The night air was crisp and still as my wife, Fancie stepped out onto the back porch, her Bible tucked under her arm.
She had been a believer for years. But, a longing stirred within her. She wanted to explore the unseen spirit realm that she knew existed all around her.
Fancie settled into the porch swing. She opened her Bible and read the familiar passage in 2 Kings 6:16-17 (NIV) about the prophet Elisha.
16 “Don’t be afraid,” the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, so that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
She had heard this story many times before. But, tonight, the words leaped off the page with new vibrancy.
What would it be like, she wondered, to see angels and demons battling in the spiritual realm? To glimpse the majestic glory of Heaven itself?
Something stirred within her. This ability was available to her too if she desired it deeply enough.
Fancie’s hands began to tremble with a sense of awe and reverence. She knew she had to pursue this, no matter what the cost.
As she looked up at the starry sky, she imagined her spiritual eyes opening. She was ready to receive God’s revelations.
Key Takeaways
- Spiritual sight is the ability to see the spiritual dimension in real time. It uses awakened spiritual senses, not visions, dreams, or imagination.
- Developing spiritual sight has practical benefits. It boosts discernment, divine guidance, spiritual protection, and intimacy with God.
- The main way to develop spiritual sight is to cultivate intimacy with the Holy Spirit. Do this through consistent prayer, worship, and Bible study.
- To activate spiritual sight, pray for spiritual gifts. Focus on the gift of discerning spirits. Then, step out in faith and express your spiritual impressions.
- Signs of awakening spiritual senses include hearing divine instructions and receiving spiritual impressions.
- You can verify authentic spiritual experiences by three things. They must align with Scripture. They should glorify Jesus, not individuals. And, they must produce increased holiness and transform your life.
What is Meant By “Seeing in the Spirit”?
To see in the spirit means to use our spiritual senses. It is to perceive the spiritual dimension around us. In the natural, we perceive the world around us through sight, sound, taste, touch, and smell. But, we also have spiritual equivalents of these senses to “see in the spirit”.
With spiritual sight, we can see angelic activity, demonic oppression, and heavenly visions. With spiritual hearing, we can hear the Holy Spirit. We can also hear conversations in the spiritual realm.
This is different from having a vision while praying, or receiving insight into a dream. Seeing in the spirit is a real-time perception of the spiritual world. It’s like opening your natural eyes.
Why is Spiritual Sight So Crucial?
Seeing into the spiritual realm has great benefits for Jesus’s followers. These benefits include:
- Discernment. You can quickly identify the spiritual roots behind bad doctrine, deception, and motives. Many times, demons pretend to angels of light. Spiritual vision pierces their disguise.
- Guidance. The Holy Spirit’s highlights show us how to pray. They guide our targets.
- Authority. Seeing into the spirit builds faith. And faith is what moves the hand of God in the unseen realm! Signs and wonders begin to appear as you unleash your authority.
- Protection. If you can spot spiritual traps and the enemy’s warfare strategies, you can counter them. Your discernment protects you and others.
- Intimacy. As you activate your spiritual senses, you start picking up on Jesus’ presence. You develop a deep intimacy as you become attuned to Him.
It’s vital to see the spiritual realm. It enables discernment of the spiritual realm. Without it, it’s like fighting a war blindfolded!
3 Keys to Awaken Your Spiritual Senses from Scripture
To open your spiritual senses, it requires dedication and seeking the Lord. God promises that those who pursue Him will find Him when they search with all their hearts (Jeremiah 29:13).
Here are three keys, based on Scripture, to awaken your ability to see in the spirit.
1. Cultivate intimacy with the Holy Spirit
Your spiritual senses flow from intimacy with the Holy Spirit Himself. He is the Spirit of Truth whom Jesus said will guide us into all truth.
“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.” – John 16:13 (NIV)
As you praise and worship Him, and pray and study His Word, your spiritual senses will awaken. You’ll develop deep communion and fellowship with Him. Spend extended times focusing on Jesus to ignite spiritual hunger within you.
Many seers say that recognizing the Holy Spirit’s voice is key to seeing in the spirit. As we tune in to the Holy Spirit’s subtle nudges, we start to see spiritual truths around us.
2. Ask for spiritual gifts
In 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, Paul lists “distinguishing between spirits” as a gift of the Holy Spirit. Distinguishing spirits lets you tell if something is from God, your soul, or an evil spirit. This vital gift empowers all seers.
Furthermore, Paul exhorts all believers to have a strong desire for spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 14:1). As we ask our Father for spiritual gifts, we prove our faith. He is good and wants to give us His power!
3. Step out in faith
At a certain point, you have to take the limits off in your mind of what is possible. Jesus says signs follow those who believe.
“17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” – Mark 16:17-18 (NIV)
It takes boldness to expect your eyes to see what others don’t. But as you pursue seeing in the spirit, take a step of faith to describe what you are picking up on. Give the Holy Spirit something to work with.
Stepping out empowers the Holy Spirit to awaken you. It will let you experience His Kingdom now, in greater ways. And will speed up your ability to see into His dynamic unseen realm!
Testimony – How I Discovered How to See in the Spirit
Two years into my rebirth, I decided to seek God, dedicating myself completely to the pursuit. This included fasting, prayer, and countless hours in worship. Often, I stayed up all night to commune with Jesus.
I had heard of others’ experiences in the spirit. I knew of people who could see angels and discern spirits. But it was still unclear to me. My mind was my biggest hindrance. I couldn’t grasp how these encounters worked or if they were still for today.
Until one pivotal night, during deep, abandoned worship, it was like a switch turned on. Suddenly, before me were tall, pillar-like structures made of light. They looked like white fire. The room lost focus and it was as if there was a translucent spiritual grid overlaid on top of my bedroom.
Since then, I have been able to see activities in the spirit from time to time. I saw angels joining in worship and walls of protection going up. I could see another dimension, alive with God’s energy and beings.
My spiritual eyes were opened because I sought God’s presence, not His gifts. I had stepped over the line of doubt in my mind into a realm activated by faith to discover the spiritual world! Every believer today can see in the spirit. But, they must nurture their relationship with God.
6 Signs Your Spiritual Senses Are Opening Up
As you apply these biblical keys to grow close to the Holy Spirit, ask for spiritual gifts, then step out in faith. Here are 6 signs that your spiritual senses are awakening:
- Hearing subtle inner promptings of the Holy Spirit and His still small voice guiding you
- Seeing sparkles, colors, lights, and shadows not physically present
- Increased ability to sense God’s presence and a burning desire to worship God.
- Picking up “knowings” and emotional impressions about people/situations.
- Smelling heavenly fragrances like flowers, cinnamon, or scents that are spiritually symbolic.
- Feeling energy, tingles, or temperature changes in your body during prayer
Seeing in the spirit takes time. Seek the Giver, not just the gifts. While an encounter may launch your journey, spiritual senses need continual cultivation.
Be encouraged if you haven’t seen it yet! It’s not a qualification of how spiritual you are. God promises that spiritual hunger and purity of heart are what enable us to see Him (Matthew 5:8). Keep drawing close to Jesus in faith!
The Western mindset struggles to embrace spiritual senses and the unseen. People teach us to trust only what we see. If we can’t find proof, we place it in a gray area of subjectivity. But, the unseen realm is MORE real than the natural dimensions we perceive with our senses!
The Bible is clear. There is an active, engaging spiritual world around us at all times. We are tripartite beings made of spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). Thus we have capabilities built in for relating to the spiritual realm.
Conclusion
The spiritual world intersects the natural world all around us. Angels ascend and descend on earth. Demons lurk and set up strongholds. And the Holy Spirit hovers over us, awaiting our awareness of His presence.
Seeing into the dynamic realm of Spirit is vital for following Jesus in today’s tumultuous times. We must walk in close companionship with Him. Our spirits must sense the unseen realities at work.
Our Father promises us that the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth (John 16:13). Ask Him today to awaken your spiritual sight! Expect Him to nurture it to maturity.
Watch what opens up as you discover realms of God’s glory awaiting your exploration! You will no longer navigate blindfolded. Your eyes will pierce the darkness and you will walk as sons and daughters of light.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What’s the Difference Between Vision, Dream, Imagination and Spiritual Sight?
- Vision is a divine insight, seen while awake. It involves perceiving something that is not visible.
- Dreams are insights gained while sleeping through visual symbols that need interpretation.
- Imagination is the self-directed visualizing or picturing of something in your mind.
- Spiritual sight is seeing the present spiritual truths. They are overlaid on the physical world, seen by awakened spiritual senses.
Q. How do you know you are not imagining it?
Here are five signs you are seeing true spiritual visions, not imagining them.
- It seems spontaneous vs. willed by conscious effort.
- It continues even when something else distracts your mind.
- The unfolding surprises us and feels unexpected.
- It aligns with Scripture and testifies to the witness of the Holy Spirit.
- It benefits someone other than you.
Q. How do I know what I am seeing is from God not a demon?
Since Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, here are eight scriptural tests:
- True messengers of God always lead people closer to the Word and the authority of Scripture.
- The fruit produced leads to repentance and conviction of sin.
- What you see glorifies Jesus Christ, not man.
- The supernatural encounter results in liberty, peace, and unconditional love.
- There is a confirming witness to the manifestation by other believers.
- The Holy Spirit draws our lives closer to Christ.
- It leads to holiness and the forsaking of worldly attitudes.
- The spiritual presence encourages pursuing a deeper intimacy with God.
