Have you noticed a lack of biblical principles in the world recently? I study a lot of history, and there used to be a very real community and unification on the basic principles of life founded on biblical principles. Even if our grandparents and great-grandparents weren’t Christ-believing, most of their moral, ethical, and physical choices were based on rudimentary biblical principles simply because they were infused within the culture.

Not only did we start school with the Pledge of Allegiance, but we also started it with prayer. Most families didn’t question whether or not you attended church on Sunday—or at least Christmas and Easter. The Bible was treated respectfully, even if someone held it at a distance.

Now, so much has changed. The pursuit of Universalism has almost eliminated the hierarchy of the Bible in government, education, community, and even in some churches! Now, the idea of God has become interpreted by your personal truth, which is based on your interpretations. Even evening TV has limits on what it can show, but taking Jesus’ name in vain has become a free word unassociated with anything hallowed.

So how do we, as Bible-believing Christians, prepare our kids to live in an unbiblical world? How do we teach them to be set apart when being set apart comes with so many convoluted arguments and opinions that often turn the tables, making us look intolerant, unkind, narrow-minded, and unreasonable? Should we teach our children to take a stand for their faith, or is there a different road to take that will inspire less controversy and kickback?

Here are a few ideas you could consider when facing the daunting prospect of raising God-honoring children in a world that no longer recognizes His authority.

1. Teach your children critical thinking.

Gone are the days when we could skate by on our faith without it being analyzed and challenged. Now, in some ways, to defend our faith, we must be able to be lawyers in the courts and present a case before a very skeptical judge. Too often, we teach our children biblical principles by merely justifying our beliefs and lifestyles by saying, “because the Bible says so.” But when you face a world where the Bible is merely a book with little authority, this quickly undermines that statement. When your children grow, they will even wonder where this perceived authority comes from. This is why teaching your children how to think critically is important. How to examine the evidence, make an outline for an argument with supporting logic, and present in a way that isn’t just faith-based. Yes, faith is a huge part of our walk with the Lord, but He has left a myriad of evidence to support His claims and biblical authority. We must teach our kids how to identify and understand it.

2. Teach your children about other viewpoints and belief systems.

Be cautious of being so set apart from the world that your children have no understanding of the world. In an effort to protect them, sometimes we infuse them with only Scripture, so when they enter the world, their only defense is a Book that the world dismisses within seconds. Yes, Scripture is the sword of the Spirit, and we don’t discount that. But we also must learn to understand how others process and perceive it, and we must be well-versed and familiar, so we can respond when we’re challenged with other “truth statements” from other belief systems. Teach your children about the main religions like Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and more. Educate them on the various cults, philosophies of thought, and even the discrepancies of Biblical interpretation within the church itself.

3. Teach your children it is okay to interact with the world.

This doesn’t mean embracing the world’s beliefs, tolerating sin, or being inclusive of things the Lord has spoken against. What it means is that we need to teach our children not only is it okay to still interact with others of different beliefs, but it’s also crucial from a gospel standpoint. This is how we will reach others in the name of Christ. Not removing ourselves, but immersing ourselves in people groups that need Him. Jesus spent time with prostitutes, tax collectors, and more. We must teach our children not only to interact with the world but how to interact with them. Teach them how to show the grace of Christ, the love of Christ, and the kindness of Christ, while also teaching them the balance of conviction and standing firm on what they believe.

4. Teach your children the Scripture.

They need to know it inside and out. They need to hide God’s words in their hearts. Be proactive parents and teach them the Word. Not just the Word but where it came from and its history and legacy. Do you know the meanings of the books of the Bible? Do they understand the fundamental concepts of theology? Foreshadowing, what it means to “die to self,” what Old Testament sacrifices meant in light of the coming of Jesus Christ, why the veil was torn and the implications of it at the death of Christ, and so on. This is your child’s spiritual heritage, and they need to know more than just basic Bible stories, a simple prayer of salvation, and the Ten Commandments.

The world is not getting more tolerant of Christianity. Truth is not becoming clearer. Right and wrong are not remaining decisively different. Because of this, our legacies will be our children, and for our children to carry on our spiritual legacies, we must be proactive in teaching them how to survive in their faith.

Be sure that you’re continuing to educate yourself so that you can teach them. Learn about biblical history, archaeology, apologetics, theology, and world religions. Be on the lookout for resources aimed at your children to learn. There are many great biblically-based resources available now that also address the above topics in ways children can understand and learn from.

We pour ourselves into our children’s educations, sports careers, scientific motivations, creative outlets, and so on. It is more vital that we pour ourselves into their spiritual health and foundation. One day, in the not-so-far future, they will be challenged for their faith and beliefs. If they are going to avert being led away, and if they are going to stand strong, then we must be sure they are thoroughly grounded.

In reality, every generation has had to be grounded in their faith. And even though the Bible was more widely accepted, that doesn’t mean that other generations have had it easier. Maybe different, but not easier. This is why Scripture urges us to teach it to our children. Each generation has its own crosses to bear. Let us help our children bear them by infusing them with the information, foundation, and wisdom they will need to be strong warriors for the faith. And pray. Pray over them. For the Word of the Lord to stand true in their hearts as an unbiblical world seeks to wash it away.

College can be thrilling and exciting for your child. But it can also be stressful if not properly planned. Help your child navigate the muddy waters of college by creating a plan with them. Help them make good decisions, both with their money and time, so they can enjoy their experience instead of focusing on the wrong things.

The College Landscape Has Changed

Years ago, kids put undue pressure on themselves because high school was considered college preparation. SAT scores kept kids up on sleepless nights. Parents hired tutors for their kids to get better grades so they could make it into their prestigious schools. But the college landscape has changed. People realize young adults don’t always get their dream jobs straight out of college, leaving them wondering why they even went to college at all. But with a bit of planning and help from parents, that doesn’t have to be the case.

Here are seven ways to help your child plan for college:

1. Save Quickly

Do your best to save as early as possible. But if you find you are running out of time, try to pay down some bills – or even better, pay bills off—so that you have more money to play with each month. The more money you have to spare, the more you can save. Building your savings is similar to a snowball; once you pay extra towards your bills, they get paid off quickly. Once bills are paid off, it frees up more money to save towards college, tuition, room and board, and meal plans. If money is tight, try to see if your child can room with a friend off campus. This will help save additional money and let your savings compound even more.

Another way to grow your savings is to get an extra part-time job. A temporary job will help all that income be designated only for college. Ask your child if they will get another one as well. There may be difficult days, but in the end, when you are enjoying college relatively debt-free, it will have paid off (in more ways than one.)

2. Dream Big

Millennials don’t hold the same values as previous generations. They don’t care about building a big home or working until they’re 65. They just want to know they’re making a difference in people’s lives. They may choose a college based on if they can afford it, knowing they may choose many career paths throughout their lifetime. While their love for frugality is admirable, it is important as parents to help them dream big when it comes to choosing their college. Entrance requirements for SAT scores and other criteria are much lower than they were years ago. Therefore, your child may have an even better chance of getting into the school they’ve always wanted to attend. Help them dream big by applying to their top choice and a couple of schools they would love to go to but don’t think they can get into. It’s a good lesson in taking a leap of faith while also teaching them how to handle rejection.

3. Evaluate Your Wallet

While there’s no harm in dreaming big when it comes to your college, dreaming big may not be possible, given the amount in your wallet. Allocate funds from your weekly or monthly paycheck and put them towards your savings if you receive any additional money. There’s no need to take another mortgage out on your home or empty your savings to help your child plan. In the end, it won’t matter which college they went to as long as they graduated. Additionally, with the plethora of jobs on the market, it is easier to help your child plan now than it was years ago. Don’t be unwise with your money, but at the same time, there’s no need to go into debt for college, either. Discern what is right for you and your family’s budget before making this important decision.

4. Set Measurable Goals

Nothing can feel more overwhelming than when faced with the insurmountable costs of tuition. It can feel like college is an unattainable goal for your family. But is it, or do we just need to plan properly? Set small measurable goals for your child. Ask them to get a job and designate a certain amount from their paycheck. Give them an incentive to save more by matching what they save. They’ll see their savings grow in no time and feel like they are saving for something worthwhile.

5. Prioritize Your Prerequisites

Choosing a major can cause anxiety and stress for your child. Before choosing a major, focus on getting your prerequisites out of the way first. This way, it gives your child time to make a final decision. Even if they think they know what they want to major in in college, chances are they may change their minds. If they choose classes in their major only, they will have wasted precious time and money on courses that didn’t matter in the end. Take the stress out of choosing a major by encouraging your child to do basic 101 classes. This way, they always transfer to another major—or school—if necessary.

6. Get to Know the Community

If your child is going away to another state for school, take time to get to know the community. Survey the area and help them identify grocery stores, theaters, pharmacies, and other essential landmarks they will need to know while there. If they need to take a bus or subway, get a schedule and take a trip on the bus with them so they can get used to that mode of transportation. Figure out where the hospital is as well in case there is an emergency. They instead can take action instead of feeling helpless.

7. Leave a College Legacy

While not every person can go to college due to academic standing or financial issues, some may simply be undecided on whether college is in their future. Have an open and honest conversation about your college memories. If you had a good experience, share that with your child. They will not only want to hear more about your story but also about their family’s legacy. Encourage them to go to carry on the legacy of your family’s love for education. If they are torn about where to go, give them a tour of your alma mater. Show them the dorm room you stayed, the dining hall where you ate your meals, and the quad where you hung out with friends. Create a hands-on experience of what college can be.

College can be fun and exciting. But if poorly planned, it can cause anxiety for your child. But it doesn’t have to. Make your child’s college experience a family affair. Share in your child’s fears about being away from home and share your own fears about letting them go into adulthood. You may not be able to quench every fear, but you can make your child feel like they are not alone. And that’s the best plan you can give them.

Now I will list top 6 different ways that the Holy Spirit will lead us and communicate to us in this life. So you can have all of them right at the top of this section, I will go ahead and list all of them in a bolded, numbered format so you can have all of them at a quick glance.

• The Inner Witness – The Inner Knowing
• The Word of God
• Leadings
• Visions
• Dreams
• Prophecies

Again, I know some people freak out once you attempt to step into this kind of supernatural realm with the Holy Spirit. But this is where each Christian has to make their own choice as to whether or not they want to tread into these kinds of deeper waters with the Lord.

You can either learn how to do all of this with the Holy Spirit, or you can choose to let this supernatural realm go and just stay on the path that you are already walking on if you have never had any of this kind of activity before with the Holy Spirit.

Many of you will know exactly what I will be talking about below, as you have already stepped into this realm with the Holy Spirit and have learned how to play this kind of game with Him.

However, if this is all new to some of you because you have never been taught any of this in the churches you have been raised up in, then you will need to make a decision with the Lord as to whether or not you will want this supernatural realm opened up for you by God the Father.

If after reading the captions below you decide you would like God to open up this supernatural realm for you, then all you have to do is go direct to God the Father in prayer and ask Him to allow the Holy Spirit to become very active in any of these 8 different ways in which He uses to communicate to us.

Tell God that He has a solid, green light from you to open up this realm if it will be His perfect will to do so at your present level of spiritual development with Him.

If you put that kind of special request before God, then He will take you very seriously and He will then very gradually lead you into this realm and from there, the Holy Spirit will start to move in some of these different areas for you.

The Holy Spirit will also show you how to discern when it really is Him communicating to you as versus when it is just your own emotions or imagination talking to you.

Now I will take you into top 6 different ways the Holy Spirit will use to supernaturally communicate to us in this life.

1. The Inner Witness – The Inner Knowing

In my opinion, this is the number one way that the Holy Spirit will communicate to us in this life. Here is the specific verse where this piece of revelation is being given to us by the Lord:

“The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” (Romans 8:16)

“I tell you the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit …” (Romans 9:1)

The first verse is telling us that the Holy Spirit Himself bears witness in our human spirit that we are children of God. And if the Holy Spirit can bear witness in our human spirits on that issue, then I believe He can also bear witness in our spirits with other things as well.

And then the next verse will prove that to you. The apostle Paul gives us additional revelation when he says that his conscience was also bearing witness in the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit was bearing a good witness for Paul in his conscience, which I believe is part of our human spirit.

The key word in these two verses is the word “witness.” The Holy Spirit is bearing witness to something in our human spirits. And what exactly is a good “witness” when we do receive one of these from the Holy Spirit?

Jack Hayford, in his excellent book, Hayford’s Bible Handbook, defines a witness or witnessing as the following:

Giving evidence, attesting, confirming, confessing, bearing record, speaking well of, giving a good report, testifying, affirming what one has seen or heard, presenting the gospel with evidence

The first verse above where the Holy Spirit is bearing witness with our spirits that we are saved lines up with some of the above definitions from Mr. Hayford such as confirming, attesting, confessing, and bearing record. In other words, the Holy Spirit is confirming in our spirits that we are saved and that we are now children of God.

When you really cut into this word as it is being used in the first verse above, another word for the inner witness would be that it is an inner knowing.

The Holy Spirit will transmit the knowledge He wants you to have on something as a strong, inner knowing.

I am sure you have all heard many people say, “I had a good witness on that pastor’s preaching today.” Some people say that the inner witness is a “knowing without any shadow of a doubt.” They will use the slang expression, “You know, that you know, that you know, without any shadow of a doubt.”

Other people call this inner knowing an illumination, an enlightenment. All of a sudden you receive supernatural illumination, supernatural enlightenment on what a Scripture verse may mean. I personally like the term, “inner knowing,” to best describe how the Holy Spirit supernaturally communicates to us in this life.

When the Holy Spirit communicates something directly to you through this inner witness, it will be a knowing without any shadow of a doubt. When you receive one of these for the first time, you will know that it has come directly from the Holy Spirit due to the strength and conviction of it.

After you start to receive these kinds of inner knowings from the Holy Spirit, you will soon learn how to discern when one is really coming in from Him, or when one is just coming in from your own natural imagination and emotions.

A true, inner witness from the Holy Spirit will come out of your spirit – it will not come out of your head, your imagination, or your emotions.

That will be the first “tell” that what you are receiving is coming directly from the Holy Spirit.

Some people refer to these inner witnesses as a “gut knowing or gut feeling.” How many times have you heard people use the slang expression that their “gut” was telling them what they needed to do, and then later on it turned out to be right. Those “gut knowings” or “gut feelings” are many of the times the inner witness from the Holy Spirit.

If you get a strong, gut feeling not to get on a plane, and you then decide to heed that warning and hours later that plane ends up crashing, then you know that gut warning was coming in direct from the Holy Spirit since you do not have the ability to see into the future like He can.

Many, many people have received those gut warnings not to do something specific, and many of the times, those gut warnings turned out to be 100% accurate, which again means that many of them were coming in direct from the Holy Spirit Himself.

My take on the above two verses is this:

If the Bible says that the Holy Spirit can bear witness in our own human spirits that we are saved and that we are truly the children of God – and He can also help out the apostle Paul on the issue he was dealing with where He bore witness with Paul’s own conscience, then this tells me the Holy Spirit can also bear witness with many other things in our life as well.

What I have personally found out in this realm is that the Holy Spirit will communicate knowledge to you through this inner knowing, through this inner witness. When you receive this inner knowing about something specific, you will not hear an audible voice or hear any type of inner words coming up on you.

What you will receive is just a good, clear, inner knowing on the message being transmitted to you.

For instance, say you have been meditating on a particular Scripture verse, but you just cannot seem to get the correct interpretation on what it may mean or how it can apply to your life.

And then all of a sudden one day, the Holy Spirit gives you a strong, inner knowing as to exactly what this verse means and how it can apply to your personal life.

What the Holy Spirit will do is transmit the interpretation of that verse through the inner knowing. All of a sudden you will “understand” what this verse means and you will then be able to “see” the true meaning behind the words.

This is supernatural enlightenment and illumination that the Holy Spirit can give you on many of the verses in the Bible.

It is His job to actually open up the meaning of Scripture for you so you can understand what you are reading and from there, how to get some of these incredible spiritual truths worked into your daily walk with the Lord.

And not only can the Holy Spirit communicate to you the meaning of certain Scripture verses through this inner witness – this inner knowing, but He can also do this on many of the other things in your daily life as well. He can give you strong, inner knowings on the following:

• Who you should be marrying in this life
• When you should take the next new job God will want to give you
• How to solve any problems you may be having in school or at work
• How to handle a problem or roadblock that may have occurred in your marriage
• How to handle all of the problems that will occur if you have just lost your job
• When to move in on someone to witness to them

There is just an infinite number of things that the Holy Spirit can communicate to you on so you can try and get through this life in one piece and try to handle all of the problems that may come your way.

Per our article on the 9 gifts of the  Spirit, two of the 9 gifts are the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom. And for the most part, we believe that a lot of these words of knowledge and wisdom will come to you through this inner witness, this inner knowing.

That is why it is extremely important that each Christian learn how to receive these inner witnesses from the Holy Spirit, so they can then receive actual communication from Him as to exactly what He wants them to be doing with some of the specific issues that will be occurring in their daily lives.

The Holy Spirit is called the Helper in the Bible, but He cannot help you with some of the things you will need help on unless He can first communicate directly to you on exactly what He wants you to do.

The ability to pickup up these inner witnesses, these inner knowings from the Holy Spirit will only come to you through a process of trial and error. Your mind will receive the inner knowing out of your spirit. And if it is truly from the Holy Spirit, then you can totally depend on it and from there, act on it if any kind of action will need to be taken.

2. The Word of God

The next way that the Holy Spirit will communicate knowledge to you is sometimes by giving you a direct verse from Scripture. All of a sudden, you will see a Scripture verse float up right in front of your mind’s eye.

And when you see this particular Scripture verse, you will see the meaning of the verse and how it will answer the particular problem or dilemma you may be dealing with.

The Bible is just loaded with an unbelievable amount of spiritual truths, and many of these spiritual truths will be the answer to many of life’s problems that we will all encounter.

And if there is a particular Scripture verse that will answer a problem you may dealing with, then there is a very good chance that is how the Holy Spirit will help you solve the problem – by giving you the actual Scripture verse that will solve the problem.

I cannot tell you how many times over the course of my life that the Holy Spirit will bring back up to my remembrance a certain Scripture verse that will solve or answer the problem I may dealing with.

I have actually come to the conclusion that if there is an actual verse from the Bible that will solve the problem, that will be the first thing the Holy Spirit will want to give you.

This is why it is so important for each and every Christian to spend as much quality time as they can in loading up their mind with the Word.

If you do, then the Holy Spirit can bring back up to your remembrance certain Scripture verses when you may need them because you have already done your part by getting the Bible verses “in you.”

3. Leadings

In addition to communicating a direct message to you, the Holy Spirit can also give you “leadings” on what to do and what not to do. Again, here is the verse that will show us that it is the job of the Holy Spirit to lead us in this life, along with another verse showing us that Jesus Himself was also willing to be led by the Holy Spirit when He was walking down here on our earth in the flesh.

“For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

“Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” (Matthew 4:1)

If God is telling us that we are to be led by His Holy Spirit, and then He shows us that His own Son Jesus was also led by the Holy Spirit, there can be no other conclusion to come to other than God wants all of us to learn how to be led by the Holy Spirit in this life.

When it comes to these basic leadings, some people have different terms to describe it when it does come in on them from the Holy Spirit.

Some people will say I had a “leading” from the Holy Spirit to take that new job. Other people will use the terms “unction” or “prompting.”

They will say they felt or sensed an unction or prompting from the Holy Spirit to do something specific.

These leadings from the Holy Spirit can be anything from a very gentle nudging to something that could be much stronger.

When you get a real strong leading to do something specific, it will feel like God has His big hand on the small of your back pushing you forward.

You will feel the wind at your back to move in that certain direction.

You will feel or sense a very strong unction, a very strong prompting to move in that direction.

However, if God does not want you to move in that certain direction, then you will feel or sense no leading at all from the Holy Spirit.

When you think of moving in that direction, you will get a real flat witness from the Holy Spirit. There will be no inner witness to move forward.

You will have no peace to move in that direction. If that is what you are picking up when thinking about moving in a certain direction, then that is the Holy Spirit’s way of telling you to let it go and not to move in that certain direction.

Again, being able to pick up these kinds of leadings from the Holy Spirit is something that you will learn through a process of trial and error with Him.

After you have received quite a few of these leadings from the Holy Spirit, you can then become quite adept at being able to tell when a leading is coming in directly from Him or when it is coming in from your own natural desires and emotions.

5. Quickenings

Another very interesting way that the Holy Spirit will use to communicate something to you is through an actual quickening. A quickening from the Holy Spirit is when He will “jump” something at you. For instance, if you are reading the Bible, you may find a verse or two that will jump off the pages at you and hit you right between the eyes.

Whenever the Holy Spirit quickens something like this to you, this means you are to grab a hold of it and examine it to see exactly what the message is that He is trying to convey to you. If you are dealing with a specific problem, He may quicken a verse to you that will help solve your problem.

You can also have words from preachers jump at you. You could be driving down the road in your car listening to a pastor teach on the radio when all of a sudden something he says jumps right out at you through the radio.

And again, when this happens, this is the Holy Spirit’s way of bringing you knowledge He may want you to have on something specific.

Another area where this could occur at is at your local Christian bookstore. You will be in the bookstore browsing all of the books in there when all of a sudden a particular book will jump off the shelf at you.

When that happens, there is a very good chance that is the Holy Spirit quickening that particular book to you.

If that should ever happen to you, you should pick up the book to see what it is all about.

There may be information in there that will help you in your walk with the Lord, and the Holy Spirit may want you to buy the book so you can add it to your storehouse of knowledge in the Lord. I cannot tell you how many times He has personally done this to me over the years.

And every time He does it, I always end up buying the book because there is key information and knowledge in that book that I needed to have for my own personal growth in the Lord.

I know many of you have had these kinds of experiences with the Holy Spirit. Some people will use the slang expression that something really “jumped” at them when they first heard it.

And in most of these cases, that word or message that was quickened to them by the Holy Spirit was something they really needed to hear at the time it happened.

Again, after you have received quite a few of these quickenings from the Holy Spirit, you can easily learn to sense and discern when it really is the Holy Spirit doing this for you.

Also, do not go “looking” for these quickenings to occur. Let them come naturally to you by the Holy Spirit.

6. Visions

The next three ways the Holy Spirit will communicate to you – visions, dreams, and prophecies – are all coming from this one verse out of Joel.

Here is the next verse that will completely set the stage for you on these next three ways the Holy Spirit will use to communicate something specific to us:

“And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions; and also on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29)

Notice that visions, dreams, and prophecies are all directly connected to the Holy Spirit Himself.

This verse is also implying that when He is really poured out, dreams, visions, and prophecies are going to be given to many of God’s people, not to just a few select saints. Many people believe that this outpouring has already begun, but that it will intensify in the coming years ahead.

In this caption, I will discuss the different kinds of visions you can receive from the Holy Spirit.

There are two basic types of visions that you can receive from the Holy Spirit.

One is called an “open vision.”

The other is called a “closed vision.”

A)  Open Vision – an open vision is when you receive a vision with your eyes wide open. Many of these visions will be in actual 3-D and if God should allow it, you can actually be a part of that vision itself.

John the Revelator was receiving these kinds of heavy, open visions when God was giving him visions on what was going to happen at the end of times. Some of the prophets in the OT also received these kinds of heavy, open visions.

But for the most part, they are very rare, and most Christians will never receive these kinds of open visions from the Holy Spirit. But please note, that could all change in the coming years as more of that verse from Joel starts to come to pass.

B)  Closed Vision – the second kind of vision you can receive from the Holy Spirit is what is called a closed vision. A closed vision is when you receive a vision in your mind’s eye. Another word for this is that you will receive a “picture in your mind’s eye.”

Though a closed vision does not seem to be as heavy or as dramatic as an open vision is, do not let that fool you. They are both visions and a closed vision is just as powerful and just as dramatic as an open vision is.

Though many people will never receive an open vision in their life, not so with the closed vision. The Holy Spirit loves to give these closed visions and He will do it quite frequently to those who will be open to receiving them, since a closed vision is receiving a picture in your mind’s eye.

Again, you will have to learn through a process of trial and error when a vision is coming in from your own natural imagination or when it is coming in direct from the Holy Spirit.

The reason the Holy Spirit loves to give these inner closed visions is because a lot more information and knowledge can sometimes be communicated to you through a vision or picture in your mind’s eye. You have all heard of the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words.

That saying right there perfectly describes why the Holy Spirit loves to give you these closed inner visions – because sometimes He can communicate a lot more knowledge and information to you.

However, these closed visions can come in on much smaller matters as well. For example, say you just lost your car keys and you cannot seem to find them anywhere in the house. What you don’t know is that your dog has just knocked them underneath your bed.

If the Holy Spirit wants to tell you where they are located at since He is called the Helper in the Bible, He can either give you an inner knowing, an inner witness to look underneath your bed, or He could give you an actual closed vision, with the vision showing you that the keys are lying right underneath your bed.

Many of the times, He will choose to give you that picture in your mind’s eye of where the keys are located.

What I have found from personal experience is that the Holy Spirit can give you these closed inner visions on very small and trivial matters like where you may have misplaced your cars keys at, to much larger and heavier issues in your life.

In other words, there is nothing He cannot give you a closed vision on to help you out with something, or if He wants to use a closed vision to communicate a specific piece of knowledge to you.

What you will have to learn on this is how to discern when a picture in your mind’s eye is really coming in from Him, or when it is coming in from your own natural imagination, since your own natural imagination has the power and the ability to draw up its own pictures in your mind’s eye.

One of the ways that you can tell when you are receiving a closed vision from the Holy Spirit is how it will come in on you. Many of the times these visions will come in out of the blue.

You may not really be thinking about anything specific or you are not using your own imagination to draw up any kind of picture’s in your mind’s eye. And then all of a sudden it will come in very quickly and very suddenly.

Another tell you will get when one of these is coming in from the Holy Spirit is that not only will it come out of the blue, but the picture you are receiving in your mind’s eye is not something that you would normally conjure up for yourself.

Sometimes these visions will need interpretation, other times they will not. But if you get a picture in your mind’s eye that comes in out of nowhere, and it is something that you would not naturally conjure up on your own, then examine the vision very carefully to see if it may be from the Holy Spirit and if you think it may be, try to interpret what He is trying to tell you.

Another tell that the Holy Spirit will give you so you know that the vision is coming in directly from Him, is that He will give you a good, inner witness that it is coming directly from Him, which is the first way I gave you above on how He will communicate something to you.

Again, you will only learn all of this though a process of trial and error with Him. After you have received quite a few of these closed inner visions, you can again become quite adept at discerning when a vision is coming in from Him, or when the vision is just coming in from your own natural imagination.

7. Dreams

The next way that the Holy Spirit can use to communicate something specific to you coming from the above verse from Joel is in your dreams.

In other words, you can receive a dream direct from the Holy Spirit. Another word for dreams is that they are “visions of the night.”

As you all know, the Bible has many examples of people receiving dreams from the Lord. God used an angel in a dream to tell Joseph to immediately flee to Egypt right after Jesus had been born, as Herod was getting ready to kill all of the first born.

King Nebuchadnezzar was given dreams on end time events, but he needed Daniel to interpret those dreams for him. Daniel himself was also given dreams and visions on coming end time events.

Dreams in your sleep are nowhere near as common as closed, inner visions are, but every once in a while God can give you a dream direct from Himself. So how do you know when you are receiving a dream direct from God, since psychologists have told us that everyone dreams every single night when they are sleeping?

I do not consider myself an expert on dreams. But there are several men in the body who are considered somewhat experts in this area.

Two of them are John Paul Jackson and James Goll. James Goll has written a very good book on dreams. The title of his book is, “Dream Language”. Another good book is, “Understanding the Dreams you Dream”, by Ira Milligan.

I personally have only had about 10 dreams from the Lord over a 20 year period. But what I can give you is what God does to me personally so I know that the dream is really coming in from Him.

The first thing God will do with me when He is giving me a dream from Him is the actual timing of it. I always get these God-dreams close to when I am getting ready to wake up. For instance, if I go to bed at 11 PM and I am going to be getting up at about 7 AM, the dream will be coming in between 6-7 AM.

The reason He does this with me is so the dream is basically right in my face right as I am starting to come out of that deep sleep.

The second tell I will get so I know that the dream is coming in from the Lord, is that the dream will not fade away from me once I wake up.

If you will notice, on most of the dreams you will have during the night, you will either have no memory of any of these dreams when you wake up, or if by chance you do remember one of them as you wake up, that dream will then fade away from you within the first 1-3 hours.

After the three hours is up, you will have completely forgotten about the dream.

But if the dream is coming in direct from the Holy Spirit, then the dream will not fade away on you. It will be as clear in your mind’s eye 6 hours later as it was when you first woke up. It will stay with you for days, if not forever.

If you wake up with a very strong, vivid dream being right in your face and you think it may be from the Lord, what I would do is grab a piece of paper and pen and write down what the dream was all about and if need be, draw actual pictures of what you saw in the dream.

Sometimes these dreams will need some kind of interpretation and you will need to carefully examine the dream to see exactly what God is trying to convey to you.

If God gave some of His people dreams back in the OT and NT, and we now have the above verse from Joel where God is telling us that once the Holy Spirit has been poured out on all flesh, that dreams from the Lord will become quite common, then you know this is one of the supernatural ways that the Lord will want to use with some of us from time to time.

So again, do not be afraid if you ever receive what you think may be a dream from the Lord. If God is giving you a dream direct from Himself, then there will be a personal message in there for you.

Your job will be to get it down on paper and carefully examine and analyze it for what that personal message may be.

As I said above, there are some men in the Body who are very good in this area. Some of them have written books on dreams and what certain things may mean in the dream.

I have never delved that deeply in this area, so I do not have the knowledge or expertise to tell you what every little thing in the dream may mean or represent.

For the most part with myself, most of the dreams I have had from the Lord have all been very straight forward.

God was either giving me a heads up on what was getting ready to come my way, or He was giving me a dream to help me solve a particular problem or issue I was dealing with at the time.

8. Prophecies

The third way God can communicate directly to you coming from the above verse from Joel is by prophecy. As we explained to you in our article titled, “The 9 Gifts of the Holy Spirit,” one of the 9 gifts from the Holy Spirit is the gift of prophecy.

The gift of prophecy is when you receive a direct word from the Lord. And when I say a direct word, I mean a direct word. Every word that you receive in the prophecy will be direct words from the Lord.

Since I have already talked about this gift at length in the above article, I will not go any further with it under this caption.

If you would like to see a good, detailed explanation on what this gift is all about and how God can use it with you,it is our part 3 of our series on the Gifts of the Holy Spirit called, The Gift of Prophecy.  This will be our explanation of what this gift is all about.