I have been intentionally pressing into understanding and learning how to manage the gift of Prophetic Feeling for around two years now. In this last year the Father has really brought significant breakthrough in understanding for how to be intentional in this gifting. One of the key revelations to step into with this gift as well as any other gift from the Holy Spirit stems from stewardship. The stewardship and management of this gift or any other spiritual gifting, is placed with me. Peter says it this way in 1 Peter 4:9-11; "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ." This passage is packed with several meaty concepts but lets focus on who and how concepts of spiritual gifts. Here is what I see:
1) The gift is intended for the service and care of others.
2) We have a choice whether to offer the gift and how to move in it.
3) We are called to be stewards of God's grace and stewards of the gifting he has given us.
The central piece I want to focus on for this blog posting is that the management of the gift, the steering wheel and gear shift for prophetic feeling is not up in heaven somewhere. It is with us and in us! This is hard to say and even harder to hear because I know we have suffered and wrestled trying to figure how how to walk this out. However, we now in a new day and a new season and Papa is bringing breakthrough revelation and instruction. In order to grow in Prophetic Feeling we must first own and value our gifting. Below I have written out two simple steps and a few tools that have been helpful in my process of learning to manage prophetic feeling.
Step One: Own your gift. For over 30 years I asked the Father to take this gift away because it caused me such great suffering. He has compassion on me and on us in our struggle but he desires for us to own what he has given. You will not be able to grow or make much progress in prophetic feeling unless you embrace it. Just tell the Father that you receive this gift and thank Him for it. Thank Him ahead of time that he will bring help and instruction as you step into what He has for you.
Step Two: If you have sought to shut-down or disown your gift- repent. If you have cursed your gift (as I have done in the past) repent for that as well. Repent literally means to change your mind and change your thinking. Honestly, I first repented as an act of my will and not because my feelings on the matter had changed. :-) I prayed something along the lines of, "Father I repent for disowning, and devaluing the gift of prophetic feeling. This gift has caused me great suffering and I am tired of the struggle but I know that you give good gifts and you desire for me to thrive and move in harmony with you. I repent for every time I have cursed and disowned my gifting. I turn around and choose to step into what you have given me."
Going through those steps can be difficult at first because we have to choose to accept the experience before we understand how to survive or manage all that the gifting entails. Well done, that took courage! Once I went through the process above, I found that my gifting increased and the Father started reconnecting some of my severed circuits (if you will) and it was intimidating. This entry is getting long but I want to leave you with some foundational tools to utilize as you begin to own and explore your gifting. Sometimes I just use one tool and other times two or three. There are days that the tools seem are more effective than others, but it's a starting point!
Beginning Survival Tools:
Tool No. 1 - 5 Second Awareness Check
I was first taught this tool during a Sozo session while visiting Bethel. As you are leaving home or just before entering a gathering or large group of people check your emotional and spiritual state. How generally do you feel? What is your mood? What are you generally thinking about? Put a memory marker down in that place and go about your business. When you find yourself experiencing strong emotions, tugs or pushes go back to the check. Did you feel that before coming in? If not, then its likely not you. If you did but its worse, then also consider it might be you with a little help from other influences.
Tool No. 2 - A Question
The Sozo leader also taught me this question. Tool No. 1 and 2 go together. When you find yourself being pulled under by intense emotion stop and ask the Papa and the Holy Spirit "Is this me or something else?" There are three answers to this question. Yes, its something else. No, its you or Both! Sometimes we are struggling with something and carry an atmosphere that adds to an already murky soup. If the answer is "something else" or "both". I often pray and make a quick declaration in my being. I say, "I command all emotions and atmospheres that do not belong to me to get off! Get off now!"
Tool No. 3 - Centering
Centering - Doug Addison is quite prophetic and shared that he also has gifting as a Prophetic Feeler. When he is feeling overwhelmed or blown over by things in his day he takes a couple minutes to center himself. He stands up and makes sure both feet are on the ground and he gathers himself in and speaks out the fruits of the Spirit and considers each one for a moment. I have tried this a few times but have not found it helps me that much. I am still keeping it in my tool bag to try another time.
Tool No. 4 - Clearing
Clearing - One Friday when I was so tired that my being and body had become a freeway for all the emotions and chaotic dynamics in my work atmosphere I had a picture of my insides. I saw all the emotions and chaos as colored blobs and bubbles that had pushed into my being. The feeling inside reminded me of when I sometimes get water up my nose and in my ears while swimming. Alone in my office I plugged my nose, puffed out my checks and blew my ears out. I did this as a prophetic action and imagined blowing out all the stuff that did not belong to me, while putting myself next to Jesus. It immediately helped. I was surprised so I did it again a few more times and each time it got better. I still was tired, I could still feel stuff around me but I was no longer drowning in it.
Tool No. 4 - Soaking, or Mild to Moderate Activity
Soaking & Resetting-When I get emotionally tired and especially weepy it can indicate that my prophetic receptors/receivers are swamped or fried. Once I wake to this reality (first step), I will go for a long walk outside, regardless of the weather. I am not sure why but being outside really helps. If I am especially frustrated, grieving or angry I will upgrade to more vigorous exercise such as weight lifting or Taekwondo. Sitting or lying down quietly listening to soaking music also helps. While listening I concentrate on allowing the music to permeate my being. It usually takes an hour or more. Right now I am soaking in Pneuma by Alberto Rivera.
Tool No. 5 - Check the Dials
Lowering Dials - On days and times when I seem to have no buffer and I am like a leaf on the surface of a raging river; I stop and go check where my dials are at. I use my imagination to engage the reality of levels and intensity in my prophetic gifting by imagining a sound board. I ask the Holy Spirit where my dials are at and sometimes have a picture of them being pegged or spun up to the max. Sometimes its just a few dials that are turned up to high. I still don't know why or how they get turned up but I know I can turn them down. When I discern that my dials are turned too far up, I ask the Holy Spirit to help me and imagine turning each one down into a normal range or a very low setting. I declare out loud, "Holy Spirit I turn my dials down and choose to rest in you that I don't have to feel everything today". Sometimes it only helps a bit, other times the effect is dramatic.
Tool No. 6 - Detaching and Washing
Detaching - Feelers seem especially uniquely adept at absorbing and then sometimes taking on the emotions and troubles of others. The frustrating part is that I can do this without even realizing it. The load of emotions and troubles can be compacted over time as I gather more and more stuff. Typically I don't know that I have done this until I have face planted and become discouraged or depressed. The challenge is the circumstances of our own lives can be troubling and it can be tough to discern when your pack weight has slowly increased from 10 lbs to 20 lbs. A close and wise friend taught me a prayer to walk though for when these times. The prayer is not a formula but a collection of principals. It goes something like this:
"Father I ask repent and ask forgiveness for anyway that I have taken on the emotions and responsibility of others. I give you all of the trouble, the grief, the trauma and chaos of those around me. I thank you that you are strong enough to carry these things. I thank you that you care more about all the hurts and concerns of people than I do. I ask that you cut any unholy ties and I take off and give to you any emotions and loads that do not belong to me. I ask that you wash me by your blood and I hide myself under your wings."
Tool No. 7 - Lighten Up
Lighten up - One of the realities I suspect is very much associated with being a Feeler is that we can get way to swamped and focused on struggle and pain, and on intense spiritual things of the Kingdom. When I think about the coming week and all I can think about is heaviness and struggle, its time for me to take a break! I find my Prophetic Feeler receptors need to be refreshed to experience joy, laughter, silliness and wonder. I do this by watching happy, joyful movies. Movies like, UP!, Epic, Kung Fu Panda or movie of similar genre. I also try to focus on the simple, bright and beautiful things of life such as a really good white-chocolate Americano or witty jokes. I definitely recommend building your own Lighten Up survival pack.
I hope these tools will prove helpful to some of you Prophetic Feelers out there. My next postings will share the journey of learning to interpret my prophetic feelings in collaboration with another prophetic leader. Grace to you!
