‘God is looking for men and women of maturity…
But there is no maturity because there is no birth.
There is no birth because there is no pregnancy.
There is no pregnancy because there is no conception.
There is no conception because there is no intimate relationship.
There is no intimate relationship because we busy ourselves seeking satisfaction apart from God.’

David Ravenhill [1]

I have kept an early edition of the Morningstar journal in my shelf for many years, for the value of the single paragraph above.

It speaks truth to something deep inside of me—a truth I find myself returning to regularly in my quest for spiritual renewal.

And that is, that at the heart of life-giving prophetic ministry—or any ministry, and even life itself—is intimacy with Jesus.

Face To Face—God’s Purpose from Beginning to End

We are created for a FACE TO FACE relationship with God. We see this at the outset—from the very moment of creation.

Genesis 2 V 7 says:
‘The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’

Every other creature was created by the word of God, but God fashioned Adam from the ground and breathed life into him,

And from the moment of that very first FACE TO FACE encounter, Adam lived.

After Adam and Eve sin, in Genesis chapter 3, you see God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. It has evidently been His custom to walk and talk with Adam & Eve… FACE TO FACE, but now Adam and Eve have hidden their faces in shame from God

And you see throughout the whole of the remainder of Scripture, God is working, through His plan of redemption, to restore that FACE TO FACE relationship that was lost.

He accomplishes it by sending Jesus to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. And there on the cross, in one eternal moment, THE FATHER TURNS HIS FACE AWAY from Jesus.

Jesus bore our sin, and the punishment of separation from God that was due to us, in order that our own FACE TO FACE relationship with God might be restored.

And even now, that process of restoration continues until the final fulfillment will take place when we enter eternity…

The Apostle Paul explains it like this in 1 Corinthians 13V12:
‘Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see FACE TO FACE. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.’

Even though the ultimate fulfillment of our FACE TO FACE relationship with God is in ETERNITY, God WANTS to share a close relationship with us now.

• It is the purpose He created us
• It is the reason Jesus went to the cross

And this being the case, I want to know what a FACE TO FACE relationship with God means. In the certain knowledge that I have yet more to discover, I also want to know what I am missing out on.

Responding To God

We cannot meditate on this truth without considering our own personal response. For me, right now, that is twofold:

1. Soaking—Taking time to Worship and to be Refilled.

When Jesus was resurrected, He met with His disciples and FACE TO FACE, He breathed on them, saying ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’

Receiving His breath, His Spirit, His life, into us is an integral part of having a FACE TO FACE relationship with God.

For me that means spending time with God, with no other agenda apart from being with Him, receiving His Spirit, enjoying His Presence.

2. Conversing—Intimate Conversation with God

I am personally being challenged that God wants to speak to me FACE TO FACE a whole lot more than I have imagined He does. I recognise that doubts and fears have stopped up the flow of His voice, His revelation, to me.

So I will be digging into some journaling this week—with a specific focus.

Here are some ideas for how to do this, if you would like to join me:

• Start your journal with the words ‘Lord what do you want to say to me today?’
• A thought or idea may come to you immediately—in which case, start to write. But if not, wait for the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation—a picture/vision, a Bible verse or story, a word, feeling or idea. Write what you see or what comes to mind and also what you believe God is saying to you.
• Write your response to Him. You may even want to ask another question. It is your conversation with God.

Remember to weigh up carefully any revelation you receive. Keep up your regular Bible reading and always reflect on what you are receiving in the light of what God says in His Word.

[1] The Morningstar Journal Vol. 3 No.4 1993, ‘The Birthing of a Ministry, David Ravenhill.

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Related Posts:

Face to Face With God: Can I Have a Relationship Like Moses?

Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling

Spiritual Renewal: How To Receive An Impartation Of The Holy Spirit 

How To Exercise Your Prophetic gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelation Is From God?

©  Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

I read a statistic recently that 35% of church-going people in Australia rarely or never read the Bible. Only one in 5 read it every day.

What does that say about how we Christians view the Word of God?

We need a Bible revival!

How My Devotional Life Dried Up

One year ago, I was suffering from burnout.

My devotional life was one area that had suffered. Sure, I still picked up my Bible every day… but the joy had gone out of my devotions.

The act of doing devotions had become a duty. The Bible’s content had become yet another barometer of Christian performance—instructions on how I should live my Christian life. And I had nothing left to give.

To be honest, I was not only burnt out, I was bored.

I have been acquainted with the Bible since childhood, have read it many times over and still today read it from cover to cover. I have studied it both personally and with the help of great Christian teachers.

But I had lost my passion for God’s Word.

During the course of this year, I have experienced renewal in my devotional life.

How To Fall In Love With The Bible Again

Here are some keys that have helped me recover my love for God’s Word:

1. Realise Something Is Missing

Jesus said ‘ask, seek, knock,’ (Matt 7:7-8) but we will never do any of those things until we become conscious that we have a need.

Until we realise that what we are experiencing in relation to the Bible is less than what it could be, we will never change.

It was only when I realised how dry I was and how dead my devotional life had become that I decided to do something about it. I began to ‘Ask, seek and knock.’

2. Reconsider the Value of the Bible

Recently I read a news item about a real-life ‘slum-dog millionaire’. This man was living in a slum whilst he had access to millions of dollars.

Like this guy, I had been living like a spiritual pauper whilst sitting on a fortune—God’s Word.

As I began my seeking time, I went through Psalm 119, in which David expounds the wonders of God’s Word. One of the verses that stood out to me was, ‘Your word has given me life’ (Ps 119:50).

Being revived by God’s word is a recurring theme in this Psalm, with the Hebrew word, ‘chayah,’ meaning to revive, nourish, restore to life, and give life to, being used 16 times in relation to God’s Word.

When it comes to the Bible, life is a verb! The promise of being revived—or ‘lifed’—through God’s Word kept me on track. There was obviously something in my devotional life I had missed.

3. Relate to the Bible the Way Jesus Does

The next breakthrough in my journey came when I had an idea to take a look at how Jesus responded to the Bible in the Gospels. Perhaps by studying His response to the Bible, I could see what I was missing.

Jesus knew the scriptures intimately and used His knowledge of them to teach others. But more than this—He lived them.

Jesus walked in perfect fulfillment of God’s Word. The Old Testament described every details of His life from birth to death, His character, His purpose and mission and His redeeming work on the cross.

As I considered Jesus’ response to the scriptures, it occurred to me that just as Jesus walked in fulfillment of God’s Word, so should I.

The Bible explains my origins, my value, my redemption, my call, and my destiny. The Bible is the story of me. And it’s your story, too.

I have known the scripture as a place of instruction, upbuilding, protection and power to live the Christian life. I have understood the Bible as the story of Jesus, the story of redemption, the story of Israel and the church.

But this simple revelation—that the Bible is the story of me—is the one that helped bring me back to life.

4. Reconnect Creatively With God’s Word

When my children were small and had been sick, they sometimes lost their appetite for food.

I would give them smaller portions of tasty food that would tempt them to eat, and help strengthen their appetites.

It is important, when we have lost our appetite for God’s Word, to provide ourselves with fresh inspiration, and new tools or methods to help us study.

Here is one tool that can be used for Bible study and journaling:

The SOAP journaling method

SOAP is an acronym:

• Scripture
• Observation
• Application
• Prayer

To use this journaling style, read your portion of scripture—it may be a daily reading or a passage or book in the Bible you are currently studying

S = Choose a verse that has particularly spoken to you and write it in your journal

O = Note down your observation—what God is saying to you personally through the verse

A = Record how you can put what God is saying into practice in your life

P = Now write a brief prayer in response to what God has spoken to you

Over the next few days I will be using the SOAP method in my own journal and write my observations in the comments section of this post.

Related posts:

Your Ministry Will Be Impacted By This Choice

Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

What is Prayer Journaling?

Prayer journaling is writing down your prayers and questions, and then listening to the Holy Spirit and recording God’s answers. It is a great way to activate your prophetic gift.

I have to confess that I approached the practice of ‘Prayer Journaling’ this week with a bit of trepidation, even though I have used this method of journaling before. It feels presumptuous, writing down God’s ‘answers’ to my prayers and questions.

Does God really want to speak to me conversationally? And how can I know for sure what He is saying?

In John 10:27, Jesus said, ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me’.

As I set out, I am encouraged that God desires an intimate relationship with me even more than I want it with Him—He created me to fellowship with him and to hear His voice!

How to Practice Prayer Journaling

It’s important that you set aside some private space for this kind of journaling. Try to eliminate interruptions and distractions as much as you can.

I personally find that some quiet background worship music helps me focus if I don’t have the luxury of silence in my home, or wherever I happen to be.

It is vital when approaching this journaling practice that you deal with any issues between you and God—forgiveness, repentance and so on—before you start out.

Reading the Bible and praying in the Spirit can help you prepare for your prayer journaling time.

In your journal, you write down your prayer or question to God. Some examples are:

• What would you like to say to me today?
• How can I grow?
• What would you like me to do?
• What are You saying about…

Then, focusing on Jesus, you listen for the Holy Spirit’s answer, and write down what you believe He is saying.

How the Holy Spirit Speaks

Remember that the Holy Spirit brings revelation to us in many ways. He may speak through a picture coming to your mind, a feeling, a Bible verse, an idea, word or impression.

I find that the Holy Spirit’s ‘voice’ usually comes as a series of light, gentle impressions. I need to tune in to these to hear what He is saying.

Although it is good to weigh up the revelation and thoughts as they come, too much analysis will halt your journaling.

Give yourself the freedom to write without editing. Yes, what you record will inevitably be a mixture of your own and God’s thoughts. Remember that any prophecy is imperfect and subject to judgment.

When you have finished, review your journaled ‘message from God.’ Now you can sift through your writing for the nuggets of heavenly wisdom God is giving you. I like to use a highlighter to mark important parts where I believe God is particularly speaking to me.

Use the same criteria for your prayer journaling that you use when weighing up any prophetic word.

If you believe you have received guidance through this kind of journaling, it is vital that you check this by sharing with mature Christians and leaders around your life who will give you honest feedback and help you process it.

Some strengths of this kind of journaling are:

• Fosters intimacy with God
• Helps you become familiar with the ways the Holy Spirit speaks
• Great practice for tuning in to receiving God’s revelation
• Helps you receive guidance and prophetic insight for yourself and others
• You have a record you can refer back to of what God has said to you in your prayer time

Some weaknesses of this journaling method are:

• It does not use the Bible in the journaling process
• Less suitable for newer Christians who do not have a thorough grounding in the scriptures (I recommend the SOAP journaling style for new Christians)
• This style will not suit everyone, e.g. it will be harder for those who are perfectionists or tend not to process thoughts conversationally.

Because of these weaknesses, I advocate the use of other journaling methods in conjunction with this one.

Prayer Journaling and Habbakuk

A leading proponent of prayer journaling is Mark Virkler, who teaches journaling from Habakkuk 2:1,2.

Virkler maintains that God speaks through a flow of spontaneous thoughts, and that as we tune into those we can hear what He is saying.

Just as God instructed Habbakuk to write down his vision, we can also record what God is saying to us through journaling.

The Challenge

Over the next week, I will be trialling prayer journaling as a method, and recording my journey in the comments section of this post. Why not join me?

To review my comments and share your own journey throughout the week, check back here.

© 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.

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© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing