Many people have a hard time understanding how God would speak to them through their imagination. They are interested in the seer gifting, but as they do the Stir the Water Prophetic and Seer Exercises, they are somewhat concerned that they are only strengthening their imagination. How can we know we are seeing “for real” and not just making things up?
There are three things involved with the answer to that question.
First of all, God will speak to us through our imagination. If we tend to be dominated by logic, we may have to do some things we’re not exactly comfortable with to allow our imagination enough room for God to speak through it. Then, when He does, we can expect it to feel like our imagination — that is, we can expect our imagination to be involved.
The issue is if what we are receiving is originating in our imagination or merely passing through it, not whether or not our imagination is involved. Vain imaginings can come from our imagination, but God will speak through our imagination.
That being said, is it possible for us to think we are hearing from God when we really aren’t? Yes. Discernment is always necessary, and being led by the Holy Spirit is vital. If we don’t really want to hear God speak or if we want to hear only certain things from Him, we could find ourselves listening to sources that aren’t God. But if we genuinely desire God’s voice, we’re not opening ourselves to vain imaginings; we’re opening ourselves to Him.
Second, we have to realize that God does not give us a spirit of fear (2 Timothy 1:7). If you are afraid that it’s “just you,” realize that that fear is not coming from Him; it’s coming from you. It could also be coming from the enemy, who doesn’t want you to do anything that would further your relationship with God.
We should be more concerned about being ruled by fear than about being ruled by our imagination. Analytical people in particular seem to struggle with the idea of God speaking through the imagination, but as analytical people, if they are listening to their imagination and that’s all, they will figure it out. However, if we are ruled by fear, we won’t be able to see or think clearly, and until we break out of that cycle, growth could be difficult.
Finally, Jesus says that if we ask our Father for bread, He won’t give us stones (Matthew 7:9–11). In other words, when we ask God to speak to us, we can believe that He is. We can — and should — dismiss the fear that in response to our prayer, He will give us vain imagining instead.
The Bible says to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). It is good to evaluate and test what is coming through our imagination, but the problem is that we can’t do that while we’re receiving. It is very difficult to receive and evaluate at the same time — we tend to get stuck on the first word or picture and not get any further. We start wondering, Did God just say that? Really? How do I know? Once we start focusing on the possibility that it might not be Him, it is difficult to hold onto our faith. So we should receive first, record what we think God is showing or saying to us, and then go back over it later. When we do that, our hearts will be able to tell the difference between what was Him and what maybe wasn’t.
God wants to speak to us. Communication with His people is one of the desires of His heart. If we ask to hear from Him, He will respond. We can trust Him to do that.
If you are struggling with this issue, take a risk, and trust God to be good to you. Again, you should be much more concerned about being ruled by fear than about somehow being fooled.
The Is that really You, God? by Jim Driscoll, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
This article was very helpful to me. It cleared up some questions and doubts I had. Wonderful.
This is a good word. I have been struggling with fear of only hearing what I want to hear, but I do believe that since I want to hear from God, that He would not “give me a stone instead”. So from now on I will believe, write it down, revisit it in prayer and fear should be a thing of the past. Amen
Thank you Jim for this piece. I do have a tendency to be a bit analytical, and logical too, but I am also very spiritually sensitive, and very hungry for all truth. And by His Grace, I don’t walk in fear, but in faith. Because of this I ‘figure it all out later’, through listening to that voice, the one I’ve become so familiar with over the years, my Shepherd…..
Good word! Ive been struggling with this -and- ive been testing the spirits during the visions or events of seeing , because of this fear thing.
im getting better at just letting the thought ,dream or Word happen- some are really very clear and direct,but others happen almost as random thoughts and a few ,as i tested the spirit, with “Who is Jesus Christ to YOU?”some startling responces have come.and i knew it was the enemy.
i think i see the difference between a vision and a visitation; though angels have come in visions
as well.they have some wonderfull answers.
one vison was in a “situation”room with a Woman with a headset on,like, seeing me and turning from standing in front of maybe monitor screens
when i asked the question, i opened my eyes.
i thought the vision was over but heard in my spirit Her answer “LOVE”.
i’m so Honored and yet very challenged in
walking in obedience, having understanding in my actions.
Good Word. The Holy Spirit was speaking through you.It is what I am going through right now. To let go of fear when it is a pattern you have worked through is difficult. I struggle in trusting it is what God has given me. I am a very analytical. God keeps showing me my areas and I am dealing with them. Thanks for the help.
I have a really personal problem with hearing the voice of God- can I discuss this with you?
Ok Thanks. The thing is if we can have the mind of Christ this must include the imagination of Christ, the ability to see things that be not as though they were. This happens to me all the time Its a heart thing. Seeing people healed seeing towns and cities beautiful, people happy, families reunited. Even going places. This like every other gift and faculty must be aligned to the word and spiritof God through Jesus Christ. It is like what we all had a children. God is starting to bring the colour back into my life this way and I am grateful. Bless you
Thank you for this article. I have been struggling with hearing the first word and not going any farther because I am analyzing that word. Such good counsel to record everything we hear and then discern. I know exercising this will help me. So much truth in the entire article. Be Blessed!
Thanks, my imagination sometimes confuses me. Wondering, is tha God. I usually dissmiss it. Now I will pay more attention. thanks
THIS TRUELY WAS AN ANNOINTED WORD AND WELL I KNOW OF TRYING THE SPIRIT BY THE SPIRIT. MY ISSUE IS THIS,OF BEING INTIMIDATED AND DISCOURAGED BY A PASTOR WHO DOES NOT RECEIVE THE PROPHETIC GIFTINGS THAT GOD HAS BLESSED HIS SAINTS WITH. SO I BECAME A LITTLE DISCOURAGED AND HELD BACK. ALTHO THE SPIRIT STILL SPEAKS AND DIRECTS I AM NOT AS EXCITED ABOUT GOD USEING ME AS I WAS BEFORE. THE HOLY GHOST SAID “IT IS TIME TO LEAVE” AND I DID.WENT BACK TO MY HOME CHURCH BUT I FEEL LESS THAN,FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD. IS IT BECAUSE I DID NOT STAND FOR WHAT I KNOW THAT I KNOW? I WAS MANDATED TO GO TO THIS CHURCH,WENT STRAIGHT TO WORK UNTIL GOD SAID WHY I WAS THERE. IT WAS FOR ANOTHER PROPHET WHO KNEW WHO SHE WAS AND JUST NEEDED A PUSH. AFTER THIS I WOULD HEAR THE HG SPEAK TO ME DURING PRAISE AND WORSHIP TELLING ME IT IS TIME TO GO.I WOULD ASK WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO GO? I HAD BEEN HERE FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS. AFTER THE 3RD TIME HE TOLD ME I FELT DREAD WHEN I CONTINUED TO GO. I AM NOW BACK AT MY HOME CHURCH AND AM SOOOOOOO GLAD. DO I NEED TO BUILD MYSELF BACK UP?
LESLIE HICKEY
I wish I had someone tell me this about 2 years ago. This was a great teaching, especially to me since I know that I am analytical. But after just learning to trust Him and knowing His Word it has gotten a lot better. This was a question that I had for the longest and eventually just struggled through until I started trusting Him more. I started doing a study on the imagination and that helped me a lot! I started seeing through the Word of God how he operated with His Prophets. One of my giftings is a Teacher so naturally I study and do word searches, look up the orginal words in Hebrew and Greek and as I would study the Holy Spirit would teach me and bring to me certain scriptures to help me. I still have problems at times with it, but not nearly as much as I used to. Thank you for this teaching.
Grace and Peace.
This is so true. I took a class from Christian Leadership University called “How to Hear God’s Voice” and the whole was how to use our God given imagination to hear clearly. I learned how to go into a vision with God and how to write out what I saw and heard. Later I took this information to other believers that I submit myself too. I am able to cross reference what God was saying in a rema word to me with the written Word of God. It has completely changed my walk with God and allowed Him to speak very clearly.
Ehaw! I have long been the recipient of much conversation with, and revelation from, God through my imagination. I have never had a problem with this, because it always semed to line up with the Word. Maybe it’s part of the life of a seer, but I applaud your article and look for more input from you about this subject. Blessings!
99.9 percent of the time God is speaking things to me! I use to ignore or forget but since the 9/11 dream & word of knowledge i have learned to take things more seriously. LSS, a few weeks ago i had a dream/vision about a meteor streaking across the sky going from east to west possibly impacting near a major city! I believe from failing God in the past that He desires for me to pray for the Church to wake up & that sinners would be awakened unto there mortality & the brevity of life & begin to seek salvation in His Son.So that’s what i have been doing. I’m pressed upon to know that this has to happen, so i’m not to pray it away as He had me do concerning a meteor that was headed towards planet earth some years ago! It came out from behind the son, so they didn’t see it coming? But in my spirit i felt it! I’m not all together sure but the near miss of te next meteor could be Dallas or Atlanta?
Thank you for this article. This helped me understand my “fears” and label that for what is. It is an insightful article! Thank you!