Are you looking for resources to help you develop your gifts of prophecy or prayer?

I am thrilled to announce that all four of my books are now available in e-book format. Here is a synopsis of each of them, or you can review and purchase them on the e-book sales page:

HOW TO BE A SUPERNATURAL CHRISTIAN IN YOUR EVERYDAY WORLD

$8.95 e-Book*

A step-by-step guide to prophetic evangelism that you can apply every day.

Have you ever dreamed of miracles taking place as you prayed in your home, neighbourhood, school or workplace?

Have you wondered whether God can use you to pray for healing or bring a prophetic message to someone who is not a Christian?

Do you desire to live a supernatural Christian life — one where Jesus is the only explanation for what takes place—in your ordinary, daily world?

(More details …)

PROPHETIC PEOPLE IN A CHANGING CHURCH

$9.95 e-Book*

Have changes in church life impacted upon your personal priorities, relationships and ministry dreams?

Are you, or others around you, experiencing discouragement, or have you been hurt in church life?

Are you wondering how your prophetic or prayer gifts can be used in your current church setting?

(More details …)

GROW YOUR PROPHETIC AND PRAYER GIFTS

$9.95 e-Book*

Would you like to develop your spiritual gifts of prophecy, intercession, miracles, word of knowledge, discernment, deliverance or healing?

Have you ever dreamed that you could prophesy? Or pray for the sick and see them healed?

The desires of your heart are the first clue to the gift and ministry calling that God has placed in your life.

In ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’, you will discover…

(More details …)

PRAY FOR THE LOST: Impact The Eternal Destiny Of Those You Love Through Prayer

$6.95 e-Book*

Do you have loved ones whose salvation you are concerned about? Discover how your prayers have power.

This book includes the following helpful tools:
**A worksheet to help you pray strategically for the person on your heart
**A powerful sample prayer you can personalise.

In ‘Pray For The Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny Of Those You Love Through Prayer’, you will learn… (More details …)

*All prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD).

To purchase an e-book, use your credit card by selecting the ‘Add to Cart’ buttons on the website. This facility by PayPal is easy, very secure, and will do any currency conversion for you.

Note: You do not need to have an account with PayPal to use this facility, and we do not keep a record of your credit card information on this site.

After checkout, you will receive instructions on how to download the e-book as a PDF file.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

The week I didn’t talk to God

I didn’t talk to God for 5 days, following a powerful encounter with Him during the final session of a Healing Rooms training day.

It didn’t seem to be a remarkable moment, this rushed conclusion during which every participant was anointed with oil and prayed for.

What happened? Well, let me just say that childhood encounters with electric fences on my uncle’s dairy farm pale in comparison to what struck me in full force at that moment.

After 5 days of stunned silence, I thought I had better get back on speaking terms with the Lord—and only then because I was leading a prayer meeting at our church that evening.

I drove out to the beach, planted my feet in the sea and uttered just 3 words:

‘WHAT WAS THAT?’

The response was immediate, and very clear:

‘You asked for it.’

I had to admit, the Spirit of God had me there. I had encountered the power of His presence after praying a big, bold prayer. ‘Lord,’ I said, I’m not here for healing, and I’m not looking for a healing ministry, I want to help raise up an army of healers!’

When we pray for God’s Presence, do we know what we are asking for?

I believe it was Tommy Tenney who reflected on the annoying way that some small dogs chase after cars. What would the dog ever do if it caught the car? Does it ever enter its mind?

In the same way, we ask for God to move, and seek His Presence, but do we really know what we are asking for?

I have thought about this again this week, because The Hunk and I have experienced a series of miracles, and a heightened sense of God’s Presence.

I found myself overawed, conscious of an urge to draw back from Him.

When heaven invades earth, when God shows up, when miracles break out—we will not always respond the way we expect to, or would like to.

I draw reassurance from accounts in the Bible that show I am not alone in my weak and imperfect response to God’s Presence:

When God showed up:

• Moses and Gideon argued with God (Exodus 4, Judges 6:11-15)
• Saul was blinded (Acts 9:1-9)
• Daniel fell and lost his strength (Dan 11:15-18)
• The Apostle John was told not to be afraid (Rev 1:17)

When Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water, the disciples did not recognise Him, thinking He was a ghost! He told them not to be afraid, for they were terrified.

God does not always show up in the way we imagine, or at the time we expect.

If the greatest saints in scripture struggled in their response to God’s Presence, what makes me think I can?

The Unfamiliar God

God is not ‘safe.’ That is—He is not safe to our pride, our dignity, our sinful nature, our puny ideas or plans. He is more than we can handle and He is beyond our control.

In the Narnia Chronicles, C S Lewis wrote stories of the lion Aslan, King of Kings of Narnia. Aslan’s subjects had a saying about him: ‘He is not a tame lion.’ He was majestic, terrifying to his enemies and redeemer of his own, powerful and unpredictable. Yet the child Lucy would run to him with joyful familiarity and bury her face in his mane.

At times, I respond as Lucy did. At other times, struck by God’s power and unpredictability, I draw back. I have wandered into unfamiliar territory in my relationship with Him.

God did not disqualify Moses, Gideon, or His disciples, when they did not respond well to His Presence or the message that He brought them. Instead, He showed them patience and brought comforting reassurance.

As I recall these things, I do not feel so bad about my own response. I decide to receive His grace and reassurance too.

Ps 103:13-14 says,

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

The challenge we face is to continue to press in, to continue to pray the bold prayers. To take a deep breath and be honest with Him about how we feel, that He is overwhelming, that we are not certain that we can take any more of His Presence, and yet are afraid that He will draw back; that we cannot live without Him, and yet need His strength to live with Him.

I think I will go and do that right now.

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or have had any experiences like this, I would love to hear from you. Click on this and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

Like Moses Did, You Can Have Intimacy With God

There is something compelling about the image of Moses speaking directly with God, standing with the cloud of God’s Presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. (Ex 33:7-11)

• How did it feel to be that close to God?
• What did God’s voice sound like?
• What must it have been like to know that God wanted to spend time talking personally with Moses—sharing His own intentions and feelings?

Moses had an intimate friendship with God that no one else at that time shared. And yet, this relationship is available to each one of us, should we desire it. (John 15:15, 2 Cor 3:12-17)

It has been said, ‘you are as close to God as you want to be.’ A glimpse of Moses’ prayer life shows us the nearness to God that is possible.

Intimacy—God’s Idea

Our word ‘intimacy’ comes from a Latin word meaning ‘innermost.’

An intimate friend is someone with whom we can share our deepest personal feelings. ‘INTO-ME-SEE’: Intimacy implies a high level of transparency in a relationship.

Intimacy is what Adam and Eve had with God at the beginning of creation, when the Lord walked in the Garden of Eden with them. Intimacy is what they lost when they disobeyed God’s word. (Gen 1-3)

Intimacy of relationship is what Jesus died on the cross to restore; hence, we know it is very important to God. (Gal 4:4-6)

As it has been said—‘If God seems far away, guess who moved?’

God has already done all that He can to restore intimacy with us. He is waiting for us to make the move towards Him.

6 Ways Moses’ Face to Face Relationship Challenges Me

As I contemplate Moses’ friendship with God, here are the truths that confront me:

1. God Wants to be Close to me.

The pillar of cloud moves towards the Tent of Meeting, where Moses has kept his appointment with God.

The depth of God’s desire to spend time with me, and the price He has paid to do so is beyond my ability to comprehend.

• I know He desires to be with me—too often, I move to meet Him hesitantly. Today, I choose to take bold, firm steps towards God

2. There is Always More of God to Encounter

Moses has a ‘face to face’ friendship with God. He speaks with Him in the cloud of His Presence. And yet, Moses is still dissatisfied with his current experience of God.

‘Lord, show me your glory.’ (Ex 33:18)

• There is always more of God to encounter; dare I, like Moses, request it—and what will happen when I do? Lord, show me your glory, increase my capacity to bear it.

3. Intimacy Involves 2-Way Conversation

Moses shares his concerns with God, but he also listens as God shares His own plans, thoughts, and feelings.

There is a place of intimacy, beyond the self-absorbed prayer I have known, where I can move from self-consciousness to GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.

• I wonder—when was the last time I listened to God as He shared His feelings and plans? Lord, may I hear Your voice today.

4. A Friend or an Onlooker—I Get to Choose

The people of Israel stand at the entrances to their tents, watching in awe as Moses enters the Tent of Meeting.

The people of Israel were onlookers. They saw the distant cloud of God’s presence but did not hear the conversation. All they knew of God’s words were what they heard second-hand from Moses (Ps 103:7)

• Am I content with being an onlooker while others get close to God? …I say, ‘No’…  I want to see You Lord, I want to hear Your voice for myself

5. Withhold, or Disclose my Inner World?

Moses does not hold back his thoughts, his grievances, his desires. His life is an open book to God.

I can open up my real inner self to God because I am safe with Him. Nothing is hidden from God, He knows all about me anyway. His grace is the remedy for my weakness, His forgiveness the remedy for my sin.

• God says, ‘Come to Me as you are.’ (Heb 10:19-22) Will I reach for more of the intimate relationship with God that Jesus has paid the price for?

**One day when my daughter was small, we were walking to church when it started to rain. I shrunk against the side of the building to avoid the damp; after all, the rain would spoil my hair. My daughter leapt out into the rain, her arms flung wide, yelling out, ‘I just want to get wet!’ That’s the attitude I want to have towards the Presence of God. The Kingdom is for the children (Matt 18:3)–will you join me?

The people of Israel stand at the entrances to their tents, watching in awe as Moses enters the Tent of Meeting. The pillar of cloud, which has been leading the people of Israel in their journey out of Egypt, moves towards the entrance of the tent. Now it stays, positioned at the doorway, while the LORD speaks with Moses

‘face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.’

(Ex 33:7-11)

Related posts:

Spiritual Renewal: Cafe Moments With God

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

First, some exciting news! I have just released my first e-books online.

If you are concerned about unsaved or backslidden loved ones, or if you want to take your spiritual gifts of prophecy, healing or intercession to a new level, you will find treasure in these downloadable PDF books—check them out here.

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The Power of Hunger For God

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer 29:13

In Song of Solomon, the Beloved is knocking on the chamber door. The maiden resists getting up to answer. ‘I have taken off my robe—must I put it on again? I have washed my feet—must I soil them again?’ (SOS 5:3)

She is in a state of repose, and for that moment, her comfort is more important than her relationship.

The maiden rises to open the door to her Beloved, but he has already left. Her hesitancy has cost her his presence. Now, her heart is stirred. Comfort is no longer an issue as she loses sleep and risks her safety to search for the one she loves.

Unable to reach him, she passes on a message, ‘Tell him I am faint with love.’ (SOS 5:8)

‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock,’ Jesus calls to His church. ‘If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.’ (Rev 3:20)

Jesus’ call to intimacy is a challenge to our comfort. To answer His knock, we must stir ourselves from our place of spiritual repose.

His promise: ‘I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.’

Jesus’ invitation is to Christians who are hungry.

Why Be Hungry For God?

Hunger: that gnawing ache on the inside of you; that sense of need that is not content until it is filled.  Hunger is an active state, for it results in you seeking out the object of desire that will satisfy your need.

Hunger for God is the longing to encounter Him, to be with Him, and to be filled with His Spirit.
As prophetic people, we need to hunger and thirst after God.
When we are hungry for God and His Presence, we will do whatever it takes to get close to Him. The place of intimacy is where we will catch, not only the revelation He wants to give us, but we will also catch His heart.

Many of us want to be filled with the Spirit, we long to be close to God and see miracles happen in people’s lives.

When we hunger and thirst for God, we will seek Him, and when we seek Him, we will be filled and empowered.

It all starts with hunger.

6 Ways You Can Stir Up Hunger For God

1. MISS IT

A person who is fasting eventually loses their appetite as their body adjusts to the absence of food. Although in Christian leadership, I was spiritually famished for so long, I lost the ability to hunger after God.

My turning point came when I realised what I was missing.

I noted in my journal,

‘I have come to realise that the real tragedy in the church is not spiritual famine: it is famine without hunger, dryness without thirst.’

2. PRAY FOR IT

Even the desire to seek God is a gift from Him (John 6:44).

When we pray for spiritual hunger, we are praying in accordance with God’s will. He wants us to be hungry for Him. (Matt 5:6). It is a prayer God loves to answer.

3. RECALL IT

Jesus told the Ephesian church, ‘You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen’ (Rev 2:4-5)

You can stir up a desire for God by remembering a time when you were pursuing God and experiencing intimacy in your life with Him.

Do you have books that you read at that time, worship you listened to, or letters or journals that you wrote in? These can be aids to help you recall what it felt like during that season.

4. CATCH IT

Spiritual hunger is contagious. Get around hungry people, or people who are further on in the journey than you. Study their books, listen to their messages, read their blogs.

Our friend James Anson wrote a blog post about having an ache in his heart for God. When I read it, it stirred the same sense of hunger in me.

5. HEAR IT

A new sound of worship can help impart hunger to you. When was the last time you heard fresh worship music that stirred your soul to worship and spend time with God?

These days, it is easy to purchase worship music through iTunes for a very small cost. A couple of songs from Rick Pino, ‘Your Love is Like’ and ‘My Romance’ have stirred the hunger in me recently.

6. ACT ON IT

‘Taste and see that the Lord is good.’ Ps 34:8
With the little sense of need that you have, pursue God. Like me, you will learn that the more you encounter His presence, the more you will want more.

And most amazing of all, you will discover that no matter how much you long for God, His desire for you is greater.

The maiden who sought her Beloved in Song of Solomon discovered this wonder:

I am my beloved’s, And his desire is toward me. (SOS 7:10)

Related posts:

Spiritual Renewal: How to Receive an impartation of the Holy Spirit

The River Returns: How to Be Refilled With The Holy Spirit When You Are Dry

© 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

In the face of so much tragedy as we have seen this past week in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti, how can we respond?

It is far too easy to take the role of a global bystander.

I have to admit that my first response has been one of helplessness. But I have realised that there are some things that I can do:

• I can contribute to the aid effort by donating financially
• I can join with those who are petitioning and acting for justice
• I can also pray and speak prophetic words of life

Those of us who have prophetic gifts, and gifts of prayer have a unique offering that we can add to the efforts being made on Haiti’s behalf. In addition to taking practical action, we can pray and prophesy life-giving words.

I came across an article about praying for Haiti, where a reader scathingly responded that we should give money, not waste our time praying.

And yet prayer is the most valuable contribution that we can make.

As Christian believers, we have the privilege of taking the needs of the people of Haiti before the very throne of God, the highest authority in heaven and earth. We have the ability to petition the Most High God, who is also our Father, to release heavenly resources on the nation’s behalf.

Your Prayers Can Impact A Nation

Daniel prayed for his exiled nation after reading from the writings of Jeremiah concerning God’s plan for Judah to return to Jerusalem.
He had been praying and fasting for three weeks, when he had an angelic visitor who said,

“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Dan 10:12

This angel spoke of an invisible war taking place in the spiritual realm, for the nations of the earth. The angel, and God’s answer, had come in response to Daniel’s prayer, overcoming powerful opposition along the way.

This week, this one phrase is challenging me: ‘I have come because of your words.’

The Bible demonstrates that the prayer of just one person can impact a nation. Look at Daniel, Nehemiah (Neh 1), and Elijah (1 Kings 18).

The Apostle James used Elijah’s example to remind you and me,

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’ (James 5:16).

Our natural response in the face of tragedy is to feel powerless. But the Bible tells us that our words, spoken to God, have power to impact nations.

• Through financial giving, we help release ‘on-the-ground’ resources.
• Through prayer, we release heavenly resources.

**Prayer launches angelic help, as God speaks His word of command in answer to our prayers. (Ps 103:20-21)

**Prayer can reach places that we could never go, and impact people and situations our finances may never reach

**Through prayer, the effectiveness of humanitarian aid can be multiplied; through prayer Haiti will find favour with world leaders and decision-makers, and so much more…

**Prayer is like the currency of heaven, releasing heavenly resources

Let us be generous givers, in both word and deed; praying, acting, giving, petitioning.

Some Ways We Can Help Haiti

Here are some links that you will find useful as you pray and give to the needs in Haiti. Over the next few days, I am going to work through each one—I invite you to join with me.

8 ways to specifically pray for Haiti

http://helpresources.net/operationsafe/blog/2010/01/8-specific-ways-to-pray-for-haiti/

6 ways to pray for Haiti and organisations you can give to

http://www.examiner.com/x-15670-LA-Faith–Community-Examiner~y2010m1d15-Six-ways-to-pray-for-Haiti

Here are a list of organisations you can give to from Australia and New Zealand

http://www.yahoo7answersblog.com/b4/2010/01/14/haiti-earthquake-how-can-you-help/

Advocacy—A petition you can sign online, asking for world leaders to cancel Haiti’s debt and for assistance to be provided by way of grants, not debt-incurring loans

http://one.org/international/actnow/haiti/?rc=haitifb

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Dear friends,

Exciting news—Enliven Publishing will be launching an Online Prophetic Training program in 2010!

This is still in the formation stage; so now is the opportunity for you to let me know what you would like to learn about, and any topics, questions or sticky issues you would like covered.

Those of you who have attended my training sessions will know that I like to be really practical in my approach to prophetic training.

With this in mind, I am exploring the medium of an online forum, where members who are training with us can log in to a secure forum, share ideas and practice giving, receiving and providing feedback to prophecies, with the assistance of online coaches.

Some of the topics I am considering offering are:

• Prophetic Prayer
• How To Receive Revelationary Knowledge From God
• How to Prophesy
• Prophecy In The Church
• Personal Prophecy, giving and receiving
• Prophetic Dreams
• Prophetic Evangelism

These won’t just be information or theory, but some practical ‘How-to’s,’ steps and exercises to help get you started.

Here are some prophetic training tools that will be included:

• Receiving an e-Book that will help you in your prophetic journey upon subscribing
• Weekly MP3 podcasts on each topic, along with a PDF worksheet
• A weekly prophetic activation plan and access to helpful related articles

Here are some responses I’ve had to past training sessions:

• ‘Very balanced and God-focused,’ ‘Very straightforward and easy to grasp’
• ‘Excellent blend of teaching and hands-on learning, ‘Really powerful’
• ‘It took the fear out of prophecy…less scary than I thought’
• ‘Very straight-forward and easy to grasp’
• ‘Excellent–love the chance to experience and practice’
• ‘The right balance of theory and practice, all Biblically based’

If you would like to be involved, keep an eye on my prophetic training page and subscribe to this blog to stay informed of developments.

Please forward this information to anyone who may be interested.

Blessings,

Helen

P.S. If you have any responses or ideas about online prophetic training, or if you have had experience with online prophetic training, I would love to hear from you! Please leave your comments in the boxes below—if the comments area is not visible, click on the blog post title and scroll down.

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

You might like to also check out my article at ezinearticles.com on ‘7 Reasons Why Prophetic Training Can Help You Develop Your Gift of Prophecy’

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

One of the best views in Victoria can be found on Panorama Drive, San Remo. Whenever I am passing through, I drive by to pause, admire the view and to smile to myself in amusement. For the beneficiaries of this extraordinary view are neither wealthy homeowners, nor tourists, but a paddock of sheep—upon whom the view is both lavished and lost.

Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom’ (Luke 12:32).

Like the sheep of San Remo, however, we can only dimly perceive God’s Kingdom due to our earthbound state. God’s remedy for our condition can be found in ‘portal moments,’ those instances of unmistakeable, supernatural, divine intervention.

Portal moments can occur in the small passing moments of God-awareness, such as my pause of enjoyment at San Remo. But they can also occur in the larger breakthroughs of life.

We have portal moments when:

• God speaks to us personally
• Prayer is answered
• God’s intervention or guidance is the only explanation for something that has taken place
• We or someone else around us is saved, healed, or set free

Such portal moments are God announcing, ‘The Kingdom is here!’

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He instructed them, ‘Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “The kingdom of God is near you.”’ (Luke 10:9).

It was not only the message that gained the attention of people; it was the healing, miracles and the display of God’s authority over the demonic realm. The message and the supernatural demonstration of God’s power are supposed to go together. It is God’s way—and yet I have settled for much less than that.

Should we ask for portal moments?

The prophet cried, ‘Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!’ (Isaiah 64:1).

The early church cried out, ‘Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus!” (Acts 4:30)

Apparently crying out to God for portal moments is His idea.

That’s what prayer is about: asking the Father for an act of divine intervention. However, I often neglect to do this. Sometimes this is because I am disillusioned about prayers that (from my earthly perspective) seem to have gone unanswered. But by far the most frequent reason that I don’t ask or look for portal moments is that it is simply easier to go along with the ordinary than to be a supernatural Christian.

Sometimes, I don’t expect portal moments because deep down, I don’t believe I deserve them.

Jacob had a portal moment at one of the lowest times of his life. He had failed, grasping for the promised blessing of God through lies and deceit. Now, it seemed he had lost everything, and his own brother was plotting to kill him. He was on his way into exile (you can read this story in the Bible, in Genesis 27-28).

Stopping for the night and using a rock for a pillow, he dreamed of a stairway reaching between heaven and earth to the place where he was. Angels descended and ascended and God stood at the top, and spoke to him reaffirming His promises of blessing.

When he awoke, he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’ (Gen 28:16).

Like Jacob, or the sheep at San Remo, I do not always discern God’s presence and Kingdom, and the darkest of times I expect His intervention the least. I stop reaching for answers to prayer.

And then a Divine act of mercy provides me with a miracle, a provision, a healing, a message or a light of hope at the end of my tunnel. Like Jacob, I am reminded that God is still with me, just as He has promised.

I am currently being challenged both to ask for and to expect portal moments. Not only for my own benefit, and not even solely for those around me who need to know that ‘The Kingdom of God is near.’

I am also stirring up my expectation for portal moments because my hunger for God will not allow me to settle for anything less. For portal moments are either born out of the intimacy of prayer, or are encounters that lead me back to intimacy with Him. They are life’s confrontations with the Living God.

©  Helen Calder  Enliven Publishing

In the early years of our marriage, my husband Malcolm and I wandered far from God. During those years, my mother-in-law would often say to us with a twinkle in her eye, ‘God has got His net over you.’ Sure enough, the day came when, weary of our backsliding, we recommitted our lives to Jesus, going on to passionately serve Him in Christian ministry.

How did my mother-in-law know God had His ‘net’ over us? She knew because she was praying. Her prayer for our recommitment and salvation made the net of God’s grace inescapable.

Some Things Only God Can Do

Before we can exercise life-changing prayer, it is vital we acknowledge that between where circumstances are now and where we believe God wants them to be, is a gulf that we cannot cross. This gap means that no matter how hard we try, or no matter what we say, we are powerless in ourselves to make the desired changes happen.

• There are things that you believe to be on God’s agenda for your life, family and others you care about, that you are helpless, apart from God, to make happen
• There are people you care about who are far from God right now, whose hearts will only be changed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit
• There is no way by natural means that person who is dear to you will have that addiction or bondage broken over their life.

Let’s take a moment right now to stand together at that chasm and let the realisation sink in. Take a good look at the distance that you cannot leap across without help.

Now imagine there is a bridge, suspended between this natural reality and the seeming impossible fulfilment of God’s Will. Stepping up to that bridge you see a sign that reads, ‘Ask in My Name—Jesus.’

In John 15:16-17, Jesus said,
‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.’

God’s Plan for Prayer

Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ He revealed that the will of God must be ‘asked’ into being. And He didn’t just teach that, He demonstrated it. In the book of Luke especially, we see that Jesus lived a life of prayer.

It was God’s plan from the beginning that His people rule in the earth, under His authority.[1] God has designed prayer to be the means by which we exercise that authority and partner with God to fulfil His purposes. This is also true of His plan to bring salvation to people.

Watchman Nee once said that prayer is to the will of God as railway tracks are to a train. A train engine can have tremendous power; it can go a thousand miles a day, it can pull a heavy load. It can have all the potential in the world, but unless there are tracks for it to go on, it’s not going anywhere. The train and tracks are designed to work together”[2]

I heard the testimony of a woman who was very dry and religious in her faith. She was admitted to hospital with a ruptured, infected appendix; her condition was so severe that she died. As her spirit was leaving her body she saw her father rushing into the hospital. He uttered one word of prayer—‘Jesus.’ She saw that prayer beam up to God’s throne like a shaft of light. That single word of prayer was answered; she lived and her faith was transformed.

Like that beam of light, your prayers and cries to God are significant and powerful. You can be a Supernatural Christian and make a difference in the life of those you care about. Your prayer can help bring them to God.

The above is a brief excerpt from my new e-book: Pray for the Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny of Your Loved Ones Through Prayer.

In this book, I explore a number of things relating to this subject.

There are some tough issues as we examine the spiritual condition of a person who is lost and far from God, or a Christian who is backsliding. But there are also some exciting discoveries about how your prayer can release the resources of heaven, including angels, signs and miracles and the Spirit of God. There is a whole section on some practical ways to pray for unsaved loved ones and some discussion and keys to wage spiritual warfare. You will also learn a bit more about my own story and how I was saved through the ministry of prayer and deliverance.

See also Portal Moments: Supernatural Encounters and Answers to Prayer

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

[1] Gen 1:28,  Dan 7:27

[2] Watchman Nee, Let Us Pray, 1977

I was interested in the story of the Wimmera River, which returned to the town of Dimboola, Victoria this week. Severe drought in the region caused the river to dry up and it has not flowed through this particular township for five long years.

Excited residents rushed to get a view of the returning river as it marched into town, following heavy rains last week. The president of the local rowing club received a call in the early hours to say that the river had just passed the rowing sheds. He walked alongside it, escorting the river’s head as it approached the town.

Jesus said,
“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit… (John 7:37-39)

I want to be filled with the Spirit, to be a Supernatural Christian, but at times all I can see in my life is a dry riverbed; traces of places where He has been and reminders of His Presence. During these times, it seems I have nothing left to give. I long to be connected again, but am not certain where to begin.

The story of the Wimmera River struck a chord with me because I, too, am enjoying a River’s return—an experience of spiritual renewal after a long dry period.

How can we experience a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit when we have been through a dry season? Here are some keys that I have discovered in my own journey:

1. Thirst

‘If anyone is thirsty’ (John 7:37)

I remarked to someone a couple of months ago, that one of the greatest tragedies in the church today is dryness without thirst.

When we are dry, we may engage in wishful thinking about being full of God again. Unless we are thirsty, we will never pursue God. Thirst—real desire—results in action.

Am I thirsty? Or am I just dry?

2. Get Personally Connected to Jesus

‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me’

Thirst motivated me to take action in two areas of my life. These were:

1. Habits
   These are the self-centred things I indulge in instead of spending time with Jesus, or the things I turn to instead of Him to meet a need. Recently our pastor talked about ‘What is your drug of choice?’ Personal habits have included worry, work, late nights and time spent at the computer.
2. Commitments
   These are the other-centred things that I do that take the best portion of my life and leave little time to connect with God. Responsibilities are hard to drop once you have taken them up. You just get busier and busier, then drier and drier.
   In my quest for the River’s return, no commitment is sacred. I am now doing less, focussing more, and learning to say ‘No.’

3. Find Out What Fills You and Do It

‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.’

We all have unique ways of connecting with and receiving from God. Mine invariably require solitude. In the great outdoors I connect with my Creator. Long walks by the water, praying and reflecting, fill me up. Times of Bible study, listening to worship and ‘soaking’—just being still before God in a receiving attitude—fill me with Him. These times and activities must be intentional, or they will never happen.

4. Ask

‘Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” ‘(John 4:10).

Sometimes, we have not because we ask not. When was the last time you asked Jesus to fill you with his Spirit? Why not stop and ask him right now.

We are all wired differently when it comes to connecting with God. If you have ideas and experiences, please share them as a comment below. I would love to hear about it—and someone else may benefit from your insights.

Let the River flow!

Related post: Spiritual Renewal: How to Receive an Impartation of the Holy Spirit

©  Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Photography © Junette Keefe   www.pictorialparadigm.com