I’ve felt the presence of God’s Holy Spirit in a way that is very real to me, especially when I am witnessing about Him. There is a physical sensation that comes over me, a warmth and a clarity, that I believe is His spirit confirming the truth. It’s a personal experience, one that guides my understanding. I’ve come to see that God has the power to show us things without ever moving our bodies from one place to another. Think of Jesus being tempted by Satan in the wilderness, the Bible says the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world. I don’t believe Jesus was physically transported, but that this interaction happened in what we might call the mind’s eye, a spiritual vision, much like what the prophet Ezekiel experienced when he was shown the valley of dry bones. These things are shown to the spirit, for our understanding.
This leads me to be very careful about what is proclaimed as divine or inspired. The scriptures warn us to test the spirits, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Not every feeling or vision is from God. We have to use discernment. I believe it is possible for someone who is not living a virtuous life to be misled into thinking they have a divine gift or that they are specially chosen, because Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. He can deceive a person into believing their actions are acceptable to God, when they are actually moving away from Him. This is why we must always measure everything against the written word of God, and be wary of any teaching or leadership that asks for blind obedience without that foundation. The Holy Spirit’s guidance will always align with scripture and produce the fruits of the spirit in a person’s life—love, joy, peace, patience. If those are absent, we must question the source. My own experiences have taught me to seek that confirmation, that quiet witness in my heart, and to hold fast to what is true.