Many Stir the Water users come to the site with a basic understanding of what it means to be a seer or how the seer gifting functions. However, we also get some users and visitors who aren’t sure if they’re seers and don’t know how the gifting generally works.
In order to begin to understand the seer gifting, we need to start with the basics. A seer is any person who has the ability to receive sensory input from the spiritual realm. This can happen at any level; we don’t have to have experiences like Ezekiel in order to be a seer. In fact, many people are seers and don’t realize it, usually because of one or more of three reasons:
- No one’s ever told them. Maybe they could relate some odd things that have happened to them, but no one has ever told them that what they’re experiencing may not be “just their imagination.” A lot of seers would say they have active imaginations and that’s all. They don’t realize it’s more than that. For example, they may see brief flashes of light or something move in their peripheral vision and assume it’s just their eyes playing tricks on them, when they’re actually seeing real flashes of light and real movement. They don’t understand that these may be authentic.
- Along similar lines, seers often don’t realize that what they’ve been experiencing their entire lives is unique; they think everybody can do it. Or perhaps they suspect they are gifted in certain areas, but they don’t realize that all the little things they keep dismissing are actually God trying to communicate with them and through them. For example, they may have always had detailed, extensive dreams; perhaps they’ve “known” things about people they just met or have been able to produce astounding works of art or make sound business decisions that have greatly impacted others. I’m just good at what I do, they may think. Or, Can’t everybody do this?
- Finally, some seers don’t realize they’re seers because as far back as they can remember, they seemingly have never done or experienced anything of a spiritual nature. Something shut the gifting down in them a long time ago, and at this point, they couldn’t name even just one incident in which they knew God was talking to them. “He talks to other people,” they say, “but He doesn’t talk to me.” Simply because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t.
What Is Spiritual Sensory Input?
Here is what I mean by the term “sensory input.” In the natural realm, we have our five senses that help us relate to the world and atmosphere around us. Through them we learn what things are, how they work, what’s real, what something feels like, what it looks or tastes like, etc. These five senses allow us to experience what is going on around us, and without them, we wouldn’t be able to function. These form our physical sensory perceptions.
What are spiritual sensory perceptions? The Bible says that this world is a type of the world to come (1 Corinthians 15:44; Colossians 2:16–17; Romans 5:14). If what surrounds us now is just a reflection of the real, then imagine what the real must be like! Our five senses, therefore, reflect a higher order — an order that is, by its very nature, better and stronger than what we know on Earth because it is the real order: the one that will continue to exist when this one has ended.
When we take the time to think this through, we will be amazed at the implications. If we have any senses on Earth, we also have them in the spiritual realm, because that realm is the foundation of this one. As spiritual beings (Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 2:5), we should be able to see, taste, smell, touch, and hear what is going on in the spiritual realm around us just as we can in the natural realm. As seers, at times we may be able to smell what’s in the spiritual air around us. We may be able to see it, touch it, even taste it. We can describe it to others. We can experience it just as we can experience the natural realm.
These are our spiritual sensory perceptions, and we pick up on them in different ways. Sometimes, this information will come to us physically. For example, we may feel cold or hot when the natural temperature hasn’t shifted a degree. This is happening because we’re picking up on the changes happening in the spiritual “temperature” around us. At other times, we will receive spiritual information through our spiritual senses, which often feels like “just our imagination” and hence the reason many people don’t realize God is trying to communicate with them this way. Everyone has the capacity to experience the spiritual realm through the seer gifting, just as everyone has the capacity to hear God’s voice.
When Stir the Water talks about the seer gifting, we mean picking up on spiritual sensory data, whether that be seeing, hearing, touching, tasting or smelling.
Why Is This Important?
So how does this affect us, and why is it important to study this gifting? The writer of Hebrews says that the mature in Christ train their senses to discern what is God and what isn’t (Hebrews 5:14). You’ll see this verse all over the Stir the Water site. As we practice and study our giftings, we mature in Him. We grow in our knowledge of Him and His ways.
Again, this world is not our home; our home is Heaven — the spiritual realm — which automatically insinuates it is more important, more real and concrete, than this one. Because that’s true, wouldn’t we want to study it? Wouldn’t we want to know more about it and see if there was any way we could learn to walk in it and be affected by it now?
Hand in hand with this is another reason that is even more important. As we study and grow in this gifting, we will be amazed at who God is, how intimate He desires to be with us and how often He wants to communicate with us. We will fall in love. We will be changed forever.
That is a very good reason.
God is with us, and studying our giftings and training ourselves in them will increase our faith for greater things. It will help us see His presence more and more.
The What does it mean to be a seer? by Jim Driscoll, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Tags: seer
I found this article quite informative. Most of this, I knew. Yet, it is spelled out so plainly that it doesn’t leave room for misinterpretation. I learned new things which I’m always grateful for. Your last 3 paragraphs are really moving. I appreciate the information that you shared with us in a simplicity that is rich and comprehensive.
Thank you.. I have one question..
I desire to be more in tune with the spiritual but received a “word” more of a comment from a cousin via facebook as we were chatting to say she felt the Lord was saying I was “dabbling”.. I am now horrified.
Where would one draw the line?
thanks thats it exactly!!! im in love with jesus!!!
I am such kind of a person but I don’t know how to utelise the gift to the body of Christ. Would you help me, at times my spirit just grieves and I end up crying, at times I have dreams about the Church (The body of Christ), the families, the community at large but fail to convey the message due to being belittled and despised or rejection and accusations I receive. Hoe do I get to understand, use this gift. I see visions, at times when I just close my eyes without sleeping, at times when I am sleeping, at times just with opened eyes and thought I am imagining hence it comes to pass within some minuates or an hour or so, at times I smell things, feel things with my body, hear or taste something not there. How can I use this gift?
This is terrific – i am part of a group working with other to see visions, etc. Personally, have been writing about being with God through other sensory means. Wow – so timely. Thank you, God.
Thanks, Jim,
this helps alot!
This explanation about a Seer is so clear and helpful and it is most encouraging. Thank you for clearing something up that I have often thought about. I now feel more focused. I am most grateful for this input.
Thank you. I have been seeking clarification on what is a seer lately because I heard that a person who is a seer is usually not prophetically inclined. And that a person with a strong prophetic anointing is not usually a seer. Since I was born again 10 yrs ago, I feel as though the church has mixed the term seer and prophetic, and said one term when they meant the other. This has really confused me. The earliest I remember seeing a demon was 3 yrs old; it manifested a lot to me. Now 43 I have a lot of both godly and ungodly seer experiences. (I had the honor of dancing with an angel of God.) So do I presume that my *prophetic* gifting is not that much? Paul says to seek the prophetic gifting above others. Perhaps a similar article defining prophetic may help (at least it would me) b/c in my mind prophetic means the ability to hear God. And I frequently feel as though I do not hear God. Then again, God has to hit some people over the head to speak to them, and others He just has to gently nudge or whisper and they got it. Thanks for reading all this. I appreciate your obedience to God for writing and publishing it.
There is not a note indicating that my comment was posted or is being reviewed. So I have copied and pasted it here in case it was lost.
==================
Thank you. I have been seeking clarification on what is a seer lately because I heard that a person who is a seer is usually not prophetically inclined. And that a person with a strong prophetic anointing is not usually a seer. Since I was born again 10 yrs ago, I feel as though the church has mixed the term seer and prophetic, and said one term when they meant the other. This has really confused me. The earliest I remember seeing a demon was 3 yrs old; it manifested a lot to me. Now 43 I have a lot of both godly and ungodly seer experiences. (I had the honor of dancing with an angel of God.) So do I presume that my *prophetic* gifting is not that much? Paul says to seek the prophetic gifting above others. Perhaps a similar article defining prophetic may help (at least it would me) b/c in my mind prophetic means the ability to hear God. And I frequently feel as though I do not hear God. Then again, God has to hit some people over the head to speak to them, and others He just has to gently nudge or whisper and they got it. Thanks for reading all this. I appreciate your obedience to God for writing and publishing it.
Great info I appreicate it, a friend of mine has the seerer gifting but is not fully walking in it or understanding it all , thank you for clarifing it
Is this part of a book? I would love to obtain a copy of it, if it is.
Thankyou for your encouragement and teaching on the Seer. I do see flashes of light at times…and movement in my periphereal vision at times…and just the other day I saw, almost behind my periphereal vision someone standing at my desk and watching what I was doing. When I turned to look (& I almost spoke) I saw nothing there.
I want to know more. I have been a Christian about 33yrs. I am in an office again, but I tried to start my own business w/the calling He placed on my life. I know this office job somehow fits into the plan, but I need a fresh vision. Thankyou!
Tina
This is awesome, I have asked for years what this gifting is. Thank you for the information. I once was prophesied over that i had the eyes of ezekiel and never quite knew what that meant. I asked leadership and a few others and the best answer i got was it is a prophetic anointing. So again thank you for the in depth explanation. Blessings to you.
hm….might explain those weird lights I see some times …allways thinks its something else…..I see it in the peripheral vision….thanks for an great article.
Hi Jim,
I’ve had experiences that included the senses – ex. twice waking up to the sound of rain (only it was sunny outside) and smelling things which weren’t there.
Also, several extensive, detailed dreams – some like a 3 act play.
Are these “seer” things?
Thanks
Thanks for sharing this blog. It was very timely, helpful and encouraging. I’m looking forward to reading more on this.
But how do we know it’s not our blood sugar dropping making us cold…or hot flashes making us hot…(sorry everyone…just speaking from experience..ha ha)
How can we tell that it’s God when we see flashes of light or things in our peripheral vision…..or smell things no one else smells…
How do we train ourselves? Thanks so much for this and all of the other articles!
Thank-You Jim:
This article was encouraging to me.
I am 32 years old. And I have had ‘déjà vu’s’ and ‘weird’ dreams since I was about 10 years old. Over the years I have seen many things and could not understand whether they were real or just my imagination, like say in your newsletter. I AM BLOWN away to have read your blog. Just the other day, I asked a friend of mine what she thought about something that I thought I imagined. Only to read the beginning of the answer on your blog. It’s as though the light’s been switched for me. Thank you for this information. May Father bless you and keep you according to His plans and purpose for your life. In Christ, Celeste.
It is written eternity is our true existence and being, you are expounding on it to an excellent degree, we never die, actually we don’t even age as the world decrees, we are fooled by this temporal existence as Adam and Eve were which in turn cost them eternity i.e. the gifting (what a cost), we are sons and daughters of an eternal King hence Jesus’ teaching, it’s simple, thank you for this article.
this a very good article. i am a seer prophet and in need of greater insight into the use of the five senses. Bob Jones a well known father ministed to me at his house in Fort Mill a few years ago and told me that GOD was raising me up to be a seer, which i knew, but he shared some things with me i didn’t know. I haven’t been able to see him since that time and i need mentoring in this area. My wife and are in transition right now having moved to Charlotte from Manning, SC. We are looking for work and have been for three months now, so right now we don’t have money as we are living with one of our daughters. Pray with us that doors will open soon.
How do i join your seer training programmes?
This is so true about studying and perfecting our gifting is so awesome. It brings us closer to Abba Father and strengthens us to be used for the kingdom to be a part in setting the captives free. Praise God we are most differently in an exciting time. Glory to God…may your kingdom come and your will be done here on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you for your artical.
Thank you so much for this helpful insight…has answered alot of my quetions and confirmed much!
Sometimes I feel like God speakes to me, and I hear Him and other times I feel like I miss Him. example) I may hear a color, And don’t put it on and get to church and my Pastor will have it on, and others in the church will have it on. So I feel like I miss God, I want to know how to get back to the place that i once was with the Lord.
Hi Jim: I don’t know if I’m a Seer although I’ve had many dreams interpreted and I’ve been told that I am. I have literally hundreds of documented dreams that I have no idea of what they mean and it would cost me a fortune to get them all interpreted. I know God is speaking to me but it is very frustrating because as you very well know, God uses a whole different dream language and I don’t know how to understand what He is saying to me. I really must get to a class. I’ve had Dreams Made Clear and MyOnar interpret some of my dreams. I’m so fascinated by this aspect of our Lord. One day I pray God will show me how to interpret my own dreams. Have a nice evening.
Love it. Just your definition helps me understand more about what is going on with me.
I began reading your book on being a Seer. Unfortunagtely I did not complete it. From a child I have always been a “dreamer” very detailed dreams. When I gave my heart to the LORD I would have very distinctive dreams. I could get up in the morning to tell you if something is going to happen. Strange enough I would be able, from my dream be able to tell you if someone close will die. In my dreams the LORD would show me things or people I needed to be aware of or anything I may be up against. Not only myself, but others, but my dreams would be in symbols that I cannot interpret at the time, but when the incident occured in the future, the dream would come back to me. e.g. 1 mth. before 9121 I had a strange dream. I dreamt I was standing at the door of my home bidding a friend goodbye when I looke up into the sky and saw this rider on a horse galloping a a fast speed with a riderless horse beside him, he looked East Indian, he was riding straight up in the sky. Right on his tail came another rider who was riding a donkey and he had another riderless donkey he was going at a fast gallop and he turned left, on his tail came another and he turned to the right – 3 riders. I said to my friend “look look do you see that, she looked and saw nothing, I was the only one seeing these riders and they were all dark with black wavy hair, they looked like they were frm the Middle East, almost like East Indians. I thought immediately of the 4 horsemen in Revelations. I remember sharing this dream with Tracy Stewart and she said she would pray about it and let me know. When 911 happened, that dream came flashing right in front of my face. I couild tell you of other dreams before disaster happened. But at the time I don’t understand what it means. Sometime I wonder if I operate in the prophetic. Not sure
This article has been a blessing to me. I sometimes had flashes in my mind and sometimes about people and I thought it was my mind because I would sort of wake up and realise that I’m still in the room where I had these flashes. Now I believe the Lord has been calling me to the see world because I dream a lot and when writing all y dreams I foind them to be like a chapter to chapter type of information.
Dear prophet jim driscoll i really want thank you and your ministry for the wonderful work you have done the seers newsletter has realy been a great source of blessing wisdom and inspiration to my life and seer annointing, your deep insight into the seers realm is very uniqueam happy to come in touch with this site, you are my role model and i realy desire to establish a prophetic relationship with you so i can learn and grow faster in my seer annointing. Thanks
I am so thankful for the insight that you have given through this article. Sometimes, I look around me at others and see such a natural strong seer gifting in them and then become discouraged and tell myself that I only thought I had the gifting. I want to see in the heavenly realm that is so much more real than this realm that I walk in. You are saying that I can get better at it if I study the gift. Thanks for the encouragement.
As always…Jim – Timely and Simple. I have explained this in not so many words, or as clearly and definitively. Love your Teaching Style! And can’t wait to get into the Seer Stream when you teach somewhere close to Iowa!!! Miss you Guys!!
I have experienced night dreams/visions for years. Over the last several have come to understand it better but I would like to ask a question. I see what seems to be both good and bad (if you will). Why do I see faces of people I do not know in black and white…is this more like the enemy harassing me or is there another reason that I am not getting the answer to.
Thanks
I have seen lights and movements from the corner of my eye, several times have heard a voice when nobody has been around, have smelled cologne/perfume when no one is around, I have dreams (I am able to discern when they are from Hashem, because the dream will keep coming to the forefront of my mind) along with visions. I want to be a good steward of what Yeshua has entrusted to me. Thank you for the illumination.
Thank you for this article! I know that God has used me to deliver words of knowledge and prophecies, but I never knew that feeling a change in temperature that no one else feels could be God communicating with me, nor did I know that the light and images I see from the corners of my eyes are too. I’ve even smelled smells-sometimes fruity smells and sometimes smells of decay. Thank you for this revelation! This helps me in my prayer life and also to be a better steward of all God has entrusted me with.
Thanks for the info. I have always had these things to happen to me from a little child. A lot has happened to me that I’m just now beginning to understand. I’m just now recognizing and seeing angels and growing in intimacy with Jesus. I’m learning that the things that I see are in fact more real than what I see with my natural eyes. Thank God for this site.
@Basetsana Noah check out his web site- you can sign up for classes-it sounds like what you are looking for.
@Basetsana Noah And you can also check out Patricia King’s Glory School-its probably on xpmedia.com. these are the best resources i’ve found-xpmedia has lots of videos you will like too!
@Basetsana Noah I believe that Patricia and Jim are friends actually. At the least they know each other.
So like everybody can hear Gods voice everybody can see things in the spiritual world through the seers gifting.
As of course not everybody is( because of that) a prophet, so not everybody will be (because of the seers gifting) called a seer.
Thank the Lord for the insight He has given to you as share with others. You have strengthened me so much in the information you have shared. I have been blessed with seeing in spiritual realm that give me spiritual strength and also with dreams. I have a lot to learn on how to deal with what God does show me. I still am not sure if it needs to be shared with the church, when He does disclose things to me in the Spirit, so this is the area I am needing help in. God is so good to His children, and He will bless those who teach others His ways. May God bless you with all spiritual blessings.
Thank you Jim–you are such a good teacher! I am grateful for your mentoring on subjects such as ‘seeing’ because I know you have walked through it, and you give necessary encouragement to folks to pursue further training or practice. Bless you!
What do you think of the late Lady of fire jill austin as a seer??? and who would you say is a seer today???
@Sonflower
I know many that state you you said, “Then again, God has to hit some people over the head to speak to them, and others He just has to gently nudge or whisper and they got it.” He knew us in the womb, some that learns that hard way makes it easier for others that learn the hard way so they won’t travel on the path of God need for “hitting” to bring response. But the one that learn the hard is valuable too.
WOW and wow! I am in total agreement with this teaching.
That is why God gave us our senses, he expects us to use them. He said that he shall supply all that we need, but is is up to choose to operate and use what he has given us. Recent, there was new release about an autistic child, is able to full communicate with through commuters even though she con not in other ways, God is using her. She choose to operate in spiritual gifts, so she can operate in physical gifts (sense)……….. everyone is valuable to God he does not make mistakes….we are to use what he has given us wisely.
@Basetsana Noah
Hi, I enjoyed your comment because I have dreams and closed eye visions but because I have never had opened eyed vision, I thought I was not a Seet even though one who is a Seer told me I was! thanks for sharing your comment on the article it really help me because I can now receive this as truly a gifting from God because I kept asking God what is my gifting! LOL
Since last comment, I shared with someone in my church that I know now what gift I have and he said that he would help me use the gift if I needed help knowing more. I told him I had already ordered CD’s from your site, which have helped me. I am having dreams, visions, and eye open visions that have been coming to pass sooner. Prayers are being answered quickly. There seems to be an urgency in the Spirit Realm, we all need to stand in the Gap for the Lost. Share the Gospel. Holy Spirit give us the Boldness and All Spiritual Gifts to bring our brothers and sisters Home. To God Be the Glory!
Thank for your article on Interpreting Dreams. I have had many dreams of earthquakes and disasters for a long time. I know they are gifts from God, but I didn’t know what to do with them, except to pray. Your article helped put it all into place for me. Thank you and I hope to become a member.
Donna
I am very thankful for your ministry online, Jim. These past two years I have had supernatural experiences that started after seasons of fasting, but I must depend on leaders such as yourself for skills training and education in the seer giftings. You were introduced to me via John Paul’s videos months ago, but am just now able to get involved. I am learning a tremendous amount and I thank God for it! Blessings to you!