Discernment, Wisdom, & Angels. Seeing in the Spirit

Training #2 - Kenya

Have you ever been in a room filled with joy, yet felt disconnected from it? Have you ever felt uneasy around someone without knowing why? Have you sensed the presence of angels—or perhaps sensed the presence of darkness? Do you ever perceive God's purpose for someone with clarity? Maybe you hear, see, or feel the movement of angelic beings—or even hear, see, or feel demonic forces. All of these spiritual experiences fall under what the Bible calls the gift of discernment.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 12:4–11 “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

The gift of discernment remains largely untaught and misunderstood in much of the Body of Christ. This lack of equipping has left many who carry this revelatory gift feeling isolated—able to perceive deeply in the spirit, yet struggling to put language to what they are sensing, seeing, or knowing. As one who walks heavily in discernment, I know the weight of trying to communicate spiritual realities only to be met with blank stares—people unable to grasp the unseen realm that is as real to me as the natural one. But just because it is not understood does not make it any less vital. In this hour, the Lord is awakening and sharpening this gift in His people. Discerners must arise, find their voice, and be trained to rightly divide what they are perceiving—for the health, protection, and advancement of the Church.

*Talk about conversations between me & Steve. Do you feel that? Did you see that? etc* Ask if anyone else has experienced this. Take a minute to let them share.

Discernment is a revelatory gift—one of the nine manifestations of the Holy Spirit given to empower the Church. Yet it has been largely neglected, rarely taught, and often misunderstood. Many who carry this gift have walked a lonely road—seeing, sensing, and knowing in the spirit, yet lacking language, mentorship, or safe spaces to grow. Some, untrained, have misapplied the gift, causing confusion or harm. Others have been silenced or dismissed by the Body, not because their discernment was false, but because it was inconvenient—too weighty, too unseen, too disruptive to systems built on logic rather than revelation.

The Spirit of God is reawakening this gift in His people. In this hour, discerners must arise—not in arrogance, but in humility and boldness, submitted to the Lord. Friends, we are entering days when decisions cannot be made by sight alone. The Church must learn to navigate by the Spirit, to interpret the times and seasons through insight. Discernment is not optional—it is essential for the days ahead.

I cannot express enough the need for wisdom when operating in discernment. When discerning, wisdom and maturity to handle and share the revelation must be your goal. The Bible says in Hebrews 5:14 “But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.”

As sons and daughters of God, we are no longer shaped by the patterns of this world—we are taught by the Spirit of the Living God. We are not merely natural beings having spiritual moments; we are spiritual beings, born from above, called to live from the unseen realm. As ambassadors of the Kingdom, we must be fluent in the language of the Spirit. Just as doctors or teachers must learn the vocabulary of their field, we too must be trained in the vocabulary of heaven.

Hear the word of the Lord: the spirit realm is more real than the natural. What is seen is temporary—fading, passing, perishing. But what is unseen is eternal. The mature sons of God are those who discern by the Spirit, walk by the Spirit, and speak from the Spirit. In this hour, God is calling for a people who will not just believe in the supernatural—but live from it.

As we read the Bible, the word of God, we must expect the Spirit to apply the text to our lives and communities. Christians - and especially Pastors and leaders have to learn to read the word of God from the experience of the Spirit. If not, we are missing the full portion of what God has for us. We are not able to experience Him fully if we cannot learn to apply the Spirit to the word.

Too often, people approach the Bible like it’s a history book, a rule book, or just a collection of moral teachings. They read it to learn what happened in the past or to gain knowledge about God — but they miss the invitation to actually encounter Him.

The Spirit of God is revealing this truth to the Church: Scripture is not just meant to inform us — it is meant to transform us.

Church, we know the Word is alive. It carries power. It doesn’t just tell us how to live — it empowers us by the Spirit to live it. It doesn't simply reveal God's past — it reveals His heart and voice now.

God is calling His people to read the Bible with open hearts, expecting to hear His voice, encounter His presence, and be changed.

Prophetic Activation: Ask the Holy Spirit to breathe on your time in the Word. Don’t just seek information — seek communion. Ask, “Holy Spirit, what are You saying to me right now through this Scripture?”

Study of the word that does not lead to living out biblical experiences in this day and age where we are living in the era of the Spirit misses the point of the biblical texts.

When we read the Gospels, we’re not just learning stories — we’re being introduced to the true character of Jesus. And as we come to know Him, we begin to live differently — not out of rules, but out of relationship with the One who gave everything for us.

Jesus corrected His disciples in private, but He defended them in public — even when it cost Him something. He healed the outcasts. He welcomed the broken and transformed the ones everyone else gave up on. He stood against the proud and the religious elite, even when it meant walking straight toward the cross.

This is the Jesus who reveals the heart of God — not the God made in human image or religion’s control, but the God of mercy, truth, and power.

The word of God is alive and active. Jesus himself is referred to as the Word made flesh. We are told the Word of God itself has life. We can recognize the mystery attached to His word in John 1:1–5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” If we truly want to know God, we must encounter Jesus as He really is. That means laying down the religious spirit — the one that puts God in a box — and stepping fully into the Spirit-led life. The same Jesus who walked with the disciples walks with us now through His Spirit. As we behold Him, our hearts burn with the same love and loyalty they had.

We have to ask the Holy Spirit: “Show me the heart of Jesus.” Let Him break off any false ideas and fill you with fresh love for the real Jesus — the One full of grace, truth, and power. We might find logical treasures in Scripture; but only a true disciple can live the experience of the fullness of the Spirit.

The spirit of God reveals what God has given to us. The Spirit knows the thoughts of God and we will be taught these truths by the Spirit in spiritual words, which the Word of God says will only be understood by those who discern by the Spirit of God. Our spiritual senses must be activated and focused to access this unearthly domain.

We must be armed with the understanding that we cannot enter the realm of the Spirit if we are holding onto human wisdom, information, and knowledge as our access point. We must release the weights of human knowledge and logic that may have tied us wrongly to the earthly realm. As we choose to move beyond and into the unknown, we are assured God is with us. By moving into a place where we can say, “I let go of what I know in my own strength and I step beyond into your understanding and knowledge” we are brought to an incredible access point of the spirit. These uncomfortable places will be where we become fully reliant on God and fully reliant on His ways because they are so familiar.

Begin by asking the Lord for the eyes of your heart to be enlightened. The Bible says in Ephesians 1:17–19 “that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might” Allow your desire to know God better to increase through the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. Let us not become satisfied with our level of knowing God.

As we study this portion of scripture, Paul is praying for us that we will know God better through the spirit of wisdom and revelation. In verse 18, Paul prayed for our vision, our imagination and mind of understanding to be illuminated. We know through reading the Word of God that the gift wisdom is highly prized. Those who seek and ask for wisdom are honored and revered.

There is a vast difference between believing in God and truly knowing Him. Scripture tells us in James 2:19 that even demons believe — and tremble. Belief alone is not the goal; it’s only the beginning.

Many people believe in God, quote verses, and offer prayers, but still live without the true knowledge of who He is. Knowing God goes beyond religious practice. It’s not just reading the Bible or speaking prayers — it’s experiencing the Living Word.

Jesus is not a distant historical figure. He is the Word made flesh, alive and present. To know Him is to walk in relationship with the One who still speaks, still moves, and still transforms. Revelation comes not only from the pages of Scripture, but from communion with the Person of Christ through the Spirit.

This kind of knowing is relational, not just informational. Knowing God more involves experiencing and seeing the living Word of God as He speaks it and as it is released.

*insert story about the time I experienced the Glory with the sunlight no one else could see*

As born-again believers in Christ, we are not just physical beings—we are spirit beings living in a physical body. All of our spiritual senses—seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, and feeling—are alive and responsive to the unseen realm. Nothing in the Spirit is off-limits to the child of God.

Through Christ, we are united with the living God. This union is not symbolic—it is real. We are one with Him in spirit, just as Scripture declares in 1 Corinthians 6:17: "But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit."

This oneness gives us full access to the realities of the Spirit. We are not outsiders trying to press in—we are seated with Christ, joined to Him, and fully able to perceive what He is revealing. The spiritual realm is our inheritance.

God is eternal, infinite, and without boundaries. His nature cannot be exhausted, and His wisdom has no end. No matter how much we have seen, heard, or understood, there is always more in Him.

There are deeper realms of His presence to encounter, greater revelation to receive, and fresh understanding of His Word to be unveiled. The Lord continually invites His people into greater intimacy and insight—not because He is distant, but because He is limitless.

We are never meant to settle. In God, there is always more to discover, more to become, and more to behold. Once you are familiar with praying in the spirit and advancing the Kingdom of God, you should not only be focused on demonic activity and deliverance, but you should be aware of, encountering, and working with angels. You must forget what you know and move beyond the limits of your own knowledge. We must untether ourselves from the limits of our thinking boundaries that tell us, “This is how it is” or “this is how I will always encounter God.”

*Ask if anyone in the room has encountered or seen an angel. Tell story of hearing angel choir sing.*

In that encounter, I did not see the angles, but I discerned their presence and heard their voices as described by Paul “The tongue of men and angels” in 1 Corinthians 13:1

I will talk briefly about some of the different areas in scripture in which angels work and share insight and testimony to empower you to discern each of these angelic activities. This is not all of them but I will go over some of the significant ones. Famous evangelist Billy Graham shared this concerning angels...

“Angels belong to a uniquely different dimension of creation which we, limited to the natural order, can scarcely comprehend. In this angelic domain the limitations are different from those God has imposed on our natural order. He has given angels higher knowledge, power, and mobility than us. Have you ever met one of those superior beings called angels? They are God’s messengers whose chief business is to carry out His orders in the world. He has given them an ambassador charge. He has designed and empowered them as holy deputies to perform works of righteousness. In this way they assist Him as their Creator while He controls the universe. He has given them capacity to bring His holy enterprises into a successful conclusion.”

Angels not only bring messages, but they also bring the presence of heaven and eternity. And it appears that within an initial encounter some experience and overwhelming fear and reverence and fall flat on their faces.

Angels bring answers to prayer. We see in the Bible in Acts chapter 12 we clearly see that angels assist God in answering prayers. We know that in that chapter, the bible tells a powerful testimony of Peter being rescued from prison and from the clutches of King Herod.

Angels provide protection and deliverance. Psalm 91:11 “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” We also know that an angel of the Lord protected Daniel in the Lion’s den. Daniel 6:21–22 “then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”

The attacks of satan and his army of darkness, would often be stopped if we as believers would grasp the assurance that His mighty angels are always nearby wanting to help. Sadly, many believers have failed to accept this fact so frequently expressed in the Bible. You see, God dispatches His angels to protect us from harm. We should be encouraged and strengthened to know that the angels are watching. The mark our paths. They oversee the events of our lives and protect the interests of our Lord.

Angels can appear in human form. I believe, whether we realize it or not, that we all have entertained angels who appear in human form. It is clear in Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Angels distribute supernatural provision. The Lord uses angels to bring supernatural provision as seen in an encounter between the angel and Elijah. We know in that story, Elijah fled to Beersheba and asked the Lord to take his life. But the Lord had other plans in mind and sent the angel of the Lord to nourish him in his time of need.

Angels are ministering spirits, sent to minister for us. Angels are involved in the ministry of comfort, mercy, and service. We know that the Prophet Daniel was without strength in Daniel chapter 10. The Lord in his mercy sent Daniel the angel Gabriel who touched him and strengthened him. He encouraged him to be at peace, take courage and to be strong.

Angels rejoice when a sinner’s heart is saved. Angels are send to partner with us in reaping the harvest! Luke 15:10 “Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

We also have personal angels. The Word of God clearly tells us that our heavenly father commands angels concerning us. These angels will guard us and encamp around those who fear Him. Psalm 34:7 “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.”

There are also defender angels in 2 Kings chapter 6 we read about Elisha’s encounter as they prepared for war saying to his servant, “Don’t be afraid! Those who are with us are more than those who are with them!” The beauty of this story is that the spiritual reality of God’s army became real to Elisha’s servant once Elisha asked the Lord to open his eyes.

Every believer needs to know this truth! There are more for us than are against us! Our Army is bigger than theirs! What a powerful Kingdom inheritance and promise for each of us.

So that the Lord can help us increase our discernment in supernatural encounters there are some things we need to know that angels do not do. The Lord’s angels never change scripture and their messages will never contradict scripture. Angels do not want to be worshiped. They want all worship, honor, and glory to be to our heavenly Father, the Most High God, and Jesus. Angels are not the object of prayer - they may help with the message, breakthrough, or answer to prayer, but they are not to be prayed to.

Angels do not desire to draw attention to themselves and often do things in secret. The may get our attention, but they do so on behalf of Good on assignment. Angels do not violate the free will of humans. God uses angels to guide us, teach us, and protect us. However, it is clear in scripture (Acts 7:53)that when an angel delivers a command or instruction from heaven we are to obey.

I know that some of us might not have the experience of seeing in the supernatural realm as I’ve been talking to you today. But, begin to ask the Lord to open your spiritual sight and eyes of discernment and perception in the reality of the spirit realm. Soon, you will be aware of those heavenly supernatural activities that are occurring on behalf of all sons and daughters of our heavenly Father.

See by the Spirit. Know and be informed by the Spirit. Move by the Spirit. Your goal is to know God more. We must come up and move past what we see and understand in the natural earth realm. We must look beyond, using our spiritual senses to gain the perspective of Heaven and understanding from the Lord. Wisdom may be hidden but it is not difficult to find when we ask God for it and pursue it. Wisdom through the Spirit is the key that opens the door.