In the first part, I spoke about how encounters are very important because they bring us clarity about our earthly assignments, draw us closer to God, and can also bring about the impartation of spiritual gifts. In this chapter, I want to speak about how to receive an encounter.
The first point I would make is “desiring encounters”. Desire is one of the main ways by which we can receive spiritual experiences and gifts. In 1 Corinthians 14:1, the Bible says, “Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” You need to desire it. Desire is a strong feeling of wanting, wishing, longing for something to happen, or longing to possess something.
We see this in the life of Elisha. He longed for the anointing upon the life of Elijah. He was not discouraged, even when Elijah repeatedly asked him to stay behind as he journeyed to Bethel, Jericho, and the Jordan. Instead, Elisha remained steadfast and followed him relentlessly until he received the double portion of his anointing. Elisha’s desire fueled his pursuit and ultimately positioned him to receive the double portion of Elijah’s anointing.
Peter was also able to walk on water after he expressed his desire to do so to Jesus. In Matthew 14:28–29, Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.’ So He said, ‘Come.’ And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.”
Desire is very important. If you desire encounters, God can satisfy that desire.
I began to read stories about people’s face-to-face encounters with Jesus, heaven, hell, and many other glorious supernatural experiences. I prayed for and desired such experiences. I remember the night I received the revelation of the Rapture. I had spent part of that night watching someone else’s account of an experience of hell, and then I was shown the Rapture. You can read about it here.
You can cultivate this desire by reading about encounters in the Bible and by praying for God to lead you into godly encounters, just as the one I watched, as not all the encounters out there are spiritually or scripturally sound. We must exercise discernment because not every encounter people claim to have had is from God.
Another example of God responding to a desire for an encounter is found in Judges 13. In Judges 13, an angel appeared to Manoah’s wife to tell her about the son she was going to have, Samson. Manoah, however, was absent when this encounter took place. When his wife told him about it, he wanted the same experience, so he prayed to God. I believe it was out of this strong desire that God answered his request. God is ready to grant us encounters if we desire them.
Secondly, encounters can come through sacrifice to God. When you read the Scriptures, you will find many instances where divine encounters followed an offering or sacrifice.
Beginning with Abraham in Genesis 15, God instructed him to sacrifice a heifer, a turtledove, and a young pigeon. After Abraham obeyed, God caused a deep sleep to fall upon him and revealed the future of his descendants, including their captivity and eventual deliverance (Genesis 15:12–14). Here, we see that a sacrifice preceded a divine encounter.
Jacob also offered sacrifices to God before receiving a revelation. After offering sacrifices at Beersheba, God spoke to him in a vision during the night, reassuring him not to fear going down to Egypt and promising to be with him and make him into a great nation there (Genesis 46:1–4).
Now let us look at Solomon, who also had a very notable encounter with God, where he was imparted with wisdom. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings to the Lord at Gibeon, and that very night God appeared to him in a dream and invited him to ask for whatever he desired (1 Kings 3:4–5). Here again, we see a sacrifice going up before a divine encounter.
I will share one final example from the New Testament. In Acts 10, an angel appeared to Cornelius, and the Bible specifically makes reference to his almsgiving. Giving in the Kingdom is a form of offering to the Lord.
Most recently, God asked me to give an offering of USD 1,000 to an orphanage. After I gave that offering, that same night I had two encounters that brought me clarity concerning my calling and business. This encounter also gave me a glimpse into the future of my chosen field in technology.
Prayer and fasting can also be triggers for encounters. Daniel was fasting in Daniel 10 when the angel appeared to him. The Bible makes it clear that God had responded from the very first day Daniel set his heart to seek Him, although the manifestation of the answer came later. Prolonged fasting and prayer can bring about heavenly encounters. From my own experience, and from listening to many men and women of God, I have found that profound revelations and encounters often occur during extended periods of fasting and prayer.
The last point I will speak about is the will of God. Ultimately, every supernatural encounter happens according to the will of God. Moses encountered God at the burning bush because God chose to reveal Himself to him (Exodus 3). Gideon likewise encountered the Angel of the Lord because God chose to reveal Himself to him and commission him (Judges 6). If it is God’s will for you to have an encounter, He will send you that encounter.
God still reveals Himself today, and He still grants supernatural encounters according to His purpose. May we cultivate a heart that desires Him, honours Him through sacrifice, seeks Him through prayer and fasting, and remains open to His sovereign will.
In the next part, I will speak about how to judge encounters.
