Overcome Flat Spots

It’s common to feel stuck or lose momentum mid-way. Today, focus on overcoming plateaus and reigniting your motivation.

Getting Unstuck

• Try a new recipe or an exercise to boost your energy.

• Reach out to your support network for encouragement.

Persistence and creativity help you break through and continue forward.

Mind’s Eye & “Knower”

“You will know them by their fruits.” Matthew 7:20

Note: This devotional includes a sensitive personal story shared only to illustrate how the Holy Spirit can gently reveal hidden pain for the purpose of healing and restoration. All names and details are kept private.

Often, we are told the Holy Spirit speaks to us only through the Bible. That is true as the primary, authoritative way, with one important caveat. I have experienced many moments when true words or impressions about a person suddenly rise in my mind’s eye or deep in my spirit, later confirmed in conversation. Why would the Holy Spirit bring such specific insight about others to our attention? Great question.

Are We Listening and Looking?

One summer day, a coworker gave me a ride home. During the drive, strange thoughts began entering my mind—thoughts I knew weren’t mine. When we arrived, he came inside to see the house. As we stepped into the kitchen, I was suddenly flooded with homosexual-related thoughts about him. Confused, I asked the Lord, “Where is this coming from?”

At the exact same time, my wife was driving home from the grocery store and began having an uneasy impression that she might walk in on me having a homosexual affair with this man.

That evening, as we debriefed the day, the strange thoughts came up. She shared what she had sensed; I shared what I had sensed. We were both stunned—we had received the same deep “knower” feeling in our guts, even though neither of us had ever struggled with homosexual tendencies. We immediately asked the Lord what this was about.

Weeks later, while talking with this coworker about the Lord, the word “homosexual” kept surfacing in my mind again. I gently asked if anyone had ever hurt him when he was younger. He initially said no, but months later, he confided that a “step-father” figure had been homosexual and had an inappropriate relationship with him as a child. This man carried deep anger and pain toward homosexuals because of the trauma.

Why would the Lord allow us to “see” this? Later in life, He showed me that He sometimes permits us to glimpse into the spiritual realm—not to judge, but to pray, to understand, and to bring healing.

Two primary ways this happens are:

• A word or picture that appears in our mind’s eye — sometimes clearly spelled out or visualized.

• A deep, visceral conviction in our “knower” — that gut-level certainty something is true, often confirmed later.

Many parents experience this “knower” with their children—they just know something happened, even without proof, and later discover they were right. Some call it intuition. I believe it is often the Holy Spirit speaking.

Not every random thought is spiritual—many come from our own minds, memories, or daily life. But when a thought feels sudden, out of character, and carries weight, it may be from the Lord or (in some cases) the enemy. We must learn to discern.

The Holy Spirit gives these impressions to:

• Warn and protect

• Prepare our hearts

• Prompt us toward bold, compassionate witness

We are then called to respond in love. How do we test whether an impression is from the Lord? We try it humbly, seeking confirmation through Scripture, peace, wise counsel, and fruit (Matthew 7:20; 1 Corinthians 12:10 – the gift of distinguishing between spirits; John 16:13 – the Spirit guiding into all truth).

So, have you ever had a word flash across your mind’s eye? Have you ever just known something in your spirit, even if you didn’t know what to do next?

Now is the time to ask the Lord to interpret these moments. Test them humbly. When they concern a person, ask Him how to approach the situation with gentleness, sensitivity, and encouragement. The Lord shines His light to heal and rebuild—not to expose or tear down.

Let's close our eyes and allow this song to be sung from our hearts.

Meditation Questions

1. What current actionable truth is God leading you into this week?

2. Lord, help me become more sensitive to Your speaking. Reveal anything blocking my spiritual ears from hearing You clearly.

Meditative Passages

• John 16:13 (“When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…”)

• Matthew 7:20 (“You will know them by their fruits”)

• 1 Corinthians 12:10 (the gift of “distinguishing between spirits”)

Ask the Holy Spirit to bring to mind moments when you have “known” something in your “knower” and later found it to be true. Ask Him: “Why did You show me this at that time? How can I use these impressions to love and serve others better?”

May we grow in humble discernment, always led by love, so that every insight from the Spirit becomes a doorway to healing and restoration.