Stir the Water users often write in and ask me about the frightening experiences they had as children. Some of them would see horrible things in their rooms at night. They would hear voices, threats, inexplicable sounds and other things that would terrify them. Many of them struggled with nightmares and what some people call “night terrors.”
The result was that some of these gifted people came to believe the gifting was actually a curse, and some begged God to make it stop or to take it away.
As a kid and teenager, I spent years sleeping with a blanket over my head because I was afraid of what I would see in my bedroom. My family attended a church that preached the Gospel, so I knew that demons couldn’t harm me and that the angels were present to do only good, but I was so frightened that for twelve years, I cursed my eyes, praying that I wouldn’t see anything.
It wasn’t until after I read Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness (Crossway Books, original printing 1986) that I felt comfortable facing the enemy. I stopped being afraid of him. I stopped being afraid of many things as I realized the authority God has given us.
Many of us are in various stages of taking back what was shut down in us as children. Perhaps you experienced spiritual activity as a child and had non-rational thoughts that seemed more real than rational thoughts. Perhaps now you need to come before God and repent for refusing the gifting He gave you. All giftings are from God. Satan can’t give us any type of gifting, which is why he goes after people who have them. He is intent upon using those giftings for his own purposes or for scaring us into submission to him.
How do we begin to come out of this fear? The key to not being afraid of what we’re experiencing isn’t knowing that our experiences are of God; the key is not being afraid either way – whether they’re of God or the enemy. This is important because it is difficult to discern anything accurately when we’re trembling in fear. We have to overcome our fear first, and then, as we do that, our discernment will increase. We’ll be able to tell the source of what we’re experiencing, and then we can get rid of what is from the enemy and welcome more of God.
As many of us have experienced, the moment of overcoming fear can be very, very hard. The only way I know how to make this mental transition is by becoming aggressive. If there’s something in our house or bedroom at night, we want to know about it, so we can deal with it. That’s a very intentional shift, and at the beginning, it can be difficult and frightening. But once we take that first step, it becomes easier.
Being afraid and running away is much more terrifying than facing our fears. If we determine to find out the source of what we’re experiencing, no matter what that may be, our intentionality will diminish our fear. Rampant fear comes not so much from being afraid as it does from running away, acting or panicking in fear. Therefore, if we run toward what we’re afraid of, the cycle will break, and we will find freedom. We will be able to use our giftings in peace.
God has given us authority over the enemy. It takes time to truly understand that, but as we begin to understand it, the fear leaves, because we realize there isn’t a reason for us to have it.
The How do you overcome fear of the seer gifting? by Jim Driscoll, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
thanks for the help
I am thankful you have adressed this. There is a seer-gifting with a family member that , out of ignorance, I believe an attempt by the enemy of our lives to stop it , or shut it down. This person was taken as a child to a psychiatrist because of what she saw and spoke of, and only the Lord knows what happened there. Now she is suffering from paranoid delusional disorder as an adult. I am thankful the Lord is teaching us about this , thank you for your ministry. By the way, she does know the Lord, but continues to suffer.
strange i was thinking about this when your e mail came
in . i`m 72 but at the age of 4 i did not know the name of JESUS so night after night we wared. gary
Over the last year, I have been having some horrific dreams, and most recently on 9/11! Yes, I had nightmares as a child, but nothing in comparison to the ones I had in 5th & 6th grade when being taught on the book of Revelations in Sunday night services. Now, with all the world events, and the horrific dreams are back, I am asking God what is the source of these dreams, and am begging God to let me see that their are more for us than against us! Though I do have a sense that these dreams are prophetic, is it wrong to pray/beg God to let me see the good and not the bad? Is this wrong?
I don’t remember seeing things as a child but did have the same recurring dream which was very frightening as a child. My experiences as an adult however, have perhaps made people think I was strange or making it up, so that I stopped sharing. Maybe leading to some rejection.
I am in a very very very dry time right now and am not experiencing anything of the LORD as I had before experientially. I don’t know the reason and can’t really tell you I’m afraid. I want this gift so I dont’ understand what has happened to “turn out the lights”.
I grew up seeing all kind of thing in the spirit, but specially demons.When I was a little girl I suffer terrible nightmares and I grow up being afraid of everything.But because I was christian, prayer always help,specially repeating the scriptures of angels protection. But how did I overcame FEAR?It was throught deliverance. I acknowledge that I had fear,I repeant.I renounce,then bind it and expulse it from my life.My pastor help me and since them I’ve being able to see more deep in the spirit, including demons, but it does not affect me anymore. Praise the Lord.I John 4:118
Thanks for the focus on getting beyond flight to fight.
Know my authority, but many battles later, I am needing Him to go deeper.
You are right on and right on time. I was rebooting
in the Spirit to say yes to papa about warfare again, since 2008.
I will continue to be before the Lord about it.
This principality stuff is just one slice of the orage.
white horse, black horse, black panther, watch for 5 men/ten commandments, feasting in the streets on dec 25th, Mayflower Ship, eleventh economy, 11-11, clouds, lightening in intercession, envelope with a ring in the heavens, bowls of heaven emptying onto the earth and it flooding ATL, octopus, barns collapsing in DC, Tsunami, pigs ATL, alarms, gold roads ATL, Joseph head on the US map surrounding Mississippi river.
Light on
In my warfare background I would not be able to
see myself in the lens of flight. So, fear of not being understood, labeled in my lack and fear of rejection have been hidden areas and other childhood stuff (abandonment) coming up right now.
Unified body coming together on Iran is critical.
Learning again that He does everything in our life to build us, and in His perfect time we are prepared for each thing, we are created for.
Learning consistency in prayer for others, moves of God and doing business with Father.
Have the angelic hosts offering help.
We are facing this orphan raging principality, again. (Iran) More on other nations too.
We are dreded by the enemy of our soul.
Many victories in the church, prophetic, nations. but, I still sense the fear of the future and fear of anger in my self regarding interaction with my immediate family.
Securing our harbor relationships-Lord gave us mutual language with Bob Hartley, Mike Bickle and Bob Jones and we were prophetically called to birth Hope Center Atlanta.
Called to speak many languages of love, through Hope Centers, Hartley/7 Mountains-Enlow in Atlanta. Several prophetic leaders are asking me to remain single minded to be mentored through them, only. God told me in 98 to submit myself to the prophets in 2000. (Rick Joyner, Chuck Pierce, Johnny Enlow and John Paul Jackson, later.)
This pricipality behind Iran came over 7 years ago as a raging orphan spirit defined in anti-Christ. The spirit came in 98 the way it left in 08 in the natural.
In our family (fear) rage has been the cycle to break and now the nations are facing the
this orphan spirit, again.
Starting in 98, went through Father’s love, revelation of God of all provision, and revelation of the bridegroom, recognizing and facing the same anti and lack of faith structures in the church/Saul, Jezebel, fear of man, fear of the unknown.
Pride in prophetic and running away has been the two I have not always had His victory in.
The Father’s love and justice melted the snow in many circumstances over the years 98-08 in the church, then the nations, now Father is asking us to believe for our family and Atlanta Hope Centers. (Hartley, and 7 Mountain/Enlow), and we are facing the orphan spirit of Iran, again against the nations.
My main battle has been flight and not understanding why He showed me something that
I do not see myself walk out in the nations, prayer walking. The governments would not allow it and I submitted not knowing how to walk it out, alone.
Was I supposed to go to the lands or just battle here. I have repented but am asking Him to help me go to the next level and all that He has for us.
Did see the last 7 years of facing the principality in the natural. Have come to believe that I have to live in the now regarding being led about being a dred champion with no thought of apprehension or fear of future coming battles as the heavens cheer us on. (first response has still to back off from a hot stove.)
The most difficult has been the call by a beloved leader to only ascend into the third heavens, while Father called me about the nations in the second and the third. I gave up on His face for a while, being enough when things became bitter at home.
Though Jesus took me to the places in my memory
Internal healing of childhood abuse, abandoment, shame to revelaiton of the love of the Father in 2000, followed by worship intercession training by the Spirit, last 4 years met with the same raging orphan spirit in our family. Learning to get to the other side and continue to believe for another glimpse of the face of Jesus.
Shelley Hall
Norcross, Georgia
Will learn to keep it short too
Great article. I encourage parents to equip there seer children early. Many of us seer folks can work through our childhood fears by raising up fearless kids! Thanks for your insight.
It’s comforting to know that I am not the only one who fights this. I’ve finally decided to take Ambien and bypass the otherworld I so often experience in my sleep. I can’t help but believe I am missing out something special, but the spirit of fear I contend with overwhelms me. Pray with me, that God help me fight insomnia and sleep paralysis. I remember the nights I dreamed of flying…
Thank You for this article!!!! I have slept with the light on for most of my adult life because of the things I would see. Also, I have a very difficult time making eye contact with certain people at times because of what I see.
As an intercessor, I take these things to prayer, but I’ve always been afraid to take that second look at what I was seeing, as though doing so would mean I was acknowledging its presence and would then have to deal with it in a more confrontational way and that was terrifying.
You’ve made some great points and I feel truly encouraged. In my heart of hearts I know that authority has been given to me, and I believe that God has “got my back” as they say…Now I want to stand firm, look intently at what I’m being shown and take the next step.
thank you i can so relate but how do i educate my children who all have the same gift
thankyou even tho i didn’t see things when i was young i felt them, and this article brought it to mind. now i’m taken it to the LOrd!
Thank you. Much needed! I appreciate your sharing this.
than k you for sharing this I found this very helpful I would like to add one thing in doing all the helpfull things you have allready said and that is using the scripture while facing fear in the face : He has given us a spirit of boldness , strenght not one of fear .I notice myself while going against fear i will quote the scripture out loud if I have to while proceeding against fear ., works verytime
As a child I used to see things in my room, now I understand that it was my gifting. I felt I had to repent, this might help my gifting increase.
I really do agree with this article, its amazing how much fear can be around when you see things, that others do not see, that also is part of this fear, there has been many times, especially one time in particular in my adult life when i have screemed for hours and been on the phone with my friend praying, that is how afraid i was when i saw something, appartently this happened to me many times as a child.
God Bless
This could not have come at a better time…my son who is twelve is experiencing this same situation and I could and continue to see things both good and bad in the spiritual realm. I cannot wait to show him this article to confirm the things that God has already spoken to us both.
This makes so much sense. I have my grandchildren living with me and the article makes sense with two of them. One of them has terrible nightmares where she wakes up scared and unable to go back to sleep at night. The other one sleeps with his head covered up all of the time. I have been asking God to give me answers for both of them. Now I know what to do and how to pray! Thank you. Also brings back memories of my childhood.
Thank you for addressing a much needed topic. I was tormented in my dreams for years until someone prayed over me. This gift is one that I don’t always understand but am open to continue on this journey of truth.
Jim,
Thank you. I really needed this.
Lynda
great to have someone address this
i am 74 yrs and as a child had recurring dreams and still do mostly warnings of things to come and the turning to repentance personally and for others like the others i read about fearful as a chils but in god now a gift that is s till misunderstood bu the body of christ especially the leaders
Wow, I haven’t had the opportunity to talk to that many seers, so I had no idea my experience was so common. I dealt with the fear in my own ways through the years (first rebellion, eventually aggression) with ultimate success, but I definitely lost some things along the way. Now my children have inherited the gift in different degrees and I wonder how I can help them deal with night terrors.
I am an adult. I was not taught about anything related to “seeing”. As a child I suffered because of the dread and paralyzing fears. Several years ago I was having open visions every day and made the mistake of sharing this with others which caused me to lose most of my friends. I made some statements out loud to myself rejecting these visions not realizing I was “rejecting” a GIFT.
I have repented many times, including today, and have asked the LORD to bring them back as I feel I am really not “alive” without them. It is real slow in coming. Thank you for your article .. I NEEDED THAT! Shalom.
Thank you. I have never met anyone with the seer gift except my now deceased grandmother so as I child I turned to the occult for explanation and still got no real answers. This site is a lifesaver and as i see my children with the same gift i can explain it in Christ and help them along the way.
Thank you for the right ‘on time’ article….I had been hounded at the early age of 3 with vivid dreams and night terrors..
I am an adult now, and know I have this gift…am no more afraid.. last night the dreams began again and this is ontime…I saw the dead in my family and the living, i answered qustions that were asked…it was earie…then I opened up your email. Thank you again….Lori C.
It is amazing…or I should say God is amazing. Just last Saturday I asked this very question to a seer in my church. I am writing a novel for teens and the main character sees things and is in fear. Thank you for confirming everything so the novel will speak truth on the subject.
Now, 22 I have had nightmares for as long as I could remember, I would also have good dreams and definite prophetic dreams. I just got married and my husband has been having more nightmares too. He suggested that in the dream I say “God and I are in control” but so far I haven’t been able to have that kind of mental ability to speak into the nightmare. Do I fight after I have the dream. Is it possible to fight in the dream?
Thanks
ok, i wanna know how seeing demons is a ‘gifting’? im new to this site, and also a dreamer, the lord is speaking to me powerfully in dreams+visions..so this article made me think back to when i was a young girl, and i would see dark shawdows in my room, scaring me, and would stand by my bed, making heavy breathing sounds..SO how is this ‘gifting’?? this makes no sence to me at all, i should embrace that i was able to see demons? give me a break,
@Maria
I read your comments. God’s word says, perfect
love casteth out all fear. Look the 2nd. time and
face your fear to get real discernment. God will
show you how to fight your battles and what and
how to pray. Fear hath torment and God wants
you to have faith. If God be for you , who can be
against you. God is more powerful than satan. In a
battle you face your enemy and you go in Jesus
name. Praise the Lord. violet2.
Thank you for this helpful article. It has helped me understand alot of things I went through as child and teenager, and more so now.
I’ve seen some really strange things at night when I thought my eyes were open. Some were scary some funny and some just odd. I try to remember to claim the Blood of Jesus over me before I go to sleep, that seems to help. It’s good to know I’m not the only one that “sees things” I’m beginning to think that this is part of the gifting and that we are able to see good and bad things in the spirit world. We need more teaching on this Jim.
I was just praying about this yesterday! When I was young I saw and thought so many unusual things, and it scared me so much I didn’t want it. Yesterday I was asking God to forgive me and give me it back. I am so glad to read this, it is confirmation to me. Also, I didn’t know I was a seer. Wow!
It’s always nice to get continual confirmation about past and present situations and giftings. I always felt blessed to be a seer even though there was a lot of rejection and credibilty issues. My mom called me too imaginative. Having to deal with some of it (demons) wasn’t always easy but through it all God has shown his faithfulness. I am no longer afraid at night, like I was as a child, but I still don’t like it dark. The seer gift is just that, a gift that has helped my family, marriage,kids and the lives of so many people to know ahead of time Gods heart and plans for them. This has been a timely article for me. Just last week a friend and I were discussing some of these very issues and she asked if I ever read This Present Darkness. I said no, but I’m starting to think I should. Thanks!
So true! I had nightmares as a child and was scared of the dark for years…my present church is much aware of this gift so I’ve had the knowledge as an adult now. Amazing to see the number who have had similar seer experiences!
I AM NOT AWARE OF SEEING. I STATE THINGS, FEEL LIKE I AM OUT ON A LIMB, SAWING AWAY, READY TO FALL. tHEN OTHERS TELL ME THEY SAW WHAT i JUST SAID. FEELS REALLY CRAZY BUT I HAVE LEARNED TO GO WITH IT AND HOPE FOR CONFIRMATION FROM A SEER. WORD PEOPLE NEED SEERS TO CONFIRM AND VICE VERSA.
From the time I was about 4 till I was in my 30s a man with a very tall hat followed me everywhere. No would else could see him but me and I mostly saw him when I looked in the mirror or saw my reflection in a window. I finally joined a church where the Pastor actually felt like something was after me since I was inside my mother’s womb and it’s intent was to destroy me. We’ve prayed through it and I don’t see this man anymore, yet there are times when I feel a very dark presence with me. I am believing that my protection is in the Lord and I know He will protect me….and yet I really, really want to know what this is and why it followed me for so many years and is still trying to make his presence known or at least there is a fear on my part that he is.
Thank you very much for this teaching. This exactly what I have struggled with for a very long time now. I do have one question, and that is, does the enemy know when we are afraid and how does he know this?
Thank you so much for this post. I have always had a fascination with the super natural. I believe it’s because this is my gifting. And as the article stated..Ilearned you get to see both sides not just the good. The article help me to understand I’m not crazy!
would like to receive thes teachings
Jim, if you’ve got ANYTHING else on how to overcome this, please tell us more!
I am one who experienced “night terrors,” otherwise known in medicine as sleep paralysis–mostly as from the age of 9 until in searching for truth while researching New Age, I fell in love with the Lord and learned to plead the blood of Jesus in 1997 or so. They mostly went away; I have only seen things once, the night before 9-11–saw 3 dark beings and experienced them pulling me out of bed.
Now, when I am in my bed at night worshipping the Lord and asking Him for His presence, I feel like the night terrors are coming back. I am afraid to allow myself to slip into whatever encounter it is. I know my authority and am not in sin. I’ve been told to laugh at any negative spirits I encounter, but so far the fear has been pretty strong and I find myself unable to shake it. I have received rejection (or at least been treated as if I never asked about it and ignored) over the years quite a few times when trying to talk to all but the 2 people who told me to laugh.
I feel like a spectator when I should be participating in what God is doing–like I am missing out on everything due to this fear. I feel that I am not going to be able to function in my gifting (whatever it is) until I conquer this.
Any more information/revelation that you are willing to share would be most appreciated.
I would also like to hear your thoughts on feeling instead of seeing. Not sure if I can’t see because I’m scared, or if feeling is the gifting that I have. Wish I could see some Godly stuff and not just the ugly! Now, my things are dry as the desert.
I hate this, but I confess it is nice to know that there are others out there in the same situation.
Oops! I realize that I made a mistake in my earlier post that night terrors were synonymous with sleep paralysis. What I experienced was sleep paralysis. It seems quite supernatural and feels demonic when it is happening to you. Is it? As I said before, I only saw something 1 time the eve of 9/11. What do you think, Jim? All I know is that now, my spiritual dreams have all but dried up. I miss them and want more in my life of all the ways God communicates.
Thanks for this article because I was just praying about the voices I sometimes here and I know it’s not from God! I didn’t see things as a child but I see things now and I hear things and sometimes it can be confusing.
That’s one exercise i don’t like doing too much and i tried to only look for the good spiritual beings, not too interested in seeing beside that. At the same time, i’m not getting everything God has promised me, hmm? Yeah! we’re ready to kick some butts! To see what is in my spritual environment and do something about it.
Thank you!
Hi, thank you so much for posting this. I have been searching why as a child I had so much fear. I would see things that others couldn’t. Now, I don’t know if they were dreams or my reality. I saw so many horrible things. I would have dreams of the enemy wanting to kill me. He tried in reality too. At the age of 8 I contracted hepatitis A and was molested by an uncle. A few years later, I had salmanella (food poisoning). I tried to jump off a ladder at 16 thinking I could fly (drug induced). At the age of 4 (or 5) I witnessed my stepfather trying to kill my mother. Why so much fear in a little girl? She was so innocent. Why did someone want to hurt her?
I didn’t know that anyone else ever had this problem but me. Amazing. I have literally pulled the sheets over my head when I heard God’s voice because of what I was afraid that I would see, and I knew someone was there. Thanks for the post.
As a child I was so tormented, I didn’t want to see or hear or have any supernatural experiences. I couldn’t sleep, when I did it was fitfull, my mother would tell me to say my prayers & I would over & over, eventually sleep would come; the cycle repeated over & over. As I grew up in God & learned & received healing I repented & now I am growing in the supernatural, though it is difficult to see things, know things without others to talk to & I am careful. Like Jim said on his CD on intimacy, if we were to tell a doctor, they would commit us. I want all God has for me, even if it is weird, I continually ask for His love & grace to face every fear. Psalm 34:4 David said “I sought Jehovah, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears!” That has been my prayer…He is answering it!
@ Marilyn
No Marilyn it is not wrong to see the horrific dreams that you see, but you should be asking the Lord for discernment to know which ones are from him and which ones are from the enemy. Also ask the Lord to give you dreams that will reveal the tactics of the enemy. DO NOT FEAR the enemy, because as a child of God he can’t touch you. Scripture clearly says that as a Child of God we are SEATED in the Heavenly places with Christ Jesus. Take your authority that you have thru Christ Jesus and tell the enemy to back off. “Resist the devil and he shall flee from you.”
sent me information on growing this gift please
I have been encountering the 11:11 for 26 years. I always wondered what it meant but knew that I would NEVER board a plane with the flight number 1111. Just a few days ago I encountered it 3 times in one day. I’ve never had these nightmares I read about above……no spirits, or scarey things that go bump in the night but…………..I have this very deep connection to my 3 daughters. We think each others thoughts and says the same words at the same time and I have picked up the phone to call one of them and she was calling me at the same time. Just the other night, I was talking to my daughter in Alaska, I’m in Nevada, and she asked me if I had a “Halls” throat lozenge in my mouth and I asked her “why, can you smell it?”…purely as a joke………and she said she had just gotten the stronge smell of eucalyptus and that’s why she asked me. Once I had a vision, while washing dishes, that my youngest daughter had been run over by a car going to school and I tears were rolling down my cheeks and the doorbell rang and a woman had my daughter and was telling me that she almost ran hit her with her car because she was running into the street. What does all this mean? I’ve always felt it was supernatural and enjoyed being that close to my kids that I sense things. Please help me understand.
After reading all the responses to this blog I see that a lot of people are not standing up against these bad forces that are forcing themselves upon us. We have that right through Jesus to tell them to leave and not come back.
We sometimes open doors to these things by accident.
I don’t celebrate holloween but last night my brother had a little party with all the new grand kids and invited my mother and I over for trick or treating with them.(I dressed in blue and went as the Holy Spirit and mom went as the Church Lady) When I went to bed I experience seeing a woman run through my bedroom
and felt something sit on the end of my bed. It was so real, I had not experience this in a few months. I realized I must have had an open door and these things came in.(I am very spiritually sensitive) I then asked God for forgiveness for going to this party, then claimed the Blood of Jesus over me then told these spirits to leave and not come back in Jesus name. I went to sleep and no more problems. Don’t underestimate the authority you have in Jesus, use it. You don’t have to let these things make you fearful, that’s what they want, Just put yourself under Jesus authority and tell them to leave. I hope this helps someone.