Training Your Child to Encounter Jesus - Godly Imagination & Visions

Introduction from Mark Virkler: Once children are taught to use their imaginations, they can step from godly imaginations (i.e., picturing things the Bible says are true), directly into visions, and they can do it a lot easier than adults can. Read this story of a two and a half year old named Lance, as told by his father Brent Engelman, and you will be brought to tears!

At the end of this story, see Brent's offer for you to participate in his free internet weekly training, in which Brent is raising up a Virtual Internet Prophetic army, a VIP Army. Check it out and ask God if He wants you to become involved in this training.

Brent's Story: The day my son "went to work in Heaven"

While in prayer, the Lord gave me a vivid word and vision. “Train up your son,” said the Lord. I replied, “What should I train him for, Lord?” My own thoughts began to see training Lance to be a good son. “Should I train him to read the Word?” I thought.

In my mind I saw darkness. And in the darkness came the letter “I”. It hovered in the air and was like neon red light. It was a-fire. Then a few feet from the letter “I”, I saw the word “MAGI”. I recalled the wise men that traveled to Jesus upon seeing the bright star. The thought came to me, “Do I train Lance to be wise?” I thought, “How can I train him to be wise?”

Next I saw the word “NATION”. The reality of the vision became known to me when I thought in my mind, “Do you want me to train him to be wise and go to the nations, Lord?” BOOM! An explosion. The words burst into flame and motion as they slammed together. I saw the word…

“IMAGINATION”

My son, Lance, was 28 months old at the time I began to train his imagination.

This was a three-night process that has changed my life, my family, and those who know me, Lance and the Lord. What transpired over the next three nights is described below.

FIRST NIGHT: We began our routine to get Lance to bed with as little variance from the routine as possible. He had his bath. He had a sippy-cup full of 2% milk and his favorite Buzz Lightyear pajamas with the cloth wings sown in. We both jumped into his twin bed. Our prayers that night were for the Lord to guide us through a special time with Him.

I began by telling him that I was ready to begin training him up. He said, “Ok daddy.” Normally we would read a book or two at this point. Something from Dr. Suess usually fit the bill. However, he was very attentive and I could see the anticipation in his eyes that first night.

“Lance, I want to train your imagination. Do you know what that is?” I asked. He nodded, yes and we began. “Ok, I want you to close your eyes, and I’m going to say a word. You picture what I say in your imagination.” He agreed and I began. “I want you to picture a bus. Can you see it?” I asked. His eyes where closed as he laid upon his back. The night light dimly lit the room with the focus of its light on the bed to help illuminate books and our faces.

“I see the bus,” he said. I replied, “Ok good job. Now picture a house. Do you see it?” He gave the same reply as with the bus and we moved on to several more inatimate objects. He was able to see them all.

SECOND NIGHT: The second night I felt led by the Spirit to practice seeing living or animate objects. We progressed the same way. Laying on the bed with the night light on, Lance closed his eyes and we began… bird, elephant, dog and then Gran-daddy. He was able to see all of them in detail. I asked him with each object to describe it briefly. With the bird, he would say, “I see the wings and beak.” The elephant was simple. He said, “The elephant is big and has a big nose.”

THIRD NIGHT: Knowing that what we see in our sanctified imagination is from the Lord, I wanted to train Lance to look into the vision of his imagination. We prayed for the Lord to lead us and guide us. Lance at this time was very peaceful in his anticipation of the training. He already had his eyes closed, and was awaiting what we would envision tonight. We went back to see the living things. This time the Lord had me ask Lance to see these living things in motion doing things.

“Can you see the bird?” I asked. “I see it,” said Lance. “What is the bird doing?” I prompted. His reply was, “The bird is flying, he going high.” The elephant was probably his favorite. “He’s walking and moving,” said Lance. When we got to Gran-daddy, I was curious as to how he would picture him. “Can you see Gran-daddy?” “Yes,” He replied. “What is he doing”, I asked. “He’s on his chair watching tv right now,” was Lance’s reply.

When Lance said, “right now” I immediately saw the same vision as my eyes were closed as well during this training time. I was amazed. I could see what he was seeing.

FOURTH NIGHT: This night will forever bring me to laughter and tears. Even as I recall it now, my heart is moved to a place of faith and fullness that I can’t describe. What I can recall, I will.

Lance was getting ready for bed and it was nearing eight p.m. My wife and I were in the living room on the couch having a rare quiet moment to talk. Lance came from his room in his pajamas. I asked him, “How was your day today?” The reply took over four hours and changed my views on Jesus, God, the church, visions, imagination, dreams, life, the Bible and my son.

Lance: “I went to work today.”

Me: “Oh really, where do you work?”

L: “I work in heaven”

Me: “You do? What did you do there today?”

L: “I work in heaven. I went in my fast car.”

It was at this time the tone of Lance’s language began to shift. I could feel the words he was saying and the air in the room became light.

L: “I saw a man in heaven. He was very, very big, daddy.”

M: “What was he doing?”

L: “He was playing this huge guitar like this…” and he spread his legs wide, as he stood and moved both of his arms in a sweeping motion back and forth, to and from his body, like one would do if they played a harp. “And daddy, it was loud!”

My wife and I looked at each other with amazement and a grin. We had never taught him these things. The scripture was coming alive before us and we both knew it.

Me: “What else did you do?”

L: “I was in a little boat, and the water was hard (I think he meant rough). So I got out of the boat and walked to the shore.”

Me: “You walked on the water?”

L: “Yeah, we all did.”

Me: “Wow, then what?”

L: “Daddy…”

Me: “Yeah Lance.” This is when he stopped playing around and jumped on the couch next to my wife and I. His voice became very serious and he looked in my eyes.

L: “In heaven there is a big house and you have a room. You have to fill it now.”

My eyes, even now, fill with tears. The truth that is beyond knowledge hits me. Lance was never taught these Scriptures that he lived and encountered as he worked in heaven. He was telling us something that he had lived.

With the same transition from play to seriousness, he jumped off the couch and began to dance.

L: “They all dance like this.”

He began to twirl and leap and jump and laugh and sway. His hands and voice began to praise the Lord. My wife was full of tears that were mixed with laughter as Lance would do something unexpected and funny. We were caught between laughing and crying. Joy swept into our hearts.

I joined him in the dancing and rejoicing. We laughed uncontrollably and spun around in joy.

Me: “Lance, did you see Jesus in heaven today?”

L: “Oh yes, daddy.”

Me: “What did He say?”

He stopped dancing and once again the tone in his voice shifted from a child to an authority that only a few men that I’ve ever known speak with. He said,

L: “He’s angry.”

Me: “Why is He angry?” I said with genuine concern.

L: “He wants his wife back NOW.”

I fell to me knees and looked my son eye to eye. With trembling in my voice and heart I uttered, “Did you see God, Lance?”

L: “Jesus’ daddy is angry, too. He wants Jesus' wife back now.”

Natalie and I wept aloud. Time stood still as that word washed over us and pierced our hearts. Lance had already shifted back to pure joy and dancing while we wept.

L: “And Jesus is doing this.” Lance took his hands and put them out in front of him with palms extended to me. He was trying to touch his pointer fingers together and his two thumbs together while attempting to do some sort of Spock (from Star Trek) thing with both hands. Lance kept saying… “like this… or no like this…” and he would move his hands trying to make a shape with them.

I’ve edited this time down to what I can recall very well. Much of the 3 and ½ hours where filled with laughter and tears and dancing. However, the most amazing part was yet to come.

Lance was definitely moving back from explaining all he had seen in heaven, at work. As he fumbled with his hands some more, we all stood up and embraced each other.

Lance insisted that what he was showing me with his hands was significant. In his own way, Lance kept trying to show me. A few minutes later he had given up on trying to explain it to me and I grabbed the remote to the TV.

When the picture came on the TV, it was tuned to a show called “Jewish Jesus”. The rabbi begins the show with a prayer and lifts his hands, palms facing forward. His pointer fingers on each hand touching as are the thumbs of each hand. The ring finger and the middle finger both are spread apart, just like Spock from Star Trek. The rabbi lifted his hands high and gave thanks to God.

Lance turned toward the TV and exclaimed, “That’s it, daddy, that’s what Jesus was doing!!!”

I felt like a shot had rang out in the atmosphere. I was in awe of Jesus, God, the Church, visions, imagination, dreams, life, the Bible and my son.

By: Brent Engelman

NOTES:

The Vulcan greeting is based upon a blessing gesture used by the kohanim (koe-hah-NEEM) during the worship service. The kohanim are the genealogical descendants of the Jewish priests who served in the Jerusalem Temple. Modern Jews no longer have priests leading services as in ancient times, nor do we have animal sacrifices anymore. (Yes, people really do ask about that!) The sacrificial system ended with the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in the year 70. C.E. However, a remnant of the Temple service lives on in the "kohane blessing" ritual (duchenen in Yiddish) that is performed on certain holy days.

The actual blessing is done with both arms held horizontally in front, at shoulder level, with hands touching, to form the Hebrew letter "shin." This stands for the Hebrew word for "Shaddai", meaning "Almighty [God]." Nimoy modified this gesture into one hand held upright, making it more like a salute. So, technically, the Vulcan greeting is not the same thing as the ceremonial Jewish blessing. Still, the resemblance is close enough to evoke instant recognition among knowledgeable Jews.

During the synagogue service, the worshippers are not supposed to look at the kohanim while the blessing is being given. The reason for this is to focus our attention on the words of the prayer itself, rather than on the personalities of the kohanim. The kohanim are merely the channels, not the source, of the blessing, which comes from God. Unfortunately, all sorts of silly superstitions have arisen about this ritual, such as "Don't look at the kohanim, or you'll go blind!" and other nonsense. The real reason is simply to focus on receiving blessings directly from God, not from human beings.

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