One of our greatest resistances in healing prayer is trusting the messages we receive. If we are not accustomed to receiving visions then we are especially vulnerable to doubt.
One thing we can do to train ourselves to recognize what voice is what, which is not a perfect process, is to do contemplative prayer. Each and every day, sit still for as long as you can. Try to build up to 20 to 30 minutes a day. You can focus on a word, one from scripture or one that inspires you, so that when your thoughts wander back to your sorry attempt to balance your checkbook, you can bring that word gently back to your mind and let it be there before all other thoughts. No force. No consternation. It’s all about relaxation. So relax. Treat yourself as if you were teaching a child to read. A little at a time. Much encouragement.
You may begin to have visions not associated with a healing session. And this is where you need to learn to pay attention.
Pay attention to the kind of voice that is in your head, heart, and soul.
There are three basic sources of inspiration:
Yourself: If you allow yourself both trust and time with learning this kind of discernment, you will just relax with any voice you receive. After all, even if it comes with instructions for something you are to do, just hearing the words is not the same thing as actually doing the act.
To me, I use instructions not as directives but as signposts. That is, if I see me eating a chocolate cake in a vision, I do not get up and make a chocolate cake to eat. Neither do I go to the bakery for one. Instead, I wait until I happen to be in a position to be offered a piece of chocolate cake. It is then that I study the situation and do what I do in that environment.
Using that method of vision interpretation you will find that things that have come in to you a vision but are not expressed in reality aren’t real. So they are most likely just thoughts that you had on the matter you were praying about.
And you can just go back and review the thought and see if you can follow the trail where it is leading. Your own thoughts can be very valuable. Insightful, even.
You can learn a lot from yourself. You can even do what you thought of. But if you are committing yourself to an action that hasn’t come to you naturally, be gentle with yourself and see what happens.
Never assume that you know what the outcome will be.
God: For me, there are certain attributes about God’s messages that are unwaivering.
- Accuracy – What I’ve been shown in my vision comes to me naturally, without my impulse; what he says is accurate.
- Consistency – What I am shown aligns with other visions I have had on this matter; and it also follows the general framework of thinking by God in an overall way.
- Repetition – I won’t go into this at length, although I could very easily, but God Repeats Himself. Almost to a point of numbing my brain. And far after I’ve actually learned what it is he is telling me he’s still going over it.
- Distance – I am never God’s bosom buddy. He is never chatty with me. He directs. He explains. And he can answer questions. That’s it. Remember this.
Evil: I have had a few experiences with this. And I will admit that it took a bit of time to figure out what was going on. The first, and what should be the most obvious, characteristic of how this voice is not from God is how chatty it is. My best pal. So understanding. So compassionate. So giving of himself.
It was easy, at least for me, to get caught up in this. So be on your guard. Even for your own weaknesses.
Another trait of evil is how clumsy the vision goes in reality. Things don’t come naturally, but neither is life just the same. Car tires blow out. Walls are walked into. People get aggressive.
When things begin to get really chaotic I sit and sort it all out.
And once I’m “on” to it I have a certain approach: I just keep pretending I think it’s God.
I follow the instructions.
And you know what? They don’t go anywhere.
The visions just come to an end.
I believe these visions exist because evil wants to be befriended by you, not actually do anything.
At least not until you have committed yourself to it.
And the first assignment isn’t going to be anything that will tip you off that it’s not God.
Walking gently and confidently is the most amazing approach to evil. It’s not what it is expecting.
And it presents the wonder that comes with knowing that it can’t hurt you unless you allow it to.