Prayer is, in essence, communicating with God. It is not merely communicating to God—for He also wants to share with us in return.

Neither is prayer merely talking to God. Prayer is so much more than speaking words.

Prayer may be an attitude in our hearts before God; it may be the wordless communion of friends; it may be the ineloquent groans of a burdened heart. It can even consist of joyful shouts of praise.

Prayer comes in many forms and can be used for many purposes. Describing prayer is like describing a rainbow. You can speak of the rainbow as a whole, or you can describe the colours and spectrums that make up the rainbow.

In my article, 4 Ways To Pray: Exploring The Wonders Of Prayer, I share about relating prayer, requesting prayer, receiving prayer and ruling prayer—and that is just a start!

3 Reasons why we Pray

Here are three important reasons why we pray—I believe that God will speak to you personally through at least one of these today:

1. We Pray Because of Relationship

Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship—and it is the same in our relationship with God.

Did you know that it is the great desire of God’s heart to have a personal relationship with you?

In the beginning, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the garden. (Gen 3:8-9) When that intimate relationship was lost, God moved heaven and earth to restore it to us.

That is the primary reason that Jesus died on the cross—to restore our relationship with God. (John 1:12-13) He paid the penalty for our wrongdoing and sin, so that we could spend now and eternity with God.

Sometimes people see the Christian faith as way of settling their eternal destiny—or as a type of spiritual insurance—something to have in place for when a need arises in their lives. Sadly, they have missed the purpose of the cross.

We are created and saved for an intimate relationship with God, and communication—prayer—is vital to that relationship. (Rev 3:20)

2. We Pray Because it Makes a Difference

Imagine that someone in your family has an illness for which the doctor prescribes several types of medication. He or she receives the medicines—and then upon arriving home, only takes one of the medicines prescribed.

That would be crazy, wouldn’t it?

God, the Master Physician, the all-knowing One, our loving Father, has given us prayer to assist in times of need.

The Bible tells us to pray in circumstances of:

• Sickness (James 5:14-15)
• Trial (Phil 1:19, James 5:13))
• Danger (2 Cor 1:10-11)
• Temptation (Matt 26:41)
• Being mistreated (Luke 6:28)
• Need of provision (Matt 6:11)
• Spiritual warfare (Eph 6:10-18)
• In times of weakness (Rom 8:26)
• In every situation (Phil 4:6)

If prayer is prescribed to us by God—and is a means of releasing His grace and power into situations—why would we not participate in it? Why would we hold back the benefits of prayer from others and ourselves?

Today you can make a difference in your life and the lives of people around you—by praying.

3. We Pray Because it Fulfils our Destiny

‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ (Matt 6:10)

Prayer is not just for times of need. Jesus instructed us to pray in order for God’s will and purposes to be accomplished.

Watchman Nee once described prayer as being to the will of God what railway tracks are to a train. The train engine may be powerful, it may be able to go thousands of miles—but unless the tracks laid down, it will not go anywhere. [1]

God has set a law into place whereby His purposes can only be accomplished in conjunction with the prayers of His people.

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion in the earth. Psalm 115:16 tells us that, ‘The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given [assigned] to mankind.’

God’s purposes have never changed.  When we pray, we are exercising God’s rule—and our God-given Dominion on the earth—in partnership with him. [2]

Something deep within us yearns for significance. And this is why: we are created and destined to be royal sons and daughters of God—born to rule. (John 1:12-13) And in eternity to come, we are destined to reign with Him. (Dan 7:27)

Only in eternity will we fully understand the purpose of prayer, and see the results that our prayers have accomplished.

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Notes:

[1] Watchman Nee, in his book ‘Let Us Pray’, 1977.

[2] I highly recommend the book, ‘Intercessory Prayer’ by Dutch Sheets for excellent teaching on this topic. (Regal Books, California, 1996)

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Related Posts:

Release the Resources of Heaven Through Prayer

4 Ways To Pray: Exploring The Wonders Of Prayer

The Power Of Prophetic Prayer

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© 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

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Do you have any questions or thoughts on the topic of reasons why we pray? Do you have some requests for, or answers to prayer you would like to share? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment on the comments box. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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More than 30 years ago, as a young teenager, I stood up in our church and shared my first prophetic insight.

It consisted of two visions.

The first was of a fruitful land and a harvest. I believed that God was speaking of a future time when the church would flourish and many people would come to faith in Jesus.

The second picture was unusual—it was of a desert. And out from the middle of this dry land rose a pipe, with a tap. I knew that if the faucet were simply to be turned on, then the water would flow, and the desert transformed into a fruitful place.

I believed this second vision concerned prayer and intercession; that through prayer the church would partner with God for this future harvest to take place.

A passion for revival and prayer was birthed in me that has endured to this day.

A Life-long Call

Some ten years later, The Hunk and I were hosting Asian Christian leaders in our home and hearing first-hand reports of revival in Asia. One leader gave me a prophecy that was simply, ‘Tell Helen to start a prayer meeting for revival.’ [1]

The prophecy bore fruit, as in the years following I was used of God in small ways to start, or ignite, prayer meetings for churches, for leaders and for revival.

When we ministered throughout New Zealand in the 1990’s, I was intensely burdened for the nation. During that time I shed tears of intercession for revival—for a move of God to awaken and empower the church, that would result in the salvation of many—in every town and city that we visited.

And our Father arranged miraculously for us to visit centres of revival in Canada and the USA in the late 1990’s.

In 2002, I carried my passion for revival across the Tasman in our move to Australia.

The name of my blog—‘Enliven’—was chosen because it is a synonym for the word ‘revive.’

My Perspective Has Changed

The reason that I share the above story is to explain that Christian revival is not just a random topic of interest for me.

It is a lifelong passion—one in which I have invested a considerable amount of time, pursuit, and prayer.

I still believe in revival, and yet my interpretation of what revival means—in terms of my own call, as well as for the church globally—has changed considerably.

Here are some of the ways my perspective and prayers have changed.

1. From Pleading to Receiving

Two years ago, I encountered God as Father in such a powerful way that it revolutionised the way I perceived everything about my faith.

I realised that much of my Christian service and belief system had been based out of an ‘orphan spirit,’ rather than the position of sonship that Paul talks about in Gal 3:26-4:7.

An orphan mindset believes and fears that we are separated from the Father and His resources. [2]

As a prophetic intercessor, one of my favourite prayers used to be:
‘Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains would tremble before you!’ (Isaiah 64:1)

But I no longer see the move of God as something to plead for. The open heaven that I once cried out to God for, I now recognise is mine—and the church’s—by inheritance through Christ.

It is the privilege of sons and daughters to ask and receive. (Luke 11:9-13)

2. From Local to Global

For years, others and I sought revival based on what we knew about it from church history, as well as reports from around the world.

The picture I had of revival was of a season of Divine visitation—accompanied by miracles, signs, and conviction of sin leading to the salvation of many—in a church, city, region or nation.

I do still believe in the value of revivals that are localised outpourings of the Holy Spirit.

However, my present view of revival is best described in this quote from Dr. Vance Havner:

‘Revival is simply New Testament Christianity, the saints going back to normal.’

What excites me now is the way that the church globally is stirring. Christian believers across the earth are awakening to who they are and Whose they are, and acting accordingly.

3. From ‘Not Yet’ to Now

I now believe that I spent much of my life waiting and praying for God to begin something that He has already initiated.

But the prayers and tears that so many of us have offered up over the years have not gone wasted. To our great surprise we see that they have been sown into the Father’s plan, one that is so much greater than we could have imagined.

The revival that I spent a lifetime waiting for is here and now. It is coming as Christians and churches across the earth awaken to our inheritance and to the reality of Jesus’ prayer:

“Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matt 6:10)

I believe that the great harvest of people coming to faith in Jesus, and the fruitful church that I envisioned as a teenager is becoming a reality. And God is graciously enabling me both to live it and share it with others.

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Next week I will be considering what an open heaven means, and how it relates to us as Christians today.

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Do you have any thoughts about this topic you would like to share? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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Notes:

1.  My husband Malcolm ‘The Hunk’ was National Director of a mission agency from 1995-2004. We were involved on a volunteer basis for seven years prior to this, which involved serving and hosting overseas visitors.

2. I’m not saying that all prayer for revival is affected by this mindset, but it is something those of us who have prayed for revival for a long time need to be aware of.

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

One of our most valued partners during the years of our missions ministry was an elderly woman called Marge.

A prophetic intercessor and prayer warrior, Marge had an accurate ability to detect when we were experiencing severe trials or spiritual warfare.

At those times, she would phone us and simply say, ‘What’s going on?’

The most memorable of those times occurred when we were on the road, doing itinerant ministry with our young family.

The knowledge of Marge’s prayer support and her sensitivity to the Holy Spirit brought us continual encouragement.

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Leaders rely on intercessory prayer to support them in the areas of protection, blessing, guidance and God’s anointing in their areas of ministry.

Last week I shared about how to make the most of prayer support from the leader’s perspective, and how you can take care of your relationship with your personal intercessors. [1]

Today I would like to share my heart with those of you who function as personal intercessors or prayer partners in some capacity.

Over many years, I have been a personal intercessor, the leader of an intercessory prayer team, and a receiver of intercessory prayer myself.

Here are 8 things that I have learned along the way and would like to share with you:

1. Keep Your Prayer Commitment

There are differing levels of commitment when it comes to personal intercession.

At the lowest end of the commitment scale, you may have signed up to receive a prayer newsletter from a leader or ministry that God has put on your heart.

In this case, the degree of prayer support you give is over to you.

At the highest end of the scale of commitment, you may be one of only a few intercessors or prayer partners. You may be in a close personal relationship with the leader you are praying for.

It is important that you faithfully pray, as you are able and committed.

If you receive an email, pray immediately upon receiving it, and print it out.

You can put alerts in your diary, or on your mobile phone or digital calendar to remind you to pray for specific events.

2. Embrace the way God has Wired you.

It is amazing to me how many intercessors struggle with feelings of inadequacy in their prayer gifts.

Not everyone has the same prayer style. You have a unique gift of prayer.

Some intercessors are structured and pray at regular times. Unstructured prophetic intercessors tend to pray when they perceive there is a need or sense a burden to pray from the Holy Spirit.

Other prayer warriors excel when there is a crisis or an urgent alert to pray.

All types of intercessors are valuable and needed.[2]

Don’t be afraid to be up-front about the kind of prayer commitment you bring to the table.

3. Be Light on Expectations

Remember that every leader communicates with their intercessors differently.

Do not place expectations on your leader with regard to relationship, communication, or involvement in their ministry. The least your leader will do is communicate their needs with you regularly.

Don’t expect more than this, even though some leaders are more relational and do communicate more regularly.

4. Feedback

Occasional feedback to the leader you are praying for is an important part of your role.

This doesn’t have to be a prophetic word or vision—it could be an encouraging comment or scripture, or simply a ‘praying for you’ note. By communicating regularly with your leader, you are indicating that your ongoing interest and prayers are still in place.

Even the smallest feedback can be a great encouragement.

5. Prophetic Insights

Any prophetic insights you bring to your leader are most welcome and have the potential to be a great blessing when they are timely and encouraging.

Remember that your prophetic words and pictures are subject to being weighed up. (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-21) Don’t place any expectations on prophetic submissions being responded to or acted upon. This is especially important to remember if you are an intercessor in a church.

6. Confidentiality

Treat all communication from your leader as confidential, even when the material appears to be common knowledge. Take great care to retain trust in this area.

7. Be Part of a Church Community

Personal intercession is a private ministry. I know, because there have been countless times that I have prayed alone, pacing a room or on my knees as the Spirit has burdened me to pray for a leader.

I also know that if it were not for my involvement in church life, I would not be where I am today.

The ministry of intercession may be hidden, but it is vital that we engage in a church community and have accountability and leadership in our spiritual gifts.

Involvement is more than just attendance. It means helping to serve in the church, being under leadership, and being part of the church prayer community.

There are no ‘lone rangers’ in the body of Christ. We are a body, with different parts and different gifts and we need each other (1 Cor 12)

8. Take Time out.

Personal intercession can be hard work and intercessors (depending on the relationship) can carry a great burden of care.

When our intercessory team carried one of our pastors in prayer during long weeks of life-threatening surgery, I was very aware of their labour in prayer and the emotional nature of their concern.

As the one coordinating the prayer effort, I became very tired, and eventually realised that I needed to hand the organisational responsibility over to someone else.

Do not feel that you have to be on prayer duty 24/7. As with any ministry, put some boundaries around your time and energy.

If you feel that you no longer carry a burden from God to pray, don’t be afraid to be honest and to step out from the prayer commitment.

You will be greatly relieved when you do—and the leader will respect your decision.

You are not indispensable. God is faithful, and will provide others to step into your place.

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Notes:

[1] See the post, ‘How To Increase Your Prayer Support Through Personal Intercession’

[2] A book on this topic that greatly blessed our prayer department is entitled Intercessors Discover Your Prayer Power, by FEMRITE, T; ALVES, E; KAUFMAN, K.  2000.  Ventura : Regal.

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Do you have any experiences or 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.

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

This week and next, we are going to look at personal intercession—or prayer partnering. Today I am sharing some tips for leaders to make the most of prayer support and next week will review some vital keys for those of us who are personal intercessors ourselves.

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I first encountered the ministry of personal intercession 16 years ago. At that time, the Hunk and I were ministering with a mission agency. We recognised the need to have prayer support, especially for his role as National Director, his frequent missions trips, and our itinerant ministry around New Zealand.

To this day, we reflect with gratitude on the significant role our intercessors played, as our ‘hidden’ partners in ministry.

More recently I spent 5 years leading prayer in our church, in which we organised personal intercession for our pastors and leaders. I have also been a personal intercessor myself.

Now in itinerant ministry again, I am again focused on nurturing significant prayer partnerships.

Personal Intercession

A personal intercessor is someone who prays regularly for another person.

At its simplest form, personal intercession can be the natural response of friends who support one another in prayer, or a prayer partnership.

Personal intercession can also be anonymous. For example, a person whose heart is moved upon by the Holy Spirit may pray once or continually for another, without the need of acknowledgement.

But the most well-known use of personal intercession occurs when leaders or ministers—recognising the need for prayer cover due to the nature of their ministry—seek those who will strategically partner in prayer with them.

The Power of Prayer

‘Brothers and sisters, pray for us.’ (1 Thess 5:25)

Personal intercession recognises that prayer is vital to the fulfilment of God’s purposes and plans (Matt 6:10). It also acknowledges that prayer is a means of spiritual protection (Rom 15:31, 2 Cor 1:10-11)

Throughout his letters in the New Testament, the Apostle Paul urged people and churches to pray for him and his ministry.

Paul’s requests for prayer give us an insight into the benefits and power of personal intercession. [1]

Tips for Making the Most of Your Prayer Support

Are you a leader who could benefit from having or increasing your prayer support? Here are some ideas that can help you:

Build Relationship with Your Prayer Supporters

Be specific about how you would like your prayer partners to pray. This empowers them and makes it easy for them to respond if they do not have a great deal of time.

Communicate in a personal way. Don’t just share your schedule and your prayer requests. Let them know what is on your heart and allow them see your humanness—they will relate to you and pray all the more. (2 Cor 1:8-11)

Express Appreciation. Thank them often and well—your prayer supporters are your hidden team, generous with their love and time.

Share testimonies and answers to prayer, don’t just send requests. Sharing the results helps them to feel part of your team and the stories cause them to praise God and spur them on to pray more!

Encourage feedback—let them know you would love to receive prophetic insights or scriptural words of encouragement. When you do receive feedback, respond to it, even if you can only manage a brief ‘Thank you.’

Pray for those who pray for you

Paul not only constantly asked for prayer, he also reciprocated it, earnestly praying for the people and churches on his heart. (Phil 1:4, Philemon 1:4, Eph 1:16)

This is the basis of true prayer partnership.

At David McCracken Ministries, we invite those who are praying for us to also share their own prayer requests. We make praying for these a priority as a team, together and individually. We also pray for our partners on a regular basis at our weekly meetings.

Recognise the Limitations of Email

Email is currently the most utilised means of communicating prayer requests.

However, these days, people are bombarded with requests and emails and we can’t assume that every person will read the email immediately—or read it at all.

Be creative with your subject header to pique interest. Make your email personal, concise and interesting.

For urgent prayer requests, or with a select group of prayer supporters who are close to you, SMS is a great way to gain immediate prayer support.

If you want your number to remain private, or have a large organisation, you can send bulk SMS (texts) via an online service.

Consider some other creative ways to gain prayer support, such as social media. Some, such as Facebook, have the capacity for closed (non-public) groups. I recently ‘tweeted’ a prayer request and had someone from the other side of the world stop and pray for me! [2]

Don’t expect all your prayer partners to pray the same way.

Appreciate the differences between your intercessors and take these into account. There are 3 main types of prayer partners. These are:

1. ‘Daily intercessors’ will pray for you most days, and may pray prefer to pray over a list.

If you have a large number of prayer supporters, consider having a general information sheet you can email or post out, with your photo, info about your ministry, your passion, your family (if you would like them prayed for), and general prayer requests.

2 ‘Alert intercessors’ will pray when you alert them to a particular need or remind them to pray.

Included in this group are some pray-ers have a special gift to pray specifically and powerfully in times of crisis.

3. ‘Prophetic intercessors’ will be open to the leading of the Holy Spirit as to when and how to pray for you.

These are most likely to feedback prophetic insights, and if they are gifted in discernment, will be of special assistance when spiritual warfare is occurring.

You don’t have to share the same information with all of your prayer partners.

If preferred, you can have levels, or circles, of prayer support. Your innermost circle will be those who are closest to you, with whom you can trust confidential information and personal requests.

An outer circle can receive general prayer requests, and information such as itineraries. Nurture both.

Don’t Rely Solely on Intercession by Others

We need to ensure that our own prayer life (as well as that of our organisation, church or ministry team) is active and that we ourselves are praying for the things we are asking our prayer partners to cover.

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A gift to my Prayer-Loving Readers

My e-book, ‘Pray for the Lost’ is available for free download at the David McCracken Ministries website for a limited time. It is my joy to share it with you.
Check it out at the DMM free resources page here: http://www.davidmccracken.org/Resources—FREE-This-Month.php

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Notes:
[1]

The Apostle Paul’s Prayer Requests:

• For help, for deliverance from external hardships, as well as internal pressures (2 Cor 1:8-11)

• For boldness and for God to give him words to speak as he preached the Gospel (Eph 6:18-20)

• For doors of ministry to open, for the ability to preach the gospel clearly (Col 4:2-5)

• For release from persecution, imprisonment and difficult circumstances (Phil 1:19-20, Philem 1:22)

• For protection and favour (Rom 15:31)

• For the rapid spread and reception of the Gospel message (2 Thess 3:1)

[2] To view my Twitter account, click here. I also especially recommend David McCracken’s Twitter account for daily inspiration.

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Do you have any experiences or 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.

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Posts on the topic of Prayer:

Release The Resources Of Heaven Through Prayer

Pray For Those You Love And Unleash The Power Of God

4 Ways To Pray: Exploring The Wonders Of Prayer

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© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

On team with David McCracken Ministries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Prayer Releases the Spirit of God

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

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

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

2. Prayer Releases God’s Miraculous Power

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

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

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

3. Prayer Releases People into Ministry

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

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

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

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

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

5. Prayer Releases Angelic help

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

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

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

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

[2] 1 Tim 2:1-5

[3] Acts 12:6-13

[4]  Psalm 103:20-21

See also, The Power Of Prophetic Prayer

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

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

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

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” (Luke 11:1)

What comes to mind when you think about the word ‘prayer’?

Some reasons that many people struggle with the concept of prayer include:

• Prayer has become a religious term in our culture today
• We have a preconceived idea as to what kind of activity prayer involves and we can’t relate to that activity
• We may associate prayer with a group or person in the church who seem very spiritual and don’t think that we could ever be like that
• We feel inadequate when it comes to prayer.

The great news is—prayer is simple and you can be yourself with God!

The Journey Of Prayer

Prayer is a bit like Jesus inviting you into a mansion to spend time with Him. You enter one room, and its treasures captivate you. You could spend months there—and you do.

Gradually you realise that there are other rooms to explore with the Lord that contain different wonders. When you are ready, you can investigate them.

To help you get started on this exciting journey, or to reflect on what more might be available to you, here are 4 essential types of prayer:

1. Relating Prayer

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (Ex 33:11).

In the relating type of prayer, we approach God as our friend.

Just as in any relationship, you can choose whether or not you relate at a surface level or whether you will trust enough to disclose the real issues in your heart.

Sometimes people hold back from doing this because they think that God knows everything about them anyway, so why tell Him how they feel? However, God wants to share an intimate relationship with us—He wants us to tell Him what is really going on inside.

Relating with God also includes dealing with anything that might get in the way. This means:

• Forgiving anyone who has hurt you or done you wrong (Mark 11:25) and
• Repenting of any sin—wrong thoughts, acts or attitudes in your life (Matt 6:12).

We can also take time to thank Him for what He has done through Jesus and in our lives, just as we would thank a friend for something they have done.

As with any friendship, meaningful communication in prayer is not just one way. Besides talking to God, we can also listen to what He is saying. This is where journaling can be beneficial, as it enables us to keep a record of what God is saying to us.

2. Requesting Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil 4:6)

In this kind of prayer, we relate to God as our Father. (Matt 7:9-11)

Prayer is where transactions are made that will bring about needed change in your life and in the lives of those you care about.

The Bible calls this ‘petition.’ This is where we make requests about people and needs that concern us. We are looking for God’s help and intervention. We ask in Jesus name. (John 15:16, John 16:23-26)

Through relating prayer and studying the Bible, we discover God’s plans for our lives. In requesting prayer, we ask for His plans to come to fruition. (John 15:7, 1 John 5:14-15)

3. Receiving Prayer

‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.’ (John 7:37)

Here, we relate to God as our Source—our life-giver and baptiser in the Holy Spirit

This type of prayer is not focused on tasks or requests, but is about enjoying and benefiting from God’s presence. Ps 91:1, Ps 63:1-8

Receiving prayer enables you to be refreshed and filled with the Holy Spirit. It includes:

• Personal times of worship or adoration (having accompanying music can help but is not necessary)
• Positioning yourself to receive a fresh infilling of His Spirit
• Enjoying God’s presence without agenda

Like intimate friends or family members who can enjoy each other’s company in silence, you do not always have to talk to God. In receiving prayer, your relationship has moved beyond the place where you have to fill it with words.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Our natural tendency in our busy, service-oriented life is to downgrade the importance of this kind of prayer. However, it is a vital way to receive power to live the Christian life. Placing yourself in a position to be receiving from God in prayer may be the most unselfish thing you can do.

4. Ruling Prayer

‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ (Matt 6:10)

In this kind of prayer, we relate to God as King.

Ruling prayer is where we discover and use the authority God has given us as His sons and daughters.

We remember that God is and has the ultimate authority. We praise Him for who He is, and the power that He has.

We then step up to use the authority God has given us in the name of Jesus. We get bold, reminding the Lord of His promises and declaring His Word for our lives. We speak out scriptures and prophetic promises that have personal meaning and application.

In ruling prayer, we are saying we are not putting up with the status quo of circumstances and our enemies. We can address forces of darkness, resisting Satan’s plans for our lives, or the lives of others (Eph 6:10-18). We exercise spiritual warfare.

The benefit of this type of prayer is that it helps us grow in our spiritual authority. Through ruling prayer, we can shift situations where others or we have become immobilised. It helps us break through to a better place.

If this kind of prayer is new to you, trying it with others might be helpful (Matt 18:18-19). Remember it is okay to write out prayers and proclamations and to read them when you are learning.

Questions to Consider

Note that although I have identified these as four distinct types of prayer, they can be used together. Here are some questions to reflect on:

• Which type of prayer are you most familiar with?
• Which type of prayer are you least familiar with?
• Which types of prayer could you focus on to bring positive change or refreshment in your devotional life?

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For Further Study:

Would you like the opportunity to study these 4 types of prayer further in a small group setting? Review my e-book here:

Encounter God: Change Your World Through Prayer

This study will also take your group through basic training on how to pray for each other for healing and other needs.

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Related Posts:

Prophetic Prayer Training Session

Pray For Those You Love And Unleash The Power Of God

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© Helen Calder  2010  Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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If you have any thoughts or experiences to share on the topic of ways in which we can pray, I would love to hear from you.  Leave a comment below. If the comments section is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

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Prophetic Training Update

This week I am going to share with you a lesson from the prophetic training that I’ve recently launched. This particular session is on the topic of ‘Prophetic Prayer.’

Overall, the course is more than just how to’s on prophecy, it is about developing a prophetic lifestyle, starting with our personal relationship with God, and progressing through topics about personal prophecy, prophetic dreams and prophetic evangelism–sharing the good news about Jesus using prophetic gifts and guidance.

Before I started developing the online prophetic training, I felt that the Father was encouraging me to do something creative and different, something that had never been done before.

Recognising that we all learn in different ways, I have included a number of different expressions and media in the training, including:

• Reading – providing insightful articles and links on the topics
• Writing – personal journal and forum
• Listening – a new podcast for every lesson
• Sharing the journey – relationally with others on the forum
• Coaching and mentoring – on the forum
• Activation – in daily life

It has been a thrill for me to see participants already engaging on the forum, sharing testimonies and needs, praying for each other as well as working through the topics.

I am about two-thirds through developing this training and expect it to be completed by the end of November. Here is a bonus preview of Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer:

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Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer


Hi everyone, and a warm welcome back to Enliven Prophetic Training.
A special thanks to those who have been engaging on the forum. I love hearing what others have to say about the revelations that they are receiving and what they believe God is saying. We can learn from each other as we share different interpretations.
Please don’t hold back and feel free to challenge, chew over and add your opinions to my own ideas and insights. I’m on here to learn, too!

(Note to visitors: most of the forum is only accessible to registrants, so you will only be able to view a few topics. The privacy settings are there to provide a safe place for trainees)

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Please listen the following 16 minute message which has teaching, along with information on activities for the week and some pointers for contributing to the forum:

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).

Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer

Note you may have to wait a few moments for this message to load.

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Activities To Do

This week we are continuing our focus on prophetic ministry as it relates to our personal relationship with God. Last week, our context was receiving a prophetic message (hearing His voice) for ourselves personally. This week, our focus is prophetic prayer.

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My simple definition is:
Prophetic prayer is when we pray using information that has been supernaturally revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. **Note, this can be revelation we have received ourselves, or we can pray using a prophecy given to us by another person.

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Here is a list of some things that will help you grow in the area of receiving revelation from God and participate in discussions on the forum:

1.   Listen to the explanations of the different types of prophetic prayer in the podcast. In brief, these are: Receiving, Interceding, Warfaring, Ministering, Proclaiming.

Think about which type of prophetic prayer you could personally benefit from becoming stronger in, or could help you in a current situation you are facing.

For more encouragement to help get you started, read the following blog post:
Need A Breakthrough? Uncover The Mysteries Of Heaven

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2.   This week, use your journal to write out a prophetic prayer, or make bullet-point notes to use as you pray.

You may like to use a prophecy given to you by someone else. If so, here is an article that can help:
Is it Time to Birth Your Prophetic Word in Prayer?

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ON THE FORUM:

3. Tell us which type of prophetic prayer you would like to work on and (if you feel comfortable doing so), share why.

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4. Do you have a story about prophetic prayer from your past (or present) that you would like to share? Or a question you would like to ask? We’d love to hear from you!

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5. Some optional related reading:

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

Your Prophetic Word and Spiritual Warfare

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

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For more information on the Enliven Prophetic Training, check out the Prophetic Training page.

© Helen Calder 2010    Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

The Hunk and I have a drawer that contains personal prophecies given to us over a period of 20 years. Most of them are on loose-leaf pieces of paper.

Some are yellowing with age. On a couple, the typed print is fading and I can barely make out what is written there. A few are on audiocassette tapes.

A number of the prophecies have been fulfilled to varying degrees. Others speak of times yet to come—of things that we carry in our hearts but have not yet seen with our eyes.

Igniting a Prophecy with Prayer

A prophetic word from God is like a notice to us of His intentions. However its fulfilment will only take place as we partner with Him—as we pray, listen and obey.

Jesus taught us to pray,

‘Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ Matt 6:10

Everything God does on the earth He accomplishes in partnership with His people through prayer. As John Wesley said,

“God does nothing but in answer to prayer, and everything by it.”

Elijah understood this. He prophesied to King Ahab that the drought would be broken immediately by rain. What happens next? We see him immediately birthing the prophetic message in prayer. As James says:

‘Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.’ James 5:17-18

Elijah prophesied—and then He prayed. When the prophecy and prayer were combined, in God’s timing, ignition took place. God’s power was released to fulfil His Word.

Discerning the Timing of God

‘In the first year of [Darius’] reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.’ Dan 9:1-3

Here we see Daniel using Jeremiah’s prophecy to pray, repent, and remind God of His mercy and promises.

Daniel was gifted himself in prophetic ministry. But he recognised that Jeremiah had received a message from God that pertained to the current time in which he, Daniel, lived.

It was time to birth that prophecy in prayer.

Nehemiah reminded God of the prophetic promise made through Moses—that God would restore His exiled people to their land when they returned in obedience to Him. (Neh 1:8-9)

Nehemiah’s prophetic prayer was so powerful that it propelled him into becoming a leader in answering that prayer.

Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit

It is not enough to prophesy or simply receive a prophecy.

Many times we receive a personal prophecy and we say, “That’s nice.” We might even get excited about it, because it speaks to something that is already on our hearts.

We may pray about it as we weigh it up. But then, we shelve it where it gathers dust. After all, the ultimate test of whether it is actually a word from God is whether or not it comes to pass. And so we wait.

Now here is the challenge that I believe the Bible makes to us:

There comes a time when we should begin to birth that prophecy in prayer. And we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as to when that time is.

In 1 Chronicles 12:32, we read about the sons of Issachar, who ‘understood the times and knew what Israel should do.’ This ability to sense God’s timing is a quality and gift that we should seek as prophetic people.

The Holy Spirit directs the timing of prophetic prayer to bring to birth God’s purposes at the right moment in history.

We need to ask Him for sensitivity to the times and seasons of God, so that like Daniel, Nehemiah and Elijah, we will know when it is time to pray for God’s prophetic word to be brought to pass.

A Neglected Prophecy

Last week, I led a study in prophetic prayer. As I was preparing for it, I realised that we have neglected to review and pray over our prophecies.

A prophecy that was given to us more than 10 years ago came to my attention. A visiting prophet to our church in New Zealand brought a word over my husband and me. He said that God was going to increase the prophetic anointing in our lives.

Now I have a confession to make right here. Because we have other, more dramatic and exciting prophecies, I have never paid much attention to this one.

However, we discussed the prophecy last week and realised that this was indeed stirring in us right now.

I shared the prophecy at our training night and demonstrated some different ways we could pray and proclaim it. Within 24 hours something happened that confirmed to us that the timing of that prophecy is for our current season.

A message from God that we had shelved has suddenly been brought to the forefront.

Here is a challenging question for you to consider:

What prophecy have you shelved—but it is now time to birth it in prayer?

Some Ways to use a Prophecy in Prayer:

1.    Use the prophecy to remind God of His promises in prayer and ask Him for their fulfilment

2.    Turn the prophecy into a declaration of what God will do—and speak it out

3.    Use the prophecy to wage spiritual warfare

4.    Consider the power of praying and proclaiming prophetic scriptures (e.g. over yourself and family members)

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Related Posts:

Dealing With Prophetic Disappointment

How To Make The Most Of Your Personal Prophecy

How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy Or Dream Interpretation Is From God?

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

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© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

In the year 2000, The Hunk and I were living in Tauranga, New Zealand and working for a mission agency that was reaching Asia with the Good News about Jesus.

I loved my country of birth with a passion. I had also fallen in love with our adopted city, and planned to live there—God willing—for the rest of my life.

One evening at a church service, the visiting speaker asked us to form groups to pray for nations that were on our heart. I moved to the group that was interceding for Asia. To my utter surprise, when I closed my eyes, I saw the map of Australia.

At that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘You are going to receive a Macedonian call.’

Then I remembered that in Acts 16, the Apostle Paul had a dream in which a Macedonian man stood begging him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

I shared the incident with my husband, and we tucked the word away in the back of our minds. ‘Perhaps’, we thought, ‘we will take short trips across to Australia for ministry at some stage.’

Some six months later, we had a social visit from the Australian Board Chairman of our mission organisation. We were sitting in a café in Tauranga when he said, ‘Would you come over and help us?’

The Hunk and I looked at each other—both thinking the same thing. Had we just received our Macedonian call?

Many other incidents served to confirm that God was indeed calling us to live and minister in Australia, and the call to ‘come across and help’ became stronger. In 2002 we moved our family across to Melbourne to live.

Divine Positioning

In Acts 17:26-28, Paul said,

‘From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.’

Stop! Read that again…

Sometimes it is easier for us to believe that God is in charge of the big picture of our lives—like our move to Australia—than in our daily life.

However, I have come to realise that God has not only divinely placed me, but that He is also at work in the lives of people around me, positioning them to seek Him.

If God has placed someone around your life who does not know personally Jesus’ love and salvation, you can be assured that God has put them there.

This may be a family member, a workmate, neighbour, fellow-student or even someone you bump into at the supermarket or on the street.

Their proximity to you tells you that God is already at work in their lives, drawing them to Himself. There may not be any outwards signs of faith, but you do not need to be discouraged by their apparent lack of interest or hardness.

You can have confidence that God has positioned you alongside them. To be a messenger of His love and goodness, an influence to bring them further along on their journey of faith.

Prayer Aids Divine Positioning.

When you pray, the Holy Spirit will position you at the right place, at the right time, to be part of someone’s salvation miracle.

Prayer aids divine positioning. The story of Cornelius in Acts 10 is a great example of this.

In this story, we see prayer accomplishing two things. Firstly, the prayer of Cornelius moved the hand of the Lord to bring salvation to him and his household (Acts 10:4) and secondly, prayer put the Apostle Peter into a place where he could see, hear and respond to the purposes of God to evangelise the Gentiles, beginning with Cornelius. (Acts 10:9)

Sometimes we looks at people around us and all we see is impossibility—but nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37).

I have learned to pray and ask God to put the people that He wants to touch in my path every day—THEN, to look for what happens next.

You are a vital link in the chain of relationships and events that will lead someone to faith in Jesus.

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Related Posts:

A Beginners Guide to Prophetic Evangelsim Pt 1

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

This is the third post in the Prophetic Evangelism series.

What is Prophetic Prayer?

Prophetic prayer occurs when we use revelation received from the Holy Spirit in the process of praying.

The New Testament Greek word translated ‘revelation’ means ‘unveiling.’ The Holy Spirit shares knowledge that we could not know by natural means. We then reflect that supernatural insight back to God in requests, intercession and proclamation.

A revelation from God may come in the form of a prophecy, picture (vision), dream, idea, or scripture. However, there are a myriad of creative ways that the Holy Spirit can speak to us if we are open to hearing His voice.

We can also pray prophetically without it being premeditated on our part. During or after the prayer we realise that the Holy Spirit has directed us how to pray.

4 Types of Prophetic Prayer

There are four main types of prophetic prayer. These are:

1. Receiving:

The Spirit shares prophetic revelation with us as we wait on God in prayer

2. Interceding:

We use the prophetic revelation we have received to remind God of His promises

3. Warfaring:

We use prophetic revelation to wage spiritual warfare and make powerful proclamations

4. Imparting:

God uses us to pray prophetically as we minister in prayer to others

How Prophetic Prayer can help in the Process of Evangelism

1. Receiving revelation in prayer

One time, I was praying for a family in our neighbourhood in New Zealand, when I had a vision. It was like a slide show. I saw the couple getting married; I saw my husband officiating at the wedding; I saw them becoming Christians.

Many months later, the man called us to share a secret—he had asked his partner to marry him and wanted The Hunk to perform the ceremony. We were thrilled, because we knew that God was at work, drawing them to Himself.

As you pray for God’s guidance in the process of evangelism, or for someone on your heart that is not a Christian, be open to have the Holy Spirit speak to you.

We do not need to be limited to set times of prayer. As we learn to walk with God in our daily life, we can be open to revelation that the Holy Spirit shares with us as we go along.

2. Using revelation to make requests in prayer

Once God has spoken to us about His plans for a friend or loved one who is unsaved, or for people that we come across, we can use that revelation to make specific, faith-filled requests to God. (Is 62:6-7)

The date of our friends wedding was getting closer. One morning I prayed and cried out to God, reminding Him of the vision and promises for this couple. That very day several events took place that showed us—and them—that God was at work in their lives.

Scriptures can be especially powerful in this regard. I have a Bible verse that the Lord has spoken to me regarding a family member that I frequently bring back to Him in prayer.

The power of this kind of prophetic prayer can be summed up by these words from the Bible:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

3. Using revelation to wage spiritual warfare

Similarly, prophetic revelation can be used to wage spiritual warfare in prayer for the lives of people who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus. (Eph 6:12-18)

We can use the prophecies, scriptures, and other revelations we have received to declare God’s purposes for their lives and to pray against demonic strongholds (2 Cor 10:4-6).

Prayer helps us lead a prophetic lifestyle

In the process of prophetic evangelism, prayer can also help us in other ways:

• Prayer is where we get to know the Father’s heart and values—this helps us to respond to people the way He would.
• Prayer is the place where we commune with God. As we live out of that fellowship, we grow in sensitivity to what He is doing moment-by-moment, in our daily lives.
• Prayer helps us to stay filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to witness of His love and power to others.

Prophetic prayer is powerful because we are praying according to what is on God’s heart and in His purposes for a situation, ourselves or other people.

Just as with all prophecy, it is important that any revelation we receive in prayer be weighed up, to see if it really is from God.

In the next post, I will look at a third key to prophetic evangelism, which is ‘positioning’—being aware that God has strategically placed you alongside people who are on His heart. He is already at work in their lives, drawing them to Himself.

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Are you interested in finding out more about how to pray effectively for your unsaved family and friends?

For further information, check out the e-book,

Pray for the Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny of Those You Love

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Related posts:

Prophetic Prayer Training Session

A Beginners Guide To Prophetic Evangelism Part 1

Pray for Those You Love and Unleash the Power of God

Need A Breakthrough? Uncover the Mysteries of Heaven

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing