A Life out of Balance

Last week, I was shocked to learn that I have been imbalanced my whole life!

A podiatrist examined my feet and explained that they are not naturally straight. My ankles turn inwards, resulting in pressure being placed on the wrong parts of my feet when I’m walking. This condition explains recent soreness in my feet and possibly, the lower back trouble I have had for many years.

I would never have known anything was out of order if I had not been forced, through pain, to seek help.

The Paradox

Similarly, when we are experiencing internal pain that does not have an obvious or immediate source, it may be a signal that something in our lives needs attending to.

I was faced with a situation like this a couple of years ago, when I withdrew from most of my ministry and vocational responsibilities, exhausted.

The paradox, I realised, was that my devotional life was a key to my recovery. I desperately needed to reconnect in an intimate relationship with God.

But how could I, when instead of being life-giving, my devotional life had become just another task to accomplish, that I couldn’t face?

My spiritual life had become seriously out of balance—and I did not know how to bring it back to health.

8 Signs Your Devotional Life may be Caught in a Performance Trap.

Our devotional life is meant to be life giving.

Prayer and Bible study should never be a Christian duty—something we do to please God. We are already pleasing to Him.

Neither should it be about serving or pleasing people.

It is possible to know this (as I did), and yet still revert to a lifestyle of performance when under pressure.

So—what are some signs that your devotional life may be caught in a performance trap? See if you can identify with any of these:

1. Stuck in a Rut

You are bored with prayer and Bible study, doing the same things over and over and not sure how to break out

2. Condemnation

When you miss a devotional time, once or ongoing, you feel a nagging sense of guilt or condemnation

3. Failing to Meet a Standard

You generally feel as though you do not measure up as a Christian in your devotional life

4. Wrong Focus

You are concentrating more on doing the devotional activity than on having an intimate relationship with God

5. Not Life-Giving

Your devotional life is not recharging you spiritually, emotionally and mentally

6. Not Hearing

You haven’t sensed God speaking to you personally in your devotions for a long time, or at least not very often

7. Ministry focused

Your focus in prayer and study is primarily on the need to pray for other people or find Bible teaching for a ministry responsibility.

8. Stopping Altogether

Your devotional life—in particular, a set time you spend time with God in prayer and in Bible reading or study—is irregular or non-existent. You are not drawn to, or excited about it.

If you can identify with any of the above symptoms, I have good news for you! You CAN rediscover a regular time of prayer and Bible study that is life giving and fosters your intimate relationship with God.

The Danger of Christian Performance

Christian ‘performance’ is when we feel a need to do something a certain way in order to feel good about ourselves or to gain approval from God or others.

It invariably shows up in our devotional life, affecting our relationship with God.

I realise that performance may not be an issue that you face personally, even if you do relate to some of the above symptoms. You may simply be busy, or bored.

So over the next couple of weeks, I will give you a list of some practical things you can do to refresh your devotional life.

However, it is probable that presence of the above signs—like fruit—is symptomatic of a deeper issue other than just busyness or boredom.

That deeper problem may be an internal drive to perform.

And when performance is the underlying problem, the worst thing we can do is to try and fix our problem through creating another to do list!

The Hidden Roots of the Orphan Mindset

Deep down, hidden under the soil of our lives are root systems—beliefs that we live by.

This need to perform comes from an orphan mindset. [1]

We have an orphan mindset when:

• We find it hard to believe that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally
• We are seeking approval of our Father God through performance—doing the right things
• We fear or believe that He is disapproving of us when we do not measure up to a standard

Often this kind of deep-seated belief is related to the absence of a loving earthly father or father figure in our lives.

The Truth That Sets Us Free

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can uncover the deep-rooted beliefs that have kept us from a love-relationship with God and replace them with the truth from the Bible.

Our Father loves us so much that He paid the highest price possible—the blood of His Son Jesus—to restore us to relationship with Him.

We can be certain of His love and His approval as sons and daughters—without doing anything to earn it.

‘God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Cor 5:21)

Recently I was listening to a message by Leif Hetland. [2] He reminds us that when Jesus went to the cross, God exchanged Jesus’ righteousness—His perfect ‘score’ with God—for our imperfect one.

Jesus replaced our D+ report card with His A+ one. Now that is good news!

Before we do anything, we already have an A+ on our report card—and that includes our devotional life.

Amazing grace!

If you sense that what I have shared today may be an issue for you, I encourage you to pause, reflect on this glorious truth and pray about it. [3]

Our whole life can be lived out of this joyful experience of freedom.

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Notes:
[1] I first came across teaching about the orphan spirit when reading Jack Frost’s material in 2002. Since then, this vital teaching has become widespread in the church, bringing healing to many.

See the notes in the following post, where I share the links to Jack Frost’s original articles on this subject:

No Longer An Orphan: How I Discovered The Father’s Love

[2] This is from Leif Hetland’s message entitled ‘The Three Chairs.’ You can view this resource here (I notice it can also be found searching iTunes podcasts):

http://www.globalmissionawareness.com/Store/Products/1000016726/Store/MP3s/Which_Chair_are.aspx

[3] I share a prayer to help break free from an orphan mindset here:

Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset

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Do you have any ideas or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a note in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog http://propheticpeople.com/

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Two years ago I experienced burnout. I can now reflect with gratitude on the things that I learned during and following that period—and the wonder of God’s grace as He has led me back to a place of health spiritually, emotionally and physically. [1]

One day during that time I remarked to someone that I was struggling in my devotional life. This was met with a shocked response—it seemed to be incomprehensible that as the prayer leader of our church, I could be having difficulties with Bible study and prayer!

What Is a Devotional Life?

Our devotional life is the substance of our personal relationship with God as a Christian. It includes communication with Him through conversation and other forms of prayer, as well as Bible reading and study.

A healthy devotional life both feeds and is drawn from an intimate love relationship with God.

Because our devotional life has to do with our personal times with the Bible and in prayer, it is easy to cover it up when it is not going well.

The Elephant in the Room

In church life, our devotional difficulties can become like the proverbial elephant in the room that everyone knows is there, but nobody wants to talk about.

This is frequently true of Christian leaders. When our lives become busy with ministry it can be easy to spend our devotional time preparing for ministry to others instead of relating personally to God.

Sometimes leaders find it difficult to openly encourage others’ devotional lives because they are struggling with their own.

Your Devotional Life—A Quick Diagnostic Tool

If you would like to grow in your devotional life or help others in this area, you might find the following categories helpful. Does one describe your devotional life right now?

A. ‘L-Plates’—Learner

**You are a new Christian and would like to learn how to begin a devotional life for the first time

**You may have been a Christian for a while but have not yet developed a devotional life

**You would like to study the Bible for yourself but are unsure where to begin or what study tools are available

**You have not yet developed a regular connection and prayer time with God.

B. Resuscitation

**Your devotional life, or some aspect of it is ‘dead in the water.’ You need rescuing!

**You have stopped having time for God; you may even have lost heart and given up on a devotional life altogether

**There may be external reasons in your world for your lack of a devotional life—stress relationally, vocationally, and educationally. Your world is spinning around and you feel powerless to stop it

**You may also be avoiding a devotional life due to a nagging sense of condemnation or you may feel displeasing to God.

C. Renewal

**You have some measure of activity in your devotional life

** You may be irregular or haphazard in your approach to devotions

**You may need help in one or more areas of prayer, worship, Bible reflection and Bible study

**You may be stuck in a rut, and feel your devotional life is not as good as it could be

D. Turbo Boost

**You have a regular devotional life that includes prayer and Bible study

**It may be starting to lose its shine and you could do with encouragement and a fresh boost

**You would like to know how to go to the next level in prayer or Bible study

** You could do with some more ideas and tools to help you. [2]

There is no right or wrong answer, only real and honest answers. Most of us have struggled with our devotional life seasonally if we have been Christians for any length of time.

Why is Your Devotional Life Important?

Your devotional life is vital because it connects you relationally to God. It is the place of conversation, where you learn to know Jesus not only as Saviour and Lord, but also as a Friend.

To assist you with some motivation, here are some more reasons why your devotional life is important:

1. Jesus demonstrated and talked about a devotional life with God

Prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life. Jesus also had an intimate knowledge of the Scriptures and understood how these related to His life and His personal journey. Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23; Luke 21:37, Luke 5:16

2. It is your primary source of spiritual nourishment and growth Psalm 1:1-3

3. It provides protection from sin and strengthens us in times of crisis and temptation Matt 26:40-41, Ps 119:11

4. It helps you with guidance, in your everyday life as well as with important long-term decisions John 10:27

5. A healthy devotional life results in fruitfulness (others around us benefit from our devotional lives) John 15:4, 7

6. It plugs you into God, your Source of power John 7:37-38

It is through your devotional life that you hear God personally speak to you about what he wants to do in and through you.

You also grow in wisdom and Christian maturity as you get to know more about God and his ways through the Bible.

We wouldn’t locate the water mains to our home and wind the supply right down to a trickle—but this is what we do with God’s power in our lives when we do not plug into Him with a healthy devotional life.

Next week I will look at how performance can kill our devotional life and what we can do when it has been reduced to a routine.

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Questions to Consider

1. Which position—L-Plates, Resuscitation, Renewal, or Turbo-Boost—do I most relate to?

2. What are some factors that have contributed to me being at this place?

3. Is there someone caring who I can talk to and pray with about this—and with whom I can be mutually accountable to grow in this vital area?

If you are a leader, consider providing a safe place for others to discuss where they are in relation to their devotional lives.

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Do you have any ideas or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a note in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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Notes

[1] I have shared some of my journey relating to burnout in the blog. The following post reviews some of the reasons behind it:

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/09/05/no-longer-an-orphan-how-i-discovered-the-fathers-love/

[2] Journaling can be a helpful tool to assist in renewing your devotional life. I share about two different types of journaling here:

Prayer Journaling:

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/01/29/activate-your-prophetic-gift-through-prayer-journaling/

SOAP Journaling:

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/02/04/when-your-devotional-life-is-dry-how-to-fall-in-love-with-the-bible-again/

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog http://propheticpeople.com/

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

God is not the author of natural disasters, and He is not a remote spectator—rather, He is a God of love who is present with us in our suffering.

 

This past week we watched in horrified disbelief as the first news reports of Japan’s earthquake and resulting tsunami flashed across our screens.

As New Zealanders, my family is still reeling from news of the devastating Christchurch earthquake.

Some of the questions I muse over as I write today are:

• Why are there natural disasters?
• Where is God in the pain?
• Should we look for prophetic meaning in the earthquakes and natural events?
• Do earthquakes prove that we are in the end times?

Creation in Crisis

‘How could God allow natural disasters? Couldn’t He intervene and prevent the pain?’ My reflections take me back to the very beginning: the book of Genesis.

God created the earth to be perfectly in balance and to sustain life. The Fall that brought separation between humanity and God also affected creation—the earth itself. (Gen 1-2, 3:17)

Genesis reminds me that the imbalance in creation that causes natural disasters was not God’s plan, but the tragic outcome of sin.

In Romans 8, Paul tells me that creation is groaning in bondage, waiting for a future time when it will be set free. The earth is running a course that is parallel—and intrinsically connected to—the salvation of its people.

Turning to the last book in the Bible, I read that God’s plan for restoration climaxes in a new heaven and a new earth, where ‘There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ (Rev 21:1-4)

The reason for delay in the culmination of God’s plan is His mercy—the Father desires to give as many people as possible the opportunity to hear the Good News. (2 Peter 3:9)

I don’t have answers as to why disasters happen. [1] But I do believe that the Bible reveals:

• God is not the author of natural disasters, and He is not a remote spectator—rather, He is a God of love who is present with us in our suffering.

• Having participated in our suffering through Jesus’ death on the cross, He is at work to restore all things—including the earth we live in—to His original purpose.

Seeking Prophetic Meaning In Disasters

Should we look to see if there is any prophetic meaning in the earthquakes and other events that are taking place?

Two perspectives I have come across recently are:

1. Natural disasters are the judgment of God on nations that refuse to repent of sin and
2. Natural disasters are earthly signs of changes that are taking place in the spiritual realm.

Before embracing these, or any other viewpoints, we should ask, ‘What message are we sending out to those who are suffering?’

As a prophetic community, we need to view all insight through the lens of God’s love and mercy. All prophecy must be tested against the message of the Gospel. [2]

We must take the stance of Jesus, who said,

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

I believe that the most important prophetic insight to do with current events is that of Jesus’ own prophecy.

Are we in the End Times?

In Matthew 24, Jesus Himself prophesies, ‘There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.’ (Matt 24:7-8) [3]

According to Jesus, an increasing number of earthquakes and natural disasters is one sign of the end times. As He continues His discourse, we learn that there are even more tragedies and evil to befall us.

In this catalogue of darkness, Jesus shines a beacon of light:

‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.’ (Matt 24:14)

We cannot know for sure whether or not we are in the end times. (Acts 1:7)

One thing, however, is of primary importance to me:

Regardless of the Biblical era we live in, for our generation, it is the end of time.

This generation—alive on the earth right now—is never going to have another opportunity to learn about the love of God expressed through His Son Jesus.

We have had recent reminders of our vulnerability and our mortality.

Our consuming passion should be that of Jesus. Our vision should be that which the prophet Zephaniah spoke of:

‘The nations on every shore will worship him, every one in its own land.’ Zeph 2:11

The Banquet is Ready

Jesus told a parable about a man who prepared a great banquet. (Luke 14:16-24)

When the time of the banquet arrived, the man sent out his servants to those who had been invited. However many made excuses, saying they could not attend.

He sent out his servants again, this time urging,

‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ (Luke 14:21)

Finally, the servants returned, saying, ‘There is still room.’ The master sent out his servant one last time saying,

‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’ Luke 14:23

Let’s pray earnestly for those who are suffering.

Let’s give extravagantly.

And let’s be a church on fire with an urgency to share the Gospel while we can, wherever we can, to reach whomever we can.

Because for this generation—time is running out.

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Notes:

[1] Many people grapple with the question, ‘Why does God allow suffering?’ If you know of some helpful resources on this topic, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below this post. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

[2] I urge Christians to weigh up what prophetic ministries are saying carefully before embracing and repeating their viewpoints. See my posts:

How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 1

How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 2

[3] Paul further explains the birth pains of creation in Romans 8:

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Rom 8:22-24

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog http://propheticpeople.com/

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Many years ago we had a regular prayer meeting in our home. One time, we were praying for The Hunk’s grandfather, who was lying seriously ill in his home in the South Island of New Zealand. Uncertain as to where Grandad stood in his relationship with God, we prayed for both his healing and his salvation.

As we prayed, my sister-in-law said she had a picture of angels ‘outside his bedroom window.’

Soon afterwards, we heard that Grandad was miraculously well again. He later shared with us that he had a vision of angels that came into his bedroom and surrounded his bed. Strength flowed back into his body.

After this experience, Grandad’s faith in Jesus became vibrant and unshakeable. He could not be dissuaded from the reality of his angelic encounter.

When we pieced the story together, we realised that the heavenly visitation had taken place at the time we had prayed.

The Power of Prayer for Loved Ones who Don’t Know Jesus

As Christian believers, we have the privilege of taking the names of those we care about before the very throne of God, the highest authority in heaven and earth. There, we can petition our Father to release heavenly resources on behalf of those we love.

Like presenting a cheque to our bank that has been made out to us, prayer draws on the resources that are available to you and me through the bank of heaven.

We have access to all that has been purchased by Jesus’ shed blood on our behalf, in Jesus’ Name.

God wants to draw people to Himself. He desires to release heavenly resources to do so. He wants to convict people by his Spirit. He is waiting for us to pray. He is waiting for us to simply ask, in Jesus’ Name.

What are some of these heavenly resources that are ours for the asking?

1. Prayer Releases the Spirit of God

In the book of Acts, the church was in prayer, and in response to that prayer there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And in response to the outpouring of the Spirit, thousands of people came to know Jesus and were born again.

There are things that only the Spirit can do. Jesus said in John 16:8 that it is the Spirit of God who brings conviction to people, who reveals the truth. We can have all the right words, we have truth on our side, we can talk to people until we are blue in the face, but only the Holy Spirit can show them truth and cut through their consciences.

The great evangelist Billy Graham understood this principle. He writes,
‘I am always deeply conscious that I am absolutely helpless and that only the Holy Spirit can penetrate the minds and hearts of those that are without Christ. All I am doing is sowing seed. It is God—and only God—who can make the seed bear fruit… We stress that prayer is an indispensable element in preparation for a crusade, and we seek to organise in advance as many prayer meetings as possible. It is the mightiest force in the world.’[1]

2. Prayer Releases God’s Miraculous Power

In Acts 4:30 the church asked in prayer,
‘Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’

God responded to their prayer and in the following chapter we read, ‘The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people’ (Acts 5:12).

The Hunk and I see God do miraculous things in the lives of unbelievers that we have been praying for. The power of God is available to us through prayer. This was a prayer that the early Church prayed, and so can we.

3. Prayer Releases People into Ministry

In Luke 10:2 Jesus said to His disciples:
‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’

Through prayer, God will position people around your loved one at significant times who will be witnesses of Jesus to him or her. But know that the very act of asking is also enlisting, for in the next breath He said, “Go! I am sending you.” If we are praying, we must also be prepared to speak when the opportunity arises.

4. Prayer Prepares the Environment for the Sharing of the Gospel

Through prayer, God moves in our political, cultural and spiritual environment, preparing the way for the spread of the Gospel. [2] Through prayer, the Lord sets up circumstances in the lives of those we care about that will confront them with the truth of the Gospel. He can turn even difficult circumstances into opportunities for His grace.

We can participate with the Holy Spirit in prayer to set up Divine appointments. Like dominoes, people and circumstances move into place that will lead our loved ones closer towards a decision for Christ. I call these ‘God-incidences,’ although at the time they may seem like coincidences.

5. Prayer Releases Angelic help

‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?’ (Heb 1:14)

In Matt 26:53-54, Jesus said, ‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?’ In Acts 12, an angel broke Peter out of jail as the church was praying and asking God for his release. [3]
We have learned that God calls us to partner with Him through praying for His will to be accomplished ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ The Psalmist reminds us that angels are the means that God uses to fulfil His plans. [4] When we pray, angels are activated into bringing about God’s purposes.

‘Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.’ (Ps 103:20-21)

[1] Billy Graham, Just As I Am, San Francisco : HarperCollins 1999

[2] 1 Tim 2:1-5

[3] Acts 12:6-13

[4]  Psalm 103:20-21

See also, The Power Of Prophetic Prayer

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The above article is excerpted from my e-book: Pray for the Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny of Your Loved Ones Through Prayer.

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Have you experienced any miraculous answers to prayer you would like to share with us? I would love to hear from you. Leave a note in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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© Helen Calder 2011   Enliven Blog  http://propheticpeople.com/

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries