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How do we hear the Holy spirit?
Launching into the River - experiences of a trainee prophet/seer. How do we hear the Holy Spirit?
Tim Cook.
Near the start of my prophetic journey - I saw Jesus standing opposite me on the banks of a deep river. The river I knew was glorious and full of wonder. It was calling to me - and everything in the depths of my being was singing back in reply. It was only dangerous if you were afraid of being taken apart by God and shown your inner heart, or afraid of partaking in the sufferings of Jesus and gaining some promotion scars. He smiled and beckoned to me, "Do you want to swim, Tim?, do you want to enter the river and learn to prophesy ... then do so ... it's open and it's all yours. There are no limits of what you can accomplish if you hold onto the hand of My Holy Spirit in the River."
Paul encourages, demands even, that we all prophesy, all of the time, to as many people as possible. Why? Because prophecy is to encourage and build up the Bride. If we ignore this, or quench the Spirit's fire, or despise prophesy - even by a little child - then it doesn't work - it doesn't happen. The Bride remains emancipated and must remain half starved and operate from that place of weaknesses. By the way I will provide Scriptural backup for everything I teach here on request - but if you know your Bible your inner Spirit will witness to truth or deception.
So - imagine your Pastor puts you all in a room - and says, "right you have 30 minutes, please prophesy whatever God gives you to at least 5 people. The Holy Spirit is here to give you all a lavish, even exquisite, 3 course Royal Dinner." Aaaargh... panic *smile* unless you know what you're doing.
How do we get there? I call it the "practice on your mates" principle. Find a victim ... sorry ... er, friend who appreciates and respects the Holy Spirit (this is important - otherwise they'll scorn and despise the treasures you offer) and contemplate them in prayer for a few minutes. Eventually you'll get it down to a few seconds. Practice makes you sharp. If you can't find onfire thirsty Christians near to you, we're all doing the stuff right here online. Jesus showed me this as the new Surfer Anointing ... cyberchurch directly anointed and fuelled by the Holy Spirit. Check out these chatrooms - there's usually someone mature there to watch and learn from. See if you can prophesy on someone before they do you *laugh*.
God Speak
Prophets Chambers
We must first assume that you have dealt with any outstanding sin and are washed in the Blood - for example if you're mistreating your wife - then Heaven automatically closes on your prayers. Preferably be a humble and contrite person - then God likes to hang out with you. Ask the Holy Spirit, "Please give me a good word to bless the socks of my brother or sister here and leave them ravished and speechless, and forever changed, by the deep Love of their King." Well - OK - thats my starting point. Maybe it's a bit steep, but hey make up your own version. Just remember if you aim low - you'll hit it.
We don't want to go up to someone and say, "Aww God just told me that He loves you." No - thats just lazy. True but lazy, or maybe cowardly. Look, 5% of the time this will indeed nourish some broken soul, but my point is that we can't all just live on stale bread and butter - we need to get creative and we need variety. The person you're boring ... sorry, ministering to, is thinking inside, "yeah God loves me, and yet He has nothing to say to me about my unemployment? my secret guilt from when I did such and such aged 15? my impending divorce? my intense suicidal depression? my wife's illness? my prodigal son at Uni?". No - I guarantee that hovering over this precious Christian is a NOW word from Heaven. It's your job as a New Testament believer to access and download it for them
OK, so it's my opinion that the Holy Spirit ALWAYS speaks to you when you LISTEN. We just need help for Him to open the eyes and ears of our hearts. But how will He respond?
1) A scripture - safe territory, yes, but if it's NOW for them from Jesus it can be very effective. When you feel ready it will also launch you into deeper waters. Start paddling, then swim.
2) A picture - hmm I "see" someone beating you over the head with a stick, ah - maybe God sees you're under attack at school, yes Jesus wants to enfold you right now with His healing Arms and walk with you like a Shield into that playground tomorrow. Eventually you'll be laughing at those bullies because all you feel is Jesus hugging you, maybe even witnessing to them." Get the picture? Sorry, I do that. Actually what just happened was a picture leading straight into a series of Holy Spirit words, knowledge and wisdom. *smile* God NEVER says to someone, OK I see you're in an awfully difficult situation right now. What a shame, bye! He has an answer to it, even if it's pure compassion or sympathy.
3)Words - sometimes God tells me to open my mouth and under the anointing I just say things without them going through my brain. Potentially risky, yes, but it's the Anointing thats the key. or you may "see" or "hear" words. Information (words of knowledge) and reccomendations or promises (words of wisdom or healing). I see Banners in the Spirit over people. All the time. Big Font Holy Spirit banners *smile*. Is fun. Can include numbers, times, dates, names, etc, but that's slightly more advanced.
4) Open visions. This is a detailed moving video screen in the Spirit. Very useful, and again, more advanced.
5) Audible voice of Jesus, or an angel. Sorry now I'm teasing you. Both happened to me once - won't ever forget it. Actually I'm whetting you're appetite to head deeper into the River. What is more common with me is to see a constant flurry of angelic activity around the person I'm praying for. There's a healing angel touching your shoulder for example, I just pray for healing there. Etc.
6) Try Journalling. Write a letter to yourself from Father God. Potentially it will blow your mind.
7) Dreams. One of Gods favourite methods. I can walk into peoples dreams and interpret them. This is another gift. Joseph and Daniel started the trend I believe. Ask for these things, and keep asking. Then get a notebook and keep it on your bedside table. Who knows what God may show you in a dream?
Always encourage. It's the devils job to constantly beat Christians down, and he's quite good at it. It's our job to lift them up, repair, heal, nourish, wash, cleanse, feed. Warnings? Yes - if you can do so out of humility, wisdom, scripture and compassion.
Judgement words? ... avoid as a rule because - this is for the advanced, and those truly intimate with the Fathers heart. If you have to make a judgement - you will know. But you'll only qualify if you've first asked God for Mercy and done whatver you can to achieve that. This is where Prophet must be true Intercessor, and be willing to stand in the gap.
So - start in the shallows - and if you can, or want to, keep going deeper. Eventually God will trust you with bigger and bigger words, and there's no reason why you shouldn't be issuing Kingdom decrees to your town, or nation, within months - or possibly years. Depends how hard you work.
The thing is - what's your arena, your gift - or are you like me and tend to do them all.
Prophet - someone who speaks the words of God. We all prophesy - play around in the shallows - nothing wrong with that. Then in the deep places of the River are Prophets made. They must have learned how to fight and identify the sharks; you know the score, guilt, fear, condemnation, control, manipulation, confusion, misinformation etc. Here is spirtual warfare, battle scars, pain and occasionally promotion. It's great.
Seer - just sees things up in Heaven, or in the supernatural realm, or in the future.
Intercessor - carries the pains of a particular people group as a means of releasing healing from the Throne, and becoming more like Christ.
Watchman - sees important events and enemy invasions on their territory. Warns the church, or if they're any good, take out the wolf personally without the sheep knowing. This is called standing in the gap, or the gateway into or out of the fold.
So, my friend, enjoy playing in the River. It's what you were made for, and the Kingdom has lots of work for you to do. What I mean is this. Jesus and I were in agony over the sufferings of the Western Church - weak, wounded, lost, malonourished sheep. He swept a table free of what everyone had been eating - spiritually. He carefully placed very fine wines and foods on the Table, and called me over. "My people are Royal Children - they should be fed the best. It is time to sharpen the Prophets and make their words so clear and concise no repetition, nothing bland or tasteless, nothing less than beautiful, so that we can cut through the bars and chains of iron, set My people free from their dungeons, anoint their wounds with healing Oil, and feed them the very best food and Air of Heaven. This is your task and your Destiny."
My home.
Geoff's home.