Help! Who Should I Learn From??
Supernatural Mentoring with Dionne White
Sometimes it can get frustrating, confusing and overwhelming with the “buffet” of opinions and options available to us in the body of Christ for supernatural and spiritual mentoring. It has posed a problem for those seeking mentoring to discern what is real and authentic and what is not, including having to navigate “spiritual mixture.” I have a passion to see purity and integrity return to every stream of God's ministry in the earth. As a prophet, minister and mentor of the Lord it is my heart to help others be free, equipped and to grow in their spiritual gifts and the ways of the Spirit, as well as to help guide them on their journey with wisdom and sound counsel in purity.
One of the situations I have faced and observed often in this world of spiritual mentoring and consulting is that people are “eating from so many different spiritual buffets”. When you come to me for mentoring or consulting I am going to teach and mentor you from “my resource vault” and from the gifts that I operate in. I can assure you that it will be grounded in the word and heart of God. In some instances in the past I have had to spend time reeducating people on some things that may not be exactly biblical or 100% in line with the heart of God because they are gleaning and eating from a different source or buffet, so to speak. Sometimes it may not be entirely wrong, but is it for them and is it for today?
So, who do we learn from? How do we find wise, mature and trusted spiritual mentors?
How do we discern what “spiritual buffet” we should eat from?
Let me give you an example of my own journey. Many many years ago I was happy operating as a “hidden one” and primarily serving the body of Christ in prayer and intercession. I did this for at least 2 decades. Then when God was calling me into a greater realm of freedom and stepping into my prophetic gift and office I desired to learn from others in the same realm. But I was not surrounded by anyone that could technically mentor me in this new level of spiritual maturity. The prophetic seemed to have become "tabu" and almost obsolete in most local churches. My hunger grew by the day for a mentor to help develop me. Let’s be honest, there have not been enough Father’s and Mother’s to raise up the current generation of remnant ministers, prophets, evangelists, teachers, pastors, etc. Unless you spend a lot of money and time at a supernatural school, or university. Not everyone can do that. Even then, will you receive what you longed for as a mentee? I was a wife and mother raising two children at this time of preparation so it made it even a little more difficult.
I was invited to join a local ladies Bible study with primarily "older sister" and spiritual mother figures. I went to this group for years building relationships and gleaning from the word of God and wisdom around the table. We studied, prayed and loved on each other.
I'm a firm believer in those who seek to pray together grow together in the things of God and God takes notice!
It says in Malachi 3:16
"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, And the LORD listened and heard them; So a book of remembrance was written before Him For those who fear the LORD And who meditate on His name."
Time came and that season with that group was over. I was moving on seeking greater mentoring for a deeper walk as a prophetic person.
So, the question arose, “WHO should I learn from?” I wasn’t sure where to begin and in the church and denomination I was a part of there was no one, especially in the realm of the prophetic. Matter of fact when I approached the Pastor we were under at the time to support me and refer me to go back to Bible college seeking an exhorters license he flat out refused. He didn't just refuse, he told me I was not called to full time ministry. We sought to understand his perspectives and beliefs but unfortunately did not see eye to eye on this. He even asked my husband in my presence if he believed I was called to full time ministry. My husband responded with a strong conviction, "Yes!" (And he continues to support me to this day.)
At that time in the church we attended the prophetic and many of the charismatic graces besides tongues had pretty much become nonexistent. They were highly policed or shut down all together. Even tongues became more and more less in operation.
After ten years of attendance and service we exited that church and denomination.
I began to read and educate myself in the word of God in a greater way by the teaching of the Holy Spirit. My hunger to read and study the word grew. Then I began to seek the Holy Spirit and asked Him to lead me to who He wanted me to learn from. He first said that I needed to identify what my personal spiritual gifts were and how I was designed to operate. Then he said to find a person(s) who operated in the same realm and see who I was most drawn to. I knew that my strongest spiritual gifts from all 3 categories were exhortation, leadership, prophet, word of knowledge, discerning of spirits and prophecy. (See Romans 12:6-8, Ephesians 4:11-13, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 These will explain Gifts from the Father, Gifts from the Son, and Gifts from the Holy Spirit.)
In addition to my spiritual gifts, it was important to know exactly how I operated in those gifts. You might be saying, “what do you mean how?” It comes down to how you connect and hear from God. My prophetic (seeing) gift and other supernatural gifts operated primarily through sight, feeling, and knowing — in the spirit and in the natural. Therefore, it confirmed my operation as a Seer and Discerner/Feeler. So next I was to find WHO was gifted the same. The Holy Spirit was faithful to lead me to other “Generals” in the faith that were gifted the same and I proceeded to read their materials and watch teaching videos, including reading the biblical accounts that pertained to my patterns and interests of calling. I got out my bible college books from 1998 and began to dive back in to that material as well. I gave myself to being a student of the Holy Spirit and these “long distance” mentors of whom I had never met and would possibly never meet. I relied on the Holy Spirit to train me up through my application of study, prayer, and experience. I kept seeking and aligning my life and path with those who were gifted and operating the same as me. I follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
It was evident I was on the right track because in that coming of maturity season I began to face demonic resistance with the spirit of Jezebel and the spirit of religion. It was unfortunately right within the church I served, and I would continue to face Jezebel as I grew stronger in my prophetic gifts and calling. That was my sign that I was on the right track and the enemy was present within many houses and ministers I encountered.
In this remaining portion of this article I am going to give you some basic questions to ask the Holy Spirit and ask yourself as you seek to grow in your gifts and calling.
Our patterns of interests and even natural inherent strengths and skills, coupled with our spiritual gifts point to our purpose and calling in Christ for the Kingdom of God. I feel it is important to ask Holy Spirit and ourselves the following questions.
5 Questions to Help You in Seeking a Spiritual Mentor.
1. In addition to the Holy Spirit, our first Teacher, WHO does He want us to learn from. Then ask yourself, Am I drawn to them? What "stream" or "camp" of the kingdom are they in? Does it align with what you believe and bear witness with you?
2. Who's DNA do we want deposited in us as we continue to learn and grow in our gifts and callings? As new creations we have the spiritual DNA of Christ, but this is in regard to mentors, teachers, or spiritual parents. This can be looked at as sort of a passing of a mantle, or imparting of the anointing for a calling like Elijah and Elisha.
3. Who has the DNA MOST LIKE JESUS in this realm of ministry? It can be several, but they should complement not contradict one another. This is a very important question because it incorporates character and nature as well as gifting.
4. Does that stream fit my personality that God designed and wired me with? Am I able to learn from their materials or mentoring courses easily without having to have a physical personal relationship with them?
Last but definitely not least.
5. What kind of fruit and character of Christ Jesus do they display and produce? Do they display the fruit of the Spirit. Do they give you life and encouragement? Or do they "lord" over you, suppressing you, tearing you down or make you feel less than like a "slave" or servant?
I think while we are seeking and applying ourselves to the learning we can ask Holy Spirit to bring us a mentor, teacher, or spiritual parent. I was blessed to be connected to a spiritual mentor that has been walking in the same giftings as me for at least 15 years longer and had more ministry experience than I at this point. She is someone I submitted to for accountability and growth in my prophetic and intercession gifts, as well as she became a prayer and intercession partner. I have grown and over the years we have sharpened each other. We now operate even more as partners in ministry at times. I am thankful God brought her into my life exactly when I needed it, but it only came because I followed the leading of the Holy Spirit along the way. I had already put in many years of personal application and study with the Holy Spirit by the time I met her. I feel it is important that we are diligent to apply ourselves to the leadership and teaching of the Holy Spirit UNTIL— until that person comes along!
My mentor Kim and I ended up meeting at a prophetic creatives event and had an immediate connection in the spirit. It was like we had known each other forever. It was easy to be with one another and it was always an uplifting and fruitful time together. So pay attention to how He leads you and where he leads you. You may find a spiritual mentor, teacher, or parent when you least expect it.
There is a plethora of material and people out there and the resource options are not slowing down. We must use discernment and wisdom. When it comes down to it we can glean from many but who specifically do we want to truly eat from to nourish and grow our gifts to equip ourselves with? There is a "buffet" of options out there, but it is important to identify which ones are MOST LIKE JESUS and WHICH ONE FITS YOUR OWN INDIVIDUAL PERSONALITY and GIFTINGS. Always look at the fruit or track record of the mentor or minister and allow Holy Spirit to lead you.
When praying for and seeking a wise and mature mentor or spiritual parent of sorts let's remember these words from James regarding the fruit of one's life and ministry.
James 3:17-18 NKJV
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. [18] Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.
Amen.
Dionne White
3/14/2023
To find out more about my mentoring and consulting sessions and services contact me through the contact form at the bottom of the home page on this website https://www.theartoffreedombook.com
SPIRITUAL GIFTS TEST RESOURCE
*Suggested resource to get you on your way to understanding and finding out your spiritual gifts visit the link below. I have seen and taken many of these tests. I have found that David Diga Hernandez does one of the best summary teachings and has created good tests to help people begin to identify their gifts.