I regularly hear from people who tell me, “I see spirits all the time.” They aren’t crazy; they aren’t hallucinating; they aren’t even all that special, or at least they don’t want to be. Most of them just see spirits. All the time.
It’s disconcerting for them; and for those of us who don’t see spirits, but want to respond with love and grace and power.
Some people want a scientific explanation. Some think it’s all part of the occult. Others think it’s a blessing from God. Many people who see spirits wish they couldn’t. Others who don’t wish they could. Many seers have told me that those who wish they could see are the ones who are crazy.
Before I started Seers See Ministries, I was a volunteer youth pastor at a new church. My wife and I were still coming to grips with the idea that some children can see spirits.
I’ll never forget the teenager who came up to me at church and basically said, “I see spirits. I see demons and angels and other things. And I see them all the time. At school following kids. Besides the streets. Outside of homes. Outside of churches. At the mall. I see spirits all the time.”
I asked if she saw one now. She nodded and said, “It’s right behind you. A tall one. It’s evil. It’s following you.”
I felt my heart dropped. Immediately the Lord brought to mind a sin in my life that I hadn’t brought to the Father. Eventually, I made the connection to sin and spiritual assignments. I talk about this a lot in my book, Peace in Your House.
I was sort of freaking out that a teenager was coming to me describing seeing spirits and that one was right behind me.
I wanted to tell her it’s not real and not to worry and that there aren’t really monsters and I also wanted to turn around and command the thing to go away in the name of Jesus.
But I didn’t. Instead, I said, “You are not crazy.” I saw as relief flooded her face. She was new to the youth group and I didn’t know her, and she took a huge risk in telling me what she saw. Would she be rejected? Would she be ignored? Would she be told she’s crazy? Hallucinating? Wrong? It’s right there: she could see it, but no one else could.
But actually lots of people can see these things: more people that you would believe. Like this young girl, most have learned to keep their mouths shut lest they be ridiculed, or accused of being demonic, or crazy, or ignored.
Love, Grace and Power
Frankly, I didn’t know if she could really see in the spirit realm or if she was attention seeking. While I believed her, there’s always the chance someone is making it up.
Either way, my response was and will always be the with love of Jesus, the grace from the Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
I asked her to continue to alert me when she saw spirits at church, so we could deal with them. (Later I repented of my sin, brought faith to this area of my life, and began achieving the mind of Christ in this area of weakness.)
A few days later, I went to my pastor and mentioned what she told me. I wanted some guidance.
He replied, “Oh, she’s a seer.”
I exclaimed, “There’s a word for that?”
He said, “Yes, of course. It’s in the Bible, you know.” He suggested I talk with some other seers in the church.
I was flabbergasted that he was so nonchalant and already knew some people could see spirits.
“Why don’t we talk about this?” I meant why don’t our pastors mention this in front of the congregation on Sunday morning or in the various classes we taught.
He laughed. “People already think we’re weird.”
I understood what he meant. In our growing church, we believed that God still heals people miraculously, that God still speaks to people, and that when the Apostle Paul said, “you should prophecy”[ref]1 Corinthians 14:1[/ref] and “do not forbid speaking in tongues” [ref]1 Corinthians 14:39[/ref], he meant it.
Among other churches in our community, these teachings in the Bible weren’t just unbiblical, they were dangerous and maybe satanic. We knew some Christian groups had sent “spies”, and were spreading distortions and openly teaching against the idea that God still heals, that God still speaks, and God still fills people, let alone that it was okay to practice these things.[ref]1 Timothy 4:15[/ref]
So imagine if they heard that we taught some people can see spirits. “People already think we’re weird” can quickly become, “People think we must be stopped.” It’s not that the issue is people seeing spirits, but it’s a supernatural worldview that accepts there is a spiritual realm that interacts with the physical, and some people see the interaction. Many want to “fix” those who have a supernatural worldview.
After all, the reasoning goes, people who think they can see spirits need a pill or maybe a hospital or are in the occult.
Wrong. People who can see spirits need love. They need acceptance. They need instruction.
Recently my friend Gerry and I were invited to a meeting of psychics and mediums. Almost all of these spiritually sensitive people told how Christians despised them, hated them, ostracized them, and in some cases had threatened them. They definitely were not welcome in church.
These psychics and mediums are lovely people whom Christians have really wounded. They have become aware that many spiritually sensitive people are similarly lost and need help.
So these psychics and mediums are starting a support group to begin training them. I wondered why Christians – who believe in a man who was killed for claiming to be God and had rose again, thus confirming his claim- have abdicated instruction in the supernatural to psychics and mediums. Why are these people, who don’t know the love of the Father, showing more love than Christians, who do?
God loves these people. Shouldn’t Christians?
When it comes to human beings, “Christians” and “Hate” don’t belong in the same sentence. Jesus died for all people. Even the ones who announce, “I can see spirits.”
Christians have been given the love of Jesus, the grace of the Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit to demonstrate God’s heart to the least, the last, and the lost. Maybe we should act like it.
I agree about some christians turning a cold shoulder (or worse) to seers, psychics and mediums. I’m just curious though, after prayer and consideration, how am I supposed to respond to those who use Old Testament verses to make me feel as if I have been cursed or as though I should some how no longer continue to see spirits as if I wake up everyday and choose to see spirits? I don’t feel I have been cursed (not every time anyway lol) and even after asking God to take it from me yet still continue being able to see them, I feel God has given this to me for a reason! It’s just that sometimes they do make a good point with some of the things. I would like for it to make better sense when dealing with those types of comments weather it’s towards me directly or towards the stereo type itself. Personally I feel if God didn’t will this for my purpose in life then he would have taken it away the many times I have asked him to. Honestly it reminds me of the thorn in Paul’s side. At times it’s hard on me but at the same time it’s a wonderful gift from God and he allows the uncomfortableness of this gift to keep me humble. I’m just curious what you think about the Old Testament verses that talk so strongly against this type of thing or these types of people?
Ps. I believe in all the gifts as well and so does the church I belong to. Yet I’m afraid to tell anyone at the church what I see, fyi.
Thanks for your comments! You are so awesome!!
I’m not sure which verses in the OT you are speaking of, but if I were to hazard a guess, it’d be Deut 18:10-12: “There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you.”
You are none of these things. Let’s break this down within the context of the Ancient Near East. First, Israel was supposed to be different than the other nations in the area (in the world, actually). When people looked to Israel, they were to see what Yahweh was like. The nations surrounding Israel worshiped other gods, who were real spiritual entities. This passage deals with
1. Anyone who burns his or her daughter as an offering: nearby, the demon Molech required this kind of sacrifice from his followers. Knowing this, we can see this verse helps us to know that Yahweh’s people should not worship Molech.
2. Anyone who practices divination. Divination is a ritual to determine the will, knowledge or plans of a deity. In this context, it’s trying to determine the supernatural will, knowledge or plans of any (small g) god besides Yahweh (God). People believed that gods would communicate knowledge through dreams, prophecy, or personal appearances. They came up with methods and rituals to force or at least prompt the gods to reveal information, including the future. Methods included looking at heavenly signs, examining animal organs, dream interpretation, and direct questioning. None of these apply to you or other seers who simply can see spirits with your own eyes.
But get this: all of these were employed by God’s people and are acceptable to God when trying to hear from God himself. They are not acceptable when trying to hear from a different spirit (especially Molech, in context).
Gen 30:27, Laban tells Jacob that he received knowledge from God through divination.
Gen 44:5, Joseph engaged in divination by using a drinking cup.
Judges 6:36-40: Gideon used a ship skin (an organ) to understand God’s will
Judges 7:4-7 God tells Gideon to use the actions of soldiers drinking as a means to determine who should be in the army.
1 Kings 20:33: they’re looking for an omen from God to direct their path.
And throughout scripture, people are asking God and God’s personal presence for input. The issue is, don’t trust other spirits. Doing so makes someone a false prophet.
God want you only to trust God.
But none of this has anything to do with seers, who can see spirits whether they want to or not.
3. Tells fortunes: related to above. Again, not related to the seer gift.
4. Interprets omens or in some translations, an augur. The Hebrew word there might be related to “nachash”, which is the same word for “serpent” in Genesis 3. In this case, it could refer to someone turning to another divine being (which the serpent was) for hidden (occult) knowledge, or it might be related to “lachash” (whisper), in which it could mean whispering incantations of some kind for magical purposes. Either way, it’s bad, and it’s not what seers are doing. They just see.
5. Sorcerer: refers to someone using plants to make potions. Not applicable.
6. Charmer, in some versions, “one who casts magic spells” – this means using words to join or weave or tie or wrap magical knots around people or objects to spiritual bind someone, using the powers of divine beings who aren’t God. Note that in the New Testament, Jesus expects his followers to bind and loose things in the spiritual sense, but of course his followers have faith in Jesus, not demons.
7. A medium or “one who asks of the spirits” – again these people are asking other spirits, not God, for information. Bad idea. Seers can see spirits, but shouldn’t talk to them
8. A necromancer or “one who inquires of the dead” – these people are asking dead people (ghosts) for information. Bad idea. Seers can see ghosts, but shouldn’t talk to them.
Basically God wants us to use our gifts – including spiritual gifts- to further his Kingdom and to draw on the Holy Spirit for divine knowledge, not from demons.
If they are using other OT verses as a weapon to you, just point out that Daniel saw angels when no one else could see them. In fact, much of the Bible involves God supernaturally showing people things, and them communicating what God shows to other people… and of course, it ticked a lot of people off.
In your context, the seeing gift is very related to the gift of discerning spirits, and the natural way to defend against people who ignorantly apply Old Testament verses to your context is to help educate them in the supernatural worldview of the Bible – that there are powerful spirits other nations worshiped, and they were at war against God and his people… and this continues today. And to point out that one of God’s gifts to the church is the gift of discerning spirits: enter you!
Thank you so much for such a thorough response! You are so much help! Keep posting because it really does help! And yes that’s the verse in the Old Testament that they usually refer to. Only one is used in the New Testament which is also explainable by your response! It’s makes better sense to me now. This is great! One more question, if I may, what about psychics and mediums? Are they doing what is asked of christians not to do? I am just curious. I wish there were people around here who put together a group to help those in my position. Until then, you have been and are so much help! Thanks again!
I believe a couple of things are going on with psychics and mediums.
1. In many cases, yes, they are doing exactly what scripture tells them not to. They are talking to demons, ghosts, and other spirits. They trust what they hear from these spirits (why would anyone do that? How can you trust the veracity of what a spirit tells you, or the agenda that spirit is speaking from??) Some of these people see spirits, and so easily engage in conversations with them.
The only conversation I’d recommend with demons is, “Go to the place Jesus has prepared for you.” For ghosts and most other spirits is, “In the name of Jesus, go to the Father to be dealt with in justice and mercy.”
Some of these people engage or try to control powerful spiritual forces for whatever their aim is… sometimes it’s a good aim, but using evil spirits for good will ultimately backfire.
To them, I want to help them to know that the Holy Spirit is truthful and always our true best interest in mind. His agenda is extending God’s rule, which brings true peace and joy and the other fruits of the spirit. So don’t use other spirits… go to the Most High God, through faith in Jesus.
2. In some cases, some are doing what Jesus described in John 10:1-9. If God’s spiritual knowledge and power is the sheepfold, and Jesus is the gate to it, then the only legal way to access God’s spiritual knowledge is through Jesus. He’s the only medium to the Father, to use a New Age term. He’s the only way to the Father. But it is apparently possible to not go through Jesus and to climb over the fence, and access his knowledge and power illegally or “on the black market” so to speak. These people are thieves, robbers, and strangers. They ultimately steal, kill, and destroy.
I’m certain that some of these people are engaging in God’s gifts illegally, like a robber. To them, I want to help them understand that they don’t have to lay their gifts down to use them as God intended… in fact, the gifts will flow with more power and love when used according to God’s purposes, through faith in Jesus.
Doug I am so thankful that you encouraged that girl that saw an evil spirit following you for 2 reasons, 1. It prompted you from inner conviction that you needed to seek repentance and that is always a great thing because it shut the door on the demonic assignment over you and 2. Christians need to be aware of the supernatural world that surrounds them and be taught how to keep their spiritual ears and eyes attuned to this template that is all around us. Keep up the great work brother. God bless, Your older brother, Bill Robertson.
Thanks Bill! I didn’t include it in the post, but that encounter did in fact lead to some serious repentance.