Clairvoyance: Understanding Spiritual Perception and Divine Discernment

Clairvoyance represents the supposed ability to perceive events or information beyond the normal capacity and limitations of our five senses. This psychic or extra-sensory perception (ESP) is often associated with the New Age movement and relies on what Scripture identifies as the wrong spiritual input – it is Satan's counterfeit to God's divine revelation and wisdom. God strongly condemns consulting with psychics, mediums, and practitioners of divination, astrology, or any form of witchcraft, as they deliver unreliable messages and deceitful predictions (Ex 22:18; Deut 18:9-13; Lev 19:31; 2 Chr 33:6; Zech 10:2).

Divine Revelation vs. Psychic Counterfeit

However, God spoke supernaturally through Old Testament prophets – they could reliably foretell the future, "see" events that had not yet happened, and know things that had not come through their five senses (1 Sam 9:9). Today we need to be discerning as there are those claiming to speak for God, yet this can be mixed with their own predictions and views. We are instructed to "Not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold to the good" (1 Thes 5:20-21).

Go to the right source

The Holy Spirit's Ministry

In Christian counseling, God may give a word of knowledge or prophetic insight about issues unknown to bring clarity and emotional healing. This is not clairvoyance or ESP but rather the Holy Spirit ministering into situations so we "may live a life worthy of the Lord and please Him in every way." This includes the natural intuition to sense when something is not right (1 Cor 12:8; Col 1:9-10). Jesus operated from the divine source, whereas a girl predicting the future functioned from an evil source (Jn 4:16-19,39; Acts 16:16-18).

God made us to be dependent on Him, and if we want knowledge beyond what our senses can tell us, we are to seek that information from God and from God alone. A Christian has a personal relationship with the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and can read and discern the mind of God in the Holy Scriptures.

God is omniscient (all-knowing), omnipotent (all-powerful) and omnipresent (present everywhere). He alone knows what the future holds – He planned it and has the ability to ensure it comes to pass 100% as He desires. Daniel acknowledged it was God who revealed the content and meaning of the king's dream, something totally impossible from the human perspective (Dan 2:22).

Walking in Revealed Truth

The Bible says, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law" (Deut 29:29). So rather than yearn after what is a secret that God has chosen not to reveal, such as the answer to our "why?" questions, it is our responsibility to walk in obedience and trust, living by the truth we have already received through the Bible and illuminated by the Holy Spirit. If there is an issue that we are unaware of, again our divine source will make it known: "Surely the Lord does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). Jesus said what He learned from the Father He passed on to the disciples (Jn 15:15). However, the specific timing of the rapture will not be divulged (Mk 13:32).

We are responsible to walk in the knowledge we have

Reflection and Application:

Recognize the difference between genuine divine revelation and counterfeit psychic abilities
Test all spiritual experiences and prophetic words against Scripture to discern their source
Trust in God's perfect timing and sovereignty rather than seeking forbidden knowledge
Cultivate sensitivity to the Holy Spirit's leading rather than pursuing supernatural experiences