How far can we push the Holy Spirit?

I have a class here at Simpson University that is called Spiritual Formation in the Church. We have been reading a book by Dallas Willard called Hearing God. The book at first I was very questionable about it but I am starting to like it, but back to the story. So our teacher has been talkin a lot about how he was at this conference and was praying for the people around him (which he and everyone else was told to do by the director) and that while praying to look for a symbol or picture, word, phrase that comes to mind. Then to ask the person that your praying with if that relates to anything. So I knew it was a matter of time before we did it in class, and today was the day.

So to show us how it was done, the teacher did a demo run with another student, and came up with some picture in his head and saw if it meant anything to the student and it didnt. So he tells us to go ahead and try it out. So I prayed for some sort of something to come to me for the guy i was praying for.... and I got nothing.

First of all maybe I just wasnt ready to have a symbol come to me for this guy I was praying for, but I really saw this as a time of really trying to push the Holy Spirit into doing something for me when Im pretty much demanding it. I mean i have never done this b4 and im pretty sceptical right then, but how can a class of 25 of us, all the sudden recieve these items in our minds for other people right away. I mean yes i think it really could have happened and i know God could do that.

It felt like that whatever people were saying were so broad that it could have worked in almost everyones life. But I cant say that it wasnt God showing them those things. Maybe its just me whos not in the right state of mind, but I really thought that why do we think that if we pray to see something, God's going to show us something, maybe thats me just thinkin wrong. But then why isnt this taught as soon as im in the church.

Overall I thought that we were really almost fortune telling, or possibly it could have been the same as the pet doctor that was on tv who could talk to their animals, anything is possible if i know any context.

But who is it me to say that God didnt show those others items, I think that would be awsome.
It just right now in my walk with Him bothers me.