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Dr. James W. Goll is the cofounder of Encounters Network, Director of PrayerStorm, and coordinates Encounters Alliance, a coalition of leaders. He has shared Jesus in more than 40 nations worldwide teaching and imparting the power of intercession, prophetic ministry, and life in the Spirit. James is the author of numerous books including PrayerStorm, Angelic Encounters, Prophetic Intercessor and The Seer. He has also produced multiple Study Guides and hundreds of audio messages. James is also a contributing writer to Kairos magazine and several other periodicals. He is involved as an instructor at the Wagner Leadership Institute and is a member of the Harvest International Ministries apostolic team. In the spirit of revival, James desires to facilitate unity in body of Christ by bridge-building and networking congregations and ministries in divine cooperation. Praying for Israel is a burden of his heart, as Israel fulfills her role in the consummation of the ages. James has four children: Justin, GraceAnn, Tyler, and Rachel; and makes his home in the rolling hills of Franklin, TN.

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Articles and Prophetic Words by James Goll

 

April 2010

 

Listen Up – The Holy Spirit Has Something to Say!

 

Practical Tools to Help Your Hearing

Therefore every one who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon then, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock.  Matthew 7:24-25

 

Let’s make it real pragmatic at this point as we investigate some practical tools to aid us in our journey of leaning our ear His way.

 

Ten Effective Tools for the Trade

• Number One: Don’t Make Hearing God Complicated!
     It is actually not hard to hear God.  We tend to over complicate the whole matter. The following are three simple steps that help us, very simplistically, hear God’s gracious voice.

 

# 1 - Submit to His Lordship 
Ask Him to help you silence your own thoughts, desires and opinions.  You want to hear only the thoughts of the Lord right now.  Proverbs 3:5-6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him.  And He will make your path straight.  Do not be wise in your eyes, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” James says, “Submit unto God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Before resisting, always comes submitting.

# 2 - Resist the Enemy
Use the authority Jesus Christ has given you as His disciple to silence the voice of the enemy. Apply the blood of Jesus over your life and resist the enemy. He will run in terror away from you. Great new! If you do what God wants you to do (first!), then He will do for you what you cannot do on your own!

# 3 – Ask your Question and Expect God’s Answer
Ask the question that is in your heart, bring it before the throne of Almighty God.  You must now wait for Him to answer.  Believing that as you submit to God and resisted the enemy you can now expect that you will be filled with the knowledge of the God’s will with all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col. 1:18-19). Now, at times, an immediate reply will come – other times it is like a slow simmering process - but the important aspect is to ask, expect and receive.

• Number Two: Allow God to Speak in the Way He Chooses.
Don’t try to dictate to God the guidance methods you prefer.  Listen with a yielded heart.  There is a direct link between yielding and hearing. He may choose to speak to you in a method that you are not accustomed to.  He will speak through His written word, through a person, through dreams, visions, through the quiet inner voice. . . Now having submitted, resisted and asked, do not dictate the way you want Him to answer your request. Allow God to speak to you in the way He chooses.

• Number Three: Confess any Known Sins.
Psalm 66:18; “If I regard wickedness in my heart the Lord will not hear me.” If the Lord doesn’t hear you, then you’re not going to receive the answer that you’re hoping for because He hasn’t even heard the question yet. So the third point in hearing God’s voice is one of the foundation stones of A, B, C Christianity – the confession of sins.  Confess your sins. He is waiting to listen. He is waiting to forgive. Confess your sins to our Father in Jesus great name.  A clean heart is a prerequisite to hearing God.

• Number Four: Have You Obeyed the Last Thing God Told You to Do? 
If you haven’t obeyed His last orders, why do you think He would give you new ones? He’s waiting for you to do what He’s already told you to do. This alone is one of the main reasons people don’t think they are hearing from Papa. He has already spoken – you already know what is required of you. Now go do, for Jesus’ sake! It’s the issue of obedience. Go back and finish your last orders could be a word of wisdom needed so that you can continue in life’s journey.

• Number Five: Get Your Own Leading. 
God will use others to confirm your guidance but we must learn to hear the voice of the Lord for our selves.  God is a jealous God. He wants to talk with you. Become secure in your own identity in Christ. Realize that you are a son or daughter of the creator of the universe in your own right. He has promises to lead His own and has given us His precious Holy Spirit to be our guide. Is He yours? Don’t be wrongly co-dependent up on others. At the same time, don’t jump in the other ditch by over reacting and cultivating an independent and rebellious spirit. You’ve got to and you will learn to, hear God for yourself.

• Number Six: Don’t Talk about Your Word Too Soon.    
This is a really wise one. I wished I had known this one a bit early on in my life! I think the dreamer Joseph might have wished he had heard this one also! The main purpose of waiting is to help you avoid the not so obvious pitfalls. Have you ever considered that God might like to share a secret with a trusted friend? Have you considered asking permission before opening wide your mouth and repeating everything you supposedly know?

Often times, God does speak something to us ahead of time, before it comes into being. His word comes to prepare us and to change us to be the vessel qualified to do what has been spoken. He will prepare us for that of which lies ahead.

• Number Seven: God Will Confirm What He’s Telling You. 
Realize God does use others to confirm His word. It’s a part of safety net of protection.  2 Corinthians 13:1 wisely states, “that God will confirm His word by 2 or 3 witnesses”. This particular truth is quoted three times in the bible. God will confirm His word by the witness or testimony of two and three others. Isn’t that wonderful! If it really is God, He will speak the same or similar thing more than once.  So – in other words – you don’t have to go running off with just a one-time word! If it really is from God, it will be confirmed. Rest in that fact.

Believe that the Lord will speak through those in relational authority in your life. Trust the Lord and pray for those in authority. There is safety in the multitude of counsel.

• Eight: Be Aware of Counterfeits. 
Satan loves to counterfeit.  He has no originality – He’s just a copycat! If there’s a counterfeit, what does that mean?  It infers that there’s something authentic and real out there.  The enemy only counterfeits what is real.  Counterfeit money . . . Why is there counterfeit money?  Because there’s real money and it has power.

Why does the enemy have counterfeit voices, counterfeit occult, counterfeit experiences, and even counterfeit supernatural encounters? Why? Because our Lord of Hosts has the real power, the real dreams, myriads of angels, and the true guidance system.

God is a supernatural Being. People are born with a void that only the voice of God can fill.  But beware of counterfeits from the dark side. They exist to trap you and flee from them in Jesus name!

• Number Nine: Practice Hearing God’s Voice. 
Yes, practice hearing the voice of God, and it will become easier. It’s like picking up the phone and recognizing the voice of a friend. You know their voice because you’ve heard it so much.
If I want to know His voice, I’ve got to spend some time with Him. The voice of the Holy Spirit is so lovely to me today. I would never want to grieve Him. We must get to know the voice of our Master and it only comes by spending time with Him. The more you practice, it easier it becomes!

• Number Ten: Cultivating an Intimate Relationship.
From God’s perspective, the most important reason for hearing the voice of God is not just to know the right things to do – it is knowing the source Himself! If you don’t have good communication with a person, you don’t have a vibrant relationship with them. 

 

True guidance is getting closer to the guide. We grow to know the Lord better as He speaks to us. As we listen to Him and obey His word, we make His heart glad. Our relationship with our Papa God goes so far beyond information, guidance, dreams, visions, angels, and all the wonderful supernatural stuff. It goes so far beyond that. 

 

It’s all about intimacy with Jesus. The gifts of the Spirit are appetizers to whet our desire for more of God Himself. The voice of God is used to create a deeper hunger within us so that we might come into closer communion with Him. The reason to hear His voice is really simple: to cultivate an intimate relationship with our Abba Father. Our Daddy wants to commune with us even more than we want to commune with Him.

 

Draw near, He is drawing near to you.

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So that’s some simple foundational thoughts on hearing the voice of God. I hope these tools will get added to your tool chest cause it’s time to Listen Up! The Holy Spirit has something He wants to say to you!

 

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April 2010

 

PRAYING TO HEAR GOD’S VOICE

(The following is an excerpt from Chapter One: Our Need to Hear God from the book The Beginner’s Guide to Hearing God’s Voice. To learn more on this subject, get this practical book from our EN Resource Center.)

 

Our Need to Hear God

 

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.”  John 10:27

 

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.”  Revelation 3:20

 

Does God really speak today? Will He speak personally to me? If I listen, will He speak in such a manner that even I can understand? Thank God, the answer is YES! He wants us to hear His voice more than we even want to hear it! From my set of lenses, the greatest need in the church today is for believers to clearly hear the voice of God for themselves.

 

We were created with a deep longing within us to truly hear our Master’s voice.  We desire to do His will. But we are not made to be mechanical robots that just march around doing “ordained things”. Fellowship with our creator is our birthright. If this yearning for intimate relationship with the lover of our soul is to be fulfilled, then hearing His voice is a must.  In order to grow in our relationship with God, then we must draw near to Him without fear and trust that He wants to personally speak to us. 

 

Jesus came to restore mankind into sweet, divine fellowship that Adam and Eve first knew in the garden. Sin cut them off and sin acting the same today, cuts each of us off as well.  But thank God for the cross and shed blood of Christ Jesus! After all, one of the main reasons Jesus came is that we walk in restored communion with God?

 

For this potential to be reached, close, intimate communication is a must.  To have good communication though, we must learn to “speak up” and to push the “pause button” in order to listen.  We have to restore the lost art of taking time to expectantly listen.

 

It Takes Two

Fellowship is not a one way road.  It takes at least two, with both attentively in one another’s presence sharing in communion.  Our relationship with our Papa was never meant to be a long distance, telephone conversation.  Availability is God’s middle name just aching to spend time with us alone. He yearns to hear from you! Did you catch that? He desires to hear from you! Give Him something to respond to. Talk and listen.

 

As I travel in ministry and am away from my family for days at a time, I diligently attempt to keep in touch with what is happening at home. Sometimes I do a better job than others. But I attempt to “keep in touch”.  It helps a lot! But cell phone calls and e-mail do not compare or replace being near or with my dear family. Sometimes I just need (or want) a hug! True communion and intimacy require being together. The greatest key to hearing God’s voice is cultivating a “love based” relationship.

 

As for me and my house, I want to hear His voice and intimately know Him, not just on a casual basis – but a daily vibrant one. Sounds like to me that you want this kind of two way love relationship with God also. Come join me and thousands of others who are learning to hear our Master’s beckoning call by leaning our ear His way. Go with me now on a journey of beginning to hear (and love) God’s voice.

 

The Desire for Discernment

This drive to know God in the middle of my junior year at Central Missouri State University led me to cry out for “discernment”.  With another Jesus Freak, late one night, I went to pray in an Episcopal Church where a friend’s father was the pastor or rector.  The pastor was an evangelical, Spirit-filled Episcopal priest!  At the front of the sanctuary, on the wall close to the communion rail, there was a candle that was lit. It was a symbolic representation of the light of God and presence of God. I loved sneaking away when I could and go there in quiet reflection as His sweet presence definitely seemed to reside there.

 

While basking in the light of His presence late that one night, I began to vocalize my desire to hear and know the voice of God better. I logically proceeded.  “Based on John 10:27, You have stated, “My sheep hear My voice, I know them and they follow me”. Now I don’t have any problem with the first part of the verse – “My sheep hear My voice.”  I know I have heard your voice because in Revelations 3:20 it says: “Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me.” I have heard Your knock at the door of my heart and I am one of Yours.”

 

I continued with my line on line presentation, “So Father, I accept by faith that I do hear Your voice.” But I added, “And the second part of the verse I don’t have any problem with either.  I know that You know me, and You know me better than I know myself.  I don’t have any problem with the that.”  I went on to say, “But it’s the third part of that verse that I have a big problem with, ‘and they follow me.’  So God, I need to do more than just hear Your voice - because I also hear my voice, the voice of my flesh, the voice of others, the voice of the world, and the voice of the enemy, satan.  Therefore, if I’m going to be able to “follow You,” I must do more than only hear Your voice. I need to be able to discern Your voice from the voice of others.”

 

That night, my friend and I, knelt in prayer and simply said, “Lord we ask that you enroll us in Your School of the Spirit.  Teach us not only how to hear, but also how to discern Your voice from the voice of the stranger and all the other voices that contend for our attention. Please do this so that we could truly follow You.”

 

Perhaps there is a book in heaven called “The book of Godly Desires” that He keeps a record in. All I know is that night in November, 1972, it seemed to me that the Lord wrote my name down in His book.  I enrolled in His “School of the Spirit”. Some thirty plus years later, I’m still taking various classes in that school. I don’t think I’ve graduated from it yet. I want to be amongst those who are continuously learning to hear and discern His wonderful voice and follow Him.  How about you?

 

We Each Have A Desperate Need

There are many biblical examples we can learn from – they each had a distinct personal relationship with their God. O to be like Moses, who talked to God, face to face. But please Lord save us from the 40 years of wilderness wandering! Maybe you want to hear God in the gentle breeze like Elijah. But please Lord help us to not to get the moody blues and just hide out in a cave!  Did I hear someone say they wanted angelic encounters like Daniel – just get ready for the fire of His furnace as well!

 

So you want to do the impossible? Then respond like a young teenage girl named Mary who pondered on the words of an angel in her heart and conceive a gift from God. But God, that was a one time deal, right? Or to be like Paul, the amazing apostle, who realized the words from the Lord were to prepare him for the costs that lie ahead.

 

There are scores of others, of course.  People just like you. Each person is created with a need and a longing to hear God’s voice. Each person is given equal access to the throne of God through the finished work of the cross of Christ Jesus. And each person is created with the need to be continuously dependent upon His voice to guide us into the paths of life. Somewhere I think I hear the words of the old hymn being sung right now:    “I need you Thee, O I need Thee. Every hour I need Thee.”

 

We all need to see and hear what our Papa is doing. We need to hear and know the voice of our Father, the son Jesus, and that of the Holy Spirit, our Helper, Guide and Comforter.  It is also, oh so true, that they, all Three, desire to speak to us.  Again, it’s all about being in God’s presence, how else are we going to see and hear, first hand?

 

Perhaps you too will add your name to the list of those who heard God speak and then waxed strong in faith and do mighty exploits in His great name.  Remember, faith comes by hearing and hearing the words of Christ.  Need another level of faith for what lies ahead? Then take time to listen for His voice with all your heart. All things are possible to them who believe! 

 

Ready to get started in a few lessons?

You Can Enroll Now!

In fact, you don’t have to wait any longer – classes start every day! School is in session at all times! You can enroll right now and be a student with me in the School of Hearing the Voice of God. If this echoes the cry of your heart then prayer right along with me.

 

Dear Lord,

I want to hear Your voice and learn Your ways. Be my Teacher and Guide. Enroll me in Your School of the Holy Spirit’s Art of Hearing the Voice of God. Write my name down! I want to know You, be a disciple of Christ Jesus, and have sweet communion with You. I want to hear You, have faith and obey! Help Lord, your servant wants to listen! Amen!

 

Let’s pray together this week in our Global Prayer Storm that we might hear our Master’s Voice more clearly!

Remember now to listen and then obey!

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February 2010

 

Discerning the Angelic Presence

Have you ever seen or felt an angelic presence—or a demonic one? When we “see” or “sense” or “feel” a spiritual entity nearby, we have discerned its presence. This chapter is devoted to the topic of discerning the angelic presence because it’s vital to be able to distinguish spiritual origins and outcomes when you’re dealing with supernatural realities. Both good and bad (fallen) angels are spiritual beings, and we need the gift of discerning of spirits when we encounter them.

 

In general, discernment always involves the evaluation of some kind of evidence. We can only accomplish this by using our five bodily senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. We notice something; then we start sifting quickly through the incoming data. We discriminate between the pieces of evidence and we detect patterns. Then we decide what to do, based in large part on what our discernment tells us.

 

Discerning (or distinguishing) of spirits is one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit (see 1 Corinthians 12:10). This gift is a little different from the gift of the word of knowledge, in which facts are simply dropped into our minds or hearts. With discernment, you have to consider what is happening around you. Did what just happened make your skin prickle? Did the room just get brighter or darker? Did you hear a noise? Did you perhaps smell or taste something? Is what happened from a good source—or a bad one?

 

To discern spiritual realities, we need spiritual perception. We need to know what we’re dealing with. Is this thing just my imagination, or is it coming from someone else’s human spirit? Is it demonic? Is it in fact an angel? Is it the Holy Spirit?

 

God doesn’t just take the gift of discerning of spirits and plug it into you, fully developed. Normally, it takes a lot of practice to get good at it, and some of your “discernment lessons” will involve making mistakes.

 

That’s also true of the learning process for your general discernment, which is part of your maturation as a disciple and which stems from Bible study, experience, and discipline. You will need both kinds of discernment when you find yourself involved with supernatural happenings. It’s important for each of us to want to be one of “the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil”

(Heb. 5:14, nasu). Don’t forget—you can always ask God to give you more ability to discern spirits and more mature discernment in general.                

 

Discerning Spirits With Your Five Senses

In cooperation with the word of God, the name and blood of Jesus etc., the other primary “discerning equipment” we possess, is our Holy-Spirit-anointed human spirits (which can sometimes be called our “sixth sense”), consisting of our five bodily senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. None of us ends up using all of our senses to the same degree. We tend to “specialize” because of our God-given personalities and types of experiences. At the same time we need to remember that if we find ourselves in the midst of an unusual spiritual experience, it might one of our less-used senses that can best contribute to our discernment.

 

For example, for many people, sight is the biggie. What if, one day, one of these vision-oriented people begins to smell something. That’s it, just a smell. Nothing else is happening. It’s not a good smell; it’s the acrid smell of ammonia. “Ah, a bad smell!” he thinks. “So therefore a bad spirit must be in the room.” He scrutinizes the place, but his eyes tell him nothing. He does notice that he doesn’t feel bad. On the contrary, he feels fine, merely curious, somewhat “prophetic.”

 

Basically, discernment is perception. Sometimes it is as simple as an inner knowledge, a “gut feeling” that we cannot explain. That kind of spiritual perception is often so subtle that we can easily miss it or dismiss it as a mere hunch. But the more we yield our natural senses to the Lord, the more God can anoint them and make them more sensitive to discern. It’s a progressive unfolding.

 

I Saw ...

You see things with your two eyes wide open. You also can see things with your eyes closed, you know—visions are often seen this way. You also see things when you’re sleeping—unless you are physically blind, almost 100% of your dreams will be memorable because of their visual content.

 

It’s no wonder that, with so many ways of seeing, we so often rely on our sense of sight when we’re discerning supernatural events. Our sight—both external and internal—is one of our most valuable senses.

 

Sometimes it may be no more than a flash of light that brings a strong sense of a spiritual presence into the room. Other times, we may see an outline form or even a kind of fog of God’s glory filling a room. We may observe a kind of shimmering presence or, of course, a fully defined vision, perceived in our mind’s eye or with our wide-open physical eyes.

 

The prophet Ezekiel was overwhelmed with visual input. “In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God” (Ezek. 1:1, niv). He goes on to describe in detail what he saw in heaven: a fiery windstorm, four living creatures with four faces each and four wings and four hands, four wheels full of eyes, and much, much more. (See Ezekiel 1–3.)

 

Apparently, John the beloved disciple saw with his physical eyes what he received from the angel in his book of Revelation, although, interestingly, he first heard a voice like a trumpet, and ...

... then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and girded across His chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire.
—Revelation 1:12-14, nasu (emphasis added)

 

In other words, John quite naturally looked with his eyes to see what had made the loud sound. And there was plenty to see, including a number of angels:

I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book which was open He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land.
—Revelation 10:1,3, nasu

 

Seeing and hearing are often intertwined, aren’t they? Let’s look at some scriptural examples of how people discern spirits through hearing.

I Heard ...

Later in the New Testament, we read about how Cornelius, who “clearly saw in a vision an angel of God.” Cornelius hadn’t expected that. He was jolted even more when the angel spoke his name in a commanding voice, “Cornelius!”

And he [the angel] said to him, “Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Now dispatch some men to Joppa and send for a man named Simon, who is also called Peter; he is staying with a tanner named Simon, whose house is by the sea.”
—Acts 10:3-6, nasu

            Those were pretty specific directions. Cornelius didn’t waste any time. He gathered his men and went to Joppa. No one had to teach him about discerning what he had heard. He knew he had received a message from God.

 

Even though hearing is one of the most common ways of receiving a heavenly message, it’s not limited to

hearing spoken words or sentences. People can hear the sound of wind, such as occurred on the day of Pentecost. That happened to Michal Ann and me that time when a supernatural wind came blowing through our closed bedroom window and woke us up to receive angelic visitors.

 

People hear bells, thunder, a telephone ringing, heavenly music. The variety of options is endless. I know a woman who was awakened from sleep by a small noise, only to overhear a short conversation between two angels, whose illuminated faces she could just make out as they stood next to her bed. “Is she really going to do it?” said one, referring to a very difficult undertaking that the woman was feeling led to initiate the next day. “Yes,” said the other. That’s all she saw or heard, but that snatch of conversation assured her that she could expect angelic help in the morning.

            Keep looking, keep listening, and keep tuning in with all of your other senses to distinguish God’s envoys from counterfeit messengers.

 

I Smelled ...

As noted in an earlier example, spiritual discernment can sometimes come through our sense of smell. Many people have testified to sensing the presence of the Lord accompanied by the smell of roses.

At times, it is possible to identify the enemy’s presence in the same way. A particular place just may not “smell right,” even if we don’t quite know why. Sometimes we can identify a rotten-egg odor or other noxious smell. If there is no logical, natural explanation for the unpleasant odor, it may be an indicator that an unclean spirit is present.

 

I have found that I am able to discern a certain form of addiction in a person’s life by using my sense of smell. I can smell a type of smoke that I associate with the addiction, and then I know how to proceed in ministering to the person involved.

 

The sense of smell is not prominently portrayed in the Bible accounts of discernment, in spite of the fact that we ourselves, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, are described as carrying His “sweet savour” to the world around us:

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ's victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, for we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.—2 Corinthians 2:14-15, Amplified

 

I Tasted ...

What about discerning a spiritual presence through the sense of taste? Have you ever heard someone say, “That just leaves a bad taste in my mouth?”

 

The prophet Ezekiel (whose extensive experiences could be used to illustrate all five senses in overdrive) was treated to a spiritual tasting incident. Remember the scroll he was told to eat?

 “But you, son of man, listen to what I say to you. Do not rebel like that rebellious house; open your mouth and eat what I give you.” Then I looked, and I saw a hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written words of lament and mourning and woe. And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.
—Ezekiel 2:6–3:3, niv

 

Another supernatural scroll was consumed by John, who recorded what it tasted like:

So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour [bitter], but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” I took the little scroll from the angel's hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour.
—Revelation 10:9-10, niv

 

I Felt ...

It’s certainly true that we can feel or “sense” spirits, but here I want to refer strictly to physical touch, the kind of feeling that happens through the nerves in your skin. This is the area of sensitivity that is the strongest in my own life. And, yes, angels do touch people to get their attention, to communicate with them, and sometimes to hurt them, if they’re bringing God’s judgment. Here are a few scriptural examples, with the “touch words” in italics:

Then the angel who was speaking with me returned and roused me, as a man who is awakened from his sleep.
—Zechariah 4:1, nasu

 

Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists.
—Acts 12:7, niv

 

Your sense of touch comes into play when your skin or scalp tingles, and also when you feel pain that is meant to communicate a message to you. At times I receive physical pains in my heart that indicate to me that some kind of heart-wound has occurred in another person’s life. These pains alert me to be ready to minister freedom and healing to the other person.

 

So we see that we can discern spirits (angelic, human, and demonic) by various means, if we are anointed with the Spirit of God. At different times, people see, hear, smell, taste, or feel the touch of another spirit.

 

Our Holy-Spirit-filled spirits are our ultimate sensors, and we can continue to grow and mature in this realm for as long as we live here on earth.

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Closing Prayer of Consecration

Holy Spirit, we present to You our eyes (our natural eyes and the eyes of our hearts) and we ask You to anoint them to perceive, to distinguish, to differentiate. We present all of our senses to You and we ask You to keep us on track. Anoint our senses to perceive heavenly realities. Help us to steer clear of counterfeit spiritual experiences. May complete access be given to the Word of the Lord in our lives. We are covered with Jesus’ blood, Amen.

 

A REVIEW OF ANGELIC ASSIGNMENTS

 

A. Three Primary Functions

1.   Psalms 148:2, 5 - Praise and worship unto God.

2.  Hebrews 1:7, 14 - Ministering spirits, flames of fire to render service to those who will inherit salvation.

3.   Psalms 103:20, 21 - Angels excel in strength, obey the voice of His word, and perform God's word.

 

B. Types of Activities

1. Minister the presence of the Lord.                 
2. Messengers pronouncing God's will.
3. Release understanding in dreams and visions.
4. Help to give guidance and direction.
5. Deliverance.
6. Protection.
7. Death of the saints.
8. Release strength.
9. Healing instruments.
10. Praise and worship.
11 Spiritual Warfare.
12. Bind demonic powers.
13. Divine watchers.
14. Reapers and Gatherers
15. Execute God's Judgments.

 

FIVE FOUNDATIONAL PREMISES

A. Believer's are Co-Workers with Christ God's resources are released by man's invitation of intercession.

B. God Hears and Answered Prayers Prayer and intercession influences or helps determine the destiny of individuals and the direction of nations.

C. There is an Innumerable Company of Angels Available Heaven's army of angelic hosts are waiting for their next assignment and ready to be dispatched - (Unemployed Angels!) Jeremiah 33:22 - “As the hosts of heaven cannot be counted and the sand of the sea cannot be measured.”Hebrews 12:22 - “But you have come to Mt. Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels.”

D. Angels Are Involved in both the Spiritual and Practical Affairs of Mankind Angels are released from God's throne in heaven into the affairs of man. They are involved in all facets of life in both the spiritual and in everyday normal activities of man.

E. Angels Are Used to Deliver God's Answers to Man's Prayers Angels are especially utilized and involved in delivering the answers to our prayers from the throne of God.

 

THREE SCRIPTURAL EXAMPLES OF ANGELIC INTERVENTION THROUGH INTERCESSION

A. With Abraham and Lot - Lessons from Genesis 18 and 19

l. Genesis 18 - Prayerful example of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom and Gomorrah.

2. Genesis 19: 1 - Two angels tell Lot's situation.

3. Genesis 19:11 - The ungodly men outside Lot's house are stricken with blindness.

4. Genesis 19:16 - Next, the angels lead Lot and his family out of the city before the destruction takes place. (This demonstrates the compassion of God.)

5. Genesis 19:20 - Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until... This shows God’s desire to deliver the righteous before the judgment occurred.

6. Genesis 19:29 - God remembered Abraham.  (This is the key verse.) What did God remember?  Abraham’s intercession!

 

B. With Peter and the Church - Lessons from Acts 12:5 - 12

1. Acts 12:7-10 - Peter was kept in jail, an angel appeared to him.        A light shone, woke Peter up, and the two chains which had held him fell off.  He was told to “Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals.” He then passed by two guards, the iron gate to the prison opened, he goes out into the street as angel departed.

2. Acts 12:11-12 - Next, Peter goes to the house of John Mark’s mother where many had gathered to pray for him. A young woman named Rhoda came to door.  She knew Peter's voice and went to tell the others, "You're crazy!" was their response. "No, it is his angel.” Peter kept on knocking. They went to the door, and opening it, were amazed.  It really was Peter! This caused such excitement that Peter had to admonish them to calm down and not be so noisy in their excitement to see him delivered out of the hand of Herod and those Jewish authorities  who had sought to end his life. Peter told them to inform James and the other apostles that he was alright after all.  When the matter become known to the wicked king, he demanded the lives of the jail keepers as punishment that they had somehow managed to allow Peter to escape.

3. Acts 12:5-12 - The emphasis is on verses 5 and 12.  What was the church doing before the angel was released?  Praying fervently! Thus we have another example of angelic intervention as a result of man's intercession.

 

C. With Daniel - Lessons from Daniel 9 and 10

1. Daniel 9:20-23 - "Now while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, while I was still speaking in prayer, then the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision previously, came to me in my extreme weariness about the time of the evening offering. He gave me instruction and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you insight with understanding." At the beginning of your supplications the command was issued, and I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed; so give heed to the message and gain understanding of the vision."

2. Daniel 10:12-14 - "Then he said to me, "Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. "But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia. "Now I have come to give you an understanding of what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision pertains to the days yet future."

3. Daniel 10:20, 21 - "Then he said, "Do you understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am going forth, and behold, the prince of Greece is about to come. 21 "However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writing of truth. Yet there is no one who stands firmly with me against these forces except Michael your prince."

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PRAYER FOR THE RELEASE OF ANGELIC INTERVENTION

Yes, it is true!  Angelic intervention is released in response to man’s intercession. It is time to intercede!  Let heaven's angelic army be released into the affairs of man as a result of our invitation called prayer!

Lord, through our Global PrayerStorm this week, we declare that heaven’s arsenal is waiting to be released in response to man’s invitation! So we lift our voice together and we ask that you release Messenger Angels to our cities and nations. We ask for the Guardian Angels to be released to protect our lives and families.  We call for the Warrior Angels to come and fight against the powers of darkness hindering the Gospel of the Kingdom from manifesting in our regions.

We welcome the angelic host to do the bidding of our Father and we partner together for Angelic Intervention for such a time as this in Jesus Great Name!  Amen and Amen!

 

God Bless You This Week!

James W. Goll

 

 

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January 2010

 

THE SEER REALM

 

1 Samuel 9:9---Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he used to say, ‘Come, and let us go to the seer”; for he who is called a prophet now was formerly called a seer.

 

Within the overall realm of the prophet lies the particular and distinctive realm of the seer. The word seer describes a particular type of prophet who receives a particular type of prophetic revelation or impartation.

 

When it comes to prophetic revelation, a prophet is primarily an inspired hearer and then speaker while a seer is primarily visual. In other words, the prophet is the communicative dimension and the seer is the receptive dimension. Whereas nabiy’ emphasizes the active work of the prophet in speaking forth a message from God, ra’ah and chozeh focus on the experience or means by which the prophet “sees or perceives” that message.

 

All true seers are prophets, but not all prophets are seers. A prophet may have the particular grace to hear and proclaim the word of the Lord and yet not necessarily function as profusely in the revelatory visionary capacity as a seer does. The seer, on the other hand, may move quite remarkably in this visionary dream capacity yet not be as deep in the inspirational audible graces of hearing and speaking. Nevertheless, both move and operate in the prophetic realm, but in different capacities or dimensions.

 

1.  The author describes one difference between a prophet and a seer by saying that a prophet hears revelation and speaks it while a seer sees revelation.  Have you ever experienced these two types of revelation?  Do you know someone who has? 

2.  Since a seer is a receptive dimension of prophetic revelation and the prophet is the communicative dimension, how does this help explain that all true seers are prophets but not all prophets are seers?

3. What kind of faith does it take for a prophet to speak forth a message from God?  What safeguards do you think a prophet should take to be sure the message is really what he or she heard?

4.  When a seer receives a prophetic revelation, how is it received?  How does the seer’s picture or vision bring God’s revelation to others?  Does the seer need to always speak what he or she sees?

5.  From your experience, comment on seers and prophets and their usefulness in the Body of Christ. What were some immediate reactions to what was shared? Have you seen positive results from what was revealed?

 

MEDITATION

“The seer realm of prophetic anointing has a lot to do with quietly waiting on God. Quite often, impartation in the seer realm comes only after a time of patient waiting and contemplative meditation upon the Lord. But thank the Lord, if we wait, He will come!” How much time do you spend waiting on God in an average day?  In an average week?  Is God asking you to increase your time waiting on Him so that He might impart more to you?

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INTERCESSION FOR THE PRAYER STORM

• Pray for the increase of the seer anointing in your own life and family.
  
  Pray for the increase of the seer anointing upon the leaders of the congregations and ministries that you are associated with.
  
  Pray for sovereign, mature Seers to be raised up to help the body of Christ grow in gifting and understanding.
  
  Pray for an increase of dreams and vision in your life, family, ministry, city and nation.
  
  Pray that unbelievers will be overwhelmed with the Holy Spirit’s creative ways through dreams, visitations. God Encounters etc. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to use the Seer Anointing as a tool of making Jesus known.

James W. Goll

 

 

The Seer Realm 2

 

My personal journey into the Seer Realm has been progressive. Some seem to be “born with a full blown gift” – like Bob Jones, John Paul Jackson and a few others in our day and time. Others come forth step-by-step as I did over a period of months and years.

 

In the prophetic I heard first in the Spirit before I ever saw.  I was comfortable in this realm and the voice of the Lord spilled over into the gift of prophecy.  Later on, I recognized that the feeling dimension had been active in my life all the time – I just seemed extra sensitive and emoted more than others – especially men.

 

But there was no teaching on that realm so the “feeler” stayed at a certain level and found it’s primary expression as burdens from the Lord in the place of prayer.

 

For me, the Seer Realm unfolded over time like a flower blossom – opening in the sunlight ever so slowly. Eventually, especially in the atmosphere of worship, I found the Lord giving me both internal and external visions. Dreams were multiplied and became a regular tool in which the Lord would speak to me.  Being around the culture of the seer, hanging out with gifted people enhanced my own hunger, gift and calling. 

 

Visitations were never daily with me, but I would come into seasons where encounters with a supernatural God were profuse and not rare at all. 

 

For years I taught the ways of the Spirit as those who walk the stairs and those who get to go on exhilarating rides up high on fast moving elevators. For me – I walked the staircase one step at a time most of my life. 

 

But for others – like my dear late wife Michal Ann, she got in a wild elevator ride for 9 straight weeks when heaven came down to earth and things never returned to normal! Ha! Those were the days for sure! But know this, it all matters, whether walk up a stair step, or get in an express elevator.  Just walk in the Spirit. Watch Him unfold His ways – even The Seer Realm, for you.

 

The following is an excerpt from Days 10 – 12 from The Seer 40 Day Devotional Journal. I trust this teaching of the New Testament Greek words concerning visionary states will be helpful. Pass this teaching along to others.  Remember, you too can move in visions and dreams – it is your rightful inheritance as a believer in Christ Jesus.

The Diversity of Visionary States

1 Corinthians 12:11---But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

2 Corinthians 12:1----Boasting is necessary, though it is not profitable; but I will go on to visions and revelations of the Lord.

1 Peter 1:13---Therefore, gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

There is only one Holy Spirit, but He works in a multiplicity of ways. There are many spiritual gifts, but only one gift-giver: the Holy Spirit of God. The prophetic anointing manifests itself in many diverse ways, but they all derive from the same Spirit.
 
This same diversity by the one Spirit applies also to visionary states and experiences. In fact, the New Testament uses a variety of Greek words to express different visionary states. None of these states are “higher” or “better” than any of the others. They are simply different, and the Holy Spirit uses them with different people for different purposes. Let’s take a closer look at some of these visionary states.

 

Onar

In Greek, onar is the common word for “dream.” It refers simply to the kind of dreaming we all do when we sleep. Everyday dreams are themselves visionary in nature because our minds generate images that we “see” while we are asleep. As the Bible makes clear, God can and does use these common dreams to communicate with ordinary people.

 

Enupnion

Like onar, the word enupnion refers to a vision or dream received while asleep. The difference with enupnion is that it stresses a surprise quality that is contained in that dream.

 

Horama

Horama is another general term for vision, meaning “that which is seen.” It carries the particular sense of a “spectacle, sight, or appearance.” New Testament examples commonly associate this word with waking visions. You can be a candidate for horama visions. Just tell the Lord of your desire to be a person who receives the spirit of revelation and sees visions. It is for today. It is there for the asking!

 

Horasis

An horasis occurs when the Spirit who lives within us looks out through the “windows” of our eyes and allows us to see what He sees. Sometimes we are seeing in the natural or in the spiritual and sometimes it is both. When our spiritual eyes are open, sometimes our natural eyes can see into the spiritual realm. We may see dual images as visionary spiritual pictures are superimposed over the images we are seeing with our physical eyes.

 

Optasia

Another visionary state found in the New Testament is denoted by the word optasia—literally meaning “visuality,” or in concrete form, “apparition.” Optasia has the very specific connotation of self-disclosure or of letting oneself be seen. The word always occurs in the context of someone seeing a divine or spiritual personage.

 

Ekstasis

Ekstasis, from which our English word “ecstasy” is derived, means amazement, astonishment, or a trance. Literally, ekstasis means “a displacement of the mind,” or “bewilderment.” When translated as “trance,” ekstasis refers to one being caught up in the Spirit so as to receive those revelations that God intends.

 

Apokalupsis

With apokalupsis, we come to the most frequently used word in the New Testament to describe a visionary state. Apokalupsis literally means “disclosure,” an “appearing” or “coming,” a “manifestation.” It carries specifically the sense of something hidden that has now been uncovered or revealed.

 

Egenomehn ehn pneumati

The phrase egenomehn ehn pneumati literally means “to become in the Spirit,” a state in which one could see visions and be informed or spoken directly to by the Spirit of God. Therein lies the secret to how we get revelation. We do it by first getting in the Spirit. The more we are filled with the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, the more we become one with the Spirit, and the more our eyes will be opened to see in the Spirit. He will give us the perception to look into the spiritual realm.

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QUESTIONS FOR CONTEMPLATION

1.  Do you have the ability to “sense” or know when the prophetic anointing is ready to manifest itself in you or others?  In your experience, what takes place before prophecy is given in a corporate setting?

2.  Have you had an “onar” or has someone you know?  What makes this visionary state different from “ordinary” dreams?

3.  Have you experienced an “enupnion”?  Do you know of another who has?  Why would God want to give a surprise in a dream?

4.  Have you ever had a horama vision or do you personally know someone who has?  What did the vision entail?  Why do you think God revealed it?  Were there results from its revelation?

5.  The author encourages us to ask to receive the spirit of revelation and see visions.  Have you done this?  Why does this type of revelation “scare” some people?  Why should we seek horama visions?

6.  Have you experienced a horasis or do you know of someone who has?  How do both the natural and spiritual work in this visionary state? 

7.  What is your understanding of the optasia visionary state?  Have you or someone you know experienced this?  What impact can this visionary state have on one’s life?

8.  Have you ever had an ekstasis vision or do you personally know someone who has?  What did the vision entail?  Why do you think God revealed it?  Were there results from its revelation?

9.  Have you experienced a apokalupsis or do you know of someone who has?  How do hidden things become revealed in this vision? 

10.  What is your understanding of the egenomehn ehn pneumatic a visionary state?  Have you or someone you know experienced this?  What impact can this visionary state have on one’s life?

 

PONDERINGS, MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS

Sometimes a ‘surprise element’ is released through seer encounters. Watch out: ready or not, here He comes!”  How regular are seer encounters in your life?  Do you take the time to wait and pray to receive visions and revelation from the Lord?  Do you prepare for sleep by asking the Lord to speak to you while you sleep? Begin a regimen of preparation for bed that includes inviting God to bring revelation in the night hours.

 

We all have two sets of eyes: our physical or natural eyes, and the ‘eyes’ of our heart with which we ‘see’ into the spiritual realm. Those are the ‘eyes’ through which we see and understand spiritual truth. The Bible says that our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. Every temple has windows and doors. When the Lord comes to dwell in our ‘temple,’ He likes to be able to look out His ‘windows.’ Our eyes—physical and spiritual—are the windows to our soul.”  How well do your eyes work in seeing what the Lord wants you to see?

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Have you ever had an experience where you suddenly felt like a little light went on inside? You may not necessarily have had an actual vision, but just a sense that something that you did not understand, something that was hidden from you, was now revealed. That is an apokalupsis type experience.”  If you have experienced this type of vision, how did God use it?  If you have not experienced this, how can you prepare yourself to be open to such revelation?

LORD, OPEN THE EYES OF MY HEART SO I CAN SEE IN THE SEER REALM IN JESUS GREAT NAME. LOOK THROUGH THE WINDOWS OF MY SOUL AND SHOW ME WHAT YOU ARE SEEING. I DECLARE THAT DREAMS, VISIONS, REVELATIONS AND VISITATIONS ARE MY INHERTIANCE AS A BELIEVER IN CHRIST JESUS. GIVE ME MORE OF THE SEER REALM WITH ALL IT’S VARIOUS DIMENSIONS AND EXPRESSIONS. I AM READY TO RECEIVE MORE LORD!  AMEN AND AMEN!

Blessings to Each of You!
James W. Goll

 

 

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