Is a great failing in the modern Church—and a reason it fails to attract more people to the pews—the fact that it has stripped itself of mysticism (even though it is supposed to be the “mystical Body” of Christ)? Has theological rigidity—the attitude of accepting only that which can be physically seen, heard, felt, and smelt–quashed the Spirit?
Many are the passages in Scripture that have to do with spiritual vision.
Acts 9:18-19: “And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he received his sight; and he arose and was baptized.”
2 Kings 6:17: “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.”
As Sarah Jane Biggart, author of a very worthwhile book called Seeing Beyond, explains, the devil does everything he can to obscure our seeing into the supernatural, because once we do, we have an advantage in the spiritual conflicts that surround us.
“Watching and seeing in the spirit realm requires internal stillness and our gaze fixed in one place,” she writes. “As we do this [in deep ceaseless prayer], we begin to feel and see the previously hidden realm emerging. It is as if it appears out of the background of what we are looking at.”
The joy and the glory of the Lord are all over us when we are right in spirit and see through spiritual eyes like the early believers.
Seeing is believing (though we also believe with simple faith).
It takes prayer. It takes asking Jesus. It takes going only where He allows us access. It takes resting in His Spirit.
In other words, let the supernatural materialize from behind what we normally see; thin the veil; expect to see beyond physicality.
Matthew 6:22-23: “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are healthy, your whole body will be full of light.”
Ephesians 1:18: “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened
Psalms 119:18: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things…”
Our saints had this means of looking beyond the “veil.” Most memorable in recent decades has been Saint Padre Pio. But there are also laymen and women with the gift. If we could see Biggart—one who allegedly has just this gift—it would be intriguing indeed. Biggart says that with holy eyesight we can see what people are “wearing” spiritually.
And what we wear as spiritual apparel, she claims, has colors and sounds she has learned to perceive.
Describing the first time she saw,” the author writes, “It was bizarre and yet similar to a movie scene in slow motion and then changing to three-dimensional for a few minutes. The first time, in a split second, I began to see all the ‘spiritual clothes’ each person was wearing. As they walked by, I could see that all of the ‘clothes’ had words written on them such as lust, greed, depression, and fear. I could see the clothing as well as feel and hear it in the spirit.
“God revealed that the sounds of these clothes were from the spirits they were associated with. Fear was the loudest, most high-pitched, dreadful screeching sound of them all. This ‘clothing’ can travel great distances in the spirit, with fear traveling the farthest.
“With the revelation came the realization that any demonic spirit or person operating in spiritual sight could easily see and sense what every one of us had partnered with—unintentionally or otherwise.”
For your discernment.
As we pray, the supernatural shifts around us.
It takes practice because it takes speaking constantly with the Lord. Everything must start and end with Him.
“Lord, let me see as You do! Let me see in Your wondrous Spirit!”
This Christmas, move in victory and conquer as never before.
[Resource: Seeing Beyond]
[A prayer: Holy Spirit, I ask you in the Name of Jesus Christ to activate in me the gift of discerning between spirits, that I may understand Your ways more. Lord, I long to be in time with you and move with You always. Teach me the way of discernment that I may have Your wisdom in personal life choices and help others.”]
