Do you ever find yourself experiencing a sudden change in your home, school, work, or church environment? Maybe things suddenly get better. Maybe things suddenly get worse. Maybe you get unexplained feelings or emotions about something seemingly out of nowhere. Maybe nothing changes around you, but YOU change somehow, and you can't explain why! You may be sensing a supernatural shift in your current spiritual season!
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 ESV says, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace."
Verse 1 says, "For EVERYTHING there is a season and a TIME for every matter under heaven" meaning that there is a right time and a wrong time to do certain things. You can have the right motives, direction, and heart but still do things at the WRONG time and face unnecessary struggles or spiritual warfare if you aren't sensitive to what God is doing.
Daniel 2:21 ESV says, "He changes times and seasons; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding."
Just like we have earthly seasons, we have spiritual seasons that God takes us through. If we pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is speaking to us, we can flawlessly flow into the season God calls us to instead of fighting against the current.
The prophet Isaiah is the first of the 4 Major Prophets we recognize in the Holy Bible. The others are Daniel, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah, who all often had deep prophetic encounters and revelations from the Lord. So, God speaks through the Prophet Isaiah in...Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV. "Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert."
Before the major Prophets existed, we see the Tribe of Issachar already moving in the sensitivity to spiritual changes. 1 Chronicles 12:32 ESV says, "Of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, 200 chiefs, and all their kinsmen under their command."
Perceiving supernatural shifts is not something new! Even Jesus told Mary "My time has not yet come." when she asked him to do something about the lack of wine at the wedding in Cannan. The miracle took place quietly behind the scenes because it was not his time to be revealed as the Messiah publicly.
Can you perceive it when God does something new in your personal walk, work life, relationships, or church? Do you feel like you're crazy sometimes, and then what you've been sensing actually happens?
In the blog post, "How God Speaks," I discuss the ways our Heavenly Father speaks to us as laid out clearly in scripture. If you think you may be experiencing a seasonal shift, check it out and see if you can recognize how God has been speaking to you and what he may be saying to you now! God often prepares us for what is coming so we can readily pray and prepare for it, whether it's a mountaintop season or a valley season. You may dream or sense it in your spirit in advance. Maybe it's so God can reveal something to you beforehand!
In ministry school, I worked full-time as an assistant manager at a retail store. My workplace had a system set up for assistant managers to receive a percentage of commission based on their sales. Due to my skills in many other store operations, I was often responsible for fulfilling responsibilities that would not help me in my commission. I knew I could make more money with better sales commission, but I chose to serve the company and upper management wherever they wanted. Seemingly, out of nowhere, I felt I would get a raise. This feeling gradually increased for almost 2 months. One week in particular, I felt as if the excitement from what I was sensing skyrocketed! Before the week was over, I got a call from upper management that the entire company was doing away with the commission pay, BUT since they noticed how hard I worked in other areas that lacked, they would give me a $2 raise. This was it! This was what I had been perceiving in the spirit!
The exact same thing happened when I first got that job. I was looking for employment and picked up 12 applications from different stores. I filled out only 3 of them and turned in only 2, and of those 2 I turned in, I had a deep sense that THIS one, in particular, would be the one that called me. They did call me and ended up hiring me for a higher position than I had originally applied for.
What are you perceiving in the spirit? Maybe you've received a prophetic word and suddenly sensed change taking place. Sometimes, God wants us to recognize seasonal shifts because he is guiding us to better align with what he is already doing or plans to do in our lives.
Attending ministry school was more for my own spiritual growth. I did not intend to become a church leader in any capacity. I loved where I was plugged into and never wanted to leave. Seemingly out of nowhere, a student from the school gave me a prophetic word and said, "Don't be surprised if God sends you back home before school finishes." I smiled, but internally, I was shouting I REBUKE THAT! I'm not going anywhere! A few weeks later, I felt "off" in my spirit and had no idea why. I was invited back to my hometown to share my testimony at a youth conference, and at this time, I could not stand teenagers, but I agreed to be their guest speaker. The conference was powerful, and the altar call was incredible, with almost 250 teens receiving salvation, rededicating their lives, crying, shaking, and even getting delivered from demons. Suddenly, the prophetic word and how I felt "off" at school made sense. I started telling everyone I would be a youth pastor and had no idea where, when, or how, but I KNEW God was calling me to it. So, by faith, I left 2nd year of ministry school to move back home, and in less than 3 months, a door was opened, and I entered youth ministry, where I served for 3 years before starting our church.
"Don't be surprised if God sends you back home before school finishes." My mind and heart said NO, but I couldn't ignore what I perceived in my spirit. The decision to obey what I sensed God wanted to do in my life launched me into where I am today.
For everything, there is a season! He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those with spiritual understanding. Have you received a prophetic word from the Lord recently about your next season? Do you perceive the Lord doing a new thing in your life? Pray about it, be sensitive to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and do whatever he asks!
1 Corinthians 2:9-14 ESV says, "But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"— these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned."
We don't always see with our eyes or hear with their ears what God is doing BUT we are told that God reveals it to us by his Spirit! Whatever you discern won't make sense to unspiritual people, and they may think you're delusional or crazy. It's not your job to convince others that God speaks to you; it's your job to be sensitive to the Lord and obey his guidance. The fruit from your life will speak for itself. Pay attention to changes you feel in the spirit and pray for confirmation. Make adjustments and do whatever you're told.
Proverbs 16:9 NLT says, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." When you feel a supernatural shift coming, let the Lord determine your next steps. You don't want to be out of alignment with God's plans! Is He doing a new thing in your life? And if so, can you perceive it?
