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GraceFilled Community
The GraceFilled Community Podcast is a place where faith, connection, and community come together. We explore meaningful conversations with guests who share their unique insights, experiences, and stories to inspire and empower others. Each episode offers listeners practical wisdom for living out their faith, creating belonging, and building community. Whether you're looking for spiritual growth or ways to connect deeper with those around you, the GraceFilled Community Podcast provides valuable content that enriches both your personal and spiritual journey.
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From Misconceptions to Intimacy: Holy Spirit - Your Constant Companion
Pastor Jayelle Dolan demystifies the Holy Spirit, explaining how this often-misunderstood person of the Trinity is our closest companion and guide who makes faith vibrant and alive rather than a set of religious rules. She shares practical ways to recognize the Spirit's voice as an internal sensing rather than an audible sound, helping listeners learn to discern genuine communication from God.
• The Holy Spirit is a person (he), not a thing (it) or a mystical force
• Many believers have misconceptions about the Holy Spirit based on weird church experiences or poor teaching
• God speaks primarily through an internal sensing that "bubbles up from within" rather than through our ears
• The Holy Spirit communicates differently with each person, knowing exactly how to reach us individually
• Genuine prophetic words should align with Scripture, be accompanied by peace, and often confirm what God has already been speaking
• The Spirit's peace feels like a soft baby blanket, while His conviction feels like sandpaper, but both come with assurance
• Holy Spirit accompanies us everywhere - into surgical rooms, courtrooms, and every challenging situation where we need guidance
Connect with Pastor Jayelle Dolan:
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Website: https://www.jayelledolan.com/
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My name is Nicole Cater, your host, founder and servant leader of Gracefield Community. I want to thank you for tuning in to Gracefield Community Podcast. This is a safe space, a place in which we just share stories of how God has touched individuals' lives all across the world and how they are now impacting the kingdom of God. Thank you for tuning in. Blessings to you, hello. Welcome once again, gracefield community. I am uber excited, as always, to enter into another episode here on our podcast. But before I jump into the episode, I do want to remind you, if you are listening or tuning in today, first know that you are loved. We at Graceville Community love you and we know that God loves you too, and he loved you first. So if you are looking for a space of community, we encourage you to email us at grow at gracefieldcommunitycom. We would love to not only welcome you to our online community but assist you in getting partnered with local spaces, local ministries that will love our new. So don't shy away from us. Y'all All right, as we get started with today's episode, I am again, I'm uber excited I don't have another word for it other than uber excited, y'all, for the conversation we're going to have today Prior to pressing that lovely record button. We just had some wonderful conversation. I know that our guest has been through some things and can speak into some of the very same things that many of you are looking for wisdom and words and words from the Lord on and so I'm excited for the conversation we'll have today. Before we get into it, let me just give a little quick introduction on our guests.
Speaker 1:Today we have Pastor Jael Dolan. She's been a pastor for over 25 years, from intern to executive pastor. She currently is a speaker, an author of Christian books and a church consultant. She wrote a book on prayer entitled the Throne Room how to Pray Powerful Prayers, and then a second book is about the Holy Spirit, entitled Plugged in a Holy Spirit Connection for All of Us. There is a third book coming out next month which will be called Cancelled. Jesus Never Cancels People. Oh, I'm so excited to dive into those books. Y'all. As always, you know, in the show notes we have the books and locations and where you could tap into them, but I want to dive right into our conversation because I know it's going to be good and I want all the time going that way, so help me. Gracefield community. Welcome our guest, pastor JL Doolin.
Speaker 2:Hi guys, Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited.
Speaker 1:It's been a pleasure in just the last 10 minutes to chat with Nicole and I just can't wait to see what God's going to do and say and how we're going to be able to minister to you and really hope this blesses all of you who are listening. I've been praying for you. I really, this time really feels sacred to me and I can't wait to just be a part of what God wants to do in your life as you listen. I love it. I love it.
Speaker 1:So, man, okay, there's so many things we could talk about. I mean, just even thinking about your books, I'm like prayer cancels. Jesus never cancels, right, but Holy Spirit, holy Spirit, my favorite topic, yes, mine too, mine too. So I want to dive, like right into it. So first thing I want to ask is you know, often when we say the word or term which we know we are speaking about, a person in the Trinity right Holy Spirit when someone says like who is the Holy Spirit? Or there's others that refer to what is the Holy Spirit Like, what is your response to that?
Speaker 2:Well, I usually just go back in my thinking, because I didn't have the privilege of growing up in a Christian home and so I didn't understand. So I remember being that person asking that question, going who or what is the Holy Spirit? And I'll be honest, I had a really distinct picture in my mind and I pictured Casper the friendly ghosts from the cartoons, but wearing a t-shirt with a cross on it and I was like that must be. Like he's holy, he's a spirit. He's kind of creepy in my mind as a teenager growing up.
Speaker 2:And so when I became a Christ follower around my freshman year of high school, I was kind of creeped out. I didn't understand that Holy Spirit is a he, a person, not an it or a thing. I didn't understand that I could have close personal connection with him, understand that I could have close personal connection with him. I didn't understand that he wanted to speak to me, that he could illuminate the truth from the word. I mean, there was so much I didn't understand and as people around me would just throw out the term Holy Spirit, I was like, ooh, I don't know what to make of that.
Speaker 2:And so now, having you know dove into this in during Bible college and throughout my ministry the last 25 years. I really quickly start by addressing some of those myths that I mentioned. Like he's not an it, he's not creepy, he's not lesser than God the father or Jesus the son. He's an equal member of the Trinity. And I try to bring all of those things into perspective really quick, especially if someone's maybe like just not from that church background. You want to squelch those myths and let them know the Holy Spirit is the close personal connection that we as Christians can have with God and he's amazing and really fun.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, absolutely Y'all. I have, time and time again, countless stories where I'm like Holy spirit, kind of funny, and you actually are kind of fun and you're not here to stop me from living my best life. You actually want me to live my best life with Christ, right?
Speaker 2:Yes, so true, I was teaching. We have three boys and I was teaching our youngest son. He was like mom, tell me how to start hearing the Holy spirit. And so he. We have three boys and I was teaching our youngest son. He was like mom, tell me how to start hearing the Holy spirit. And so he. You know, I told him a bunch of stuff that's important, that's in my book, that's in the Bible, all that jazz.
Speaker 2:And over a couple nights, and one night after I tucked him in and kind of gave him another lesson on the Holy spirit, he was down in his bed laughing, like giggling, and so, so you know, I put on my mom hat, like I'm gonna go down and be like now it's time for bed and like you need to. Da, da, da. And he was talking to the Holy Spirit and he was like mom, the Holy Spirit's like telling me jokes. And I was like this is beautiful. Who cares about school tomorrow? Care, just do your thing. And so the next morning, when he came up, I'm like tell me more. And he was able, at 10 years old, to just articulate different jokes the Holy Spirit had told them and they weren't funny to us, they were funny to him because the Holy Spirit is so personal and he communicates with each one of our Christ followers with such a personal intent, and so it's really beautiful to see even kids, even small children, can understand those things and be challenged by who the Holy Spirit is and how he communicates.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love that, I absolutely love that. I can imagine like going into his room and be like what are you cracking up at, right? Yes, okay, so let's say you know for the new believers, or even you know. I like to acknowledge that sometimes we have individuals that have been on this walk, in this journey with Christ, but because of some of those very myths or some of those very things that have happened or portrayed the Holy Spirit in a unhealthy fashion, right, they have not been taught how to have relationship with Holy Spirit, right. And so, in that I want to ask how can a believer learn to hear God's voice?
Speaker 2:Yep, this to me is the golden question. As Nicole has been in ministry, I've been in ministry I would say this is probably the number one question I get asked is like how do I know it's God or the Holy Spirit speaking? How do I hear him for myself? And that's pretty much the golden question, isn't it? And this is my answer is, first of all, when we talk about God speaking other than the written word, where of course, he speaks through the word all the time, what we are talking about is hearing God speak, and we always use the word hearing God speak, and so people who don't know, they think it's an auditory process, like we're going to hear him with our ears. But I've never heard him with my ears out loud. But I hear the Holy spirit speak to me every day, and so the first thing I would say is you're not looking for something in your ears. It's not audio. What you're actually looking for is something deep down in your belly and in my spirit. When I think about this, I go right to Jesus words in John seven and he says out of your belly, um. The King James says belly. The new living translation says your innermost being, the Holy spirit, begins to well up and he begins to spring forth like streams of living water. So when I'm working with a believer who's like I desperately want to hear God speak to me, this is what I say to do. I say listen, listen in your spirit, listen down inside where the spirit dwells and allow his words to kind of bubble up from within.
Speaker 2:When we have a word that kind of occurs to us from within, there's some distinctives. First of all, it doesn't occur to our brain. It's not something that popped into our mind or our thinking or our mental and most cases it's not something that popped into our ears, it's not oral, it's not something we've heard, and it's also first not something we necessarily feel. It's not an emotion or an emotion response to something that's happened. It's something down within us where the Holy Spirit dwells, and it bubbles up. And so I think it initiates here. It bubbles up to our heart where we might have a feeling and if we're being faithful, we might even be able to speak it out. And then, when we hear our own words, we're like, oh, that was so profound. I never thought that before. And we're not being arrogant. It's because we never thought it. The Holy Spirit revealed that truth and when I'm working with young people which is the bulk of my early ministry I say when you're, when you're like riding in your car and you pull up to a stoplight and the person next to you has just got their base cranked and the and you can hear their song, but really you don't hear it.
Speaker 2:You hear it, you feel it rattling in your chest. That's more how he speaks. You're not hearing the base and that's on that car next to you. You're feeling it rattle and shake and that's the. That it's like an internal sensing and that's the best, like secular description, the words I can put to. The spiritual occurrence is when the Holy spirit is down within in your belly and he begins to rattle and spring forth and speak. You feel it more than you hear it. And if you're waiting for, like something to come through your ear canals, you're probably going to miss what God is doing because that's really not how he speaks. And I think once you get past hearing God speak and you recognize it's a sensing, you're a lot better set up to be able to hear the voice of God.
Speaker 1:Yes, I absolutely love that. You know, one of the things that I think about when we talk about like the Holy spirit is God created this design, right, like he created our makeup, and we have this lovely thing called intuition and I think that sometimes, the believer, we discredit that feeling that we have inside of us, which really is the Holy Spirit, acknowledging and giving us guidance and wisdom, or something we have no clue of, right? I personally can think of, time and time again, examples where I was going one way and I have this intuition like don't do that, don't go this way, turn here and take the longer route, and then later I find out, oh, thank God, I avoided that route. And so it's that inner intuition, truly, that can be Holy Spirit inspired that I think sometimes, as a believer, when we don't know, we will discredit, right, you know, when people are trying to connect with the Holy Spirit. I think that there's also this approach to and I find that it's this way even when we talk about prayer, right? People think like I have to stop all things in life, I have to be on my knees, I might need a shawl, like I might need oil next to me. It needs to be a quiet space and so forth.
Speaker 1:And I remember, you know, for me at one point in time, I have four kids, one that resides in heaven, three living here presently, and they're all teens. So they were at one point three kids under three, all in diapers, and I remember just saying, like guys, like I'm failing, like I can't, I don't have time to pray, I don't have the time to talk to the Lord, I don't have time to anything. And thank God for the women that go before us, right, the women of wisdom, like that Titus woman, right, and she was like you have time, talk to him just like you would any other time. You don't need to be on your knees, you don't need to show, like while you're breastfeeding you can say Lord, this is rough, how are you? Where are you today, like you know? But conversating with him in the day to day end, right? Yes.
Speaker 1:So throughout that time of early motherhood, I learned that, whether it's washing the dishes, whether it was breastfeeding, even while I was changing the diapers, like when there was an emotion I wanted to express, when there was a connection I wanted to give, I, I very much had to think about it in the sense of my husband. I don't just say, hey, we only talk for these 20 minutes of this day and it can only be in this one bedroom, and it can only be if I have everything set up. No, it's inviting and connecting with him on the day to day of our lives. And so when we talk about, like the Holy Spirit and how people can actually connect with the Holy Spirit, I would love to hear your take. Or like, how you connect with the Holy Spirit, I would love to hear your take on like, how do you connect with the Holy Spirit in your daily lives as we're going about our business?
Speaker 2:Right. So what I think is so beautiful about our ability to connect with the Holy Spirit is there's no waiting your turn, there's no lines, there's no like you know he's busy, so your call went to voicemail or he ghosted you on the text back, like anytime you want to have the lord's attention and you want to talk to the holy spirit, it's accessible to you that. That open communication is accessible and he is right there to hear you and I love that. And for me it reminds me of like a really good friend I had in Bible college. Her name's Jolene, and we are just like soul sisters and whenever before we got married we were both single for most of our twenties and we would call and talk to each other on the phone for like four hours and we would go on vacation and we would just sit there at the poolside and solve the world's problems, like just in depth, long conversation. But we both had kids at the same time, we both got married at the same time and we never had time to connect and so I realized I had lost one of my best friends because I wasn't willing to just shoot her a text and be like thinking about you today, jolene, praying for you, hope the girls are good, whatever it is, and so I've really brought that into my spiritual rising. Like you said, during all those seasons we can talk, and allowing it to be a text message level communication with the Holy spirit. Simply a quick God, I love you. Holy spirit, thank you for your presence. Help me right now. Or what do you want me to do? Or I'm in a situation and I'm not sure what to say. He's going to give me the words.
Speaker 2:The Bible says. So like it's just this, turning my heart and soul to him and listening from within for the spirit to speak, and I just think of it as like he's constantly. I'm like constantly on the line with him, like like a phone call that never ends. And it's okay If I'm like doing the dishes in the background, or it's okay if I'm walking the dog or if I'm changing the diapers, but he's, he's there, he's with me in those moments and he wants to talk. Like he wants, like the Bible says, he bends down to hear the prayers and so he wants to hear what I have to say, even if it's like ew, this diaper. Or even if it's like I'm going to kill this teenager if they do not figure out their math. Whatever it is, he wants to hear not just my requests and yes, my Thanksgiving, but also my emotions and my frustrations, my highs, my lows, just what I'm feeling and just like any friend, it's not a list of things, but it's a connection that can occur and that's the intimacy that we really have through the person of the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:And I used to think the best time to be alive on the planet was like when Jesus was here and that we could just like go to Galilee and we could walk the hills and see him feed the 5,000. I was like that would be amazing, but I realized Jesus is telling us that it's better for us that he went away, that he ascended into heaven, because it because he did that he gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit is our teacher, he is our reminder, he reminds us of everything Jesus taught us. He's our comforter, our counselor, our advocate.
Speaker 2:And if we didn't have the Holy Spirit, we would have to travel to Israel and stand in line like longer than Disneyland lines and wait our turn and have one conversation and we'd probably forget something. So we'd have to get back in the line and our whole life would be waiting. But with the Holy Spirit, it's that instant access that the Father and Jesus the Son knew we needed, and we can have it simultaneously around the planet, all of us at the same time, benefiting from the intimacy with the Holy Spirit. And it's really sad to me that so many people Christians aren't ever taught and they don't ever have the privilege of learning these things, and so it becomes creepy and mysterious and they do not connect with the Holy Spirit, and that breaks my heart more than anything as a pastor.
Speaker 1:Yes, I absolutely agree. I mean, when I think about, when you don't have an understanding and connection with the Holy Spirit, you're missing a part of the Trinity, Like you said, like the Trinity is co-equal, co-eternal with God, Father, God, the Son and Holy Spirit. And so when I think about Holy Spirit, right, I think about, like God's presence and power, like guiding us, empowering us, the Holy Spirit transforming our lives by those moments of wisdom and discernment. And you know, Holy Spirit, our helper, right, the Holy Spirit, I always say, like you, are the one that gives me the conviction that I need right.
Speaker 1:Right, don't do that, don't say that, yes, you know even the conviction process, and it actually grieves me to know and meet individuals that are like hey, I'm connected with God, I'm connected with Christ. Um, but because of, like, we talked about the myths or the misconceived perceptions of what the Holy spirit or who the Holy spirit is Right. Um, and I say what? Because of what do we go to the Holy spirit for? Right? When do we encounter the Holy Spirit? I think those are the myths that have led to people missing out on one of the amazing persons held within the Trinity.
Speaker 2:Facts and what. So I think it's in those low points of life where the Holy Spirit can really become meaningful in the life of a believer. I know for me that's where my relationship with Holy Spirit really grew and that's what I try to teach our sons. So recently one of our boys had to have surgery and it was a day surgery and it wasn't going to be this huge big deal. But he's a kid and so he was terrified and he's like mom, come with me. And I was like baby, I can't go with you through these doors into the surgical suite, I can't do it, it's not allowed. I was like but there is someone that you can take and no one can stop you, and that is the person of the Holy Spirit. Like Holy Spirit will go with you into the surgical room, into the funeral home, into the courtroom, into the dark alley and the bad, scary situation, and Holy Spirit will walk with you. Holy Spirit will comfort you, he will counsel and guide you, he will lead you into all truth, and there's no person, no government, no power that can stop Holy Spirit from having that access in your life. And so when you go through those things and Jesus told us that everyone in this world. You will have trials, you will have tribulation, but take heart, I've overcome the world. We know we're going to go through dark alleys and courtrooms and hospital rooms and we're going to lay in empty beds with missing spouses at different points. It's going to happen and the Holy Spirit is the only reason that I've come out of those places with my sanity and my personhood intact, because he reminded me of the truths that I could keep going. He counseled me, comforted me. He did those things and that's something that I need for myself and it's something I want my children to have and it's something I really want to make accessible, that truth, for every Christ follower, because I think Holy Spirit's what makes Christianity fun. It's what changes it from a bunch of religion and rules and a book to this vibrant, alive, connective process.
Speaker 2:And when the Holy Spirit's present, he does, he speaks, he challenges us, he gives us little assignments like go pray with that person or go give money to that person you wouldn't normally give money to or you are't normally give money to, or you are going to volunteer with this teacher in this kid's classroom, because I'm calling you and you're going to minister to that teacher and so suck it up. But Holy Spirit gives those little challenges and then you get to start to see God's work unfolding in the world and that's so exciting to be in the know. Like he told you to do it, you did it. You saw his work unfolding and it's like wow, I'm a part of something so much bigger than myself.
Speaker 2:Without the Holy Spirit, I don't know how you get to those cool moments and I don't know how you get to see God's ministry unfolding. And so my heart breaks for those people because they're doing all the hard work of following Christ and reading the scriptures and many Christ followers that don't have the Holy Spirit active in their life. They study the word and they know it inside and out and that's awesome, but I have the Holy Spirit reminding me of what's in the word. So it's not all up to me and my brain, but it's up to what the Spirit's work in me is, and I think it's like the hard part of being a Christian without it's like all the hard parts without all the good parts. If you try to just gut it out like just Jesus and the Father is all I need. It's like man. I need the Holy Spirit. Yes, I'm sorry, I got to have the Holy Spirit. Let's take a quick break.
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Speaker 1:Yes, you know, as you were talking, I just thought about John and I'm going to actually read this passage from the book of John, chapter 14. And I'm going to kind of go a little bit. I want to go 16 through 20, right, and I'm reading the message. So for our listeners it's John 14, 16 through 20, right, and it says If you love me, show it by doing what I've told you.
Speaker 1:I will talk to the father and he'll provide you another friend, so that you will always have someone with you. This friend is the spirit of truth. The godless world can take him in, because it doesn't have eyes to see him, doesn't know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you and will even be in you. I will not leave you orphaned. I'm coming back in just a little while. The world will no longer see me, but you're going to see me because I'm alive and you're about to come alive. At that moment, you will know absolutely that I'm in my father, you're in me and I'm in you. And so I mean, first of all, that context had so much to it.
Speaker 1:but the very first thing is I'm like your friend, your friend and I think that's the part that I agree when, when believers do not understand, like you have a friend and it's the Holy Spirit and he has been provided to you, he is a gift to us, right, that we can, like you said, take with us always.
Speaker 1:And the spirit of truth.
Speaker 1:How many times do we say like I'm trying to figure out what's real, I'm trying to figure out what's authentic, I'm trying to figure out what was truth in this circumstance.
Speaker 1:Well, that's who we go to, right, that's who we go to to understand the truth. I think, even, as you said, for the word to come alive to us, because we know that the word is a living word, right, it's the Christ, is the word. And so, in the understanding of it, to see it alive, it's through the truth, it's through the Holy Spirit giving us a discernment, teaching the word to us, right. And then you know, the other part I love about that context is how he says you're about to come alive and you're going to come alive because of the Holy Spirit, right, and so you know, I sometimes can push the button with some of my words, but this is what it makes me think If I'm a believer and I'm not connected to the Holy Spirit, am I alive for him? Because I'm missing out on the very helper and the very one who's, like you said, is giving me the guidance and direction that makes this walk so exciting.
Speaker 2:Yes, Right and you know, I don't know if the it seems to me that the soul of every believer has to be alive, but maybe the walk is what's dead. Like the walking it out, it becomes more religious and arduous and that's maybe what lacks the life. But there's something. Clearly we recognize that there's something wrong and I think my heart and I know, nicole, I think I would speak for you when I say this as well isn't to harp or to judge those who are in that position, but as pastors, we're sorry that no one taught you, we're sorry that the teaching wasn't there for you, that we didn't make the Holy Spirit more accessible in your growing up in Christ and your maturing. Just as pastors everywhere, I think we should do a better job of saying it's, he's not creepy, he's right there and here's how you begin to connect with him. And so if you just didn't have that teaching and you're hearing this and you're going, well, I lack that. I remember how that felt and the very first time someone was like hey, you can have the Holy spirit and you have. I mean, when you get saved, you have the Father, the Son and the Spirit at some level. But there's that second experience that is talked about in the book of Acts, that where you can ask the Holy Spirit to fill you or baptize you to overflowing. And I think a lot of believers don't know that second experience is available, but we find it in scripture over and over again in the book of Acts and when it comes he brings the Holy Spirit. When he comes to you, he brings you that fullness of life that we've been talking about and it's a game changer.
Speaker 2:But let's be real, sometimes in the church it gets weird. So my very first experience with the Holy Spirit I was at youth camp and they taught about him is the first time I really remember hearing anything about him and they're like if you want to receive the Holy Spirit, come down and let someone pray with you to receive the Holy Spirit. And really listener, if you haven't had that chance yet, find someone that you know is filled or baptized in the Holy Spirit and ask them to pray with you to receive the Holy Spirit. So I, like 15, 16 years old, I go running down to the altar to be prayed with and this sweet older lady, she laid her hands on me and began to pray that I would receive the Holy Spirit, and I think she was loved the Lord but was just misdirected. And so when I didn't immediately receive the Holy Spirit in the way that she thought, she like straight up grabbed my ears and began to pull on them and kind of shake me and luckily I know my youth pastor saw it and he came running, intervened and taught me the right things.
Speaker 2:But I go back to that moment in my mind and I say, man, thank you Lord that I did not shun the Holy Spirit because of one awkward Christian or one misguided Christian or one weird experience experience. And I just want to say to all the Christians out there that maybe are fearful of like trying to connect with the Holy Spirit because of one experience or one weird person the Holy Spirit's not weird. People are weird and sometimes people make him come off weird, but he's not the one who's weird. And so don't allow the enemy to cause one weird church experience or one weird conversation about the Holy Spirit to freak you out and make you go. Ah, I gotta, I can't go there again because it's worth overcoming that weirdness.
Speaker 2:I don't I don't know if you're this is kind of random but like, imagine that you're like dating somebody or like getting to know them. And in that um, in the middle of that getting to know them process, they say something like I love cats and you're not a cat person, and so you immediately are like, oh, I don't want to be, I don't want to continue this. But what they were trying to say is I like cats to be far away from me. But you didn't hear the whole context and so you reject that person. Maybe they were the love of your life, and I use that to kind of go all right.
Speaker 2:So many people have heard a little bit about the Holy Spirit but they haven't heard the whole picture and they reject the Holy Spirit, assuming it's weird or creepy or not for them, and they decide they don't want to have that experience. So they push it away. But really, if they would just come back to the word and get good teaching on Holy Spirit, they would realize he's the love of their life, he's everything they've been looking for. But people kind of can taint it or make it a little bit weird and we as believers we have to be mature enough to push through that weird and choose to encounter him for who he really is.
Speaker 1:Right, absolutely, and very true point. And, arne, I mean couldn't have said it best. If you are listening and you are a believer and, like I, have not connected with the Holy Spirit, I have not had someone pray for me or the Holy Spirit, I have shunned away from it. You know, we always say this at Grace Field Community like this is what grace is right, it is giving you truth, because we want better for you and we fully recognize that past experience have shaped how you see something today, and so we're helping you create a new experience in it right. And so in that you know, I I also consider Holy Spirit when it's been misused or abused, right, when his name has been misused or abused, you know, I think about circumstances where being in the church, right, and it's like, well, the Holy Spirit told me that you need to do this and I'm like I don't know if that's you know, but then you put a name to it, you put the Holy Spirit to it, and we have some listeners that maybe you have connected with the Holy Spirit but maybe you've experienced some hurt by some abuse that has happened in it, right. Or you know there is this concept too of the Holy Spirit can give us a direction and it may not be the direction that our humanity wanted to sit in. You know, I think about often, like there's been times where it's like, okay, you know, the Holy Spirit told me to maybe take this job, and then I get into that job and I'm like this is the worst, like this is so hard and this is so tough and what I was doing before was easy, but he placed me into an uncomfortable. But in that uncomfortability is where I grew, right. But I could. I have two choices I could stop in that uncomfortable space and be like I must have missed the Holy spirit, I'm out, or I could sit in it and grow in it, to what he had for me.
Speaker 1:And so I think those are two scenarios where we also see it become a barrier to someone connected with the Holy Spirit of either maybe there's been some abuse where someone has used his name inappropriately, right, or or or the aspect of, hey, you listen to the Holy Spirit and maybe things didn't go the way you wanted it to go. So you, you were like this can't be it, right. Oh yeah, I think, even as a parent, right. I mean, we have aspects where I have three kids. I remember when they were younger it would be like, well, so-and-so said that. You said I'm like, when did I say that? Like, did I say that? But as a they knew, well, if I say mom said or dad said, then they're going to do it. And so sometimes that happens because we are human and we have this humanity concept within us right.
Speaker 1:And so sometimes there are individuals that have abused that. So I would you probably are going to answer what I was about to ask, but please go ahead.
Speaker 2:Yes, I would. I would. You probably are going to answer what I was about to ask, but please go ahead. Yes, so I I think it's so great that you're pointing this out, because I think a lot of people in the church have been hurt by exactly what you just said. There are abuses of the Holy Spirit's authority and voice and we need to be really authentic about that, because it's causing people to be wounded, it's causing people to leave the church and it's causing people to reject the Holy Spirit.
Speaker 2:And I think you have to do a couple of things, and in my book I have like a whole chapter about exactly what to do, how to know if it is the Holy Spirit speaking. So one of the things that I come back to, of course, is the person must be professing Christ as Lord. The Holy Spirit is not going to speak through someone who doesn't profess Christ so that's the obvious one but not just profess him by name, but is submitted to his lordship. No one can say Jesus is Lord, meaning he's the boss, he's the leader. So if the person giving you a word isn't under Christ's Lordship and following Christ's authority in their own lives, I would not heed that word. The next thing is he's never going to give a spoken word to a believer or to ourselves directly. That contradicts his written word. So his written word is without pollution. It doesn't have that humanity factor that you were talking about, Nicole. It's not air. There's no air in it. Where a prophetic word that we receive from the Holy Spirit, we can get a little bit of flesh, a little bit of personal agenda in that. And so the spoken word to our spirit must align with the written word every time. You should be able to find a couple verses even to support the premise, two to three verses to support the premise of what's happening. Now, obviously he's not going to say, if he says, take this job, it's not going to say, chapter and verse, take this job at. You know, Reynolds Polymer, it's gonna. But there's going to be spiritual principles that you should be able to find in the word to align.
Speaker 2:The third thing I see is that a true prophetic word from the Holy Spirit should be accompanied with the Spirit's peace. So there should be I'm doing this with my hands, if you could see me, because it's like you feel this peace in your soul. Where the Holy Spirit dwells down within you, you sense a peace. And even if the word is corrective, or even if the word is uncomfortable, like you talked about, you're like I can sit in this discomfort because of the Holy Spirit's peace. That is passing my understanding and so I can stick with it. And when it's not the Holy Spirit, it's accompanied with like a friction, like something about it. It's angsty. You're angsty in that moment and the Holy Spirit is saying no, that's not the direction the Holy Spirit's providing. That nails on chalkboard kind of feeling in your soul where you're like, ooh, I reject that chalkboard. Kind of feeling in your soul but you're like, Ooh, I reject that.
Speaker 2:And I think when it's really important, when we're bringing words to consider those things, and it's also important to when we're the one giving the word, to not borrow the Holy Spirit's authority unless we're completely confident, so many times I will say I think the Holy Spirit might be saying X, Y, Z. Instead of the Holy Spirit says to you X, Y and Z, because every other believer, they need to have permission to evaluate. And over and over it says in the epistles to like evaluate. And over and over it says in the epistles to like take, to take the word in and to consider it. And so when, when I speak a prophetic word from the Holy Spirit to a fellow believer, I always I want them to compare it to scripture. I want them to compare it to the Spirit's leading of peace. I want them to feel for that conviction, I want them to evaluate the fruit of my life and see if I'm submitted to his Lordship. And so I try to.
Speaker 2:I try not to overstate and say thus sayeth the Lord, or the Holy Spirit said, but give the implication, Like I think, that I'm hearing this from the Holy Spirit, and I really want you to consider what the spirit is saying. And here's what it is Because we can, we can abuse people like it's happened, it's happened to me, it's happened around me, and that's part of what can make the Holy Spirit come off as weird to Christians. Because we can, people can feel that word didn't land right, it wasn't authentic, and so then, therefore, they repel the spirit rather than recognizing. No, that's one person in one funky situation where they ate a burrito and it's not sitting. Well, push that one thing away, but let's not push away the Holy Spirit. And I think it's really important to slow down and to consider those things.
Speaker 1:Right, absolutely, those are some amazing tips. I'm so excited for your book. Can't wait to have it be released and tap into it. Truly, I'm excited to order it.
Speaker 1:You know, one thing that you said really brings up something that was given to me in my young stages of walking with the Lord was in when I received the prophetic word. It should be a confirmation of something that was already like sitting in my spirit or something he's already spoken to me, right, and so I hold that to be very true. When I compare the times that I've had prophetic words and throughout this walk, I've had many, and I actually have a Google Doc where, a few years ago, we were selected as presbytery candidates within our church, and so that's when kind of you have some prophetic leaders and they come and they speak into you and they pray for weeks and you know, listen to the Holy Spirit for guidance for these words, and so at that time, when I was preparing for and they let you know like, hey, you've been chosen, so you take time to also like, we fasted and we prepared our heart to receive and so forth, and one of the things that the Holy Spirit told me to do was to go back to all my prophetic words and type them out. And I remember thinking like man, I started getting prophetic words. I was like eight or nine, like how am I going to? You know, go back and remember these things? And I have some Bibles. I mean, if you're watching or it's on that side, like my Bible. People are like I've had people give me Bible covers because my leather is like falling off, like I walk. You see a trail of where I've been walking right, yes, uh, it's, but it's my favorite bible, like that's my one.
Speaker 1:But you know, I I started typing out these prophetic words and in it it was like you can see, like confirmation after confirmation, after confirmation, and then I started seeing where, oh, and I'm looking at him like oh, lord, you did, you did this, or, lord, you confirmed this, or, and I seen it happen over time. And so now I'm sitting with like 20 plus years of this google doc of prophetic words and when I look back, absolutely every time a word was given, it was a confirmation of something that I truly had already received, something that I have already received, whether from his word, and let me say, when it was a correct prophetic word, right, something that I received from his word or something that he had spoken to me that truly I probably was wrestling with and needed that confirmation of that additional form of like. This is what I have for you, right, because sometimes we can have a peace, and a peace by the word, not a peace in the uncomfortability about where we need to go with it. Right, and I don't know about the listeners and I don't know about you, but I'll talk about myself. I have been there where I am, gideon, and I'm like well, lord, show me another side. Well, lord, give me another side. Right, and he's like I'm sure he's probably like child If you would just do it.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Right, it's so true.
Speaker 1:Yes, but I think even in that that's his sweet sovereignty to us, where, where God has given me prophetic words, it's like confirming the very thing that I'm wrestling, not because I don't have peace about it, but because it is moving into something that maybe I'm uncomfortable with in my humanity, and so I absolutely love the points you give. In that peace, one is huge.
Speaker 2:I think it is. And another thing I would kind of add is so say that you're married and you receive a prophetic word. It should also resonate with your spouse. If you're tied in at your local church, which hopefully you guys all are, there should be someone, a pastor or someone that you can also share that prophetic word with, and it should also resonate with people who know you well and there should be, like this multitude of believers. That's like yes, this makes sense and like a groundswell because the Spirit's in all of us as Christ followers and so we should all. It should the Spirit.
Speaker 2:When I hear a good prophetic word for someone I know, the Holy Spirit within me leaps, almost like what's described in Luke 1, where Elizabeth and Mary encounter in the child. You feel that leaping inside you from the spirit to kind of confirm it for another believer, and so you don't want to go around and take a poll it's not a voting situation but trusted, small, close, intimate spouse, pastor, small group leader, someone really, really tight and say this is what the prophetic word was. My husband and I are in unity with this. Does this seem scripturally accurate to you? Especially if you're a younger believer, that can be a really helpful, a really helpful step and kind of.
Speaker 2:While we're talking about peace, I'd love to throw this in I think that when we feel the peace of the Holy Spirit, it's like one of those really great soft baby blankets that we get when we have babies, and like the silkiness and you can, the spirit is just like. It just kind of touches your soul the same way that soft baby blanket would touch your face. But when the Holy Spirit's trying to bring conviction, that feels like sandpaper. And so when he's like no, no, no, no, no, and that's like a frictiony feeling that you get, and that's from the Holy Spirit too, and you can have peace even though it's corrective. And you can have peace even when though it's corrective, and you can have peace even when it's sandpapery conviction, because the peace is letting you know this is what I'm doing and it's not.
Speaker 2:This is what I'm saying. It's not right, don't do it but you feel a peace, even as you feel a little bit roughed up. And so it's really important to begin to like recognize the Holy Spirit speaks to our spirit, which is made up of our mind, our will and our emotions, and so our emotions are going to encounter Holy Spirit. We don't want to run away with our emotions, but we can include those in the decision-making process to recognize that it is the Holy Spirit speaking to us.
Speaker 1:Yes, absolutely I love that analogy the baby blanket and the sandpaper. Yes, absolutely I love that analogy the baby blanket and the sandpaper.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I put that on my TikTok last week and people were like yes oh, that is a it just makes sense you can feel, you know what it feels like and if you've never felt the Holy Spirit in those ways, maybe you have, but you didn't know what you were feeling for and so hopefully that kind of helps people recognize. Oh, I have felt that, I just didn't know it was Holy Spirit.
Speaker 1:Right, and I think you know, earlier in this episode you talked about how your son was having a conversation with Holy Spirit. He's like Holy Spirit is telling me jokes and they were jokes that were funny to him, Right, yeah, and I think even in that aspect, like the way the Holy Spirit has to speak to me is the way that I need to receive it and and I recognize you guys part of my daily thing with the Lord is that's right, You're in control and not me, right? As much as a planner I am a you know, person that runs multiple businesses, is used to being in the leadership and the control side of stuff. Like, when the Holy Spirit speaks to me, he has to speak to me one way.
Speaker 1:It has to be pretty much direct and I probably get that sandpaper quite often side of things, right, yeah. And so it's also important to understand how do you receive even you know how do you receive love? How do you receive correction? Because the Holy Spirit knows those intimate things about you and that's how he comes to you. He will come to me differently than he will come to pastor JL, that he will come to my husband, that he will come to a child, Like he comes to me in the ways that I will receive him.
Speaker 2:Yes, and that that makes sense. Sometimes people get freaked out by stuff like that because they're like well, are you saying the Holy spirit is changing, but you're not. But it. We all have a different like. I have a different relationship, a different way of talking and communicating with my husband than I do my children. I talk differently to my boss than I do my bestie.
Speaker 2:It's the same. It's still me, it's still authentic to me, but I interact in those different relationships differently because of who they are and and our relational connection. And Holy spirit is smarter than I am. So he's obviously going to interact with me differently than my 13 year old teenage boy. He's obviously going to talk differently to my grandmother, who's so frail and gentle, so differently than my 13 year old teenage boy. He's obviously going to talk differently to my grandmother, who's so frail and gentle, so differently than my rough and tough business owner husband. And so, like all of these, just like I do, holy Spirit does too. He knows the language, the emotion, he knows what's going to convince us. He, he, he, he knit us together in our mother's womb Right. So, even better than we know ourselves the thing that we're looking for, Right?
Speaker 1:So, yeah, you know, I think very much so too, like as a parent. You know, I have three kids, like I said, teenagers all around the same age, and it's incredible how the very same goal that I have to talk to each of them I cannot talk to my daughter the same way I would talk to my oldest son. Like you know, I can't. She's gonna be like why do you hate me?
Speaker 1:Like you know, my oldest son is like can you just give it to me direct? I don't want the fluff, Just tell me what it is. I'm like, oh, okay.
Speaker 2:You know, I feel like my one son is like a fragile piece of China and my other son is Tupperware and if I don't like beat that truth, he doesn't even feel it. I'm like smacking it around where my other son would fracture to a million pieces and Holy spirit knows that about all of us. I love that.
Speaker 1:Exactly, I know, I joke all the time. One one of mine. When they were younger, like I, you would just start saying words and they would be like I'm so sorry. I'm like, oh, I can't even discipline you now I feel bad, like you know so true yes.
Speaker 1:Well, oh, my goodness, Uh, I I have loved our time together. Um, I truly look forward to more intentionality with just getting to know you more. I'm so grateful for you joining us on a podcast today. Please tell our listeners we will have links in the show notes, but please just tell them how can they stay connected with you.
Speaker 2:Okay. Well, if you're looking for the book that we've been talking about, plugged In A Holy Spirit Connection for All of Us, that's kind of my life goal. How do I help Jesus and God be accessible to every believer Plain language teaching. It's available on Amazon. And then my other book we didn't get into this too much, but this one's called the Throne Room how to Pray Powerful Prayers also on Amazon. That's probably the easiest way.
Speaker 2:And then my third book is coming out, probably within the month. It's in the final stages of editing. It'll be available on Amazon and it's going to be called canceled and it's I. I'm so excited about this, probably because I'm writing it right now, but it's all about, um, how Jesus doesn't cancel people, he cancels conditions. So he finds the woman within the issue of blood and he doesn't just cancel her, he heals her, but then he connects with her and he draws her in. And Jesus doesn't cancel me when he finds me in my sin, but he cancels my sin. He doesn't cancel me when I'm in shame, but he cancels my shame. He cancels my brokenness. He cancels my loneliness. And how does he cancel those broken conditions in me while still keeping and embracing me? That's the whole third book. Super excited It'll be on Amazon.
Speaker 2:I'm on TikTok JLDolan is my handle, facebook, instagram, all the things I post my teachings up there and then I speak and travel. So you can find my website at JLDolancom. And, yeah, I just speak at women's events or churches or retreats, youth camps, all kinds of youth stuff. So, yeah, whatever, I just love ministering to the body of Christ and I love to be a blessing, so hopefully I was to you all today.
Speaker 1:Yes, I love it. Well, I know you were to me and so again, I'm so grateful for our conversation. I immediately I'm like I would love to do a women's conference with you, Like we need to be in the same spaces, let's do this.
Speaker 2:Yes, let's do it, that'd be, so fun.
Speaker 1:Yes, all right. Well, gracefield community as always, we thank you for tuning in, thanks for listening in. Stay tuned for some of our wonderful sponsors. Yet, please remember, if you are seeking community, we were not created to do this life alone, and so we encourage you to email us at girl at gracefieldcommunitycom. There are no strings attached. We're not asking you for money, we are not asking for you to do anything crazy, but what we are asking is that you raise a hand and say hey, I need community so that we can support you in this lovely walk that we get to have with our Lord and Savior, christ. Jesus Be blessed. And to today's episode of Graceville Community Podcast. We would like to invite you to visit gracefieldcommunitycom.
Speaker 1:Gracefield Community is all about doing church the way Church of Acts did, using five main principles that we see in the Book of Acts Sharing resources, as believers pool their possessions and resources to support those in need, as we see in Acts 2.44. Through hospitality the early Christians practiced hospitality by opening their homes to others, as we see in Acts 2 and 46. By financial aid the church in Antioch sent financial aid to believers in Judea during a time of famine, as described in Acts 11 and 29. Prayer and encouragement they supported each other through prayer and encouragement, as we see in Acts 4 and 24. And finally, spiritual guidance the apostles and elders provided spiritual guidance and teaching to help strengthen and build the community, as we see in Acts 1530. I would like to encourage you. If any of those areas are areas in which you are in need or can contribute, please reach out to Graceville Community or can contribute. Please reach out to Graceville Community. We are working together across the world with ministries and individuals alike to help bring back the Church of Acts.
