I frequently hear from people who want to develop their prophetic gifts, enquiring:

• ‘How can I learn how to prophesy?’
• ‘How can I activate my prophetic gift?’ (i.e. put prophecy into practice)
• ‘Who can mentor me?’

And these are great questions.

However, today I want to share with you another question that is vital, not only to prophetic ministry, but also to leadership and Christian living in general.

It is a question that I have been challenged on recently, and I believe comes to each of us from the heart of God Himself:

You desire to minister to others; how well do you receive from Me?

Taking Time to Receive from God

As prophetic people, we are called to bring ‘strengthening, encouraging and comfort’ from God to others. (1Cor 14:3, NIV).

We can study prophetic ministry. We can put it into practice. We can even have great mentors to learn from. But if we are not personally able to receive encouragement from God, how can we fully express the Father’s encouragement to others?

Following are some questions, based on Paul’s 3-fold aim of prophecy in 1 Cor 14:3, to help us explore how we are going in this area.

1. How Well do I Receive God’s Strengthening?

‘But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening…’ (1 Corinthians 14:3)

The Greek word translated ‘strengthening’ is oikodome. It refers to the process of building up (as in building a house), edifying and promoting growth. It has also been translated ‘edification’ and ‘upbuilding.’

God is intimately concerned about your growth and His heart is that you reach your full potential. The Holy Spirit desires to build you up.

Am I regularly hearing from God, or allowing the Holy Spirit’s dealings in my life that result in:

• Revealing things that have been standing in the way of me moving forward in my life; breaking me out of stuck places.
• Enabling spiritual growth, as well as growth in other areas, such as character, relationships and ministry.
• Strengthening me, so that I am sustained no matter what is taking place in my life and circumstances around me.

2. How Well do I Receive God’s Encouragement?

‘But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging…’ (1 Corinthians 14:3)

The Greek word for ‘encouraging,’ paraklesis here is also translated ‘exhortation.’ Paraklesis comes from two words—para, meaning ‘beside’ and Kaleo, meaning ‘call, appeal, or entreaty.’ It includes a range of meanings, from admonition, instruction, persuasion.

You may recognize the similarity between this word and the one Jesus used for the Holy Spirit— parakletos, which has been translated Helper, or Comforter.

Through exhortation, the Holy Spirit desires to stir us up and spur us on.

The wonderful thing about the Father’s exhortation is that He does not call us to empty performance or religious practices. He offers us His Spirit to empower and equip us, and He ‘comes alongside’ in relationship to accomplish what He desires of us to do.

Am I regularly hearing from God, or allowing the Holy Spirit’s dealings in my life that result in:

• Adjustment and God’s loving correction in areas of my life that are not honouring to Him
• Him persuading me to change my position or thinking in relation to some issue
• Repentance when I have allowed an area of sin in my life
• Apathy giving way to action and obedience to God

3. How Well do I Receive God’s Comfort?

‘But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.’ (1 Corinthians 14:3)

The Greek word translated ‘comfort’ is paramuthia, from para, meaning near or beside, and muthos, meaning speech.

The word has also been translated ‘consolation.’

There is a sense of God’s tenderness and closeness, as He desires to comfort and uplift us.

Am I regularly hearing from God, or allowing the Holy Spirit’s dealings in my life that result in:

• Being reassured when I am concerned, anxious or fearful
• Comforted when I am grieving or have been hurt in a way that brings God’s healing and consolation into my life.

The Importance of Receiving God’s Comfort

If I were to rate ‘How do I receive comfort from God’ from 1 (I don’t receive His comfort very well) to 5 (I am in touch with my feelings and allow God to comfort me’) what score would I give myself?

Opening our hearts to receive comfort from God can be challenging, especially to those of us who are in leadership and desire to be ‘strong for God’ and partake in His victory. We need to remember that the same God who shares His victory with us, also desires to console, heal, love and comfort us in times of trial and the experience of human weakness.

‘Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.’ (2 Cor 1:3-4)

Two ways to receive from God

It is worth considering the above questions in two ways.

1. In relation to receiving personally and directly from God, in our devotional life with Him.

2. In relation to receiving the Father’s strengthening, encouraging and comfort through others.

It takes humility to receive from God through others, especially in the areas of adjustment and comfort. I encourage you to take some time to consider the above. If you realise that you are weak in receiving from God in some area, take some time to pray, and open yourself up to receive from the Holy Spirit. It will transform your life and ministry.

Notes:

I used the following resources in this study:

Online Greek Interlinear Bible
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
Strongs Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. 1996 Refs G3619 G3874, G3889

Related Posts:

The Spirit of Encouragement: Are You A Barnabas?

Prophesying Out Of God’s Love

Escaping a Half-Lived Christian Life

Do you have any thoughts about receiving God’s strengthening, encouragement and comfort? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the comments box. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

Many years ago when The Hunk and I were ministering full time with a mission agency, we attended a meeting together at which a prophet was preaching and ministering in personal prophecy.

After sharing some words of encouragement with my husband, the prophet turned to me.

‘God’s got a call on your life that is totally different to that of your husband. He wants you to be really developing that, preparing yourself because He has things for you to do that will see you fulfilled in your own right as a woman of God…’

Although to an observer I was simply a young mother and wife of a minister, God used the prophet that day to express His love towards me and to remind me that He had not forgotten His call on my life.

Love is a Vital Ingredient of Prophecy

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. (1 Cor 13:2)

To prophesy is to communicate the intention and purpose of the Father.

This can be by way of simple encouragement to someone in your everyday life, or it may occur within the context of church life or ministry.

The Bible tells us that love is the prerequisite to prophecy in any situation. [1] Without love, the Apostle Paul says, we are nothing, and our words have an empty ring to them. (1 Cor 13:1-2)

Remembering this is vital as we develop our prophetic gifts and seek to grow in our ability to hear from God.

God’s Love is not Based upon what our Eyes see

 ‘He [the Messiah] will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears’ (Isaiah 11:3)

God looks beyond what is seen outwardly, to the inner heart of a person and speaks to the potential within.

My constant prayer is that I will not be distracted by what I see externally. ‘Holy Spirit, help me to see what You see.’

When the prophet Samuel went to Jesse’s family to anoint the next King of Israel, God spoke to him saying, ‘Do not consider his appearance… People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’ (1 Sam 16:7)

God’s Love is not Based upon our Ideas and Opinions

Whether negative or positive, opinions and preconceived ideas can hinder our ability to hear—and accurately share—God’s word. They also hinder the flow of God’s unconditional love through us.

This is especially true when we are ministering to people that we are personally acquainted with.

I have learned to be open to the Holy Spirit for Him to show me (and He often does)

• judgments that I need to repent of, or
• predetermined ideas that I need to set aside.

God’s Love is not Based upon our Feelings

When it comes to prophetic ministry, love is not based on an emotion that we feel, but upon seeing people from the Father’s point of view.

Here are three primary ways that we can become acquainted with His perspective:

1. Know what the Bible Teaches about God’s Love for People

We learn from God’s Word how much the Father values people—so much that He sent His Son to die for them. (John 3:16)

In the New Testament, the Father’s heart towards people is revealed through Jesus’ ministry to individuals.

For example, when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well, He did not use the knowledge He had of her sinful lifestyle to condemn her, but as the means to invite her to salvation. (John 4)

When we step into this perspective, and prophesy accordingly, we are better able to express God’s love.

2. Catch the Revelation of God’s Love Towards us

If we have not experienced God’s love for ourselves personally, we will be unable to express His love towards others.

Being aware of His grace towards me in my own humanity and weakness enables me to communicate His love and grace to others.

3. Value Intimacy with God Above all Else

We do not need to feel an emotion such as compassion to express God’s love to another. However, as we grow in intimacy with Him, He shares His heart with us.

Further, as we prepare for prophetic ministry in prayer, we can specifically seek God for His heart as well as His plans.

It is in His Presence that our hearts are changed to become like His.

We Express God’s Love in the Process of Prophecy

‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.’ (1 Cor 14:1)

Love should guide the whole process of prophecy. [2] This process includes:

• Weighing up the revelation we have received
• Ensuring that the message we share is encouraging and empowering (1 Cor 14:3)
• The way in which we deliver the word, and the timing of it
• Allowing the person room to weigh the prophecy up, and so on.

Love also requires us to seek accountability in the use of our spiritual gifts. [3]

God’s Love Requires us to put Others First

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. (John 15:13)

The bottom line of God’s love is its sacrificial nature. Love places the interests and life of others above that of our own. (Phil 2:1-8)

For those of us with a tendency to blurt out whatever comes to mind, love may invite us to pause; to process the word further, or to share at a more suitable time.

And finally, for those of us who are shy and fearful—love compels us to step out of our comfort zones and speak.

Notes:
[1] Although my key focus is personal prophecy in this article, the same principles apply to other forms of prophecy such as prophecy to churches, groups or nations. For example, see How Do You Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 1

[2] For posts on the process of prophecy, view the following:

How To Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understand The Process Of Prophecy

How To Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 5: Creating A Safe Environment To Deliver Your Prophecy

[3] Accountability is vital to providing a safe environment, not only for us to grow in our gifts, but also for people to receive a message from God. See Prophetic Ministry In Church Life: Why Have Guidelines?

For more insights on Personal Prophecy, refer to Is Personal Prophecy Biblical?

Related Post:

The Spirit Of Encouragement: Are You A Barnabas?

Have you ever felt God’s love through a prophetic word? Do you have any experiences or questions to share about the topic of expressing God’s love through prophecy? Leave a comment in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Today I am going to review a very common barrier to growth in prophetic ministry, and that is being hurt in relation to your spiritual gift of prophecy.

(Note that these same points relate to wounds experienced in other spiritual gifts or ministries—replace ‘gift of prophecy’ or ‘prophetic ministry’ with the name of your gift or ministry)

An unhealed hurt or disappointment will not only affect your gift of prophecy, it will hold you back in other areas of your life, too.

Some signs that your prophetic gift may be blocked due to sustaining a wound are:

• You can trace a blockage in your prophetic ministry to a hurtful event that took place in your past
• You hold back because you are afraid of being criticised, hurt or rejected
• You may find it difficult to trust leaders or other people in the church to recognise or release you in your gift
• You seem to go through cycles—you might move from one church or ministry to another and yet never get recognised or released to the degree you would like to be
• The same pattern of stepping out in prophetic ministry and then getting hurt or disappointed seems to happen repeatedly.

There are many ways that people can become hurt or wounded in relation to prophetic ministry. The two most common are criticism and disappointment.

1. Criticism

There are several ways that criticism can occur:

• We may have made a genuine mistake in the use of our gift, but leadership of the situation was handled badly. Perhaps we were publicly shamed. Perhaps we were not guided or restored as we should have been.
• The criticism may have been completely unwarranted—this adds a sting of injustice to the wound.
• Criticism was aimed at our level of maturity in the gift.

We do not criticise or judge babies who are learning to crawl or walk—in fact we celebrate their efforts. And yet it is amazing how quickly we Christians judge one another when we are stumbling through learning stages in our spiritual gifts.

Accusation and judgement are also related to criticism.

I have known people who have been accused of being Jezebellic, for example. This kind of accusation can cause a deep wound in someone who has prophetic gifts. [1]

2.Disappointment

Some ways in which we can experience disappointment include:

• Our prophetic ministry has not been listened to, encouraged or appreciated
• Leaders have not recognised our gift or they have not made room for us to exercise or grow in our prophetic ministry
• Mentors or people dear to us in prophetic ministry let us down, are removed from our lives, or are themselves wounded in relation to their ministry
• Ministry opportunities—for whatever reason—have been removed from us

If you have experienced any of these types of wounds in your prophetic ministry, you are not alone. These are things that many of us can relate to in some form or another.

In fact, you will see these types of hurtful things happen to people with prophetic callings in the Bible.

Think of the rejection that Joseph went through with regard to his gift of prophetic dreams and interpretation. He was criticised, rejected, misunderstood and passed over for many years before God raised him up and released him in his call.

Yet he kept his heart free from bitterness—and in that is a lesson for each of us.

It seems that God allows us to go through these tests as part of our development and character growth. When we overcome, He can use us in greater ways and entrust us with His Word and His power.

Steps to Breaking Free from Blockages in your Prophetic Gift due to Hurt

1. Take Ownership

A blockage takes place when we put up barriers, or walls of self-protection around us to prevent us from being wounded again.

Even though others may have been the reason that we were shut down to start with, the ongoing issue is that we are reluctant to expose ourselves to further hurt. Our instinct is to hold back.

So the very first thing we need to do, is to recognise our own part and responsibility in the blockage.

We are the ones who, with God’s help, have the ability and the keys to break ourselves free.

We do this by taking acknowledging this in prayer and repenting of allowing the walls to go up.

God is sufficient. He is all the protection we need and He waits and longs for us to trust in Him. But often we use our own efforts to protect ourselves—and this is wrong.

Secondly, if we have been criticised, removed from ministry or held back in the past, there may be an aspect of truth in the reasons for the action that was taken.

I know from experience that this is a tough area to acknowledge, but addressing it and being humble enough to make any necessary adjustments is vital to fulfilling God’s call on our life.

2. Release forgiveness to the person or group that has wounded you

Jesus said, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25)

Unforgiveness and the desire to obtain justice can chain us to an event, preventing us from making progress in our prophetic gift.

In prayer, speak out forgiveness, release the offenders from judgment, and from any debt that you believe they owe you.

Sometimes, God might lead you to communicate with the person or group that has hurt you, but isn’t always necessary.

Use discretion here, and look for some wise counsel.

Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice that we make. Also remember that forgiveness is not just a one-off decision; it is an ongoing process. This means continuing to choose forgiveness whenever you feel the hurt or the negative effects of the situation.

3. Find a Safe Person who can pray with you

“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16)

Some things that can be prayed through personally and with a prayer partner are:

• Pray through the issues raised in points 1 and 2 above
• Identify and renounce any wrong belief that you have taken on board following the hurtful event—e.g. ‘I will never be good enough,’ ‘God has not called me to this ministry’
• Pray and affirm the redemptive opposite of that lie, i.e. the truth about God’s love and affirmation of you as a person, as well as your gift
• If criticism, accusation or judgement was involved, pray against the power or effects of the words spoken
• Pray for healing of your heart and a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit

This also reminds us of the fourth and most important aspect of breaking free from any blockage caused by a wound to your gift and that is:

4. Receive God’s Healing

If we have believed a lie, we need a truth encounter. We need to know that God’s love for us, and His attitude towards us, is not reflected in the hurtful attitudes, words or actions of others—even when they are people in authority.

Meditate on the Father’s love and acceptance as expressed in the Bible, especially in the New Testament in the life and ministry of Jesus.

5. Step Out in your Gift Again

Finally, at the right time, we need to begin to step out again in our prophetic gift. [3]

Firstly, this means being accountable—and being under leadership. Sometimes, this means responding well to leaders who have hurt us in the past.

We know we are healed when we can receive feedback and be open to adjustment in the operation of our gift without reacting badly.

Becoming activated in our gift of prophecy again will mean taking risks and being vulnerable. However, the fruit in our lives and in the lives of others we minister to will be eternal.

Do you have any further ideas for healing from hurts that could help readers, or experiences and questions to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes:

[1] For more information about the Jezebellic or religious spirit in relation to prophetic ministry, read my e-book, ‘Prophetic People in a Changing Church.’ Check the following links:

E-books Page

Prophetic People In A Changing Church E-book

[2] Sometimes hurts arise from a leader in the church—if this is familiar to you, I encourage you to consider my e-book, ‘Prophetic People in a Changing Church’ for more information on how to break free.

[3] I believe it is vital to foster a safe, nurturing environment in our local churches and prophetic communities to do this—so if you are a leader, I encourage you to make this a priority.

Related Posts:

11 Signs That Your Prophetic Gift Is Being Held Back

Set Yourself Free From Judging Others

6 Doorways To Discouragement In Church Life

Why Is My Spiritual Gift Or Ministry Not Being Released

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

One of the things I am passionate about is helping people to grow in their spiritual gifts—especially prophecy. [1]

People regularly share with me that they believe they have a gift of prophecy, but are not sure how to begin developing it.

Sometimes they express fear or embarrassment about stepping out with a prophetic insight, because they lack confidence.

I also come across prophetic people who tell me that they used to flow in the gift of prophecy but feel it has become blocked or closed down in comparison to how it used to be.

These Christians long for the ‘good old days,’ when they felt released in their gifts and saw miraculous things happen as a result.

This is why, over the next little while, I am going to be producing some articles on how to move forward and break through limitations in relation to prophetic gifts and ministry. [2]

But I need your help.

I would like to hear your thoughts on this topic, any struggles, what obstacles and barriers you have experienced personally, as well as testimonies and ideas for breakthrough.

So after the articles, I will be asking questions. Please contribute using the comments facility on the blog. It is amazing how many people will identify with your journey—you may even encourage others who are having similar struggles.

Identifying a Limitation is Good News

Identifying a potential barrier to the growth of your gift or ministry is good news—for it is the first step to empowering you to break free and enter into the ‘more’ that God has for you.

In fact, in God’s Kingdom there is always more!

And you can turn that seeming obstacle into a stepping-stone to greater growth and fruitfulness.

Signs that you are Being held back in Your Prophetic gift

Here are eleven signs that there may be a limiting factor holding you back in your prophetic gift or ministry.

If you do not have a gift of prophecy, replace the words ‘prophecy’ or ‘prophetic ministry’ with the name of your gift or ministry.

See if you can identify with any of these:

1. You used to believe you were called to prophetic ministry [3] but now you are not so sure

2. You are wondering why your prophetic gift seems to be hidden and not recognised by other Christians or by leaders in the church

3. It is a long time since you stepped out, took a faith risk, and did something new in the use of your prophetic gift

4. You are drifting and have a lack of direction in your prophetic gift or ministry

5. You feel barren and are wondering where the fruitfulness is that you were promised or initially experienced when you started out

6. You recognise that difficulties in the use of your prophetic gift began with an event that occurred in your past

7. You are not sure what to do to get to the next level of growth in your gift of prophecy

8. You have been hurt or wounded in relation to your prophetic gift and haven’t gotten over it

9. You are not receiving opportunities to use and bless others through your gift that you would like to have

10.You are content with your current level of experience and do not have the motivation to press through for growth in your prophetic gift

11.You do have opportunities to use the gift of prophecy, but it is not flowing as smoothly or as accurately as you would like, or have known in the past.

Now, some questions for you:

• Can you identify with any of the above issues?
• Are there any other signs that you can think of, or have experienced, that you are being held back in your spiritual gift of prophecy?

Leave a comment in the comments section at the end of this post. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Over the next little while we will be looking at how to overcome some barriers to growth in your gift. Many of these will apply to other gifts, not just prophecy.

Some of the things I will be considering include:

• Fear
• Not knowing where to start
• The effect of past hurts
• Apathy
• Not being released or given opportunities

Feel free to forward or share these articles with others who may be helped by them.

Notes:

[1] The gift of prophecy is the Spirit-empowered ability to receive and convey a message from God—to make known the Father’s mind, intention and purposes.

[2] If you are interested in developing your gift, the e-book ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a tool to help you identify which stage of development you are in and move to the next level.

[3] By prophetic ministry, I do not mean a role or position. Prophetic ministry occurs when you use your prophetic gift to love and help people in a way that brings them closer to God and releases them into His purposes. As Paul says, ‘the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.’ (1 Cor 14:3)

Related Posts:

Why Is My Spiritual Gift Or Ministry Not Being Released?

Break Free Of Hurts That Are Blocking Your Prophetic Gift

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

On team with David McCracken Ministries: Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

This series has been renewed and updated in 2011. For the first post in the new series, visit the following article:
11 Signs That Your Prophetic Gift Is Being Held Back

Welcome to the third in this series of podcasts on the topic of identifying and breaking through barriers to growth in your gift of prophecy.

In this session, I outline

3 kinds of desire that you need to have to grow in your gift of prophecy

**Desire is what motivates us to keep close to God and on track with our spiritual gift of prophecy. Discover how to regain the gift of desire when it has waned.

Some quotes from this podcast:

• be like Elisha who pursued Elijah for his mantle..
• desire the Giver AND His gifts
• If you feel that you have lost that sharp edge of hunger for God and His Presence, it’s time NOW to get back
• love that leads us to desire to help people and grow Jesus’ Church is vital

Click on the message title below to listen to the 12 minute podcast in MP3 format. To save the file to your computer right click on the link and select “Save Link As …” (Firefox) or “Save Target As…” (Internet Explorer).

How to Overcome Blockages In Your Prophetic Gift, Desire

The next in this series of podcasts will be on how to identify and be released from hurts or wounds that you have sustained in relation to your prophetic gift.
__________________________________________________________

Related Posts:

Podcast series:

Pt 1: How to Overcome Blockages and Barriers to Growth in Your Prophetic Gift – Intro

Pt 2: How to Overcome Blockages and Barriers to Growth in Your Prophetic Gift – Identify Your Season

© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing

Welcome to the second of a series of podcasts on the topic of identifying and breaking through barriers to growth in your gift of prophecy.

In this session, I outline

6 key stages in the development of your prophetic gift

Listening to this podcast will help you identify which phase, or season you are in, in relation to your spiritual gift of prophecy.

It is possible to become blocked in your development in any one of these phases—so a key to breakthrough is to:

1. Identify which season of development you are in

2. Check whether you have become stuck in that phase

3. Make the most of your season of development and

4. Do what it takes to break through to the next level.

Click on the message title below to listen to the 11 minute podcast in MP3 format. To save the file to your computer right click on the link and select “Save Link As …” (Firefox) or “Save Target As…” (Internet Explorer).

How to Overcome Blockages In Your Prophetic Gift, Identify Your Season

 ____________________________________________________

Related Posts:

How to Overcome Blockages & Barriers to Growth in your Prophetic Gift, Introduction

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

This series has been renewed and updated in 2011. For the first post in the new series, visit the following article:
11 Signs That Your Prophetic Gift Is Being Held Back

Welcome to the first of a series of podcasts on the topic of identifying and breaking through barriers to growth in your gift of prophecy!

Have you Ever Experienced a Blockage in Your Prophetic gift or Ministry?

God’s plan for us is to grow to our highest potential in our lives, our calling and our spiritual gifts. Why is it, then, that we sometimes feel as though our prophetic gift has been blocked in some way, or as though we have hit a ceiling in our ministry gift and find it hard to move forward?

The good news is that once you have identified an obstruction that is preventing you growing in your gift of prophecy, you can deal with and remove it, with God’s help. Over the coming series, I will explore a number of reasons a barrier can occur, and provide some keys to dealing with them.

In this short 8 minute introductory session, I identify 10 signs that there may be barriers to your growth in prophetic ministry.

Click on the message title below to listen to the podcast in MP3 format. To save the file to your computer right click on the link and select “Save Link As …” (Firefox) or “Save Target As…” (Internet Explorer).

How To Overcome Blockages and Barriers To Growth In Your Prophetic Gift, Introduction

As this is my very first podcast, special thanks must go to Ray Keefe for allowing me the use of his musical interlude called, appropriately, ‘Finding Hope.’

Blessings,

Helen

P.S. Over the next few weeks, I will be releasing these podcasts weekly to complete the series. I will also continue to write some articles. But wait, there’s more! Watch this space for news about the upcoming online prophetic training launch!

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Do you want to develop or sharpen your prophetic gift? Journaling is an easy but powerful tool for prophetic activation. It can help you grow your gift of prophecy.

Journaling is basically recording any insights you receive from God during your prayer and Bible study times.

Some ways journaling can help you grow in your prophetic gift are:

• It encourages you to listen to God and become familiar with his voice (John 10:4). You can also practice receiving revelation from God and processing it.
• Journaling helps you remember what God has spoken to you by providing a record to refer back to
• It provides a means of focus, discipline and accountability
• You can practice putting what God is saying into a clear and communicable form—an necessary skill for prophecy
• You can look back later and see what, in the case of prophetic revelation, has come to pass—this helps sharpen your gift.
• Journaling provides a record from which you can pray God’s purposes into being
• You can get more revelation when you journal. Once you record what you have received, it frees your mind so that you can be open to hear more of what God is saying.
• You can use what you have received in your journaling time to share with others
• It brings glory to God when the things you have journaled take place
• It provides a safe place to practice receiving and processing prophetic revelation without the pressure of public exposure
• You can use what you have heard from God to help you walk with Him and obey Him (Hab 2:2)

Journaling in scripture

For an example of journaling, we don’t have to look past the Bible itself. Much of scripture is prophetic revelation recorded in written form.

What Do You Need for Journaling?

The type of journaling you choose should suit your personal style. There are also a variety of media you can use to help you journal. These include:

• Writing in an A5 or A4 journal
• Typing and recording your journal using a computer.
• If writing or typing is difficult for you, you can record your journaling in small, bite-sized files using a recorder, MP3 recorder, or mobile phone, then name and store them for later reference.

Journaling is essentially private, but if you would like to share from your journal, another media you can use is the Internet. Some of my blog posts started out as journal entries.

It is best to keep your journal notes together in one place, such as a notebook, journal or single folder on your computer. This way, you can refer back to them later.

Types of Journaling

You don’t have to stick to any one type of journaling. Choose a journaling style that best suits you.

Some simple options you can use for written journaling are:

• Freestyle writing
• Bullet points or lists
• Mind-mapping (my current personal favourite). This is where you place your central idea or scripture at the centre of the page, and record other ideas from there as ‘branches’. Because you don’t have to record consecutively, it takes the pressure off, you can put down your ideas as you think of them randomly, and create some order later if you like.

Two popular methods that can assist you with the journaling process are:

1. SOAP method (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer)

2. Prayer journaling

Remember that journaling methods are tools, not rules.

The Two Week Journaling Challenge

I will be reviewing the prayer journaling and ‘SOAP’ methods in the next couple of posts.

I am not currently using these two journaling styles (I use mind-mapping). But I will use these methods for one week each as I blog about them, and describe my experiences in the comments section of each post.

It would be fun if you would join me on this ‘two-week journaling challenge.’

Consider some of the benefits I have mentioned in this post. Journaling can help you sharpen your prophetic gift, and it could change your life as you hear from God.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

Have you noticed that there is an inbuilt curiosity and yearning in the heart of a prophetic person to reach out to God for the revelation of His plans and purposes?

This is especially true when we enter a new season, such as a New Year.

We want to see what the Father is seeing and hear what He is speaking. This is, of course, primarily because we want intimacy with Him. But it also helps us to

• Pray in agreement with God’s will
• Build up our faith, and
• Share His message of hope with others.

Last week, we looked at how to receive your own prophetic word for 2010. If you would like to develop your prophetic gift, here is a prophetic activation  exercise to start the year off with.

Use these questions to wait on the Lord for a powerful prophetic picture and word for yourself or for another person that you are praying for.

1. What (new) name is the Father calling me by, in reference to this coming season?

(Read Isaiah 62:2-4)

The Lord often calls forth His plans and purposes in us with a descriptive name. He named Abram, Abaham, ‘Father of many nations’ (Gen 17:5) while he was still childless. The angel of the Lord addressed Gideon as ‘Mighty warrior,’ though he was in hiding from the enemy (Judges 6:12)

We do not need to let the past define us, not even our recent history in 2009.

Ask the Lord for a name or description that is in keeping with your spiritual identity and calling for this year and beyond. As you agree with Jesus about who you are and what you are capable of, His word will bring transformation to your life and things of the past will begin to drop off you.

The second question is related to this:

2. What is the picture of me—in Jesus—that God is giving me, that will help prepare me to reach my highest potential in the coming year?

For Abraham, that was a vision of his descendents. For Gideon, the name the Lord gave him was evocative of leading others into battle and winning in warfare.

If you have a ‘seer’ prophetic gift and have an ability to perceive pictures, visions and dreams, this exercise will be easier for you. If not, or you are uncertain, you might find it simpler to ask the Lord for a Biblical character that you can identify with.

Here are some more questions that may help you:

A. What am I wearing?

Here are some Biblical examples of symbolic clothing:

• Joseph’s coat of many colours (Gen 37:3)
• Robe of righteousness (Is 61:10)
• Signet ring of authority (Esther 8:2)
• New mantle (Gen 41:42)
• Holding a sword (Eph 6:17)

There could also be a non-Biblical symbol or garment that has specific meaning to you.

B. What am I doing?

Some examples are:

• Witnessing in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
• Stomping on the enemy (Luke 10:19)
• Dancing (Ps 30:11)
• Caring for hurting people (Luke 10:34)
• Resting (Ps 23:2)

(Hint: use a word ending in ‘ing’! Some other examples are: preaching, leading, enlisting, moving, and so on)

Some more questions you can ask as you seek God’s picture for your new season are:

C. What am I saying? (to people)

D What am I praying? (to God)

E. Where am I standing?

F. Who is with me?

And finally,

G. What is in my hand that God can use? (Exodus 4:2)

God has given us an imagination. As prophetic people let’s surrender it to Him and allow Him to anoint it for His use.

Once you have a picture from the Lord, use it to build your faith. Journal about it. Refer to it often and commit it to memory.

When you have the assurance of how God sees you, it can help dispel old identities and negative thinking. Belief will rise up in your heart and you will begin to walk in that God-given vision. For some of you, that may mean walking boldly, with Divine confidence. For others, it may mean simply relaxing into His plans and purposes for your life and experiencing peace, no matter what circumstances you are currently facing.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Articles Relating to Prophetic Activation:

Prophetic Word for 2010: How Your Can Receive Your Own Prophecy

Sharpen Your Prophetic Gift Through Journaling

Exercising Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: How To Receive A Revelation From God

© Helen Calder  2010   Enliven Blog

Are you interested in having an encouraging prophetic word for this year?

You can have your own prophecy to remind you of God’s faithfulness throughout the year.

Years ago, friends of ours shared with us how they usually prayed and asked the Lord for His word for the coming year.  For example, if the Lord told them it was going to be a year of fruitfulness, they then named the year, ‘Year of Fruitfulness.’

‘You should do that too,’ they told us. Receiving the word of the Lord for the coming year became an annual quest and has produced a great deal of encouragement over the years.

One year, I sensed the Holy Spirit nudge me with the word, ‘transformation.’ We were on a New Year’s break at a friend’s house and I was musing over what the word ‘transformation’ might mean for us personally. I looked it up in a dictionary, which produced a list of descriptions. One leapt out of the page and struck me hard. It was, ‘A sudden change of scene on stage.’

The Hunk agreed this word was from the Lord, and we felt both excitement and trepidation as to what it might mean. That year, key staff members unexpectedly exited from our ministry. A number of other changes occurred that created difficulties for us.

Even though ‘The Year Of Transformation’ was a tough period, we knew that God was orchestrating what was happening in our lives and ministry, arranging the next scene of His plan for us. The Lord had prepared us with His word.

One word from God can hold tremendous power.

A prophetic word from God for your year can:

• Bring encouragement throughout the year
• Help you stay focused on His plan or promise
• Provide motivation to stay on track
• Give you the strength to persevere through tough times
• Help you see God’s bigger picture—His redemptive purpose in what is taking place

As the angel said to Mary, ‘For no word from God shall be void of power’ (Luke 1:37, ASV). God’s word brings power with it, to fulfil God’s purposes for our lives.

Here are some ways you can receive a prophetic word:

1. Pray and ask the Lord to give a word concerning His promise and plans for the coming year.

There are many ways in which you might receive a revelation. The Holy Spirit might speak through a through, scripture, a picture, an idea or some other way.

One year, I was opening up a program on our computer when the word ‘Discover’ came up on the screen, and that one word impacted me so much I knew the Holy Spirit was bringing it to my attention. We were about to enter ‘The Year of Discovery.’

2. Pray and ask the Lord for any further insights about the word.

I like to look the word up in a dictionary or thesaurus to clarify the meaning, as well as pray and seek out scriptures that reinforce what God is saying.

3. If the word goes beyond simple encouragement and compels you towards action or change, remember that the principles of interpretation and accountability apply to the word.

What you can do with your prophetic word:

1. Write down or journal about how you received the word and what it means to you.

2. Share it with those around your life who can rejoice with you when it is fulfilled and encourage you on when times get tough

3. Keep it in front of you throughout the year. Some ideas for doing this are:

• Use it as a password for programs or websites you commonly use (not if you’ve shared the word widely, of course!)
• Link the word to an accompanying scripture, and put both on a poster where you can see it daily
• Write it on card and use it as a bookmark in your Bible or other book
• Have it as a greeting on your mobile phone

4. Review the word and its outcome at the year’s end. Reflect upon what God has done throughout the year and how the prophetic word has been fulfilled.

• In the next post coming up on 4th January, I will outline a prophetic exercise that can help you see yourself the way God sees you in 2010. If you would like to develop your prophetic gift and receive a personal message from Jesus for 2010, you won’t want to miss this. Get ready for a life-changing encounter with the living God!

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on related spiritual gifts and spiritual renewal
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training opportunities

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Related posts:

How To Develop Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Where To Begin

How To Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understand the Process of Prophecy

© Helen Calder   2010  Enliven Blog