A few years ago, my pastor asked my wife and me to visit a family who had just moved to the area. They were experiencing some interesting spiritual activity at the house they had bought. I had never been “called in as a consultant” to go through a house and tell the owners what was spiritually amiss with it, so this was hardly an area of expertise for me. But as I walked through the building, I began to feel something. I paid attention to it, and God gave me pictures; I heard words in my spirit and started to “see” more of what was going on with this family’s house and property.
As seers, most of the experiences we typically hear about or share with others are geared around our five senses on a physical or spiritual level: sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing. For the most part, revelation based on these senses is somewhat easy to communicate. For example, if you saw a picture of a bird, you can say, “I saw a picture of a bird.” What your senses perceive usually isn’t all that difficult to put into words.
But what you feel can be a different story. Seers also receive revelation through their emotions, and emotions can be much more difficult to understand, let alone describe to others. We could feel heavy or sad and not know why; we could feel happy and not be able to pinpoint the reason. In many cases, we might not know what we’re feeling at all — we just know we’re feeling something.
Much of the revelation we receive begins as just a feeling. It begins as a sense or as an impression that could become something more understandable and detailed as we pay attention to it.
I have six kids, and I often get up in the middle of the night because one of them needs a drink or a diaper change. The house isn’t well lit, and I’m not fully awake, so if there is something in the middle of the floor, I’m probably going to find it with my foot. The pain in my big toe lets me know, Oh, somebody didn’t pick up all his toys — his sharp toys. The physical feeling catches my attention.
In a similar way, the Lord will often communicate with our emotions. What we feel may not be clear or describable. It may not even be coherent, but it is important to pay attention to it. When we take what we are feeling to God and dialogue with Him about it, we could begin to receive more revelation: words, pictures, a clearer sense of the situation, etc.
With some seers, this happens on a daily basis. We meet somebody and get a sense that something isn’t quite right with the person. Or we meet somebody else and like that person right away. God catches our attention with a feeling and then gives us greater revelation when we ask Him what is going on. In my experience, this seems to happen the most when we can’t see clearly — when we’re in a learning environment and doing something we haven’t done before. It is like running our fingers over an object in the dark; what we feel gives us a better idea of what the object is. God will often lead us by directing our feelings.
Obviously, this article is just a glimpse into a large topic. Especially where our emotions are concerned, it is very important to be guided by discernment. However, much of the revelation we receive will begin as a feeling, and when we seek God concerning it, we could find that He is answering our questions, giving us greater insight or showing us how to move forward in the moment.
The Receiving revelation through your emotions by Jim Driscoll, unless otherwise expressly stated, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Thank you, Jim…will there be more parts to this large topic? I read this to my husband, and he asked if there would be more…we appreciate your articles, and this is a good one…this idea of emotionally “seeing” is something we want to learn more of.
Some prophetic people, me included, feel the emotions the person next to us is feeling. It can be overwhelming, especially until you realize it’s not you! It is difficult to encourage the other person when you feel deep dispair or to change the atmosphere to joy when hopelessness (not your own) is overwhelming you. It’s a good thing to be sensitive, but do you have any tips on handling it when you are literally feeling their (emotional)pain?
I have a question. Last week I got the feeling that I should not meet someone, it was as if the Lord was saying, “don’t meet them.” But on the other hand, I felt like I should meet them and ignore the voice, which was unusual for me. I went ahead and met them and we had a fruitful meeting… I was not sure where that “don’t meet them voice was coming from”. If it was God or the enemy trying to discourage me…
I really liked the person. Later when my husband briefly met the person, he didn’t like them at all.
What do you think?
Great insight. Thank you Lord.
Thanks Jim! This is very helpful.
I would be interested to hear more about the specific emotions you experienced in this house, and then what the Lord showed you when you inquired of Him.
Good stuff, thank you.
That’s very helpful, Jim, thanks!
So, what happened at the house? I’d like to know because this happens to me fairly often and I’d like to know what you did. Thanks!
Thank you for the insight. I have experienced something of that nature. Now I will be more responsive.
I’d like to hear more about what happened at the house you were at. I have lived in a house that had things going on, but I wasn’t as spiritually mature then, so I’d like to know more about this.
Thanks.
yes I can so relate to this article, I would like more info on this type of teaching, I have always been told that I am emotional, but even my Pastors have realized there is more and have encouraged me, I am also an intercessor. If you have anymore on this or know who has please let me know.
Sheryl
This is an excellent article. However, it only scratches the surface for me. Do you have other resources or someone that I can dialogue with about this? I have been dealing with these exact issues for a number of months now and deeply desire to understand this and to grow in this area.
Thank you for any help that you can give me.
Beth Wood-Young
Dear Sir,
Thank you, for your insight, it is very knowledgable. I am very spiritual. So, far as understanding my dreams for I receive many, some for the World, many others for my self improvement. When, I received the dream. I AM THE EYE OF ZION! I saw the Eye in the Sky. I believe I am here to Observe and tell the Lord what I see or hear. This happened to me on March 4, 2004, as I also received a gift from Jesus Christ, which I had asked for. To see the future…Jesus said, to me: You have been chosen(meaning Nina, me, Enedina)for a purpose. He also, said to me: You are my servant, the servant is not higher than his Master. He also, has asked me since that time…Will you die for me…Will you Carry My Cross. And, I Answered YES!
Nina, I Serve One, Jesus Christ the King!!!
Hi I am writing a book “Surprisingly Supernatural”and in the discrenment chapter I speak about the five physical senses being used for revelation. And in other chapters I share how the Lord excites my emotions to give me revelation. thanks for sharing your insights, I have used you as a reference now for the book. Should be out early 2011. Blessings Neil
pennybillingsley@att.net
I am a seer so I love to read what you have to say on the seer anointing. It always makes me feel I am o k and someone else understands. Thank you!
RE: Receiving revelation through your emotions
This article really helps me to know that I am not alone when I dont understand about the gifts God has given me. Most times I’m thinking I am too emotional about the things I discerned about others, their emotions, or I will think about something about someone that the Lord has reveiled to me about but, I will think its my thoughts so than I will second guest it and put it off then the Lord will show me how he told me and then I will become ashamed because I did not hear property. What do I do? Most times I’m thinking they are my thoughts or wrong throughts.
Thanks for listening
Thankyou! This info is very helpful to me as I am often confused about what I am feeling and if it is just me or if it is spiritual. Sometimes I condemn myself for feeling certain things in a place when it is the Holy Spirit giving me discernment and intercession. It is good to receive confirmation that I am really not crazy, lol. God Bless, Rachel
PS in future can you send Stir the Water emails to feedmylambs.sk@gmail.com Thanks.
Sorry I just sent you an email with my change of address but forgot to put my name on the top.
oops! thanks Rachel
Thank you, You are encouraging me through this message to continue with your exercises. I did one and then got side tracked into other things.
I am struggling with going deeper with God and I know it. I have had a deep wonderful relationship and I want to be willing to be willing to get back to even a more submitted life then before. That to me means being willing to do what it takes to use my past and my passions in prayer and as testimonies despite (I won’t claim it as my) fear of man and discomfort of my death” pains and fear of risk-taking-walking-on-water.
Having confessed all that, I am learning the difference between my own emotions and discerning of spirits. I am quite familiar with living by my emotions and know it is only through an intimate walk with God can I truly walk in the spirit.
It is also a trap for me with that seer’s gift to be uneducated in the difference between stepping-on-toy-feelings, a burden for others God may give me and my own emotional reactions to my past or current personal issues. It is so easy to think I am feeling bad etc because of something in me and dwell in that place when I might be really carrying someone else’s burden, or being invited to intercede for others.
Once again, thank you for your clear message
Thank you so much for sharing. I believe that i’m a seer because of all the words, images & dreams that i have. I’m sensing that my time to give myself to full time ministry has come. But i am not in a Church right now & my life has not been so praise worthy the last few years? So i’m puzzled at the timing of what i perceive as “The Call”. Bless you again for shedding light on my pathway, in The Matchless Name of Him Who Has Overcome The World, Amen :+)
I really do believe that being a seer is a gift from God, and if used wisely it can be a great help to others around us…and I think that surrounding yourself with others like you, can encourage the gift from God..
Thank you for your article. I am one of these people. Will you be writing more on this?
Thank you.
Susan
this happens to me for over 30 years..however after a day or so of this I get very still before the lord..waiting and expecting a word and eventually within a day or so a scripture verse I come across opens up to a total vision..for something today..in the church or for the body of Christ..its hard to explain to people and even to the pastor..but I have seen it come to manifestation and I never forget it..its like branded on my heart and memory..
I like that,simple but very profound.It will help me to check things out ,just to see if God is saying or showing me something.Thank you very much.
I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THESE TEACHINGS. I AM A BEGINNER AND AM LEARNING TO FIND PAPA. IN SO MANY WAYS, IT SEEMS THAT THE MORE I SEEK HIM HE FILLS ME WITH MORE OF HIMSELF.
THANK YOU FOR DOING FOR PAPA
Was a nice beginning, but didn;t go far enough????
SO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE STORY OF THE HOUSE!!!!!!PLEASE TELL US OR ME !!!!!!!! I’LL BE WONDERING ABOUT THIS FOR A WHILE!!!PLEASE!!!!!!FINISH THE STORY!!!DON’T LEAVE US HANGING!!!!!!!!!LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!SIS EDITH
thank you for this article, i went through it carefully but i think i still need more info to understand how God communicate with us
This is truth. I have a seer’s gift, but it primarily operates through my sense of touch and through my emotions. Sometimes I am triggered through seemingly both, and it is near impossible to separate the two. I do sometimes see but not always. I am, however, constantly getting revelation from these other two senses. When I am affected by darkness, whether a spirit’s influence or my own flesh acting up, I get an undesirable sensation in my chest very close to my heart. This is what makes it difficult to distinguish between physical and emotional sensation. But I have learned that I have to follow the lead of these “feelings” because when I don’t follow them, I completely deteriorate spiritually. And the Lord has been building my confidence in this by giving confirmation along the way.
This gift also operates as a discerning of spirits gift because I can “feel” when God is bearing witness to something, and I can “feel” when something is grieving the Spirit. Sometimes it’s neutral, and I “feel” neither.
This is an incredible gift, however, sometimes I am stuck with this terrible sensation in my chest when I am unable to discern what is triggering it or how to ameliorate the situation. This is the first time I have ever heard of anyone speaking about this kind of gift I’ve been given. It has been four to five years since the Lord activated this gift in me, and still, it can be incredibly difficult to articulate what is going on within me/around me. This is the world I live in everyday. It can be very humbling.
So thank you for talking about this. It is helping me to understand what the Lord has put in me. What a relief to know I’m not alone.
I experience this revelation on many occasions and had wondered what was wrong with me. It is difficult knowing if it’s me or if it is someone I am around giving this feeling to me. I appreciate very much this Article Jim and hope that you will post more on this topic. Blessings to you. I love receiving your articles via email.
Thanks Jim for this article. I am glad to “really” know that God reveals to us through emotion. I have a lot of that. I can “feel” emotions going on at my job before I even leave my house. I sure hope you do more teaching on this subject. Most of the time I thought they were mine but I can see how they are not my own. I have felt emotions before leaving for church or visiting at someone’s home etc, or had them when I got there. I would love to learn more!!! Thanks
Thanks for elaborating on this topic. Emotions are a powerful trigger point for me prophetically and can be difficult many times to discern why certain emotions pop up. Good word about praying and asking the Lord for more insight.
I have often recieved feelings like the ones you are describing here. People have blown them off and tell me that they are nothing, don’t worry about it. In the end, my feelings are generally right on. I am very sensitive to these types of things. Thank you for the confirmation.
It has taken me a while to embrace my seer gift…but I have now come to a place that I have embraced it and I know it is from GOD.
I just need to learn more about my gifting.
i was blessed by ur article.attimes i just feel so heavy in my spirit and i dont know whats wrong.Then i try 2 pray but it feels like there’s a wall.How can i be sensitive and attentive 2 listen 2 Gods spirit in such times.
I was doing a spiritual exercise in listening to God. We were to ask Jesus how he saw us. I became anxious that I wouldn’t hear a response. He saw that I was uncomfortable so he said, “Why don’t we just go for a walk because I know that you like to walk, feel the breeze, smell the air, hear the sounds and absorb the surroundings, etc., etc.. Then it “dawned” on me that He was answering the question of how He saw me. He described me just as He made me, for He knows us intimately. In other words He made me a “seer” and I very much see through my senses. I don’t as often hear Him audibly. He knew that and answered the question in the way He knew I could receive the answer. He’s awesome.
Over the last year or so experiencing varying emotions when interacting with people has been interesting to say the least. Not to long ago I came to the realization that I wasn’t in the place the emotions were defining or simply the emotions were not originating in me. Lately there has been an intensification in this area of seeing. As you indicated, seeking clarification from Holy Spirit yields much fruit. Thanks for the insights.
Thank you for opening up and exploring this area. I have not heard too much teaching on those who perceive the prophetic through the emotional. It makes good sense though. Why wouldn’t God use this area!Yeildedness to God in all area is what He wants.
I have learnt that Counting the Omerfrom passover to pentecost brings conscious awaremness to linking our emotions to God’s purposes. Thanks for the great insight.
I teach Prophetic Evangelism, the Seer gift and Dreams at my church.. Id liked the article and I have all my students reading it. Do u have more articles I can share w/them? Are there any Seer activations I can do w/ them. Im running out of activations.
Thanks
Anna
I loved this article and would love to read more topics about this very thing and discernment. I usually am very sensitive to the spirit. I can relate very much to meeting people and picking up on what their struggles may be or even know if they are in a good place with God (not judging)but being sensitive to what I feel when I am around a person. I have also learned and am still growing in this area and I love it. I to have been able to feel the atmosphere in a house or room(s) in places I go and tell what is there that is unseen. I think sometimes that we forget that the spirit realm is more real than the natural realm. And that it really does exist, we may not can see what goes on in the spirit realm with our natural eyes, but sometimes the Lord does allow us to see with our natural eyes. But with our spiritual eyes, we can see into the spirtual realm (Eph 6:12). I have had situations happen where I meet a person and I can pick up on their struggles. Usually because the spirit that is operating in their life can manifest itself to me and I can see and call out what it is. Also I have become sensitive to things like that because of my own battles that I have faced in the past and I am real quick to pick up on those similar struggles. It’s amazing! I just love it and I love the spirit and I love God speaking to us. It’s an awesome journey and I am so Excited to see what comes next! Thank you For these articles.
I am only starting to ‘see’ prophetic pictures now, but I know the seer gifting has been operating for a long time, though I didn’t always know what it was. It has often worked through my emotions. If I walk into a funeral home, for example, even if it is a complete stranger, I will have a sudden overwhelming weight of grief. I was standing at a vendor’s booth once in a mall and suddenly began to feel physically ill and felt a weird ‘emotion’. Like something was off. I couldn’t figure out why until I turned around and directly behind me, which I had not seen coming into the mall, was a booth with all kinds of new age paraphernelia, stones, shaman stuff. I had sensed the oppression and since that time, I have noticed that I almost always get a nauseous feeling that is not physical and yet physical (I know, that makes no sense) if I am near anyone operating in new age, witchcraft or anything of that nature.
So, this article makes sense to me, and I’m glad I wasn’t just imagining this all these years. I had a very uncomfortable sensation near a man once. A well dressed business man. I knew instantly that he was a paedophile, but that sounded crazy to my brain. He was a normal-looking man. A friend of my boss. I felt guilty for feeling this way. Two months later, he was charged and confessed to molesting his young daughters.
The seer gift. I’m so glad it has a name. I always knew it was discernment from the Lord, but it’s a little unnerving at times. I sometimes didn’t know what to do with the information. Now, I pray about it and trust that if God wants me to do more, he’ll say so.
This is a reply to Mark Thrall’s post:
Dude, I have that EXACT same sensation in or near my heart, it feels almost like I swallowed a rock and it got lodged right there… Once, it was really bothering me, and so I just visualized Christs heart and my heart fusing and becoming one, as I did this, suddenly the image of the hearts that I’d been visualizing flashed to an image of a cluster of purple grapes, and right when that happened, my heart started beating differently… It was suddenly fine!
The feeling can also go into my neck and feel like my lymph node has a dull throb, but as I’ve asked different doctors about that sensation, they say that nothing is wrong with me physically.
I however do receive most of my revelation through “seeing”, but when you shared this thing that happens to you, it immediately helped me to understand that this sensation is a part of my gifting…
Weird.
WOW!!!! This is something that started in me not long ago. I was in a class on deliverance, and my emotions became so out of wack, I didn’t know what to do. It almost felt like it was too much. I knew they were not from me. I’m able to see what a person is talking about, see what they lived and such, but when the emotional part of it started, I wasn’t sure how to handle it. I’m finding that I’m now just accepting that someone needs me to pray for them, but also at the same time, I tend to go up to a person and just hug them or whatever the Lord leads.
I’m learning not to be afraid of it, and I’m starting to learn to just accept things for what they are. I’m so in awe of what God is doing. Unfortunately, there are not many people who understand this gifting, so Thank You very much.
Thanks so much for these articles! I am a seer! What a blessing from God! I miss it so bad! I have always been a seer but have only been pressing in, developing the gift for about 10 yrs. I recently was medically poisioned and died and came back. (Dr crossed drugs that were not supposed to be taken together) It poisioned my serotonin levels=brain stem/central nervous system. God has told me it is a “reboot” he is doing in me. I have lived my entire life seeing/feeling things in the spirit rhelm. The majority of my conversations, decisions and actions were defined by what i felt/sensed, even as a child. All this stopped when i was poisioned. Have you heard of anyone else who has experienced a time like this? It’s been 8 months. I am trying to figure out how to live in a world with no discernment when i im used to keen discernment. There is no on-off switch anymore. I feel completely lost without it! Any ideas?
I’ve just begun to have dreams that are not verbal. These are very emotional, even after waking up. I just had a dream of my daughter. She about ready to deliver a child and I was with her. When I came to her I noticed her countanance was bad (depression or sad). People were outside of the home she was in. They seemed to be happy and joyous at a type of a gathering. As I stepped into the room I noticed she was in labor and ready to give birth. She said nothing but intuitively I felt she wanted me to block the doorway so the people outside couldn’t see that she was about to give birth. I looked out the door and stood between her and the door, by the time I turned back around the baby was born. I looked for the umbilical cord and it had already been separated. I took the baby and she went to clean herself up. She came back and got into the bed that was up against the wall. I set the baby near to the end of the bed to help my daughter into the bed. Just then a little girl (smiling) came into the room and wanted to touch the baby. During this time I felt an overwhelming sense of fear from my daughter because of this little girl. But before the child touched the child the baby became the age of a six year-old girl. I sensed as if she were the mixture of my daughter(as a child) and her 2 other children. When the little girl tried to touch my grandaughter she spoke to the little girl, as if to stop her from doing a wrong, “You can’t touch me for the spirit of the Lord is already in me.” At that point the little girl backed up and ran out the door. During the whole dream those are the only words that were spoken. Everything between my daughter and I was as if we were reading each others mind. Since I had this dream I’ve felt uneasy. It’s as if I do not understand it, leaving me feel uneasy in my spirit.
wow, ok, every article is going to spark something
, i’m trying to limit my comments cause i know i ramble too much, its like i got to blurt everything out while i have the chance cause its so rare i meet anyone who thinks like me, i just recently read your book ‘modern day seers’ its amazing story how that came to pass also, it was a devine set up actually, i went to a ‘recovery workshop’ and during the session i kinda felt, ‘this isnt exactly what i need’ but was willing to go through, afterwards we had like a fellowship snack and time of talking, i sat at a table w/ church memebers an teachers i never noticed before and they got to talking, one lady said something to the effect of ‘the Lord was showing me alot at that time’ and i said, wait wait, what do you mean? and she told this story of a time when her and our pastor and others were in a intersession prayer time, and our pastor said, ‘the Lord wants the SEERs to come forth and say what they are seeing’ and she said ‘there was about 4 of us that came forth and started speaking, so i guess im a seer” and i thaught wow, thats awsome, then i said the sillyest statement on earth, i told her, i’m not a seer, but i see things’ took about 2 weeks for me to realize what i said and how silly that was, THEN, i was at the church cleaning in the morning, and one of the ladies came running to me and said they (staff members) need us to pray real quik, so we met in the sanctuary and started praying, and i just kept hearing ‘stir the water, stir the water’ i thaught, ok, healing, praise God! THen, i’ve seen John Paul jackson teach before (w/ kenneth Copeland) everynow and then i check out his sight, and i saw, “modern day seer’ book, dont you know it wouldnt let me purchase it through the sight, it just simply would not accept my information, so i figured, ok, im not meant to have that, then the next day i thaught, ‘let me look up the author and see if he has a sight that i could buy from directly’ to my surprise, the name of the ministry was ‘Stir the Water’ i was so tickled, after getting the book, i zoomed through it so i need to read it again more slowly, but i felt so vindicated in many areas, i never feel like i fit, then reading the part in the article about not fitting in school, even circles (lack of a better word) at church, its so rare to meet anyone who thinks even a lil like me, an then my emotions, thank you thank you thank you!!! but having to have our emotions sanctified in order to discern if its you, or people around you.
anyway, i say allllllll that so say, everytime time i walked passed a cirtain neighbors house takeing the kids to the bus stop, my legs would start to tremble and feel extremely wobbly, thats the best i can describe it, but thats an understatement, it was so bad i would begin to walk on the street (insted of the sidewalk) past that house, and i would start to dread the walk because of it, but i kinda sensed that the Lord was having me confront fear among other things, it was time to claim some territory and stand my ground, i started claiming the sidewalk in Jesus name, i quoted every where my foot went was mine, i reminded the devil i resist him in Jesus name he cannot resist me, he has to flee from me in terror, i began to pray for the people staying there salvation, and for God to intervien anyway He sees fit, just the other day as we were walking to the bus stop i realized i havnt been afraid or had that feeling for a few weeks now, i still dont understand what was going on, or why it was my legs, but learning to stand my ground all over again, (well i guess i just answered my own comment, legs, standing ground) i tell the lord all the time, “lord shout it loud and make it plain cause you know im a dummy”