Mike Parsons
It is a journey to come into a dynamic where you’re able to engage with God and feel His presence, sense His presence, and know His presence in different ways. These ways vary, and different people have different experiences, so you can’t rely on someone else’s experience—you need to find what works for you.
That being said, there are things you can do. The Engaging God programme, which we run, helps people journey from the beginning to mature experiences as sons of God. It delves into practices and exercises to build your spirit, train your spirit to engage, and teach it to sense and discern. Hebrews talks about training our spirit through practice—repeatedly doing something to make our spirit active.
In my own journey to seeing in the spirit, which I’ve shared online, I can trace it back to around the year 2000. That’s when God began speaking to me about meditating. At the time, I didn’t have any concept of meditation, but He guided me through it, teaching me how to hear His voice. I would encourage everyone to focus on hearing before trying to see.
By hearing, I don’t just mean an audible voice, but also sensing God’s thoughts within your mind. The mind is where everything is received—natural vision and sound are all interpreted by electrical impulses in the brain. Similarly, spiritual information is processed by the mind and decoded into things we see, hear, feel, sense or know.
I spent four or five years learning to hear the voice of God, initially through the Bible. I meditated on Bible verses, sometimes even on one word, mulling it over in my mind, repeating it and focusing on it. For instance, I meditated on the verse, “Be still and know that I am God.” I would focus on the word be: “Be… be still… be still and know…” As I did this, I found that thoughts came into my mind that weren’t mine—thoughts from the Holy Spirit. It took me years to become confident in this practice.
Eventually, I began to speak to God directly rather than relying on the Bible. I would picture Jesus sitting opposite me, ask Him a question, close my eyes and wait for His thoughts to enter my mind. His thoughts were distinct from mine, and over time, I learned to hear Him clearly. After mastering this, I eventually learned to see, although now I no longer need visions to know where I am, what I’m doing, or what I’m engaging in spiritually.
It’s important to come to a place of rest before pursuing anything. I now use a meditation called “Meditation for Rest,” which is just five to ten minutes long. It helps me calm down, stop striving and relax. The harder you try, the harder it becomes. You need to let go of your own agenda and allow the Father to set the direction. Rather than asking for specific outcomes, just come into His presence and share your heart, asking Him to reveal His presence to you.
To activate your imagination, you can use a physical object. I often use a door. Think about a door in your home—its colour, material, handle, and details. Picture it in your mind. You can even stand in front of the door, look at it, then close your eyes and visualise it. Imagine opening the door and engaging with Jesus or the Father. This is not about forcing your imagination to create something, but about perceiving what happens.
The word “see” in its root meaning is to perceive. Communication and engaging with God is about perceiving, not just seeing. Perception can come through seeing, hearing, sensing or simply knowing. Many people feel impressions or just know things intuitively. Practice and allow your senses to lead you into deeper connection.
If you find yourself falling asleep during meditation, that’s fine—your spirit is still engaging. Often, our minds get in the way, and sleep helps the mind step aside, allowing the spirit to fully engage. Eventually, your spirit will communicate with your soul, and you’ll begin to understand and experience what you’ve engaged with spiritually.
Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice,” so it is always your time to hear Him. God isn’t holding anything back. The process is about training your senses and coming to a place of rest where you can receive. Sometimes, blockages can come from our own pressure or desperation. Instead of striving, desire His presence and trust that He will meet you.
Jesus is the door to the Father, and that door is already open. If you struggle, it might be due to a mindset shaped by tradition or past experiences. These can be renewed so you can engage fully with God’s unconditional love. You don’t need to earn or perform for His love—just let Him love you. The key to entering rest is to allow God to love you in the way you need to be loved.
As you practise this and come into a deeper awareness of His presence, things will begin to open up. Let God guide you, and over time, you will find it becomes easier. You are unconditionally loved, and God is not holding anything back. Just rest, relax, and let Him lead the way.
Sons of Issachar 