If you have questions about intercession, prophecy, or hearing God speak (not negative or mocking things about prophetic people, now — keep it positive), just post them as a comment. Please keep it to one of these three topics. I’ll review the comments, and then answer. October 2015 note: This is an active post which I keep adding to, so keep the questions coming.
If I don’t answer immediately, it’s not because I want to ignore anybody. I might need a bit of time to think or find the answer. Other people can answer a posted comment, too.
Please keep in mind that all comments are moderated, so anything that is yucky will never make it to the public eye.
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Lee Ann’s newest book:
Your Intercession Questions Answered
The ministry of intercession is often not well understood in the modern-day Church. Consequently, we have people who pray well and hear valuable information from the Lord, but have nowhere to turn when questions about their prayer experiences arise. This handbook explains intercessor terminology and tackles the issues which intercessors tend to encounter. It’s a valuable resource for pastors, too.
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I’ve had a few questions come in that haven’t been posted as comments. They are good questions, so I’d like to answer them here, too:
1.) What is a “prayer language”? — It is simply another term for speaking in tongues during personal prayer. There is the public gift of tongues, mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:10, and there is the personal use of it for prayer. For more on this subject, please see my article, The Power of Your Prayer Language (Part 1).
2.) How do I receive my prayer language? — The clearest answer I have read on this comes from Kenneth E. Hagin’s book, Bible Faith Study Course
The Holy Spirit comes in to live and dwell in you, and then you must learn to respond to Him. And when you receive the infilling of the Holy Spirit, He will give you utterance, but you are to respond to Him by doing the speaking. Many people fail here, because they base their faith on physical evidence. In other words, they’re not going to believe they have received the Holy Ghost until they speak with tongues. That’s wrong. They must believe they have received the Holy Spirit, then He will grant the utterance.
…You believe and receive the Holy Ghost first, then you speak with tongues as a result of having received. Some don’t understand that, and that’s the very thing that hinders many from receiving….
That’s the very area where many folks stumble and miss it. They think they’re going to speak in tongues and then believe they have the Holy Ghost. But, you’ve got to believe it first. You receive Him first. [Kenneth E. Hagin, Bible Faith Study Course
So, we ask the Lord to baptize us in the Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues, we believe in faith that He does what we have just asked, and then we yield our tongues to Him and begin speaking in tongues in faith. As soon as we start to speak, He takes over. But we have to act on our faith.
If you would like further help, I have written a post to walk you through the simple steps to receiving your prayer language. Go here.
3.) Can my prayer language change? — Sure! You may find that your prayer language shifts back and forth between several languages. During special times of intercession, I often notice that my prayer language is different. I have a friend who has separate prayer languages for personal use and speaking in tongues in the public setting. God can do it however He wants. All we have to do is be yielded and leave the details up to Him.
4.) How do I know my prayer language is from God and not the devil? — Are you a born again Christian? Did you ask the Lord to baptize you in the Holy Spirit? Then He did, and you have to trust Him. He doesn’t give us a scorpion when we ask for an egg. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them who ask Him?” (Luke 11:12, 13).
5.) I’m worried because my prayer language sounds funny. — This is a very common concern. You might never have thought of it this way, but English sounds funny to many people around the world. We need to stop obsessing about how it sounds and just use it. Do you have only one or two syllables? It’s OK. There are tribal languages made up entirely of one or two syllables. Those languages depend more on pitch and voice inflection than on different syllables. Is your prayer language made up of clicking sounds in your throat? It’s OK. This is also a verifiable tribal language. I have prayed on occasion in this prayer language. Trust God. How weird it sounds to you is just more confirmation that the Spirit is praying through you. You could never think this up in your own head!
6.) What is the difference between a prayer warrior and an intercessor? — The simple answer is — nothing. We used to call ourselves prayer warriors, but intercessor is the current cool term. The important thing isn’t what we call ourselves, but what we do — stand in the gap on someone else’s behalf and pull down the needed answers from heaven. I use the terms interchangeably.
7.) What is a prophetic intercessor? — There are probably several definitions to choose from. Mine would be “an intercessor who taps into the flow of Holy Spirit and prays according to what He reveals.” This is as opposed to simply praying a prayer list that comes out of one’s own agenda and one’s own understanding of what is needed. We all sometimes pray from our own understanding, because we are not yet perfect, but the goal is to pray His counsel and thereby receive answers that give Him glory and delight.
8.) What is an apostolic intercessor? — See my post by this title.
9.) Are visions from God literal? — They can be either literal or symbolic. Sometimes it is obvious which is which, and sometimes not. When we are not sure, we can ask God for wisdom, and He will liberally give to us (James 1:5). For a more detailed answer, please see my post, Discerning Between the Literal and Symbolic.
10.) Does God use nightmares to speak to us? — He can and does. Pharaoh’s dream about the cattle swallowing up other cattle (Genesis 41) was a disturbing dream, and it was from God. Nebuchadnezzar had several dreams that were terrifying for him (book of Daniel), and these were also God-dreams. I note that these kings were unbelievers who were being warned and/or given direction by God. There are many other examples in the Bible, both OT and NT, of God-dreams and visions that terrified. They are meant to give us warning and guide us, so that the bad things do not happen. If we listen to the directional adjustment in these dreams, they do not have to come to pass. They are not meant to be fulfilled.
However, I do believe we should be able to tell the difference between a warning nightmare from the Lord and nightmares that scare us, but do nothing for us besides making us fearful. Nightmares of that nature are demonic, and if they happen frequently, usually indicate that we have a door of entrance for the enemy into our lives — disobedience to God, occult activity in our past that has never been renounced (see my post, What Well Are You Dipping From?), pagan artwork in the home, etc. We must ask the Lord where the door of entrance is (if we do not already know), and close that door. Christians do not need to put up with demonic nightmares.
Out of the Fire 
Hello… 🙂 I have an imoprtant question to ask & see if you or anyone knows this…. Does God call a person into the 5-fold ministry or does man? Who gives the 5-fold ministry gifts? God or man? When does a person get called? Gods timing or mans? Who sets the qualifications to be called into the 5-fold if by God? God or man?
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Hi Cheryl,
God is always the One Who is the initiator of any ministry call, and He is the One Who gives the gifts and abilities. He predestined each one of us (had a plan for our lives before we were even conceived, which includes “calling”). “For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29 — which is not speaking in the context of this discussion, but the principle is there of God being the Chooser).
However, we can, through immaturity, disobedience, or ignorance delay or hinder ourselves from coming into our full potential. We can affect the timing of our complete fulfillment, in this way. Timing also involves circumstances and whether other people are cooperating with God — because no one of us is an island to self. We are interwoven with other people’s lives, like it or not. But if we are humble, teachable, and cooperating with God’s plan, He will see to it that we do come into our destiny.
As to where man fits into us coming into our callings, if we look at Bible precedent, we see that God has a governmental system in place to accomplish His purposes, and this usually means that people in the five-fold ministries are officially released at some point into those ministries by church leadership. For example, Joshua was released into being the OT equivalent of “apostle” by God’s choice, but commissioned by Moses and the Israelite congregation (Numbers 27:15-20). God chose both Saul and David to be king, but it was necessary that Samuel anoint them. God chose Paul and Barnabas as apostles, but they were not called by that title until the eldership of the Church at Antioch laid hands on them and commissioned them to go (Acts 13:2, 3). We continue this Bible tradition today. For instance, pastors are licensed, ordained, and installed by a local Body.
This is not to say that people do not operate in 5-fold giftings before they are officially recognized. They tend to operate in them, mature in them, and then at some point come into being fully recognized in them. For instance, ideally we would not install someone as a pastor or officially recognize him as a prophet if we had never seen the characteristics that go with those callings at work in him or her. So, we cooperate with the Lord, and let Him do through us what we are called to do, bit-by-bit, and leave the timing of recognition and full release to Him, trusting that He will bring those we are accountable to, to the knowledge of when and how to give that fuller release. We can do the “stuff” without claiming the title, while resting in the Lord to fully accomplish His goals for and in us.
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Yes, there will always be ordination because when God calls a person, He will place the right one or people to safely escort them into that call by Him. He will perfect that what He calls & will equip whom He calls. AMEN! There is protocol here on earth as it is in Heaven. Thats why it is very important to be with people who “KNOW” who they are in Christ & they have been affirmed by an Apostle who is sent by God to lay the foundation with Prophets in the church working with the 5-fold ministry for the equipping of the Saints that they may become mature for ministry. God is raising up Apostles & Prophets in these last days for the equipping of the body to be fully mature. The reason many Saints in the church may feel out of sorts (or not know their place in the body) is because they are missing the order in the church. They must be equipped so they can get on with ministry that God has for them. The Apostolic authority is missing. When He calls- He will finish what He started! AMEN! Example: A Teacher can not escort an Apostle into an Apostle realm, because He has not operated as an Apostle. A Preacher can not escort an Apostle into the Apostle realm, because He has operated as an Apostle. No one can take someone where they have not been themselves. What God starts, He will finish. AMEN! Love you~
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Hi
I am now getting into to this intercession prayer and has noticed that when I open my month to speak in English , tongues come out. Is it possible to prayer in tongues and know exactly what you are praying?
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Hi Rose,
Please read my series on The Power of Your Prayer Language. I think it will help answer questions you may have. There are times that we do know exactly what we are praying in tongues. This is interpretation of tongues.
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What are the rules and regulations for intercessors?
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Rule #1 — “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty” (2 Corinthians 3:17).
Rule #2 — “Not of the letter [of the Law], but of the spirit: for the letter kills, but the spirit gives life” (2 Corinthians 3:6).
In other words, it’s all about heart attitude and being attuned to the Holy Spirit — not about a set of do’s and don’ts. Throughout the posts at this blog, I do give some protocol guidelines that will help avoid making mistakes (especially see the post on pastors and intercessors), and I even refer to those guidelines as “rules,” but what it all boils down to is having a humble heart that follows the leading of the Spirit — only doing and saying what He shows us, just like Jesus did. The “rules” are to make us aware of our own pride issues. None of us is so perfect that we don’t need a little reminder about pride here and there, but as we stay close to Father’s heart through prayer and the Word, we will get better at flowing with Him, and we will become more humble. The guidelines (“rules”) become more and more of a non-issue as time goes on.
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Hi
I did what you told regarding the prayer language and I see God doing something. While I was praying in my language as I was driving, I kept hearing Isa 26:3,constantly. Thank You. I also got the book Mighty Prevailing Prayer.
I am presently reading Activating the Gifts of the Holy Spirit by David Ireland, it is quite interesting, he made reference to a portion of scripture in Isaiah 50:4 and he liken it to speaking the word of knowledge or wisdom. The Lord gave this scripture about 5year ago Isaiah 50: 1-4, I also thought it meant counseling was I wrong.
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That’s wonderful, Rose! 🙂
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Hi
Yesterday in service, the leader of our intercessory prayer group called all intercessor that were there to assist with standing with the person at the altar. My friend is an intercessor so naturally I moved so that she could pass. She did not move. Later when I asked why she did not go up she stated that there was no one there for her. I asked her what she meant, she said it had no one there for her to minister too.
I told her that the head intercessor called that all intercessors go up, she said no. My question is, was what she did correct. Does she need a special call from God to go up, because there were people there without anyone standing with them.
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She may have had reasons unknown by you and me.
In a general answer though, my personal feeling is that if there is a need for prayer, then that is our call to fulfill it in such a situation. Sometimes we can get super-spiritual about having to feel a special anointing, see a “light” over the one we are to pray with, or have some physical sensation before we will move. It is nice if God specifically directs us to someone, but if He doesn’t, and needs for prayer are not being met, then just step in by faith and do what needs to be done, and God will honor that.
But it probably would be best not to correct your friend. Just use the experience to quietly learn for yourself what not to do. We can learn a lot by observing others’ mistakes.
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Thank you
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I feel really stupid writing this because i already know the answer. Some times you just have to say a thing. I worried if i am cut out to be an intercessor. You have to pray all the time and i feel like i am not doing it enough. Then there is all the pray request that all of a sudden is now there for you to pray for. Then you feel absolutely exhausted. I honestly believe that I am doing this all wrong. May be God made this mistake and if he did not make a mistake what kind of intercessor am i who has a lot of stress praying. I feel overwhelm. I am going to start 2011. Not in this mess.
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Hi Rose,
I don’t know if you can believe this or not, but I have sometimes said to God, “Maybe I’m not cut out to be an intercessor!” There are times I feel REALLY overwhelmed. And I have sometimes said to God, “Some intercessor I seem to be!”
What’s going on is that we feel this way in our own humanness, but it is not the way God wants us to view prayer — or ourselves as intercessors. We feel this way because we are looking at ourselves instead of fixing our eyes on Jesus. We feel so helpless when confronted with the needs we must pray into. That is because we can’t fix it — only God can. But as we pray, we start to take hold of Him, trust Him, and realize He is in control. It is part of the prayer process to get past thinking about our own inadequacies and let God do what He wants to do. Intercession takes dependence on the Lord.
You don’t have to pray all the time — just as much as the Lord leads you to and as much as you can handle. Feeling like you are not praying enough is pretty common to intercessors, too. Again, it comes from thinking we are the ones who have to accomplish the answer — when what we really need to do is cast our care upon Jesus and realize He makes the answers happen — not us.
In other words, when we feel guilty about not praying enough, or feel we have to pray all the time, it is really legalism — thinking our works bring the answer. This is something a lot of us struggle with. What we have to do is remind ourselves that it is not our works of prayer that get the answers. The answers come because the Lord is gracious and eager to answer. Yes, sometimes prayer is strenuous, but when we are supposed to pray strenuously, Holy Spirit should be fueling it, not our guilt feelings.
When people recognize you to be an intercessor, LOTS of prayer requests start coming. You have to understand that not all those requests are your business to handle on an intense basis. God will eventually lead you to the special area of prayer that is just for you (for instance, my prayer specialty is to intercede for my pastor, some other intercessors pray about abortion, or for Israel). When I get random prayer requests, I pray on the spot with the person who is asking for prayer. And then I let it go. I only pray for it again if it comes to mind here and there. I also pass prayer requests I receive on to a helper whose specialty it is to take those needs to prayer when I send them to her. So, if you are not enjoying praying for umpteen different people who are all clamoring for your prayers, it is probably because you are not supposed to be doing it. Pray for them once and let it go. It’s OK.
So the bottom line is, relax. Enjoy personal time just between you and the Lord. Intercede as the Holy Spirit leads you. If He is not the One leading you in it, it just becomes a chore. Without His help, you can’t pray effectively anyway. Don’t pressure yourself. Enjoy prayer, and let God lead you in the dance.
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Thank you Lee Ann
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I have a question,that isn’t very general. I received a prophecy about a year ago that God was going to create a great change in me and turn me into a butterfly (He is going to nourish me in a cacoon and everyone around me is going to see His change ) I did some research and butterflies eat away the caterpillar and revealss something they have never used before which creates the butterfly ) so I was at a meeting where they said God as about to download something new into woman with such and such name.my maiden name was part of it. For whatever reason I didn’t allow them to pray this over me. I feel disobedient and lacking faith. I don’t know the Pastor or anyone from that church well enough to approach them to ask. Did I miss my chance to allow God to make this great change in me? I know God is big but I know that personal prophecy is also changed with different actions. What do I do from here? Do I contact the Pastor who was at that meeting or do I continue to stand on a promise that I broke. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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Hi Ann,
I have a couple of thoughts. It sounds as though you have received two prophetic words saying that God wants to work a good change in you — something new and better than where you are currently at. God always wants to keep taking each of us into better and better places. To my way of thinking, you would not be disqualified from stepping into God’s best for you simply because you did not allow people to pray over you in that one moment.
Secondly, a true prophetic word indicates God’s desire and intent for you. I don’t see that it would fail just because the people around you did not pray over you for it. (In fact, I don’t know as it is a wise thing to lightly let people lay hands on us and pray, if we don’t know who they are and whether they are trustworthy in the Lord or not. I personally don’t feel good about random people laying hands on me.)
I think that perhaps, in feeling disobedient and lacking in faith, you might be experiencing condemnation, which isn’t from God. Condemnation paralyzes us from moving ahead in God’s plans for us. Did you sense at the time that God was speaking to you that you needed to seal the word by receiving prayers of impartation from the people who were present, but that you refused to do what He was speaking to you? Even if you did resist Him in that moment, all you need to do is ask forgiveness, trust that He forgives you, and move on. If you didn’t sense Him speaking specifically to you, I wouldn’t be too concerned just because people wanted to pray for you.
God is never one to withhold good things from us. He wants the very best for you at all times. He is not going to offer you a life-change, and then if you don’t immediately jump on it, tell you that you missed it forever. What I would do is just begin seeking Him right at the point you are at now, and tell Him you want all the change and new things that He desires to bring into your life. This is yielding yourself to Him. He will be delighted to take you at your word and begin to bring His very best into your life. You have not disqualified yourself.
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Thank you so much LeAnn. I was thinking it was condemnation also. You’re a blessing! God bless!
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Hello. I wanted to ask how a child of God can adjust in the times that he is silent. I am having a struggle knowing what I am to do because I have been taught that we should always be busy. I know that God is not the author of confusion so I know there is an answer to this. This is unfamiliar terrain for me.
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Hi Anonymous,
The silent seasons can be very frustrating. Every serious Christian experiences them at some point, and sometimes it has nothing to do with whether we are making ourselves available to listen to God or not. We can do all the “right” things, and yet there are times He just chooses to not speak. It has been said that the silent times are when we do most of our maturing — because faith and dependence on the Lord are stretched at those times.
A verse that comes to mind is Isaiah 50:10 — “Who is among you who fears the LORD, who obeys the voice of his servant, who walks in darkness, and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.” Here we get the picture of a believer who is doing all the right things, yet finds himself in a dark time (silent time?). It is a trusting, abiding time — a time of putting our hand in His and just letting Him lead us as we need to be led, without knowing where He is taking us. (Currently, I’m going through a time like that.)
As to always being busy, that can be a hindrance to hearing God, especially if we are frantically busy, with our mind racing constantly. It is a good thing to slow down, relax, spend time just thinking in the Lord’s Presence, and meditate on Who God is or on a Scripture passage. Resting often makes us more receptive to hearing the Lord. But even if we don’t hear anything during that time, it’s important to make ourselves open to Him in that way anyway. I sometimes find that I hear nothing from the Lord during time I set aside just for Him — but then He speaks at a random moment later on while I am doing other things. And often, after a prolonged season of silence, the floodgates of revelation let loose, and we hear in such volume that we can hardly take it all in.
Hang in there, keep trusting, and don’t fret during the silent time. It will come to an end, and God will accomplish through it what He intends.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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I am new to the website and have a general question.
Are there any articles on binding and looseing.
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Hi Sheila,
I do address binding and loosing within the series on Spiritual Warfare.
I have listed the major series of posts in the sidebar on the right. Thanks for visiting, and I hope you find the blog useful.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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I’ve read all the information posted and comments, and still have a question. You give all this advice on finding you prayer language but give no biblical basis for your answers. You make some pretty big theological statements and again, have no biblical basis for them. I know being baptized in the Holy Spirit means speaking in tongues to a lot of people and to a lot of other people it means the inception of the Holy Spirit at conversion. Could you please help me get a better understand where you get your knowledge from biblically?
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Hi Adam,
I’m not sure what in particular that I have said you feel is a big theological statement with no biblical basis for it. I try my best to have a solid biblical basis for whatever I teach. If you have a specific point that concerns you, that might help me to think it through and clarify. I am always open to honest questions and ideas, but I don’t intend to argue for the sake of arguing.
I teach on the baptism in the Spirit and how tongues ties into that at length in my workshops, but you will also find some explanation in my post, The Power of Your Prayer Language Part 1.
When I have a question about whether a teaching is biblically correct or not, I find that it helps to ask God to lead me into the truth by enlightening Scripture to me in my regular course of reading and by bringing particular verses to mind that will help me to know His truth. In John 14:26, Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit “…shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance…,” and He will do that with Scripture if you ask Him to. We have all been brought up in some teachings that are the traditions of men, not God, and it can take a bit of overcoming our own resistence to get to the place of receiving truth, but if we are open, God will get through to us. Coming into biblical truth is a learning process we all go through as long as we are here on earth
For study on the baptism in the Spirit, you may want to start by carefully reading the book of Acts, asking the Holy Spirit to help you read with His mind on the subject. 1 Corinthians 12-14, particularly Ch. 14, may be of help as well.
Regards,
Lee Ann
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I have been in a long “night season” and was reading on how to go through it. I read that I should approach this season knowing it is “Father filtered”, and to trust in His love. My question is, If I’m to rest and trust that everything is “Father filtered”, and I’m not inferring it’s not, I agree that it is. Than how do I recognize whether to rest in what the Lord is allowing (Father filtered) or to fight against what the enemy may be doing (a thief & a liar)? I don’t want to fight against the Lord, but I don’t want to agree with the enemy either. What appears as negative isn’t necessarily the enemy and what appears as positive isn’t necessarily the Lord. How do I recognize what’s Him, what’s not and how do I pray, knowing that His love is allowing it? As I struggle to understand I seem to be the cause of my own pain. Fight or rest? (James 4:7,8) Help!
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Hi Bruce,
I suppose it depends on what you are going through. We know that the Word says God intends to bless us (John 10:10 for instance). However, there are times when God allows us to go through trials in order to get us to where He wants us to be next — for instance, losing a job so that He can shift us into something better or move us to a new location. He may allow us to go through an extended spiritual battle of the mind, so that we learn to resist the enemy and gain victory — making us stronger warriors. And we can go through troubles due to our own lack of wisdom or other people’s decisions which affect us.
The first step is to look at your circumstances in alignment with God’s Word. Is there any place in the Bible that speaks into this? You will probably need to ask the Lord to give you spiritual discernment about what is going on, and keep asking over a period of time until He shows you.
It is possible to rest in trusting God and be confident that He will bring you through, and at the same time, resist the devil so that he will flee from you. Notice that James 4:7 tells us to do both at the same time: submit to God, but also resist the devil. Most difficult things we go through are not directly put in place by God, so we do not have to take them lying down (we submit to God, but do not usually submit to the circumstances). He may allow us to go through them, but He is not the author of them.
What God would want for you, as you work through this, is to live in His peace, and know that He will bring you through triumphantly if you don’t give up. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all” (Psalm 34:19). “…Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire you shall not be burned … (Isaiah 43:1, 2). I know it is not easy to stay in His peace when things are hard; it is something we must ask for His help in, and also keep making the decision to do. Declare the blessings and promises of the Lord over yourself.
There is a section of my website with many encouraging Scriptures listed topically that may help you through this difficult time. Please see http://www.characterbuildingforfamilies.com/encouragement.html. I collected these Scriptures during my own time of going through the fire with much questioning and pain.
I hope that helps a little.
Blessings, Lee Ann
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Thank-you for your time, encouragement, and help. Some of what you shared I have been doing and will continue. The others I will pursue and find my place in them. I am coming to realize that it’s more important to focus on Him and what He’s doing, rather than on me and what I’m doing (right or wrong). I do know “I Am” being Blessed and coming to know Him more intimately. :{)> I’m not alone, for He even shared Himself through you. It’s always helpful when one shares who’s been there before. Seems He uses everything, nothing wasted, for our good and His Glory!!! Guess sometimes we’re just standing too close to see clearly. And yes, you did help…
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So glad, Bruce. 🙂
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Hi there, I have a very specific question…
I received baptism in the Spirit 1 1/2 year ago and since then began to develop certain gifts in the Spirit, including discernment of spirits. Oftentimes, when I meet some one, I feel like I can ‘read’ them. Due to my (un)happy past, I tend to see what hurts them.. I still don’t know how to this gifting yet though.
In addition, over the past 3-4 weeks, something different has started to happen. It seems that when I meet someone whom I feel compassion for (whether they are good or bad), I ‘connect up’ with them and at some point, I can see them in the Spirit even miles away, and that can be days/weeks later.
The trouble is, I don’t recognise them straight away, and due to this discernment gift I have, I pray to find out if there’s anything around me/within me first… and in the meantime, those people’s state of mind is so invasive that I can’t even tell whether that’s me or someone else… Then, when I can clearly identify the person, when I ‘recognise’ them in the Spirit, I can pray about whatever it is I see that seems wrong and cut the link, so to say.
But I’m really troubled by this and don’t know what to think about it… partly because of the invasive nature of it all.
I hope you will have some hints/pieces of advice…
GBY, from France
Sophie
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Hi Sophie,
This is a little complicated, and we should probably take it in parts. Let’s start with your 1st paragraph. When you see in the spirit realm what is hurting people, you are probably operating in both the discerning of spirits (being able to tell what is of God, what is of the enemy, and what is flesh) and the word of knowledge (knowing things about people’s past or present by the power of the Holy Spirit). That is a good thing, but you will need to learn to use it with wisdom, discretion, and diplomacy. There will be times when you will be able to interact with the person about what you are seeing, and other times when it will be best not to. Ask God for wisdom and an open door, and see where the Spirit leads you. Flow with Him. You might be able to engage in conversation that will lead to praying with the person, and be able to bring healing through your prayer with them. If it seems right to interact with the person about what you are seeing, ask a question to get things started. “God sometimes speaks to me about people, and I am getting a sense that music is a big part of your life. Does that mean anything to you?” You wouldn’t want to just blurt out something negative, such as, “I see a spirit of rejection about you,” as that could be wounding to them. So, you will need to work this through carefully until you learn how to handle it well. If there is a church or ministry in your area that can help you grow in flowing with the gifts of the Spirit by giving you hands-on practice within the ministry environment, that would be a good thing to look into.
About the rest of your comment, I have a few questions before I can answer. What do you mean exactly by “connecting up” with people? I think I have an idea about what you are experiencing, but I would want to have that clarified. Also, have you ever had any connections with New Age or the occult? I ask in order to help discern what is happening and whether it is healthy or not. Spiritually sensitive people often are affected by the emotions and spiritual atmosphere of other people around them, and will feel it personally, but I want to make sure that you know how to deal with things in a healthy manner, so if you can explain further, I think that will help us get to the bottom of what you are experiencing and how to handle it.
Blessings, Lee Ann
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Thank you for your answer. As for your question on ‘connection’, I don’t know how it happens. I just know that at some point, I feel great sorrow or compassion for someone who hurts, and nothing necessarily happens. I don’t go to them or speak to them. But days/weeks later, it’s like their mind invades mine and I see whatever spirit/emotion is affecting them. And in the same way I can pray ‘mine’ out, I can pray them out and then ask the Holy Spirit to end the connection. I don’t feel comfortable about this at all though.
As for occult practices, I have never done any such thing and it has already been asked to me a couple of times. However, 2 weeks ago, during a seminar on deliverance, someone had a word of knowledge, which I believe to be true, saying that someone in my family (relatives? ancestors?) had been involved in the occult. Though I know nothing about this and have no way to confirm it. But I trust the person who said that and trust the Lord too..
Sophie
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Hi Sophie,
In case there is a connection with the occult through ancestry, I would suggest doing a little simple deliverance ministry over yourself. Just say aloud something like, “I renounce all ties to the occult which I may have through my ancestors, relatives, or any other means. I break off of myself all demonic influence resulting from those ties and I shut any open doors of the demonic into my life in the Name and by the blood of Jesus. Jesus, I thank You that You are my Delverer, and that I am now free.”
The part that troubles me is that you feel like their mind or soul is “invading” yours — and that whatever is going on is quite disturbing to you. What could be happening is that, as an intercessor and a very sensitive person spiritually, you are identifying with that person so that you can pray for them to be set free. This does happen, and it is a valid thing from the Lord. You actually feel their emotional pain as your own, and it is your cue to pray until that burden is removed. It can also be a physical pain that is not your own, but you feel it in your body so that you can pray for the other person to be healed. That is one of the ways the word of knowledge manifests so that it can be combined with the gift of healing or praying for someone’s healing. Once you have prayed, the pain will then disappear from your own body.
Prophetic people and/or intercessors will sometimes feel suddenly depressed for no definable reason, and really what they are feeling is an atmosphere of depression from people they are around right then, or for a region (especially if they are somewhere away from where they live). It is often hard when it first starts happening to recognize what is going on, and they may think they themselves are depressed, when really they are experiencing a burden to pray for the region or people who are suffering from depression.
It’s a good thing that you pray and then when you ask the Holy Spirit to end the connection, it does end. I guess what I would do in your shoes is to ask the Lord to reveal if this is a valid intercessory prayer identification thing going on, or if it is something else. Ask Him to give you peace about it if it is from Him and to help you walk it out effectively. But, armed with the info I’ve given you here, if you still think something is not right about this happening, then cut it short by commanding any evil spirit that may be bothering you to leave in Jesus’ Name and claim the protection of the blood.
The more prophetic you are, the more you will be sensitive to the spirit realm — good and bad — and this is why operating in the discerning of spirits gift is so very important. It does not make you in any way a bad person if you sometimes sense things from spirits other than the Lord. You just have to grow in knowing the difference and only “receive” that which is from Him. Staying close to His heart in prayer and especially in His Word will help to hone your discerning skills. This is something that we all must deal with as part of being supernatural people, and as you run everything by the Lord, He will help you know what is of Him and what is not. He is faithful.
I hope that helps. I would be glad to know how it goes for you in weeks to come.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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Thank you. What you’re saying about a burden, that’s exactly what I’ve been feeling myself. Only, I was concerned about it because of the many personal revelations I have had recently about the “bad side” precisely. Starting by a person with wrong intentions praying for me… before that I didn’t really know what to think for the occult and witches etc, now I know they exist and have to be careful about them.
I have been rather uncertain about the spiritual aspect of it all as I seem rather gifted in that area with visions, and revelations like those I mentioned. I am also sensitive to God’s presence in a house or in a church, or the anointing on certain people… But I don’t always find the support I need to understand all that I am experimenting, discovering, especially in the ‘supernatural’ realm. I am blessed to have found a church that has and and makes use of spiritual gifts, which is an absolute miracle in my country… only, the pastors sometimes also lack experience in certain areas.
Thank you so much for your help and answers, I am so grateful for that, and that you replied so quickly.
I’ll keep you posted on how it goes on,
Thanks again,
Blessings,
Sophie
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Hi Lee Ann,
I had an interesting experience at work today and hope you can shed some light on what I was going through. I found out that a man I work with and speak to daily was arrested for raping his 7 year old granddaughter. (I did discern that this man was a bit creepy, but still was politely friendly when passing in the corridor.) When I was told, I was overwhelmed in the Spirit. I couldn’t keep from weeping for some time. There were a multitude of emotions, which would be expected, but there was one that I could not explain. As I prayed the Lord revealed to me that I was violated. I don’t understand how I was violated.
I am fairly sensitive and compassionate for others. I can see their pain and often pray for them silently (at work). I am deeply moved by news such as I received today and but I have never felt like this before. I was sick but not physically. My body seemed like it wanted to vomit, but not physically. It seems to me that everything I was experiencing was in the spirit. But today was a new thing. Can you explain?
Thank you
Jan
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Hi Jan,
It is possible that you were experiencing identificational intercession. Sometimes intercessors, especially those who are very sensitive, find that as they intercede, it is as though they feel what the person they are interceding for is feeling. You may have tapped into that on behalf of the little girl.
I would suggest asking the Lord for further understanding of what you were experiencing.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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I have a question, I was called to be a prophet like jeremiah, jeremiah 1:5. Now I’m having a doubt like something tells me I’m a false prophet.now I’m hoping that you will encourage me that I’m a true prophet.by the way I’m 13 years old . Help me, if can provide a solid answer.
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Hi Sixolile,
I am curious as to why you are now concerned that you might be a false prophet. If you love the Lord Jesus with all your heart, listen to Him, and use your prophetic gift obediently toward Him, with His glory in mind rather than your own, I don’t think you will run into danger of being a false prophet.
Where most people who are prophetically gifted miss it is in their motives. If you want to be a prophet for your own importance, you are going to get off the path. The two motives that you will need to have are a desire for God alone to have the glory, and to serve other people with your gift. If you have unforgiveness in your heart toward someone, and prophesy out of that hurt, that can also muddy your prophetic words.
You will need to keep in mind that going from a prophet-in-the-making to a journeyman prophet is a refining process. God will prune you and build your character, so that you can effectively and purely prophesy out of a humble, loving heart. The refining process is painful, but it is well worth it in the long run.
Prepare yourself and hone your ability to hear the Lord by spending a lot of time in the Bible. Reading, studying, and meditating on the Word gives you a framework for understanding how God speaks and what His heart is. Spend as much time as possible in prayer as well — especially making yourself available to listen to the Lord. Ask Him questions, and wait for Him to answer. Intercession is also a hallmark of a prophet. We see this both in the Bible prophets — both OT and NT — and in modern-day prophets.
I would also recommend that you learn as much as you can about the prophetic gifts from others who have gone before you. James Goll’s books, especially The Prophetic Intercessor, The Seer, and Dream Language are particularly good. John Paul Jackson has some fine materials available as well. I like them both because they are biblically sound. Some of the modern-day prophets are not as biblically sound, and that concerns me. You may also benefit from my CD Series, Growing in the Prophetic.
Wishing you well in your prophetic calling,
Lee Ann
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Thanks lee Ann, I have a other question. What happens if a prophet sins. And my guts tells me that I’m one of the two witnesses in revalation. And I’m new in this prophetic thing. I’m 13 year old boy, so I need your help plz.
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The two witnesses in Revelation — many Bible scholars feel that these two men are Elijah and Enoch, the only two people who were translated into being with the Lord without ever having died. We cannot say for sure who they are, but they are referenced as well in Zechariah 4:11-14. And Malachi 4:5, 6 tells us that Elijah will again appear before the end.
As to what happens when a prophet sins — the same thing that happens when any other believer sins. We come to the Lord and ask Him to forgive us. Because Jesus has already paid the full price at the cross for every sin we could ever commit, He forgives us when we ask, and we just move on. You do not have to make it up to the Lord for having sinned, and your prophetic gift is not taken away from you. The gifts of the Spirit are given to us because of the Lord’s goodness and purposes, not because we have earned them.
So, just determine in your heart not to indulge that sin anymore, and continue on in serving the Lord. If you do fall into the same sin trap again, bring it to the Lord with a repentant heart again, until you fully overcome the sin. The important thing is to have a right heart attitude and not to willfully sin.
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During prayer I could smell honeysuckles is there a meaning for this?
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Hi Lauricia,
I always look for a logical explanation first — such as, if I am praying with other people, is someone wearing a scent, but if that is not the case, it is probably the Lord manifesting His Presence to you. In fact, my next blog post, which will be posted today or tomorrow, mentions this very thing — discerning the Lord’s presence through smelling flowers. I hope you will watch for that article. 🙂
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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I’m new to the gift od intercession. I never knew i had it until a couple of months ago. One thing I am very confused on. Do I only feel others physical and emotional pain to bring them closer to God? Or does God let me feel these things for anyone/whatever circumstance He allows me to?
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Hi Dalcorn,
I would say that intercession is something all believers should be involved in, but when it becomes a focus or passion, it is a ministry calling or function.
Feeling someone else’s physical or emotional pain is a manifestation of the word of knowledge. It can have various purposes. For instance, if you feel a sudden pain in your knee, and you recognize it is for a person who is present with you at the time, you could ask the person if he/she has a knee problem. If the answer is yes, you could ask if it would be all right if you pray with him/her on the spot for healing. Often the person will then receive healing. God was letting you know that there was a healing need, because He wanted to heal the person.
Recognizing someone’s emotional pain could also provide an opportunity to pray with the person on the spot, if he/she is willing. Emotional pain can be a much more touchy issue though, and you will need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit about whether to ask into it, or just pray quietly without mentioning it. If the person is not a believer, talking with him or her about what you have heard or felt in the spirit could be an opportunity to share Jesus with the person.
There may be times when you will pass by people and sense what is going on with them, but it would not be appropriate to stop and talk with them about it. You have to use wisdom, and listen to what the Holy Spirit is prompting or not prompting you to do. If it doesn’t seem that talking with the person is an option, simply pray for them on your own quietly, and then move on.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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Hi.good day please I wish to ask a question.” is it right for a pastor to prophecies about abortion publicly to a lady???
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Hi Elvira,
I think it would depend on what was said and the context in which it was said.
It would never be appropriate to prophesy to someone that she should have an abortion, as this is opposed to God’s love of life, and would not be a true word from the Lord.
Generally speaking, I would say that giving a word of knowledge publicly about someone’s sin, past sin, or even a contemplated future sin, would also not be appropriate. Something such as that should generally be handled privately and with great sensitivity. That can even be accomplished by simply shutting off the microphone and speaking quietly to the person. God’s intent is not to wound and shame, but to warn, redeem and bring healing.
There could be individual exceptions, which would depend on the circumstances, but that would be rare, I think.
If there has been something wounding which has happened to you or a loved one, I am so sorry, and would encourage you to forgive the pastor in question.
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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Hi! Shalom! I was bothered by my dream that I could not forget it. I dreamed of making a glass of milk for my sis in law but when I give it to her the milk spills through a small round hole of the glass. So I made a glass of milk again but it spills again through that round hole. What this may possibly mean?
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Hi Rebekah,
Milk can mean a number of things. It may be about truth from the Word, especially foundational truth (“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby” — 1 Peter 2:2.). It could be about abundance. (God told the Israelites that He was taking them to a “land flowing with milk and honey.”
It appears that, for whatever reason, what you are trying to give her is leaking away, so that she does not get the full benefit. I would encourage you to ask God for clarity on what the milk represents, and then ask for understanding on how to remedy the leak, so that she gets the full benefit.
Hope that helps!
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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I have a weird question, I have been prophetic ally interceding for a long while but lately I feel like my life is a prophetic in its self , I will hear simple words in my spirit and they will come to pass instantly some time during that day….this has happened forever… I hear it happens, like God is saying I know all. At the same time I can be going through such emotional weeping for let’s say idols of my heart or shame for turning away after man made idols…. but as I’m going through this for me I am carrying a very stron sense of Israel,…., it keeps happening like there’s my life with God but it’s a prophet call to intercede for Gods Apple of His Eye. Does this make sense to you, this is not a pride thing I’m just trying to understand and if you can point me to a biblical answer that would put me at ease
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Hi Bonnie,
These are quite normal experiences for intercessors and prophetic people.
Part of being a prophetic person is being a sign. We see this with the OT prophets, who often had things happen to them which were a portrayal of what God was saying to or about Israel. One of the best examples is Hosea, who was instructed by God to marry a promiscuous woman and be faithful and kind to her, to portray Israel’s unfaithfulness, while God was a kind and faithful “husband” to Israel. Ezekiel portrayed the siege and fall of Jerusalem symbolically in things he did and events that happened to him. Sometimes being a prophetic person becomes quite uncomfortable for us, as God puts us in situations we would not choose for ourselves as a sign of something He is doing in the nation, our state, or even our local church.
God tends to speak on more than one level, all at the same time, too. So, as you pray for Israel, you may experience identificational intercession / repentance on Israel’s behalf. Daniel identified with Israel’s sin as though it were his own, in his repentance on their behalf, in Chapter 9. Moses asked that God would forgive Israel’s sin and blot out his name from the book of life instead (Exodus 32:32). Paul had similar intense intercessory feelings in Romans 9:1-4.
In addition, sometimes as intercessors, our identification with the person or people we are praying for becomes so intense that we feel what they are feeling, as though it were our own sorrow. And our lives sometimes become a parallel with the one(s) we are praying for. So, Israel has idolatries of the heart, and you as an individual also find the Holy Spirit revealing areas of idolatry in your heart. God works with you on the areas of your life that He wants to purify, but at the same time, He causes you to yearn for Israel to be purified in those same areas. You have an empathy for them and it shows up in these ways.
I hope that helps to answer your questions. 🙂
Blessings, Lee Ann
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Hi Ann, Why do I find myself speaking in tongues anywhere, anytime even when I am with friends? Sometimes I find it odd.
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Hi Petronillah,
Do you pray in tongues a great deal throughout the day? If so, it has probably just become so natural to you, that at times you forget yourself and do it out loud when you are with others.
However, we do have control over when we start and stop speaking in tongues. 1 Corinthians 14:32 tells us, “The spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” Another translation puts it, “The spirits of prophets are under the control of the prophets themselves.” This principle does not only apply to prophecy, but to all gifts of the Spirit, including tongues. Perhaps you’ll just have to watch yourself a little closer to make sure you don’t do it in a setting where you would rather not. 🙂
Blessings,
Lee Ann
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