By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 4: The Seer Realm & Divine Senses
Week 16: Discerning the “Burden of the Lord” (Feeling & Knowing)
Anchor Scripture: “Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit did not permit them.” — Acts 16:6–7 (NKJV)
The Teaching
One of the most important ways a prophet “knows” (Day 106) is through what we call a “Check in the Spirit.” This is the internal “red light” or “divine brake” that stops you from moving forward, even when a plan seems logical, “good,” or even “scriptural.”
Notice the journey of Paul and Silas. They wanted to preach the Gospel in Asia—a “good” thing. They tried to go into Bithynia—another “good” thing. But the Holy Spirit “forbidden” them and “did not permit” them. This wasn’t an audible voice or a burning bush; it was a “restraint” in their spirits. It was a lack of “go-ahead.”
For the prophet, the “check” is a subtle but firm loss of peace. When you think about a certain path or prepare to speak a certain word, you suddenly feel a “stiffness,” a “heaviness,” or a “knot” in your spirit. It’s as if the “wind” has suddenly left your sails. This “check” is a sovereign protection. God is saying “No” to a good thing so that you remain available for the God thing (which, for Paul, was the vision of the man from Macedonia).
Prophetic Insight
The “Check in the Spirit” is the secret to Prophetic Timing. A prophet who ignores the “check” will eventually find themselves out of alignment. If you push through the “red light” because you are afraid of looking “indecisive” or because you really want to do the task, you will find that the “anointing” is not there to back you up. You will be working in your own strength. Learning to honor the “divine brake” is just as important as learning to honor the “divine accelerator.” If you don’t have the “go-ahead” in your spirit, stay put. The silence is often God’s way of keeping you in the “Waiting Room” for a higher assignment.
The Activation
Identify a decision you are currently making—it could be a purchase, an invitation, or a ministry move. Instead of looking at the “pros and cons,” look at your “Internal Peace.” Do you feel a “flow” or do you feel a “check”? If you feel a slight “tightness” or a “heaviness” when you think about it, “pause” the decision for 24 hours. Say to the Lord: “I honor the check. If this is Your ‘No,’ I am content to stop.”
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You that You lead me by Your Spirit. I ask for the sensitivity to recognize the ‘divine check’ in my spirit. Forgive me for being so headstrong and impulsive that I ignore Your ‘red lights.’ Teach me to value Your peace more than my plans. If You say ‘No,’ let me stop without frustration. I choose to be led by Your restraint as much as Your release. Amen.
