
- GENERATIONAL SIN: Exod. 34:7: [For God is continually] "Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgressions and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation" (see Daniel 9:16; Lev. 26:39-42).
- PERSONAL WARNINGS (Concerning natural provision, employment, marriage, etc.): Matt. 2:22: "But when [Joseph] heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee."
- DIRECTIONS IN MINISTRY: Acts 16:9: "And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us."
John 5:19-20: "Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. [20] For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will show him greater works than these, that ye may marvel."
- MESSAGES FOR CHURCHES (If you are active in ministry, pastoring, traveling, etc., often God will give you messages for His people though dreams): Num. 12:6: "And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream."
- CONFIRMATION AND ENCOURAGEMENT: Acts 18:9-10: "Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: [10] For I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city."
Jdgs. 7:13-15: "And when Gideon was come, behold, there was a man that told a dream unto his fellow, and said, Behold, I dreamed a dream, and, lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian, and came unto a tent, and smote it that it fell, and overturned it, that the tent lay along. [14] And his fellow answered and said, This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel: for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host. [15] And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream, and the interpretation thereof, that he worshipped, and returned into the host of Israel, and said, Arise; for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian."
- TRUTH (including doctrine), and THINGS TO COME: John 16:13: "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."
Psalm 16:7: "I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins [NKJV heart] also instruct me in the night seasons."
- STRONG SELF-WILL or DESIRE (unconscious wish fulfillment): Jer. 29:8: "For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Let not your prophets and your diviners, that be in the midst of you, deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed."
- PHYSICAL PROBLEMS: Pain, etc. causing pain related dream (which is usually not from God). For instance, if one has a headache, the pain may cause a dream in which the dreamer has a headache. If you are fasting, you may dream of eating food. (Nope! God is not saying that you can break your fast!) The sound of a dog barking outside your bedroom window may be incorporated into your dream.
TOOLS FOR UNDERSTANDING DREAMS
Dreams originate from three different sources; God, our own spirit (or soul), and demons. Our first duty in interpreting dreams is to properly determine the dream's source. Where did it come from? If it is from God, we need to understand it and incorporate the directions and information it reveals into our actions. If it is from our own spirit (or soul), we need to recognize the problem or need that it addresses and through prayer and meditation deal with it accordingly. Last of all, if it is from a demon we need to ask for deliverance, pray over the room or house, or whatever else is required to rid ourselves of this communication and influence. The following types of dreams, or "dream tools" are useful in determining a dream's source and the proper way to use the information that dreams give us:
Objective (literal):
When everything in the dream could easily be or happen exactly as depicted, always consider whether the dream may be literal.
Association (allegories and parables):
Most dreams are parables. The objects, people, colors, numbers and even one's actions are symbolic. The first scene will usually provide the setting to give the subject and thus enable one to properly apply the dream. Scene changes are usually progressive, and like a two or three act play, carry the plot forward, each scene providing additional information. Each dream symbol must be placed in its proper setting before its meaning will be clear. Proper application of the dream is the only way to be certain the interpretation is correct.
Displacement (replacing one person or thing with another):
Probably the most difficult problem one encounters in dream interpretation is determining when people represent themselves, another person, or something else. For instance a pastor's wife may represent his church, or a man's wife may represent his job. Of course, she may also simply represent herself (see Gal. 4:21-26).
Reversal (discernment):
If God wants to show us another person's state, he may put us into that state in a dream so that we can understand that person better. Although not frequently used, in this tool the dreamer becomes one of the symbols of his or her own dream. They act out the part of the person they are symbolizing. He or she does what the other person is doing or thinking. By saying, doing or feeling like the person he or she is representing, the dreamer can identify with them and understand them better.
Nightmares, Demonic, and X and R-Rated Dreams: (need for deliverance):
These dreams are usually categorized as "nightmares." They indicate a demonic presence, and therefore the need for deliverance: from demons, inherited curses, self-inflicted bondage, etc. A child who has a spirit of fear may wake up crying because the spirit has given him or her a frightful dream. Sometimes the spirit lives in the room (bedroom, motel, etc.) instead of in a person, causing whoever sleeps in that room to dream bad dreams. Also, frightful dreams may reveal a curse in the dreamers life (see Daniel 9:11). "All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams." (Elas Canetti)
Unconscious Wish Fulfillment or Compensation (a misleading dream; a psychological mechanism of balance):
When one wants or needs something or someone very much, their spirit may provide it for them. People who live in a daydream world provide pleasure, companionship, refuge, etc. for themselves through their imagination when they can't have or obtain what they want in real life. Likewise, their spirit compensates for them in the night.
Magnification:
Because we have a tendency to be somewhat willfully ignorant at times, God will sometimes magnify things to get our attention. Small problems or errors appear huge.
Repetition:
(Repetitive dreams are very important. If it is important enough for God to keep talking to you about, or reminding you of, IT MUST BE IMPORTANT!) Job 33:14-15: "For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. [15] In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed"Gen. 41:32: "And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass."
Progression:
Sometimes dreams are progressive. Like repetitive dreams, they each deal with the same subject, but instead of each dream saying the same thing additional information is provided in each successive dream. These dreams may all occur in one night, over several successive nights, or over a period of weeks or years. A Biblical example of progressive dreams is God's dealing with Joseph concerning the Baby Jesus (Matt. 1:20; 2:12-13,19,22 ).
Night Visions:
Night visions are usually brief, direct communications from God. They often contain instructions, warnings, encouragement, etc. and unlike dreams (parables), they seldom need interpretation (see Acts 16:9-10; 18:9-10).
APPLICATION PRECEDES INTERPRETATION
To help understand your dream, ask yourself the following questions:
- What is the dream's subject? What is it about? What is the action? What are the people saying and doing? Is there a storm coming? An opportunity? Remember, most dreams apply to the dreamer's present circumstances.
- What past or present situation in my life could this dream address? What questions have you been asking? Have you recently asked God for an answer to something? What problems are you facing? Are there decisions to be made? Directions to be obtained?
- Who does the dream refer to (personal, church, family)? Who's in the dream? Where is the setting located?
- When is it referring to (past, present, future)? Is someone of a different age in the dream than they presently are? Is something from the past present?
- Why was it given? What action is required? Is it a confirmation? Instruction? Warning? Etc.?
- To understand individual symbols, ask yourself, "What does this dream symbol mean to ME?" Use association. What does the object, shape, number, color, vehicle, insect, animal, house, place, occupation, person, or name, etc. remind you of?
HELPING OTHERS INTERPRET THEIR DREAMS
Ask God to give you understanding. Interpretations belong to God. Apply the questions given above to the dream. Because many dreams are direct personal communication from God, He will often use symbols that mean something specific to the dreamer, therefore a given symbol may not mean the same to someone else. For this reason proper interpretation often requires insight from the one who actually dreamed the dream. Before venturing your interpretation concerning a specific dream symbol, always ask the dreamer the question given above, "What does this object, color, person, etc. mean to YOU!" If using association does not bring any meaning to the dreamer (if it does not remind them of something or someone in particular), then use the universal meaning for the symbol to help determine what God is saying. Often the symbol's meanings may be obtained from the way it, or something similar, is used in the Bible.
BE CAREFUL, PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
Remember, some dreams are not from God. Never act on only one source of guidance. The Bible says, "In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established" (II Cor. 13:1). God will speak to you in more than one way, by more than witness when He is giving you directions. These include (but are not limited to) His written Word, dreams, night visions, personal prophecy, inspired preaching and life's circumstances. To act hastily is foolhardy. I know a man who dealt in commodities through the stock market. He lost several thousand dollars because he thought that God was telling him that cotton was a good buy when he dreamed that he went into a store and blue jeans were on sale. Acting hastily on what he thought the dream was telling him, he bought several thousands shares of cotton. But, because the price of cotton dropped instead of going up, he lost his whole investment. Even when a dream is from God, if your interpretation is wrong it will still lead to error if you act upon it without further confirmation from other sources.
Jer. 23:28, 32: "The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. [32] Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD."
Another pitfall to avoid is spiritual pride: Eccl. 5:1-3, 7: "Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. [2] Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few. [3] For a dream cometh through the multitude of business; and a fool's voice is known by multitude of words..... [7] For in the multitude of dreams and many words there are also divers vanities: but fear thou God."
EXAMPLES OF PROPER DREAM INTERPRETATION
The following dreams and their interpretations reveal the correlation of the circumstances surrounding a dreamer's life and the subject matter of his or her dream. It would be almost impossible to interpret the first dream without knowing the situation of the church that the dreamer is working in. The second dream is for the universal church, and is confirmed by several Scriptures concerning the end-time harvest. At the time of the dream the harvest had not yet begun. The third dream would be a complete mystery without knowing that the dreamer was seeking God for a message for His people.
The worship leader of a small church dreamed that someone walked up and handed him a small package of money wrapped in brown paper. When he unwrapped it, it began to double. It continued to grow until he could no longer hold it. He then began to put it into bags. He filled two and then ran out of room in the bags. He then filled a cart with the money. The cart was full, almost overfull.
THE SITUATION:
The church building is small, and the members few in number. They have been praying for new members and financial provision to build a new building large enough to have Sunday school rooms, nursery, etc.
INTERPRETATION:
Brown paper means common, ordinary (God uses ordinary people to do great things). The money is increase, including people. The cart is a new building. The dream speaks of sudden church growth and is a confirmation that the increase that they are praying for will be provided.
(Dated Dec. 6, 1985) In the dream the moon was bright and full. It was being approached by a very large mass of earthy material. Two large waves of tan colored earth were going to collide with it. The total mass of the waves was so great that if both hit at once it would knock the moon out of orbit! Therefore the mass was divided into two waves, the second larger than the first. The dreamer knew that the moon would be greatly enlarged as a result of each impact.
THE SITUATION:
At the time of this dream the church is waiting for the end time harvest to begin (James 5:7).
INTERPRETATION:
The moon is the church (which sits in heavenly places with Christ). The large mass of earthy material is people from every nation being drawn toward the church (the tan color reveals that these people are dead in trespasses and sins). The two waves are two approaching revivals. If God saved everyone that He plans on saving all at one time the church would not be able to absorb the increase (knocked out of orbit), therefore He has divided the end-time harvest into two successive waves. The second wave of revival is going to be larger than the first.
A woman dreamed that she walked into a room which was filled with women talking to each other. They had crabs crawling all over their faces! She was very disgusted and distraught as she woke up from the dream.
THE SITUATION:
The dreamer was scheduled to teach a women's group and was praying for God to give her a message for them.
INTERPRETATION:
God's message was that the women were being "crabby" (meaning complaining and criticizing) instead of being thankful for God's blessings.
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- Confirming And Encouraging Dream
- Prophetic Dream
- Message For A Women's Group Dream
SUMMARY
God does speak to us through dreams today. But not every dream we have is divinely inspired. The first step in seeking an interpretation is to determine the source of the dream. When the source of the dream is God, it is helpful to determine what type of dream it is in order to understand what the Lord is trying to communicate (Objective, Association, Displacement, Reversal, Magnification, Repetition, Progression or Night Visions). Once you have identified this, ask the following questions:
- What is the dream's subject?
- What past or present situation in my life could this dream address?
- Who does the dream refer to (personal, church, family)?
- When is it referring to (past, present, future)?
- Why was it given?
- To understand individual symbols, ask yourself, "What does this dream symbol mean to ME?"
Finally, when you interpret dreams, use caution and common sense. Don't base critical decisions or actions on a single dream.. look to the Lord to give you other sources of input/guidance and prayerfully consider what your response to the dream is to be.
MORE READING
"Understanding the Dreams You Dream" by Ira L. Milligan, Copyright 1997, Treasure House, an imprint of Destiny Image Publishers
Week 8 Activation Exercise
The Eyes of Our Heart
This week, we are going to do something quite different and we think you will find this exercise not only challenging but also exciting. For a number of weeks now, we have been honing our skill in quieting our spirits, listening, and identifying the Voice of the Holy Spirit. This has been for a purpose since in any situation, the Lord already knows in advance what He will say to someone when an opportunity is made available for one of His children to become a "spout" for the Word of the Lord to this person. All the "spout" has to do is "plug in" and listen to what the Lord wants to say and then repeat what he or she hears the Lord say. It is not necessary for the "spout" to actually know the person.
Let us rephrase this another way. God knows both you (the "spout") and "Sue" (the intended recipient of the Lord's words). God wants to speak to Sue. You do not know Sue but the Lord is planning to use you to speak for Him to Sue. Can God speak to you His thoughts about Sue before you actually know Sue? Yes, He certainly can. How is this? God can speak to you, can He not? In the same way that you have listened in other activations thus far, you will listen to the thoughts of the Lord this time and then speak what you receive to "Sue" when your turn comes. The situation may be different but the process is essentially the same.
As we move into the final weeks of this course, we are going to begin to think more and more of how our practice has begun to prepare us to be used in real life situations. After all, why are you taking this course? Is it not to hear and know Him more fully, and to be obedient to His desires and words to you? Consider this situation in the light of our brief explanations above. You are going about your daily affairs and the Lord's presence comes to you and you (having been trained) recognize that He is speaking to you. He says, "I am going to have you meet someone today who needs some real assurance that I love them and I am going to use you. I will witness to your spirit when this person comes to you. Tell them, "the Lord loves you greatly and He is going to help you in your situation." You see this person ("Sue") break out in tears not because of the greatness of your words, but because the Holy Spirit spoke to her spirit and the person knew that this was a living word to them right when they needed it. God could then open the door for further ministry to this person. We all hear about these types of ministry situations, don't we.
This week, in a safe practice environment, we are going to speak to "Sue." Further explanation will follow in the next section.
DESCRIPTION:
This week we are going to receive thoughts from the Lord for just one person. We have already seen how God speaks personally as well as corporately. Just as we have been learning to share thoughts from the Lord with ourselves, others within a group, and corporately, this time we will again address an individual.
As you enter the time of "listening" for the Voice of the Lord this week, ask Him to speak whatever He would speak for the benefit of "Sue" in your group. Your word should follow the pattern of strengthening, encouragement and comfort according to 1 Cor. 14:3. Since this is a "safe environment" for practice and learning, we remind all of this basic admonition again since this is not a time for any corrective or judgmental words. As we have said in past lessons, if you feel you hear something that is corrective or judgmental, please go back to the Lord and ask Him for another word.
Here is what we will do. The group leader is going to choose one of you to be "Sue" [for any of you who are actually named Sue, you may just get doubly blessed before this time is over - J]. What is unique is that none of the group will know who "Sue" is - including "Sue." The members of the group will go through the usual steps and when the time comes for the words to be spoken, all the members need to listen very carefully to the content of the words and see if the words seem to minister to them. In most situations, the person chosen to be "Sue" will know who they are even before they are identified.
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this week's activation is to give you an opportunity to better understand how to see with the "Eyes of Your Heart" (Eph. 1:18). Being deprived of your natural senses will serve to help you really focus on what you see, hear and know/feel in your spirit, rather than your natural mind.
It has been very interesting to those of us who are involved in training on a consistent basis to observe that people of all levels of maturity in the prophetic consistently deliver more accurate words when they are deprived of natural knowledge. This may seem difficult to accept but it has proven to be true. In these situations, the only way to receive is to receive from the Spirit and not rely on our natural mind. Because of this, the words are usually more accurate at all levels. If you feel any hesitancy in this exercise, just remember all we have said before regarding the safety of a practice environment, the fact that it is OK to make a mistake and also that the more you rely on drawing from the Spirit, the easier it will become. Phrased another way, by reason of use, you will improve and mature in your gift.
This is the first of two activations where we will be drawing wholly upon the Spirit so as you come to the time of listening, just focus on the Lord and what He says and you will find this time to be a real blessing and a faith builder.
As we have said before, you will discover that receiving a Word from the Lord is quite easy once you just relax and rest in the faith that God is faithful to communicate and that He usually wants to speak to you more than you want to hear. He will then be faithful to minister to the needs that are on His heart and you will be used as a conduit for His power.
Note for local group leaders: You might want to consider taping these words as they are given in the group and then transcribe them and make the transcription or tape available to your local pastor.
STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF THIS ACTIVATION:
(This process remains essentially the same as in previous weeks.)Note For Group Leaders:
For this exercise, you are to select a person from your group to be the "Sue" referred to in this exercise. Make the selection before you actually begin the exercise, but do not tell anyone who it is.Or if you perfer, you can select "Sue" blindly.. so that you don't know who "Sue" is either. To do this, write out all of the names of the people in your group on slips of paper and put them in a hat. Draw one out before the activation begins but do not look at it.. This way "Sue" is selected, but no one other than God knows who "Sue" actually is. Then at the end of the exercise after all of the words have been given, you can look at the paper to see who "Sue" really was.
- Understand That We Will Share From Christ Within Us
- Stir Yourself Up Spiritually
- First, be convinced that it is the Lord's will for every believer to
move in the Gifts of the Spirit. Next, be persuaded that you have at
least 1 of the 9 gifts. Eph. 4:7-8 tells us: "But to each one of us
grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says:
'When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts
to men'."
- Realize that no believer is perfect and it is OK to make a mistake.
Another look at Jesus' disciples will prove this fact as we saw in our
initial teaching material.
- Just know that we all learn by doing.
- Praying in the Spirit (or English) can act as a catalyst to receive
the mind of Christ so that our human spirit can receive thoughts,
impressions, pictures, etc. from the Holy Spirit. Above all, focus your
attention on the Lord.
- We activate the gifts by faith and grace, therefore it is our responsibility.
- Sanctification - Activation Prayer
- Leaders Pray A Prayer Of Covering/Protection
- Now, Be Silent And Listen, Look And Feel
- If you are a "seer", you will see pictures in your mind readily.
These pictures may require interpretation. When you give a prophetic
word, you allow these pictures to guide you along a theme and speak
what you see in the order you see it. In this manner, the Holy Spirit
can give you a "flow" by a series of pictures. Interpretation can and
does play a role in accurately speaking to the series of pictures.
- If you are a "hearer", you will "hear" what the Spirit says. This
will not usually be an audible voice but for some of you it could
be - on rare occasion. Normally, you just feel like you are hearing
something. In actuality, you are not hearing anything audible but
you still feel as if you are hearing what you receive. Once you
"hear", you simply share what you hear the Spirit saying to you for
the individual (God knows who the person is, even if you don't.)
- If you are a "knower / feeler", you just seem to know something and it feels right but you could not explain to anyone how you know.. you just know! It is like a built in sense of "what is." If you are a knower, you will recognize this pattern. If you are a feeler, you may actually feel something. For instance, God may give you a word of knowledge of a physical healing He wants to do by allowing you to briefly feel in your own body the condition that God desires to heal in another. This is called a "physical word of knowledge."
- Now, Give Your Word According To The Spirit's Leading
- Follow-Up
Since we are all saved, we have Christ living within us. Let's allow Him to minister to us, through us, and to and through our brother or sister in Christ. 1 Peter 4:10 says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms". We want to be good stewards of God's grace so let's be willing to share Christ within us with our brother or sister.
How do we stir ourselves up?
Pray this prayer with your group as you begin:
Dear Lord, in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, I come before Your throne. I am washed by the blood. Christ lives within me. Not just in part, but in my whole being. I bring every thought of my mind and soul into captivity to the mind of Christ. I will be open to be led by the Holy Spirit to receive a prophetic word from You for someone in my group. I will gladly share just what you show me, without adding my own interpretation to it. I will not doubt it nor question it, I'll just be willing to give it. I am a believer, and I expect to receive. I thank You for giving me a word of knowledge from the throne. Amen.
This prayer releases people from any guilt, fear, condemnation and sense of unworthiness. Since fear and feeling unworthy are the two most hindering factors to people moving in the mind of Christ, this brings a release.
The purpose of this short and specific prayer is to bind any hindering or religious spirits and to release faith and anointing. Feel free to use whatever words you choose for this but it does not have to be long and involved.
One of the members of the group should agree to be the lead off person and go first. Now relax, this is going to be fun, and it will continue to help you "tune in" to the Holy Spirit. Once you go silent, give yourself about 45 - 60 seconds and during this time, look and see what pictures form in your minds eye (the eyes of your heart), listen to what you may "hear" in your Spirit and pay attention to what sense you may have in your "knower".
Again, here is an explanation of these different modes.
This is the doing part for which we have prepared ourselves. Now is the time, one person at a time, to speak specifically what you receive from the Holy Spirit being cautious not to add any of your own personal interpretation. (If you are a seer, ask the Lord to help you with this from now on in these activations since there will be a need to interpret somewhat the "flow" of mental pictures.)
We also want to re-state our caution from before: "God does not usually give us judgmental, negative, harsh, corrective, or directive words when we are just learning to move in the prophetic. For the scope of these exercises, these types of words will be STRICTLY OFF LIMITS. If you believe you receive one of these types of words during the activation exercise, assume you have heard wrong and go back to the Lord and ask Him for a different word.
From our original purpose paragraph, you will be looking for a prophetic word that will connect with the intended person. This activation will allow us to see with the "eyes of our heart" (Eph. 1:18) rather than our natural eyes.
Continue with each person giving their words until all have had the opportunity to speak. The group leader should then ask for the "chosen person" to identify themselves. See if the person who identifies themselves is not the person who was secretly chosen by the leader. As has been the case in past weeks, many in the group will receive both individual as well as corporate ministry.
As the members of your group share what they receive, you might want to write down the things which speak to you individually as well as the things you strongly identify with in the corporate setting and discuss them after all have had an opportunity to share what they received. The group can then take the opportunity to pray over these things and see the Lord minister to the needs that were identified corporately.
APPLICATION
As you become more and more proficient in using the "eyes of your heart" rather than your natural mind, you will be able to respond readily and accurately in most any situation where God desires and chooses to use you to speak to someone. If you have the opportunity to minister to someone you do not know well by phone (or email or irc or icq or aol chatroom), this activation will help you. For those of you who desire to be used powerfully in prophetic evangelism, you are being equipped even now for this.