Impressions
HE SPEAKS THROUGH IMPRESSIONS
“No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” (John 6:44 NKJV)
Impressions of His Holy Spirit are not the Lord’s still small voice. Impressions are similar to notions, senses, perceptions, inklings. When pausing before Him as I read His Word, sometimes I turn to a certain book in the Bible and am impressed by a particular chapter or verse number. Sometimes I have a notion to read a small section in a devotional book. I sense page numbers and I have been blessed to read exactly what I needed. My joy of fellowship with the Lord was increased, because I paused to give Him the opportunity to draw me before reading His Word.
The Lord began talking to me about being an intercessor for others in my prayers. Later as I was thinking about it, I felt impressed to open my Bible and I turned to a section I had previously highlighted: So the children of Israel said to Samuel, “Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines. …Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him.” (I Samuel 7:8,9 NKJV)
I was encouraged that the Lord was not only serious about this position in my life, but that He was also giving favor to my prayers. As a result, I began looking for opportunities to pray because the faith He had planted in my heart knew that prayer makes a difference for others. I realized a prayer is the greatest gift we can give someone else. Soon the Holy Spirit was drawing me to pray for strangers as I drove down the street or as I passed them in the grocery store. I had the encouragement that things would break free in their life.
MY TRAINING ON IMPRESSIONS OF HIS SPIRIT
The Lord gave me a training on being led through impressions, when one morning I paused before turning with anointed hands in my 101 Ways God Speaks book to see if I would be impressed with a page number. Although it was not His Still small voice, a number floated into my mind. So I turned to it. My eyes fell on this line: “sense page numbers and I have been blessed to read exactly what I needed.” It was the section on He Speaks Through Impressions. That was cool!
A few minutes later I went on deliveries and just as I was getting into my car I turned around to ask the customer for her full name and phone number. Another lady interrupted and I was unable to ask. I stood there a minute or so waiting and felt awkward just standing there so I over-rode that impression with my will.
I said to myself, her full name and number is on the last receipt, I’ll just get it from that when I get home. When I got home there was no phone number and the name of the business was their trademark name, not business name so I could not call her when Wayne found a discrepancy with what they ordered and the sample they turned in. So I had to drive back to town, taking an additional hour of my time when it was to be a 7 hour day of filling orders. When I arrived back at their location, they had already left for the day. I was able to get their number from a neighbor, but it was all quite a hassle. I was not able to make contact with them via phone for 4 more hours whereby Wayne could not finish their order until we heard back from them.
On the way home, I was thinking about the fact that my wanting their name and number was an impression from the Holy Spirit and I should have listened!! This is very hard training to learn to be so sensitive. I had been begging the Lord for this training and He was answering my prayer.
On the way home, I was listening to a tape where the speaker suddenly mentioned that his friend had a small impression from the Lord that he was not to take a motor cycle ride that day, even though his wife wanted to. He went on the ride and the enemy almost killed him in a bad cycle accident. The speaker strictly mentioned that this was not His Still small voice, but merely an impression!
I was really stunned by this whole day of realizing how much depends upon our being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and how everything is not going to come by His Still small voice or seeing angels! It was very disconcerting, and yet I realized that we need the training. Especially during ministry situations where we need to be sensitive to ideas that float into our thinking.
1 Cor 2:14-16 AMP
But the natural, nonspiritual man does not accept or welcome or admit into his heart the gifts and teachings and revelations of the Spirit of God, for they are folly (meaningless nonsense) to him; and he is incapable of knowing them [of progressively recognizing, understanding, and becoming better acquainted with them] because they are spiritually discerned and estimated and appreciated.
But the spiritual man tries all things [he examines, investigates, inquires into, questions, and discerns all things], yet is himself to be put on trial and judged by no one [he can read the meaning of everything, but no one can properly discern or appraise or get an insight into him].
For who has known or understood the mind (the counsels and purposes) of the Lord so as to guide and instruct Him and give Him knowledge? But we have the mind of Christ (the Messiah) and do hold the thoughts (feelings and purposes) of His heart. [Isa 40:13.]
WORD TO PONDER: MINISTRY THROUGH IMPRESSIONS
I am teaching you that even when you do not have direct knowledge of My will in hands on ministry, I will speak to you through gentle impressions. As you seek My face and heart for others, I will softy woo your heart with delicate thoughts, feelings, drawings and impressions that is you being Holy Spirit led. My Spirit is as gentle as a dove and gently draws your heart with notions that will kindle to a warm glow as you consider the application of such. Learn to listen to these moments of inspiration and give freely what I bestow upon your heart.
“The same heard Paul speak who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed…” (Acts 14:9 KJV)
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE EXAMPLES OF IMPRESSIONS IN RHEMA
