Seeing the Voice of God: What God Is Telling You through Dreams and Visions (26 page)

Many have taught on hearing the voice of God, but I have come face-to-face with the deaf and dumb principality and fought this hearing war with my very life. But even in the war I entered after seeing him that day in 1993, we still saw the miracle of two more babies, Jude in 1995 and Jenesis in 2000. Genesis 41:52 (
NASB
) says, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction,” and boy did He. Those six children were and are plunder in my arms upon exiting a multidecade war, and I am thankful we did not prevent them from coming due to fear.

But I once tallied up an average of all the unconscious minutes I have spent in my life between 35 years of petit mal seizures and 13 years of grand mals. It totaled almost 20 days of my life, unlived. What person would not want those back at the end of his or her life? This spirit has stolen much from me, but I have asked God to redeem those days and refund them back to me (with interest), in whatever way He sees fit.

So here is my elevator speech for you: This deaf and dumb influence has stolen much from God’s people, but that is all about to change with your help. The timely publication of this book coincides with this principality’s revealed decline, and I believe your prayers are all that is needed to send him back to the gates of hell with his tail between his legs, just as a territorial spirit was overcome in Daniel’s day through prayer. I
humbly
submit to you that through this prayer and awareness, we have an opportunity here to unseat the deaf and dumb spirit worldwide. As was prophesied over me, “When he falls, many under him will fall and widespread healing will be released.” Yes, I believe that even medical cures for physical infirmities I have mentioned here will soon follow. And spiritually, a hearing revival will follow. People will come to Jesus in record numbers. With tongues loosed and ears opened, people will prophesy, evangelize, worship, pray and praise God like never before. And your increased hearing will increase your faith, too, because Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” Nothing will be impossible for you. Imagine it with me!

Hear, you deaf

and look, you blind, that you may see.

Isaiah 42:18

WARprayer

Sign me up, I’m joining the ranks

In a war that is fought on the knees

And there I’ll stay despite honor or thanks

’Til there is no more death or disease

Because I believe He has carried our griefs

Plus our sorrow, sickness and sin

And because up in Heaven there are no such thieves

Healing must be for us left herein

What if THIS day each knee hit its mark, made its plea

Would the whole of earth’s voice death restrict?

In the peace we cry for, hands would cease from their war

And instead lay themselves on the sick

Enlisted or drafted, you’re in, do not shrink!

Let petitions be plenty, not rare

In your eyes, as you rise, see yourself as the link

’Cause, my friend, we won’t win ’cept through prayer

Let distractions lay halt at your feet

’Til today’s underway, prayers complete . . .

© Laura Harris Smith, December 1999

PRAYER

Let’s pray out loud together, starting with the words from Isaiah 50:4–5 (
KJV
):

The Lord G
OD
hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned.

The Lord G
OD
hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

God, I receive that promise right now, that You will give me a new tongue and awaken my ears. Lord, please expose any influence of the deaf and dumb spirit in my life, my church, my school, my workplace, my community and my city, and let me use my new tongue and open ears to hear and speak Your thoughts to others about how they can find freedom from it physically, emotionally and spiritually. We declare over the deaf and dumb spirit—whether it be an individual war I am facing or a territorial one with it as a principality—that he is fully unseated from the heavens over my city and my country, and that there is no one else enthroned here except the Lord Jesus Himself. Remind me to pray daily about this until we see Your will done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

IMPARTATION

Right now, I release and impart to you hearing ears and a bold tongue. You will use them to speak to your friends about Christ, pray out loud with confidence, prophesy with clarity, praise God out loud during trials and worship Him freely in your home and at your church during your corporate worship services. I also speak healing over your body from any physical manifestation of the deaf and dumb spirit, and healing over you emotionally and in your relationship communications. “He who has an ear to hear, let him hear!” (Now open your hands, shut your eyes and receive it.)

M
y husband and I have a perpetual war over the thermostat in our home. His job is to set the thermostat responsibly, at a temperature that will result in financial peace at the end of the month. My job is to tell him that, yes, the children and I already have on socks and coats but are still freezing, and we need the heat turned up. He sets the necessary standard, and I tell him how that is working out for the masses.

I believe this is the perfect picture of what the pastor-prophet relationship should look like in every local church. The pastor sets the thermostat and asks the church to rise to it, whether it be a standard or a teaching emphasis or a churchwide budgetary need. The prophet is gifted to sense how the Body is responding (because of praying for them always), and then communicates to the pastor what the temperature of the house feels like. But where prophetic types often miss it is in regarding their discernment as higher than the pastoral standard, so they find fault with the pastor and start trying to change the
thermostat themselves. It is often done out of concern and love, but if prophets really love their people, they will pass out coats and socks, if need be, until the pastor catches a cold and finally sees everyone shivering.

With that said, I believe the Old Testament prophets did have control of the thermostat—setting standards for whole nations, in fact. But the Old Testament office of prophet is different from the New Testament gift of prophecy today, and even different from today’s office of prophet. Perhaps prophecy is a mystery to you. Perhaps you dream and see visions, but until you picked up this book, you had never thought of yourself as a seer, much less knew what that had to do with prophecy. Let’s do a crash course and take care of that. Let’s take prophecy from mystical to practical for a second and think of it as a pie. Take a look at its eight pieces with me, all of which fit together seamlessly and timelessly.

Prophecy’s Eight Pieces

1. Scriptural Prophecy

The biblical canonization of Old and New Testament prophecies, both of which are infallible. Look at 2 Peter 1:20–21: “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed . . . knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”

2. Messianic Prophecy

Prophecies that foretold the coming of Christ. For example, Micah 5:2:

But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,

Yet out of you shall come forth to Me

The One to be Ruler in Israel,

Whose goings forth are from of old,

From everlasting.

3. The Gift of Prophecy

An ongoing ability to speak on God’s behalf. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 14:1 (
ESV
) to desire this gift especially out of all the other gifts when he says “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.” This gift can be for men or women. In Acts 21:9 (
KJV
) we hear about Philip’s “four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.” Also, Paul told the women at Corinth what to wear when they prophesied (see 1 Corinthians 11:5). He also said, “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy” (1 Corinthians 14:39
NIV
).

4. The Spirit of Prophecy

A temporary anointing for those who do not have the gift of prophecy, so that they speak under God’s inspiration. First Samuel 10:10–11 gives an example:

Then the Spirit of God came upon [Saul], and he prophesied among them. And it happened, when all who knew him formerly saw that he indeed prophesied among the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What is this that has come upon the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Balaam’s donkey in Numbers 22:28–30 is another example.

5. The Office of Prophet

Paul states plainly that prophets are still alive and well in the Body of Christ: “And God has placed in the church first of all apostles, second prophets . . .” (1 Corinthians 12:28
NIV
). In Ephesians 4:11 Paul says, “And He Himself [Jesus] gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” Also, in Acts 21:10 (
KJV
) he mentions “a certain prophet, named Agabus.”

6. Encouragement Prophecy

First Corinthians 14:3 indicates that prophecy is for “edification and exhortation and comfort.” Encouragement prophecy beautifully “builds up, lifts up or cheers up,” even if the exhortation involves a challenge or admonishment.

7. Eschatological Prophecy

Prophecy about the end times, the Rapture, Tribulation, Millennial Reign and the like. Jesus said in Mark 13:7–8 (
NIV
),

When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

8. Prophetic Song

Any of the above, manifested in song. Exodus 15:20–21 (
NIV
) says, “Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. Miriam sang to them.” And Elisha said in 2 Kings 3:15, “But now bring me a musician. Then it happened, when the musician played, that the hand of the L
ORD
came upon him.”

Spirit Gifts to Aid the Seer

I want you to think of this chapter as your roots. Everyone in prophetic ministry wants wings, and hopefully the first nine chapters gave you that, but I exhort you never to fly without first knowing where you will land. Every seer needs the landing pad of a local church, and we will discuss that vital need for connection here. Seers—and all of us—must also be fueled by the fullness of the Holy Spirit, so we will also discuss Spirit baptism here, as well as all the gifts of the Spirit. One of those gifts is discernment of spirits. With that gift operational, you
will be fully equipped to discern not only the presence of angels and the Holy Spirit, but of unclean spirits, too, something that will be very useful as you see and interpret. This discernment gift also will keep you from receiving counterfeits for your prophetic gift. We will read two testimonies involving that, one of a former psychic and one of a former lucid dreamer, now both Spirit-filled prophetic vessels.

Let’s look right now at spiritual gifts to aid the seer. “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren,” Paul said, “I do not want you to be unaware” (1 Corinthians 12:1
NASB
).

I remember that when I was in a more conservative church, I learned about the spiritual gifts in 1 Peter 4:9–12 (
NASB
): “As each one has received a special gift, employ it.” Included in this passage’s list were hospitality, speaking and serving.

And then when I began attending a non-denominational Bible study, I heard about more spiritual gifts in Romans 12: “And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us” (verse 6
NET
). This passage then lists prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, contributing, leadership and mercy.

Then, when I joined a Spirit-filled church, I heard about even more spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:4: “There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.” The list here includes word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, the working of miracles, prophecy, discernment of spirits, speaking in tongues and interpreting tongues. Also, a few verses later, 1 Corinthians 12:28 lists many of these again, but adds to them helping and administration.

As if those were not enough gifts, when I was ordained I learned about the “office gifts” from Ephesians 4:4–16: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers.

What a giving God we serve! That is more than twenty gifts, and I have never met a Christian who did not have a creative, multiple mix of them. I have arranged all the gifts into five gift groups that I think will tell you a little bit about yourself. And when all the groups are combined, they, and we, all represent God’s mind, voice, hands, heart and arms in the earth.

• Discernment Gifts:
  word of knowledge, word of wisdom, distinguishing of spirits (God’s mind).
  
• Communication Gifts
  : prophecy, exhortation, teaching, speaking, evangelism, tongues, interpretation of tongues (God’s voice).
  
• Sign Gifts
  : workings of miracles, gifts of healings (God’s hands).
  
• Influencer Gifts
  : faith, contributing, helping, administration, serving, mercy (God’s heart).
  
• Rallying Gifts
  : pastoring, teaching, apostleship, prophecy, evangelism (God’s arms).
  

For seers, you will need to pay close attention to the communication gifts. Remember, dreams and visions are not a gift of the Spirit; they are mere communication with God. Thus, the communication gifts in Scripture will help you with them. Add to it the influencer gift of faith, and you will make great impact. You will employ these communication gifts when God gives you a dream for someone (prophecy, exhortation, teaching), or perhaps when you communicate a vision or word to a crowd (speaking, evangelism) or when you are praying with something you have seen (tongues, interpretation of tongues). And do not forget your supernaturally natural five senses that we discussed in chapter 1.

Even though Paul told the church at Corinth that tongues were a sign to unbelievers, I included them in the communication gifts category because at the end of the day, speaking in tongues is just the prayer gift. All intercessors need it in their arsenal as they try to communicate with God using their limited human minds.

“For God’s gifts and His call can never be withdrawn” (Romans 11:29
NLT
).

Seeing Angels and Demons

I never tire of stopping midconversation and telling someone when I have seen an angel near them. If the timing is appropriate, it serves as a blessing to them to know they are protected and safe. I always remind them of Psalm 34:7, “The angel of the L
ORD
encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.”

I started seeing angels after I was baptized in the Holy Spirit in 1993. I did not ask to see angels, but the Lord knew I needed to. With my ailing health and the constant threat of seizures, the enemy started tormenting me that I was going to die, maybe by drowning in the bathtub or while walking down our long staircase. He also whispered that I would be holding the baby, therefore killing her, too. Suddenly, I started seeing these bright bursts of light in these exact places. It looked like those old cube camera flashes we had back in the ’70s, only brighter. I did not connect it all until I was listening to a sermon tape given to me by a friend. In it, a visiting minister described what happened when he saw angels. He said, “You may see a small, intense burst of light. . . .”

Right then I looked up, and there one was. On the staircase. The only other place I had seen it was over my bathtub, so I knew immediately that God had opened my eyes to my protection. After that, I did have a convulsion once in the tub, but it was just as I was stepping out, so when I fell, it was into our glass shower beside it. It was as if someone had pushed me to safety, and I did not have a scratch on me, even though all the glass had to be replaced. Five seconds earlier and I would have drowned. I can only imagine the invisible battle going on over my head, but my guardian angel won.

Once again, I thought of the story from 2 Kings 6:8–17 when Elisha and his servant, Gehazi, were surrounded on all sides by the Syrian army. Elisha was unafraid, but Gehazi, who was younger in the faith, was terror-stricken. Elisha did not need to see the spiritual armies of angels, horses and chariots
of fire to know they were there, and I would not either now, but once upon a time I was Gehazi and did need to see them. God was merciful, and the only thing that wound up dying was my fear.

And in 2000, while I was alone in a hotel room in Boston during a leader’s meeting for the USSPN I attended with Cindy Jacobs, the archangel Michael visited me as I was crying uncontrollably. Again, it was about my promised healing. God was my only hope and I made sure He did not forget it, and this night, I was spent. I can describe the archangel to you with great detail: so very handsome, strong with broad shoulders, dark hair with dark, intense eyes. He said nothing, but I suddenly “knew” his name. He was Michael, the archangel, sent by God to fortify my faith the way he was sent by God to fortify Daniel’s.

There was no spoken conversation, but the message was loud and clear. God was confirming that this health struggle was more than a personal need for healing and that I was warring against something bigger. Michael does not show up if you have stubbed your toe. Archangels show up when the battle is territorial.

Please let me end with a warning: If spirits or angels come bearing names other than angels already named or described in Scripture, or if you are asked to call upon angels with thematic names that draw attention to themselves and not to Christ’s mission, do not receive them or the people who promote them. I have seen people get caught up in angelic counterfeits (2 Corinthians 11:14 says that Satan sometimes comes as an angel of light), and then their falls were imminent. And never engage in angel worship. This is disgusting to angels, as they themselves only worship God. Do not pray to them, either, for Psalm 103:20 (
NASB
, emphasis added) reveals that they only obey God’s commands, not yours: “Bless the L
ORD
, you His angels, mighty in strength, who perform
His
word, obeying the voice of
His
word!” It does no good for you to “commission angels,”
because they only heed God’s commissioning. Focus on God. Ask Him to round up the angels, and He will.

The Psychic Realm: An Interview

Whether it involves angels or demons, the world is infatuated right now with the paranormal. Television programming is full of mediums, psychics, ghost hunters, house exorcists and more. People crave spiritual connection to a higher power, but without grounding in God’s Word and without the discernment of spirits gift, they will wind up communicating with a diabolical lower power. They will not recognize counterfeits when they come. Psychics are counterfeits of prophets. They get their information from Satan, whereas prophets get their information from God.