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Growing In
Prophetic Visions and Pictures
8 Ways to Grow In
Prophetic Visions and Pictures
Helen Calder
The
Holy Spirit speaks to God’s people in many ways, one of which is through
prophetic visions, pictures and visual impressions of the mind.
In
the Old Testament, prophets frequently received visions and pictures from God
and saw into the spiritual realm.
One
of the terms used for a prophet was ‘seer’.
The
Hebrew word, ra’ah used by Samuel of himself means to see, look,
perceive and have vision. (1 Samuel 9:19)
The
noun chozeh used of many prophets in the OT means ‘a seer’ or ‘a
vision.’
The
gift of prophetic vision is carried through to the church today and examples
appear throughout the New Testament.
On
the day of Pentecost, Peter quoted God’s word through the Prophet Joel:
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit
on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see
visions, your old men will dream dreams.’ (Acts 2:17)
Types
of Prophetic Vision.
A
vision usually occurs as a simple picture (or moving picture) coming to mind — the
Holy Spirit’s fleeting imprint upon our imagination.
The
New Testament also records a ‘trance vision’. (Acts 10:9-17)
During
a trance vision, awareness of physical surroundings remains, but the vision
also appears real to the senses.
A
third type of vision is ‘open vision’, where a person experiences the vision as
a physical reality. (Acts 10:3-4)
8
Ways to Grow In Prophetic Visions and Pictures
Would
you like to develop your ability to receive pictures, impressions and visions
from God? Here are 8 ways you can grow in your gift of spiritual sight:
1. Desire
to See What the Father is doing
“Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by
himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the
Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19)
Firstly
ask, ‘What is my motivation for wanting to see in the spiritual realm?’
Your
motivation for prophetic vision should be that of Jesus — the desire to see
what your Father is doing and to know what is on God’s heart.
This
is not only the highest use of prophetic vision; it is also a guard against
deception.
2. Yield
Your Imagination to the Holy Spirit
Pray
and yield your imagination to the Holy Spirit.
Consider
your imagination to be a canvas that the Holy Spirit can paint upon.
Habakkuk says, ‘I will stand at my watch and
station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me…’
(Habakkuk 2:1)
If
you are not used to this, here are some practical exercises that can help you
to activate your imagination and grow your gift of prophetic vision:
Read
or listen to Scripture and picture the stories in your mind’s eye. Imagine them
as a movie — where are you in the scene?
Picture
yourself operating in the future call and destiny of God upon your life.
Ask
the Holy Spirit to help you and show you the Father’s purposes. Hold onto these
visions lightly — you can only dream according to what God has revealed to you
to date.
More
will unfold in times to come. (See point 7 below regarding accountability)
Picture
yourself in immediate commitments or challenges that you have, operating in the
anointing of the Spirit and in intimacy with God.
Wait
on God with your eyes closed during times of reflection and worship. Be
expectant to see what the Holy Spirit may show you.
When
you are praying for or with others, pause in God’s Presence to see if He has
anything to show you.
3. Keep
a Record of What you See
‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on
tablets so that a herald may run with it.’ (Habakkuk 2:3)
Take
notes of what you see, so that you can reflect on what God is showing you and
keep it for future reference.
Journaling
is a good way to record prophetic pictures and visions, but your method can be
as simple as jotting down a few notes on your phone or any handy device.
4. Guard
What You Look at
‘I will not look with approval on anything that is
vile.’ (Psalm 101:3a)
It
is vital that you set aside your vision and imagination for the use of the Holy
Spirit by guarding what you choose to watch (this includes Internet, TV and
movies).
As the Apostle Paul says, ‘In a large house there
are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are
for special purposes and some for common use. Those who cleanse themselves from
the latter [turning from wickedness, will be instruments for special purposes,
made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.’ (2 Timothy 2:20-21)
5. Remember
Symbols Require Interpretation
“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘What do you see,
Jeremiah?’ ‘I see the branch of an almond tree,’ I replied. The Lord said to
me, ‘You have seen correctly, for I am watching to see that my word is
fulfilled.’” (Jeremiah 1:11-12)
Learn
to distinguish between revelation that is plain, requiring no interpretation,
and that which is symbolic.
In
the Bible, God frequently uses symbols and metaphors in prophetic vision. These
require interpretation to explain their meaning.
Sometimes
the Holy Spirit does not give an immediate interpretation and invites us to go
on a journey of discovery with Him as to the full meaning of a vision.
6. Prioritise
Study of the Bible
Alongside
your regular Bible study, take note of Scriptural symbolism.
As
you grow in prophetic vision, the Holy Spirit will make use of any symbols that
are familiar to you, but the first base for interpretation is always Scripture.
7. Operate with Love and Wisdom in Prophetic
Visions
Be
natural in your approach to growing in your gift of prophetic visions. Practice
these tips for beginning in your prophetic ministry.
Love
people in the use of your gift — practice sharing sensitively and in a positive
and encouraging way.
If
you don’t yet have clarity on the meaning of a picture, and it may be
confusing, hold back and pray further.
Use
wisdom in the timing and manner that you share a picture.
8. Practice
3 Levels of Accountability
There
is no hierarchy of importance in the different types of prophetic vision.
A
simple, fleeting impression given by the Holy Spirit can be just as powerful in
its effect and meaning as an open vision — and both need to be weighed up.
In 2 Corinthians 11:14 the Apostle Paul warns, ‘Satan
himself transforms himself into an angel of light.’
Three
levels of accountability are:
Personally,
weighing up the prophecy or vision against Scripture, along with other filters
A
means of accountability in your prophetic gift.
As
well accountability to your own oversight, this includes accountability unique
to certain situations (for example to parents if ministering to a young child,
or to the leadership of a church where you have been invited to minister)
Accountability
for personal guidance and important life decisions. This includes pastoral
oversight who know you well and have the big picture of your life and family in
mind.
Enliven Blog is authored by Helen Calder of Enliven
Ministries.
We are a prophetic ministry
based in Melbourne, Australia, in the David McCracken Ministries family.
Helen Calder began writing
blog posts in July 2009. Today, Enliven Blog is helping to empower, inspire and
mentor thousands of people globally.
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