Is what you are experiencing spiritual warfare, or ‘just life?’

For many months I blithely walked around my favourite local park, enjoying the gardens, the scenery, and my time out, oblivious to any dangers that might be lurking in the shrubbery.

Then one day I read a newspaper article about a boy who had been bitten by a snake in the same park just a few days before, and had been taken to hospital.

We are Kiwis living in Australia. We don’t have snakes in New Zealand. We can walk in the bush in our ‘jandals’ without a care in the world.

On my next visit to the park, I was on high alert. Tense, and on edge, I watched the path and was alerted by every rustle in the bush. There seemed to be an awful lot of rustling! I did not enjoy the walk that day.

Sure enough, I soon settled down and was back to taking pleasure in my walks. However I took some basic precautions; not veering off the paths and ensuring that I had my mobile phone with me if I was walking alone.

In Luke 10:19-20, Jesus said,

“I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.”

Like my response to snakes in the park, there are two errors that we can fall into with regard to spiritual warfare. One is to ignore it altogether (2 Cor 2:11) and at the other extreme, to make too much of it.

Balance requires us to always step back and discern whether what we are experiencing is spiritual warfare, or just something happening that is physical and emotional, or a combination of both.

12 signs you may be experiencing spiritual warfare

Our goal in spiritual warfare is not to draw or pay attention to what the devil is doing. It is to focus on God and pay attention to what HE is doing—and not put up with less than His best.

Here are some signs of a spiritual battle taking place. Being alert to these can help you weigh up whether or not a situation is being affected by spiritual warfare.

1. Changes for the worse (especially sudden or severe) in areas of health, finances, relationships

Important note: When we are sick or when bad things happen to us, it is not always the devil that causes it
·It may be just physical
·Sometimes it is just life
·Sometimes (e.g. financial or relationships) it is others’ or our own wrong choices.

2. Temptation to sin—beyond the normal

Temptation originates with our own weakness and ungodly desires (James 1:13-15) but the enemy can use situations and people around us, to apply extreme or sudden pressure on us in these areas.

3. Pattern of recurring negative events

Note that this can also be indicative of a curse in operation.

4. Atmosphere – of pressure or oppression

In Rom 14:17, the Apostle Paul tells us that the Kingdom of God consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. When we are robbed of these things, we need to pay attention. What happened?

5. Severe discouragement

We need to particularly pay attention when the first signs of discouragement strike. Discouragement or confusion should be like an orange flashing light, alerting us to the possibility that we are in a spiritual battle.

According to Rick Joyner, the progressive ‘sting of witchcraft’ is: discouragement, confusion, depression, loss of vision, disorientation, withdrawal and despair leading to defeat. These are the signs we need to pay attention to when on the alert for spiritual warfare in our personal lives and ministry [1]. One example of this in operation is Elijah’s response after he was threatened by Jezebel. (1 Kings 19)

6. Crippling condemnation

The conviction of the Holy Spirit is specific and brings conclusion through repentance, but condemnation is cloudy.

7. Intimidation and Fear (I Can’t)

This is especially so when the fear is pressuring you to stop moving in the direction of God’s revealed will for your life, or that of your family, ministry or church.

8. Confusion

The enemy thrives in confusion. We think it’s us. Everything gets hazy. Confusion is often an attack on our minds, but it can also be apparent in relationships where communication becomes distorted, perverted and misrepresented.

9. Anything that brings pressure to bear AGAINST God’s revealed will for your life

10. Pressure (beyond the normal) on important relationships

11. Battle in the mind – negative ‘tapes’ playing

Our mind (and that of others) becomes a central battleground (2 Cor 10:5), where the enemy tries to sow messages that are contrary to the word God has spoken to us or revealed in the Bible underscoring feelings such as failure, fear, condemnation, hurt, or even attack and accusation of others.

12. Distinct start time,

With spiritual warfare, there is usually a distinctive time of onset. If you have an ongoing history in one of the above areas, e.g. fear, relational or sin issues, it is probably not warfare. It may be personal ‘baggage’ that you need to deal with.

The Battle Won

And having disarmed the powers and authorities, [Christ] made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. (Col 2:15)

The good news is that Jesus has won the battle for us on the cross. We can apply the authority He has given to us and enter into His victory.

In the next blog post I will begin exploring some ways to deal with spiritual warfare once you have discerned it taking place in your personal life, church or ministry.

If you have any ideas about other signs of spiritual warfare or personal experiences, we would love to hear your response in the comments section of this post.

Snakes Alive!

My first real-life encounter with a snake came later, in another park. The Hunk and I were exploring a trail when we came across a poisonous brown snake barring the way to our destination.

My intrepid husband crept closer to the snake doing his best Steve Irwin impression (‘Crikey! Isn’t it a beauty?)

I, on the other hand, dug my heels in and refused to progress any further, even when the snake veered off into the undergrowth. What if it was there again when we returned?

It seems that some things never change!

[1] Rick Joyner, The Surpassing Greatness Of His Power, 1996, Whitaker House:New Kensington

Related Posts:

Prophetic People & Spiritual Warfare

Your Prophetic Word and Spiritual Warfare

Prophetic People & Spiritual Warfare In The Church

© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing

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

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

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PROPHETIC PEOPLE IN A CHANGING CHURCH

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

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

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GROW YOUR PROPHETIC AND PRAYER GIFTS

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

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

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*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

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

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

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

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

Journaling in scripture

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

What Do You Need for Journaling?

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

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

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

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

Types of Journaling

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

Some simple options you can use for written journaling are:

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

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

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

2. Prayer journaling

Remember that journaling methods are tools, not rules.

The Two Week Journaling Challenge

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

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

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

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

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Read Isaiah 62:2-4)

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

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

Ask the Lord for a name or description that is in keeping with your spiritual identity and calling for 2010 and beyond. As you agree with Jesus about who you are and what you are capable of, His word will bring transformation to your life and things of the past will begin to drop off you.

The second question is related to this:

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

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

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

Here are some more questions that may help you:

A. What am I wearing?

Here are some Biblical examples of symbolic clothing:

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

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

B. What am I doing?

Some examples are:

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

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

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

C. What am I saying? (to people)

D What am I praying? (to God)

E. Where am I standing?

F. Who is with me?

And finally,

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

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

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

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

****************************************************************************************

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

Are you interested in having an encouraging prophetic word for 2010?

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

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

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

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

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

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

One word from God can hold tremendous power.

A prophetic word from God for your year can:

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

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

Here are some ways you can receive a prophetic word for 2010:

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

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

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

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

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

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

What you can do with your prophetic word:

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

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

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

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

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

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

****************************************************************************************

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

****************************************************************************************

Related posts:

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

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

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Have you ever received a prophecy that left you feeling uncomfortable?

On rare occasions, I have received a prophetic word that has felt wrong—and yet because it was given to me in a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ manner, the person prophesying was inferring that to reject the prophecy was to be in disobedience towards God!

This dilemma has the potential to cause great pain and can especially be harmful to newer Christians. I have prayed with people who have received a negative or ‘off’ prophecy and together we have broken the power of the word spoken over their lives.

Prophecy is abusive when it does not give room for a receiver to weigh up whether the prophecy is from the Lord or not. This is true even if the word is one of encouragement. But if the word is mistaken, it has the added potential of becoming a curse that bears negative fruit in the recipient’s life until it is broken in Jesus’ Name. (For more information about breaking the effects of abusive prophecy check out the post and comments, ‘How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy is From God?’)

• Releasing the Receiver of Your Prophecy

When you share a prophetic message, it is vital that you give the person or group you are prophesying over freedom to weigh up the prophecy and receive it, or discard it.

You can do this by using releasing language such as, ‘I believe the Lord is saying…’ ‘Does this mean anything to you?’ ‘I sense…’ This communicates to them that you see yourself as a ‘human vessel’ that could miss the mark. You are submitting the word to them for their assessment.

You do not need to worry that the effect of the prophecy will be watered down by such an approach. The Lord honours humility in the use of His gifts.

This is not to say that prophesying as though God was speaking in the first person through you is always wrong. In fact, this approach can be incredibly powerful, especially when the prophecy is being accompanied by the impartation of an anointing or spiritual gift. However, I believe that this style of prophesying is best left to those who are mature in the prophetic ministry.

If you do move into first-person prophecy such as, ‘The Lord is saying…’ ensure that it has been prefaced or concluded by releasing language as we’ve discussed above.

When prophesying over individuals, I like to make available a brochure I have written called, ‘What to do With Your Personal Prophecy.’ The handout explains how to weigh up a prophetic word and what to do with it. It reminds them that they have the freedom to receive or release the word, and fulfils a duty of care on my part.

• Be Honest About Conflicting Motives

Prophecy is not a format for us to give our opinion, nor under any circumstances should it be used as a cover for directing or counseling a person to our way of thinking.

If we are experiencing conflict about our motives in bringing a prophecy— it is better to abstain from bringing the word—or to be honest about this conflict as we deliver it. This can occur when we are familiar with the person or situation that we are prophesying over.

• Provide Accountability

Whichever means you use to deliver a prophecy, it is important to do so in a way that provides you with safe accountability (you can review the Biblical guidelines in 1 Cor 14).

This means that if the prophecy is not delivered publicly or where there is at least another witness, it is able to be remembered and recorded in some way. That way, the recipient can receive advice or oversight about the prophecy if desired. It also provides you with protection should your prophecy come under question. Churches usually have their own guidelines and protocols regarding prophecy.

Writing down a prophetic word (or storing it electronically) aids with both accountability and the communication process. It also means the recipient can keep the prophecy for future encouragement or reference.

• Prophetic Evangelism

When you are using prophecy in the process of prophetic evangelism, accountability would take the form of sharing what is taking place with Christians that are journeying with you.

If the person you have a prophetic word for is not yet a Christian, I would add the following guidelines to the above:

• Be careful how you communicate that you believe what you have is a word from God. You could preface your insight with a statement such as, “I’ve been praying for you and I believe God is saying…”
• Bring the word in a natural manner and avoid using religious jargon. This is preferable at all times, but especially so when sharing a prophecy with an unchurched person.

• How To Release A Prophecy You Have Given

Once we have delivered our prophecy, we have completed our part in the process. It is over to the recipient of the message to assess the prophecy and decide whether to take current or future action on the word from God.

Bringing a prophecy is like a postman delivering a letter. Once we have faithfully ‘dropped the letter in the mailbox’, what the receiver does with it is generally no longer our concern.

We can pray about the person and the word, especially if we sense the Holy Spirit urging us to do so. However, we need to release the outcome to the Holy Spirit and to the recipient of the prophecy.

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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Related Posts:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 4: How to Deliver a Prophecy

4 Things You Can Do With Your Personal Prophecy

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

At the beginning of this series we identified 5 links in the process of prophecy:

1. We receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit

2. We assess the revelation and how to best communicate it in a prophetic message

3. We then deliver the prophecy to the person or group God is speaking to

4. The recipient(s) of the prophecy assess the message

5. The recipient(s) of the prophecy respond to the prophecy.

In the last two posts we have discussed how to receive a prophetic revelation, as well as how to assess its meaning and determine whether or not it is from the Holy Spirit.

At this stage, you believe you have received a message from God for a person, group or church that you have been praying for. It is time to deliver the prophecy God has given you.

For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume that you are delivering the prophecy using words, whether spoken, written or in song.

During delivery, you are framing your revelation from God (picture, word, scripture, impression, or feeling) with words

There are two ways that you can do this:

• Describe the revelation
• Unfold the revelation

1. Describe the Revelation

Describing the revelation is sharing the impression as you receive it, without elaboration. You may choose to simply describe the picture or vision, pass on the word or impression, or share the Bible verse or story that has come to mind.

The advantages of sharing a prophetic revelation just as you received it are:

• It is easier when you are beginning in prophecy
• The revelation runs less danger of being tainted by your own opinion about what it means
• The revelation may have special significance for the person that you are unaware of
• It aids the recipient in remembering the prophecy, especially if the revelation was a picture, verse or Bible story.

Simply describing a revelation also has limitations:

• The person may not have the Biblical knowledge to understand any symbolism in your revelation
• There may be more insight about the revelation that you have received, or could receive, but are not sharing
• This method does not require a high level of faith
• If you always use this method, you will limit your growth in the gift of prophecy.

2. Unfolding the Revelation

Another way you can share a revelation is to use the impression you received to launch into a more detailed prophecy.

When you unfold a revelation, you are bringing an interpretation of the revelation, and enlarging upon it, as the Holy Spirit illuminates it to you. By faith, you are also allowing the Spirit to direct the flow of your expression.

As you grow in prophetic ministry, you will find more revelation comes to mind as you are prophesying, enabling you to share an extended prophecy. You are assessing the new revelation during the process of prophesying.

The advantages of this kind of prophetic ministry are:

• It enables the recipient to receive a greater clarification of the prophetic word
• The impact and impartation of the prophecy increases due to the higher level of faith and boldness required to deliver this kind of prophetic message
• It suits maturing prophetic ministry.

Some cautions about unfolding revelation in this way are:

• At this stage, if not careful, you are prone to filter God’s word with your own ideas, judgements, history and experience (especially if the recipient of the prophecy is known to you)
• If you step into this kind of prophecy when you are not ready, the prophecy can go awry!

I believe that it is usually best—if you feel confident enough to do so—to both describe and unfold the revelation you have received. For example, you may say, ‘I had a picture of… and I believe the Lord is saying…’

This way, the recipient receives the benefits of both the initial revelation and the extension of the prophecy.

I have seen mature prophets deliver prophecies in this way that have had a high impact on the recipient.

When beginning in prophecy it is best to start with simple sharing and work up to stronger prophecy as you grow in experience and wisdom, taking small steps forward at a time. This is where growing your prophetic gift in the safe community of a church is valuable.

Some Other Thoughts About Delivering a Prophecy:

It is vital that we use wisdom as to the means, context, place, manner, and timing of delivering a prophecy. I’ve often heard it said that the church carpark is the wrong place to bring a prophecy!

• Verbalising a prophecy is only one way in which it can be delivered. Other ways you can share a prophecy include in writing, through prophetic song, prophetic art, multi-media and through symbolic action. Ensure that you are gifted in the media that you decide to use!
• Deliver the word clearly. If the message is delivered in an unclear or ambiguous manner, it will obscure its meaning. Also remember that what is clear to you may not be clear to someone else and that you may need to adapt your approach at times;
• Delivery also involves how you bring the message. It includes your style, the tone of your voice and your attitude as you give it (if you write a prophecy, this includes your writing style).Your attitude and manner of speech should reflect the heart of God towards the recipient;
• Be sure to share the prophecy in a way that gives them room to weigh up whether the message is from God, and receive or release the word

In the next post, I will be discussing two very important aspects of delivering a prophecy that creates a safe environment for both giver and receiver.

****************************************************************************************

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

****************************************************************************************

See also:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelaton Is From God

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

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

You are praying for yourself, another person, church or group and waiting for God to bring a prophetic word through you. Now you receive a revelation—a thought, picture, scripture verse, Bible story word, feeling, dream or other impression.

How do you know that it is from the Holy Spirit?

Our senses are constantly being bombarded with all kinds of thoughts and feelings. We need to carefully assess whether the revelation is from God and not our own opinion, imagination or even demonic in origin. This is important even when we are in prayer or waiting on the Lord for a prophecy.

As you grow in your prophetic gift, this process will increase in speed until it occurs almost simultaneously as you prophesy. As you start out, however, it can take a bit longer. In the early stages of developing your prophetic gift you may prefer to meditate on your revelation, journal it, or share it with a mentor or leader before sharing it as a prophetic word.

If you are unsure whether the impression you are receiving is a message from God, it is OK to dismiss it, or to shelve it for a later time. We need to give ourselves the grace that God extends to us in this process and not get hung up that everything we are getting has to be 100% perfect (see the post, ‘Not Word-Perfect’ for more about this). If this happens, pass over it and wait prayerfully for another revelation.

There are two things that we can do that will help us in this process:

1. Assess the likely meaning of the revelation
2. Assess whether or not the revelation is likely to be from God

1. What Does the Revelation Mean?

Broadly, revelations from the Holy Spirit can be either plain or symbolic in their meaning.

Plain Revelation

Plain revelation has an obvious meaning and can be interpreted in a straight-forward way. If the revelation were to be shared without elaboration—as is—to the person you are prophesying to, the meaning could easily be understood by them.

Some examples of plain revelation are:

*You think of a Bible verse, for example Psalm 23:1 ‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want’ or Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart… He shall direct your paths’

*A word comes to mind, such as ‘boldness’

*You have an impression, such as ‘God is releasing provision for an area of need’

*You have a feeling, such as, “I am feeling God’s compassion and love for this person’

*A non-symbolic picture or vision comes to mind, such as seeing the Lord embracing the person. Most visions and dreams, however, are symbolic in nature

Symbolic Revelation

Symbolic revelation occurs when the impression, picture or word you receive is representative of something else. It requires interpretation by yourself or the recipient in order for the meaning to be understood.

Some examples of symbolic revelation are:

*You recall a Bible story, such as David and Goliath (1 Sam 17). The presenting symbolism is that God is giving the person or group you are praying for victory over an enemy or adversity

*You have a symbolic picture come to mind, for example you see the person standing behind a huge shield. This seems to mean that God is encouraging them that they are shielded from something that could be potentially harmful. You are also reminded of Bible verses such as Psalm 3:3 that says that God is our shield.

Questions to ask about a symbolic revelation:

1. Is the symbolism Biblical?

If so, what does it mean in the Bible? Does it have more than one meaning? For example fire in the Bible is representative of the Holy Spirit—but it is also representative of trial and judgement (Acts 2:1-4, Ps 66:12, 1 Cor 3:13)

2. Is it non-Biblical symbolism? If so, does the symbol have a meaning in our cultural context?

A symbol can be a combination of both—for example, if a picture of a lighthouse comes to mind, you remember that Jesus said that His followers would be a light to the world (Matt 5:14). As the specific function of a lighthouse is to show ships the right way to travel and prevent loss and destruction, the symbol has an added value of meaning.

3. Is it a symbol you don’t understand?

Here you have a choice as to whether to dismiss the impression if you believe it may not be from God, or to proceed and share it as you receive it. The symbol may have a significant meaning to the recipient that you are unaware of—we will discuss this in the next blog post.

Sometimes a revelation can have both plain and symbolic elements.

2. How to Check Whether the Impression You Have Received is From God

Once you have assessed a revelation for its probable meaning, you can check the revelation, along with your interpretation of it, by passing it through a simple test:

A. Does it fall within the Biblical guidelines of being strengthening, encouraging and comforting? (1 Cor 14:3). In other words, does it ‘build up, lift up or cheer up?’

B.  Does it reflect God’s character and nature?

C.  Is it redemptive? (i.e., true to the ‘Good News’ of salvation, containing a positive outcome and speaking of God’s redeeming purposes)

D. Is it loving in expression towards the recipient?

E.  Does it adhere to scriptural principles?

F. Is it, or could it be relevant to the professed need of the person, group or situation that we are praying for or ministering to? (This may be difficult to ascertain, and this is where faith comes in as we mature in the prophetic gift)

G. Is it true to God’s voice as He normally speaks to you?

As you start out in prophecy, you experience doubts as to whether the impression you have received is really from God or was from your own imagination. However, if it is Biblical, and builds up, lifts up or cheers up, it can still bring encouragement.

You will know for sure whether it was from the Lord by the fruit, or outcome of the word after you have delivered it. Time will tell. Deliver the message in faith and watch what God does.

A good guideline for beginning in prophecy is, ‘No direction or correction; no dates or mates.’ If you strongly believe you are receiving a warning or direction from God for the person, group or church you are praying for, either refrain from bringing it and commit it to prayer, or submit it to a leader for guidance.

I encourage those who are maturing in prophecy to ascertain and communicate God’s redemptive purposes (that is, the positive outcome He intends), when the prophecy contains a warning.

Once we are comfortable with sharing the revelation we have received, we then need to decide how best to communicate that message from God.

In the next post, I will discuss the next stage of prophecy—which is deciding how to frame and then deliver your prophetic message.

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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See also:

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

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: How To Receive a Revelation From God

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

We can easily be intimidated when we hear a seasoned prophet bring a prophetic word. The flow and ease with which they speak, powerfully delivering a message from God seems supernatural.

We don’t know how we could ever be like that! It may be helpful to know that even mature prophets receive prophetic words the same way that we can—and it starts with receiving a simple revelation from God.

In Pt 1 of this series, we discussed 5 links in the process of prophecy:

1. We receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit

2. We assess the revelation and how to best communicate it in a prophetic message

3. We then deliver the prophecy to the person or group God is speaking to

4. The recipient(s) of the prophecy assess the message

5. The recipient(s) of the prophecy may or may not pray or take further action in response to the word.

Prophecy begins with receiving a revelation from the Holy Spirit.

The word ‘revelation’ in the New Testament Greek, apokalupsis, means ‘an uncovering,’ or disclosure. The Holy Spirit is showing us something that we could not know by natural means. He is revealing something supernaturally about the person, group or situation that we are praying about or ministering to.

A revelation can be a word of knowledge about something past or present, an encouraging outcome from a present circumstance, or illuminating God’s plans concerning the future. [A revelation may also contain a warning or a condition—however when you are first learning to prophesy, these are best submitted to leadership for oversight before delivery].

A revelation from God does not come externally; if you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit, He resides within you. As Jesus said,

‘“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 7:38-39).

You receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit in your spirit, which is then imparted to your mind or through your physical senses.

Here are some ways in which a revelation can come to you:

• You are reminded of a Bible verse or story—or one is highlighted to you when you are reading the Bible*
• You ‘see’ a picture in your mind’s eye
• An idea or impression comes to mind
• You feel something emotionally or physically
• A word comes to mind or you ‘see’ a written word in your imagination

Other ways God can speak through revelation are:

• Dreams
• Waking visions (like a movie in your imagination)
• Something that you see physically is symbolic (for example, you are driving along and a sign impacts you. You realise that God is speaking through it, or you see a person who reminds you of someone else).

*Note that scripture is not only one of the primary ways that we receive revelation from the Holy Spirit, it is also the means of weighing up whether God is speaking to us and what He is saying. We will cover this in the next post.

There are many different ways that God can bring revelation to you when you are open to receiving it. Like a fingerprint, God’s way of speaking to and through you will be unique to you. In the Bible, we see that every prophet had his or her own flavour and style.

As you begin the journey of seeking for revelation from God, remember that he is your Heavenly Father; He wants to give good gifts to you and He wants to bless others through you too. Jesus said,

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

Receiving revelatory knowledge from the Holy Spirit is a first step in operating in the spiritual gift of prophecy. It can also be an important lead in to operating in other supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit such as discernment, word of knowledge, healing, deliverance and miracles.

Remember that receiving revelatory knowledge is a ministry tool and a helpful means of learning to hear from God for others and us; it should never become a quest in itself. Rather, we should hunger and thirst for God and make the Bible our primary source of instruction and wisdom.

In my next blog post, I will be looking at ‘How Can We Tell a Revelation is From God?’ From there, we will move on to how to interpret a revelation, and then explore some ways to deliver the prophetic message God has given to you.

If you have any more ideas of different ways of receiving revelation from the Holy Spirit, or an experience you would like to share, I would love to hear from you—leave a note in the comments below.

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

****************************************************************************************

See also:

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

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelation Is From God

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

The Process of Prophecy

Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit that is given by Jesus for the purpose of building the Church (1 Cor 12:10). A prophecy is a message from God that is given through a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit and has a prophetic gift.

Prophecy is one means that God uses to communicate His love and His purposes to people. Like any means of communication, it takes all of the parties’ cooperation for the message to be given and received as God intends it.

When we prophesy, we want to faithfully represent not only God’s message, but also His heart. We want to convey both His intended meaning and redemptive love for the person or group we are bringing the prophecy to.

Why Prophecy is Like a Chain

In my younger years, one of my schoolteachers sent a message by whispers around our class. By the time the message returned full circle to the teacher, it was not only scrambled, but it also meant something completely different to what the teacher originally intended. The ‘chain’ of the message became broken, not once, but many times before it reached its intended destination.

Similarly, the prophetic process is like links in a chain. Prophecy begins with a message or prompting from the Holy Spirit residing within us. We recognise and assess this revelation, decide how to frame the message, and deliver it. The person or group receiving the message then interprets its meaning in the light of their own paradigm—and then may or may not receive and act upon it.

Just as a chain with one broken link is useless for its purpose, if the prophetic communication breaks down in any one of these stages, it can detract from what God wants to do in the life of the person, church or group He is speaking to.

In spite of this weakness, Jesus entrusts us with His message, choosing to use imperfect human vessels, just as He does with other ministries such as preaching and teaching. God by His grace is able to take our imperfect communication and use it to transform lives through His love and power.

Some reasons it is helpful to understand this process are:

• Breaking the prophetic process into simple parts demystifies prophecy to someone who is starting out

• It aids prophetic activation and helps us to learn how to prophesy by focusing on one area at a time (e.g., in my next post, I will focus on how to receive a revelation from God)

• If we discover we are weak in one area of the communication process we can focus on becoming better (e.g., we may be great at receiving revelation, but need to grow in the area of how to deliver the message)

• It takes the pressure off the responsibility for the outcome when we understand our part in the process—and what is God’s, and what belongs to the recipient of the prophecy

• It helps us to grow in wisdom and sensitivity, not only to God, but also in understanding the communication needs of the person or group we are sharing with

Here is a brief description of each stage in the prophetic communication process:

1. Message Acquired (Revelation)

This is the prophetic message as it has been initially received. The Holy Spirit often speaks in a ‘seed’ form; such as a picture, scripture, word, feeling or dream.

Like a fingerprint, God’s way of speaking to and through you will be unique – just as we have unique personalities, learning styles and preferences. Throughout the Bible, prophets received revelation in many different ways.

2. Message Assessed  (Interpreted by person prophesying)

This is what you think the revelation you have received means and will determine whether you speak it and how you frame it.

At this stage, you are not only assessing the worthiness and source of the revelation (remember, this process may take a split second!), you may also be assessing the meaning. You are interpreting the revelation in the light of anything you know about the recipient’s needs. You are also interpreting the revelation in the light of what you know of God’s character, ways and word.

3. Message Announced (Delivery)

Delivery may include any way in which you bring the prophecy. Some Biblical examples include speaking, singing, writing or symbolic acts.

When starting out, you can bring the revelation as you receive it, i.e., simply share the picture, or pass on the word or impression. A maturing prophet who has grown in faith will use the revelation received to launch into prophecy, allowing the Spirit of God to direct the flow of words.

During delivery, you are framing your revelation from God (picture, word, impression, scripture or feeling) with words

Delivery also involves how you bring the message. It includes your style, the tone of your voice and your attitude as you give it. If you write a prophecy, this includes your writing style.

4. Message Assessed (Interpreted by Recipient)

This is what the recipient believes the message means and what they believe it applies to. They are listening to the message in the light of their past history, their present needs and their desires for the future, as well as their own unique perspective on God’s word and character.

5. Message Applied (Application by Recipient)

Once you have delivered the message, it is over to the recipient as to whether or not they will respond to it.

Prophecy is miraculous by nature—but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be taught, nurtured and grown to maturity as a gift. In the same way that gifts of teaching or leadership benefit from instruction, prophecy can too! In coming posts we will look at each part of this process in more depth.

****************************************************************************************

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
• news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

****************************************************************************************

See also:

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

What Are Some Signs You Have a Prophetic Gift

and How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: How To Receive a Revelation from God

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing