What If I Have Spiritual Experiences as a Believer for Which I Can Not Clearly Identify a Similar Pattern or Experience in the Bible?
1) Direct Answer
If you can’t find a clear Scriptural witness, don’t act on it as from God and don’t teach it. Lay it aside until the Word confirms it. If any part adds to, alters, or contradicts Scripture, reject it outright.
2) Scriptural Explanation
- “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, there is no light in them” (Isaiah 8:20).
- “Quench not the Spirit… prove all things; hold fast that which is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:19–21).
- The Bereans “searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so” (Acts 17:11).
- “In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (2 Corinthians 13:1).
- The Spirit “will guide you into all truth… He shall glorify Me” (John 16:13–14).
- “God is not the author of confusion… let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge” (1 Corinthians 14:29, 33).
- Even an angel bringing “another gospel” is to be rejected (Galatians 1:8–9).
- Satan can appear as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14); so test by fruit (Matthew 7:16) and holiness (1 Peter 1:15–16).
3) Simple Clarifying Logic
- God never fights His own Word. The Spirit who wrote Scripture will not lead you beyond it or beside it.
- Personal details may be unique, but the pattern, doctrine, fruit, and order must match the Bible.
- If it truly comes from the Holy Spirit, it will:
- Agree with the written Word (Isaiah 8:20; 2 Timothy 3:16–17)
- Exalt Jesus Christ, not self (John 16:14)
- Produce holiness and the fruit of the Spirit, not bondage or confusion (Galatians 5:22–23; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Timothy 1:7)
- Stand with “two or three witnesses”—the Word, the inner witness of peace, and mature judgment in the Body (2 Corinthians 13:1; Colossians 3:15; 1 Corinthians 14:29)
- Practical steps:
- Pause and pray for wisdom (James 1:5).
- Search the Scriptures; don’t force a verse—wait for clear witness (Acts 17:11).
- Submit it to godly, proven elders for judgment (1 Corinthians 14:29).
- If uncertain, “put it on the shelf” and walk in what is plainly written.
4) Reinforcing Statement
Hold the Bible as your Absolute. If the experience cannot be anchored in clear Scriptural principle and produces no clean, holy fruit, leave it alone until God confirms it by His Word.
Ask a Follow-up Question
What did the Laodicean Church Age (our age) Angel (- messenger) Say about this?
Ranked passages from the local William Branham sermon and Church Age Book database. Relevance is relative, not a statement of doctrinal certainty.
Abraham
55-0624 §21
Now notice. Then God told that, that would be the next month then. And the next month it was with Sarah as it is with women, after it had ceased forty years. I want you to notice another little thing here. I know, my brethren, you're going to criticize this, but I want you just to be quiet for a moment, and look this over after you get home. Watch what God done to Abraham there, when He give him the promise. Now, we all know that something had to happen to Sarah. She was nearly a hundred years old. Now, when you re...
The Inter-veil
56-0121 §53
Oh, man, what's the matter with you? If you're a child of God, your spirit will say, "God's Word is right," and you'll live that kind of a life to back it up. And Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe." That's right. "In My name they shall cast out devils, and so forth, and heal the sick, and do things." Today, you say, "Them days of miracles is passed." Look where you're living. There you are. Don't take an intellectual. Take an experience with God. When your experience agrees with this Bible, an...
From that time
60-0716 §89
Now, I asked permission of the chairman and so forth to say this. I believe it was a vision, but if it was, I've never seen anything like it. I've seen visions since I was about three years old, maybe younger than that. And I've never seen anything like this, never had such an experience to happen to me. I'm reading a book, that the pastor here gave me, of someone else who had a similar experience. I read it, for it said Brother (What was that? Wigglesworth? Or...) Price... Brother Price had an experience something...
Questions and Answers, Part 3
64-0830M §110
Well, I'd imagine this dear person that asked this... You see? It's somebody that loves me, or they wouldn't write that. See? Now, I could not say that my... The Bible does not call my name William Branham, or call your name whoever it is, but we are in Him anyhow. And these ... And now, you see familiar places that refer to in the Bible, that says certain things. You see? Now, if you'll watch, history repeats itself in the Bible, see. Now, let's just give you a Scripture for one now. (I see many of you writing it...
Christ is the mystery of God revealed
63-0728 §237
Now didn't the Bible say over in the book of Revelation---Jesus said Himself, "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify of these things unto you. Whosoever shall take one word from it, or add one word to it..." And if all this heartache and sorrow had to come because a woman doubted one word of God, will He let you back doubting one word? He would be unjust. See, that wouldn't be right---condemned. Here's one man standing: he caused all this heartache because of one word doubted, then he goes ahead and takes years o...