“But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” HEBREWS 5:14

• Spiritual maturity does not come by passivity. It requires intentional exercise. God’s Word is not meant to remain elementary; it is meant to train, sharpen, and mature us. The Word became flesh, and through Scripture we are first introduced to God’s heart, His nature, and His truth. The Bible is His love letter to us. But there comes a point where reading about Him must lead to truly knowing Him.
• It is time to engage your spiritual senses, to move beyond familiarity into intimacy, and to allow consistent obedience and discernment to train your spirit to recognize what is of God and what is not.

MANIFESTATION

• Step beyond merely hearing messages preached from a pulpit or filtered through another person’s revelation. God is calling His people into a realm of spiritual perception, where discernment replaces dependence, and intimacy replaces distance. This is the realm where your eyes are opened to what Scripture says already exists: the activity of angels, the schemes of the enemy, the presence of our Father, the authority of Jesus Christ, and the leading and witness of the Holy Spirit.

Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting. 2 Corinthians 4:18

NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL

• Just as you have senses in the natural realm, you also have senses in the spiritual realm. Sight, hearing, taste, touch, and smell exist physically, and each of them corresponds to a spiritual reality. What you experience through your natural senses has a parallel in the unseen realm, and what is perceived spiritually often mirrors what is understood naturally.
• When you accepted Jesus Christ into your life, He did not merely influence your behavior or thinking. His Spirit entered your spirit. Scripture says you became a brand-new creation. That means your spirit was awakened, renewed, and made alive to God.
• As a new creation, you now have access to His leading, His guidance, and His voice through the Holy Spirit. You are no longer limited to natural perception alone. You have been granted access to the unseen realm—not to wander in it aimlessly, but to discern it rightly through Christ. Spiritual maturity is learning to yield your spiritual senses to His authority, allowing Him to train them, sharpen them, and align them with truth.

1. VISION / SIGHT 
^{Ability to see in the spirit realm.}

God says “what do you see?”
The Prophet says “I see”.

So Jesus answered them by saying, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the Son is able to do nothing of Himself (of His own accord); but He is able to do only what He sees the Father doing, for whatever the Father does is what the Son does in the same way [in His turn]. JOHN 5:19

By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones), EPHESIANS 1:18

• Paul prays a specific prayer here—that the eyes of the heart, the eyes of the spirit, would be opened. This was not a prayer limited to the believers in Ephesus. It is a prayer that reaches across generations and applies to you and to me today.
• What do eyes do? They see. And in the same way that physical eyes are designed to perceive the natural world, spiritual eyes are designed to perceive spiritual reality. Scripture makes it clear that believers are not meant to live spiritually blind or dependent on secondhand revelation alone.
• Through Christ, you have been given the capacity to see—to perceive truth, to discern what is of God, and to recognize what operates in the unseen realm. The issue is not whether sight is available, but whether those spiritual eyes are awakened, trained, and submitted to the Holy Spirit.

And being aware [of it], Jesus said to them, Why are you reasoning and saying it is because you have no bread? Do you not yet discern or understand? Are your hearts in [a settled state of] hardness? Having eyes, do you not see [with them], and having ears, do you not hear and perceive and understand the sense of what is said? And do you not remember? MARK 8:17-18

• Jesus is addressing spiritual perception, not a physical shortage. The disciples were focused on the natural problem—they had forgotten the bread—while Jesus was speaking from and about the spiritual realm. He was not concerned with loaves; He was confronting their inability to perceive what He was truly saying.
• This moment exposes the difference between natural thinking and spiritual discernment. Jesus is essentially asking, Can you see beyond the surface? Can you hear what is being said beneath the words? Can you attach your faith to the reality I am pointing to?
• These are eyes of faith—spiritual sight that perceives meaning, truth, and intention beyond the physical facts. Jesus reminds them that they were created in the likeness of God, capable of receiving, understanding, and discerning spiritual truth. His rebuke is not condemnation; it is an invitation to awaken the faculties God placed within them—to see, to perceive, and to understand from a higher realm.

3 SOURCES TO PULL INFORMATION

• Natural Man:
  This is the voice of human reasoning, emotions, logic, and past experience apart from the Spirit of God. While the natural mind is not evil, it is limited. Scripture warns us not to allow natural reasoning to dominate spiritual understanding. The natural man must be brought into submission so it does not interfere with hearing God clearly or distort spiritual truth. As Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 10:3–5, thoughts and arguments that exalt themselves against the knowledge of God must be taken captive and brought into obedience to Christ.

• Demonic Source:
  This source operates through temptation, deception, accusation, fear, and lies. The enemy’s voice is often subtle, appealing to fleshly desires or planting doubt and confusion. It contradicts God’s character, distorts truth, and seeks to pull believers away from faith, trust, and obedience. Discernment is essential, because not every thought or impression originates from God.

• God:
  God’s voice flows from His nature. It is marked by love, truth, kindness, goodness, clarity, and conviction without condemnation. Even when He corrects, His voice draws you toward repentance, peace, and alignment, not fear or shame. The voice of God leads, guides, and builds, always remaining consistent with Scripture and the character of Christ.

IMAGINATION

• One of the primary ways believers perceive spiritually is through the imagination. These impressions often come as small, fleeting images or gentle inner pictures. Do not be discouraged if they seem faint at first. Spiritual perception is developed through attention and practice. When you recognize what the Lord is showing you and intentionally focus on it, clarity increases.
• Write down what you see. This anchors the experience and trains discernment. Then return your attention to where the vision began. In the spirit, there is no limitation of time or distance. You can resume where you left off, allowing understanding to deepen.
• Many believers are already perceiving the spiritual realm, but doubt causes them to dismiss what God is revealing. Growth comes by testing what you perceive against Scripture, yielding it to the Holy Spirit, and choosing faith over fear. As trust grows, so does clarity, and intimacy with God deepens.

OPEN VISIONS

• An open vision occurs when a person’s physical eyes are open and they are seeing what God is revealing in front of them. It is a visible manifestation rather than an inward impression. However, an open vision is not more powerful, more spiritual, or more authoritative than any other form of vision. It is simply a different way God may choose to reveal something.
• Scripture does not rank visions by level or importance. Nowhere in the Bible does God establish a hierarchy where one type of vision carries more authority than another. Authority comes from God Himself and from alignment with His Word, not from the method by which something is seen.
• Whether God reveals something through an open vision, an inner picture, a dream, or Scripture, the measure of truth is always the same: it must align with His character, His Word, and the testimony of Jesus

Remember: You have to yell louder when your kids are further away. And when your up close it’s a still small voice.

TRANCE VISIONS

• A trance vision is an encounter where a person is awake but becomes fully immersed in what God is revealing, similar to being inside a vision or dream while conscious. In this state, awareness of the natural surroundings may fade as spiritual perception becomes dominant.
• During a trance vision, the person is able to observe and engage with different elements within the encounter in a vivid, visionary way. Scripture records moments like this when God temporarily draws someone into heightened spiritual awareness to communicate His purposes.
• As with all spiritual experiences, trance visions do not carry authority because of the experience itself. Their validity rests on alignment with Scripture, the character of God, and the fruit they produce.

DEMONIC SPIRITS

• Scripture teaches that demonic spirits are real and that the unseen realm includes both angelic and demonic activity. These spirits may be perceived in various ways—sometimes described as shadowy forms, oppressive darkness, or disturbing manifestations—but Scripture never encourages fascination with their appearance. Our focus is discernment and authority in Christ, not description.
• The Bible does not support the idea of human spirits roaming the earth as “ghosts.” Scripture is clear: “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8). What people often interpret as ghosts aligns more accurately with what Scripture calls familiar spirits, deceptive demonic entities that imitate, mislead, and exploit emotional connections.
• Familiar spirits do not appear monstrous by default. Deception works best when it feels safe or familiar. Pretending to be a loved one may gain access more easily than appearing as something frightening. This is why Scripture repeatedly warns believers to test the spirits and remain grounded in truth.

Personal discernment example:
While reading about the Jean Benét Ramsey case, I became aware of a disturbing spiritual presence. Rather than engaging or analyzing it, I immediately stopped, prayed, and placed the situation under the authority of Christ. Whether past or present, evil does not operate without intent, and discernment means responding with prayer, not curiosity.

Important reminder:
The enemy has no authority except what is given. Believers are not called to fear demonic activity, but neither are we called to entertain it. Our authority comes from Christ, and our safety comes from remaining submitted to Him.

• The goal is not to sensationalize darkness, but to expose deception, remain anchored in Scripture, and walk in the clarity and protection God provides.

SIGHT IN CLOSING…

• Elijah was awakened by an angel, and with his eyes open, he saw the angel minister to him: providing food, strength, and direction before calling him forward into what God had next. This was not imagination or symbolism; it was divine intervention made visible. God met Elijah in exhaustion, opened his eyes, and sustained him for the journey ahead.
• In the same way, when we surrender both our inner eyes and our physical eyes to the Holy Spirit, He floods them with light. That light enables us to see beyond the limitations of the natural realm and into what is otherwise imperceptible. Spiritual sight is not escapism; it is alignment. It allows us to perceive God’s activity, provision, and guidance even when the natural world offers no explanation.
• Seeing spiritually is not reserved for a few; it is part of walking with God in maturity. When our vision is yielded to Him, we begin to see as He sees, discern what is eternal, respond with faith, and move forward strengthened by His presence.

2. Hearing
^{You need spiritual ears to hear him}

The sheep that are My own hear and are listening to My voice; and I know them, and they follow Me. The most common way is through still small thought/voice. Just in your mind you’ll hear these thoughts like, “this is the way walk in it” God is patient, he good, kindness – everything you hear will line up with who he is. uTo be able to identify Gods words or his nature you study his nature and his words JOHN 10:27

• The most common way God speaks to His people is through a still, small thought or inner voice. It often comes quietly, within your mind or spirit, sounding like gentle guidance: “This is the way, walk in it.” God is patient. His voice carries peace, goodness, kindness, and truth. What He speaks will always align with who He is.
• To accurately identify God’s voice, you must know His nature and His Word. Discernment grows through familiarity. The more you study who God is and how He speaks in Scripture, the easier it becomes to recognize when He is speaking to you.
• Because not every thought originates from God, Scripture teaches us to test the source of what we hear. God’s voice will never contradict His character or His Word.

HAVE A HEART OF PURSUIT

• Be a pursuer. He loves that. That’s what he looks for. Its ok to make mistakes at first, as long as God responds to pursuit. He delights in those who seek Him intentionally. It is okay to make mistakes while learning to discern His voice, as long as your heart is sincere and submitted. Hearing God flows out of relationship, not perfection.
• The more you pursue Him, the more fluent you become in His language toward you. Discernment sharpens with time, obedience, and intimacy. Always test the fruit of what you hear, remain humble, and keep moving forward.

AUDIBLE VOICE / SOUNDS

There are moments in Scripture when God speaks audibly or allows sounds from heaven to be heard:

• In John 12:28–29, the Father spoke from heaven. Some heard thunder, others thought it was an angel. Jesus, familiar with the Father’s voice, discerned it clearly.
• In Acts 2:2, a sound like a rushing mighty wind filled the house.
• Scripture reminds us to keep our focus aligned upward: “Set your minds on things above, not on things on the earth.” (Colossians 3:2)

Not everyone discerns heavenly sound the same way. Familiarity with God’s voice determines clarity.

EXAMPLES OF HEARING

• A knocking impression, an invitation to open a door or step deeper
• Worship or angelic sound
• Hearing your name spoken, sometimes in a familiar voice
• Clear spiritual impressions or instructions

Hearing in Closing…

Spiritual growth requires experience. Hearing develops as it is practiced in relationship with God.

• Samuel heard God call his name three times and had to learn how to respond (1 Samuel 3:9).
• Elisha supernaturally heard the enemy king’s plans.
• Mary saw and heard an angel.
• Philip heard an angel give him direction (Acts 8).

God is still speaking. The Holy Spirit has much to say—but it is those with spiritual ears to hear, hearts willing to pursue, and minds anchored in truth who will discern His voice clearly.

3. Taste
^{O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good!
Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the
man who trusts and takes refuge in Him. PSALM 34:8}

Scripture teaches that tasting is not limited to the physical realm. There is a spiritual sense of taste, and it functions as a form of discernment within the soul and spirit.

Job asks a powerful question:

Is there wrong on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern what is destructive? JOB 6:30

• I’ve tasted of the goodness of lord.  This is not natural taste, its in your soul, you spiritual taste. Taste has the ability to recognize what is harmful and what is good. In the spiritual realm, this sense helps us discern between truth and deception, between what is of God and what is not.
• When Scripture says, “I have tasted of the goodness of the Lord,” it is not referring to natural taste. This is a spiritual experience. At times, spiritual realities may even manifest through physical sensations. If you suddenly taste something sweet, sour, bitter, or salty without having eaten or drunk anything, it is wise to pause and ask the Lord whether He is communicating something to you.
• Spiritual taste can alert us to the presence of the enemy or confirm what is from God. Over time, this sense can be trained to help distinguish between good and evil.

EATING THE WORD

God has always used the language of taste to describe receiving His Word.

He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find [in this book]; eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel. So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat the scroll. And He said to me, Son of man, eat this scroll that I give you and fill your stomach with it. Then I ate it, and it was as sweet as honey in my mouth. EZEKIEL 3:1-3

David echoes this truth:

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

• The Word of God is meant to be consumed, not merely read. It sustains, nourishes, and strengthens the believer. Israel experienced this in the wilderness when God fed them manna from heaven, and Scripture records that it tasted good.

TASTE AND SUSTENANCE

Like an apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved [shepherd] among the sons [cried the girl]! Under his shadow I delighted to sit, and his fruit was sweet to my taste. SONG OF SONGS 2:3

The Jews said to Him, Now we know that You are under the power of a demon ([a]insane). Abraham died, and also the prophets, yet You say, If a man keeps My word, he will never taste of death into all eternity. JOHN 8:52

• Here he was tasting another realm.
• Just like with all other senses, you can ask God to enhance your taste.

GROWING IN SPIRITUAL TASTE

Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation 1 PETER 2:2

But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. HEBREWS 5:14

The [reverent] fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.  More to be desired are they than gold, even than much fine gold; they are sweeter also than honey and drippings from the honeycomb. PSALM 19:9-10

Taste in Closing…

The apostle John experienced something similar to Ezekiel.

“So I took the little scroll and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.” Revelation 10:10

Taste may not be the most commonly taught spiritual sense, but it is clearly biblical. And if Scripture reveals it as something God gives, then it is something we can receive, grow in, and steward.

If it is in the Word, and God has made it available, then it is worth pursuing.

4. Touch / Feeling
_{Jesus was touched by our infirmities}

Touch the chair you are sitting in and notice the texture. Then touch something soft, something rough, or something sticky. Each texture creates a distinct sensation. Your body immediately recognizes the difference, and that sensation leaves an impression on you.

BODY IMPRESSIONS

• Body impressions are one way the Holy Spirit communicates through the sense of touch or feeling. These impressions are not emotional reactions alone. They are spiritual sensations that register in the body.
• This can include an unusual or strong inner pulling from the Holy Spirit, a sudden awareness when you walk into a room, or even the sensation of a wind passing by you when nothing natural explains it. At times, God may also allow you to feel what another person is feeling so you can minister to them with understanding and compassion.

Example:
When I receive a word for someone, I often experience a strong inner pull or a heaviness in my body. This is not pressure or anxiety. It is a signal from the Holy Spirit drawing my attention.

Important note:
Those who are sensitive feelers must learn discernment. Without learning to separate what is from God, what belongs to others, and what is personal emotion, a person can become overwhelmed. Discernment brings clarity and stability. Sensitivity without discernment leads to confusion, but sensitivity trained by the Spirit becomes a powerful tool for ministry.

Then there touched me again one whose appearance was like that of a man, and he strengthened me. Daniel 10:18

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. Jeremiah 1:9

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me, Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. Matthew 8:15

• This passage shows that God can communicate and impart through touch. The act itself was physical, but the effect was spiritual. God was not merely touching Jeremiah’s mouth. He was transferring His word and commissioning him for purpose.
• In the same way, when believers lay hands on the sick, the power is not in the physical touch itself. There is no healing virtue in human flesh alone. The authority and power flow from the Spirit of God within the believer. Touch becomes the point of contact through which God’s power is released.
• When you place your hands on someone in obedience and faith, you are not ministering from your own strength. You are allowing the Spirit of God in you to minister through you. Healing flows because God is present, active, and working through yielded vessels.
• Touch, when led by the Holy Spirit, becomes a channel for healing, restoration, and impartation. It is not about technique. It is about alignment, obedience, and the Spirit of God moving through those who belong to Him.

And begged Him to let them merely touch the fringe of His garment; and as many as touched it were perfectly restored. Matthew 14:36

• This passage reveals that touch can function as a point of spiritual contact. The power was not in the fabric of Jesus’ garment. The power was in Him. Touch became the means through which faith connected with the life and virtue flowing from Christ.
• In the same way, spiritual encounters are not confined to one realm and then forgotten. What is touched in the spiritual realm can be carried back into the natural realm. When something is received by faith through the spirit, it can manifest outwardly in real, tangible ways.
• The woman who touched the hem of Jesus’ garment was not merely making physical contact. She was reaching out in faith, and spiritual virtue flowed from Him into her. Jesus Himself acknowledged that power had gone out from Him. She was drawing from the spiritual realm through faith expressed by touch.
• This teaches us that spiritual touch is real. Faith can reach beyond what is seen, connect with what is eternal, and receive from God. Touch becomes the bridge where faith meets divine power, and what is received in the spirit produces fruit in the natural.

Then flew one of the seraphim [heavenly beings] to me, having a live coal in his hand which he had taken with tongs from off the altar; And with it he touched my mouth and said, Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity and guilt are taken away, and your sin is completely atoned for and forgiven. ISAIAH 6:6-7

“Your ways and your deeds
Have brought these things on you.
This is your tragedy and doom; how bitter,
How it has touched your heart!” JERIMIAH 4:18

When Jesus saw her sobbing, and the Jews who came with her [also] sobbing, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. [He chafed in spirit and sighed and was disturbed.] JOHN 11:33

Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of valiant men whose hearts God had touched. 1 SAMUEL 10:26

So that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him, although He is not far from each one of us ACTS 17:27

Touch / Feeling in closing…

As Jesus was on His way, the crowds almost crushed Him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for 12 years, but no one could heal her. She came up behind Him and touched the edge of His cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped. “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the people are crowding and pressing against You.” But Jesus said, “Someone touched Me; I know that power has gone out from Me.” LUKE 8:43-46

• This passage clearly reveals the difference between physical touch and spiritual touch. Jesus was surrounded by people. He was being pressed on every side. Many were touching Him physically, yet nothing happened. But when one woman reached out in faith and made spiritual contact, virtue flowed from Him immediately.
• Jesus was not speaking of physical contact when He asked, “Who touched Me?” He was discerning a spiritual interaction. Someone had intentionally drawn healing power from His spirit by faith. Peter responded from a natural perspective, focused on the crowd. Jesus responded from a spiritual one, recognizing that power had been released.
• This shows us that not every touch is the same. Physical proximity does not equal spiritual connection. Spiritual touch requires faith, intention, and discernment.

Scripture gives us other examples of spiritual touch being felt physically:

“And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him.” Acts 12:7

• Peter experienced a physical sensation caused by a spiritual being. The encounter was real, tangible, and purposeful.

Job also records a similar experience:

“Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my body stood on end.” Job 4:15

• Eliphaz describes a spiritual encounter that produced a physical response in his body. This demonstrates that spiritual activity can register through physical sensation.

• These passages confirm that spiritual touch is real. It can be perceived, felt, and discerned. God uses this sense to communicate, to heal, and to awaken awareness of the unseen realm. The key is learning to recognize when a sensation is merely physical and when it is the result of a spiritual exchange.

5. Smell
_{Fragrance in the fold of his garments}

Your lips, O my [promised] bride, drop honey as the honeycomb; honey and milk are under your tongue. And the odor of your garments is like the odor of Lebanon. SONG OF SONGS 4:11

• Scripture reveals that smell is a spiritual sense, not merely a physical one. Fragrance is often used to describe intimacy, presence, and spiritual identity. What is carried internally is often released externally.

But thanks be to God, Who in Christ always leads us in triumph [as trophies of Christ’s victory] and through us spreads and makes evident the fragrance of the knowledge of God everywhere, For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ [which exhales] unto God, [discernible alike] among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing 2 CORINTHIANS 2:14-15

• Believers carry a spiritual fragrance. The life of Christ within us releases something that can be discerned in the spirit. Just as scent travels and fills a space, spiritual presence does the same.

DEMONIC REALM SMELLS

• Just as the presence of God carries a fragrance, the demonic realm can also be discerned through smell. Scripture shows that death and corruption have an odor.

Commonly reported demonic smells include:

• The smell of death
• The smell of sulfur
• The smell of rotten eggs
• The smell of decay or dirty laundry
• These are not meant to produce fear. They are indicators for discernment and prayer.

Smell in closing…

Have you ever noticed a familiar smell with no natural explanation?

Examples:

• Smelling your grandmother’s perfume
  This may not mean it is your grandmother. It may indicate familiarity, emotional connection, or an area where someone nearby is experiencing a similar struggle or history.
• Smelling a favorite meal
  This could be a point of connection, comfort, or shared experience with someone you are around.

When this happens, do not dismiss it. Lean in. Ask the Holy Spirit questions. Discernment often unfolds through relationship and inquiry.

Do not underestimate the Holy Spirit. He communicates through every sense He created. If He formed the senses, He can speak through them. Our responsibility is to remain humble, discerning, and responsive.

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