Receiving the grace of God for my failures—and the forgiveness and restoration of my pastors—proved a major turning point in my life.

Following those early days, I went on to lead a flourishing prayer department in a local church and am now on the ministry team at David McCracken Ministries.

Today I would like to share with you 3 Biblical aspects of prophetic ministry in church life that are foundational to the prophetic training that I run today.

3 Imperatives of Prophetic Ministry in the Church

1. The Purpose of Prophetic Ministry is to Build the Church

‘…the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort. Anyone who speaks in a tongue edifies themselves, but the one who prophesies edifies the church.’ (1 Cor 14:3-4)

The Greek word translated ‘edifies’ means to be a ‘house-builder.’ (see Strongs concordance)

If the outcome of a prophetic word or ministry is something other than edifying and building the church—for example, if it results in confusion, condemnation, division, or fear—then something is wrong. (Prov 14:1)

We always need to come back to edification as the standard and guideline for prophetic ministry in our church.

2. Prophetic Ministry Honours Leadership

‘Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Joshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, supporting them.’ (Ezra 5:2)

Ezra speaks of a time when the leaders of Judah were rebuilding the temple. Where were the prophets? Alongside them, supporting them and encouraging them to continue in the work God had given them to do.

This is a great picture of prophetic ministry in the church today.

We also honour the leaders of our church by:

• Having a teachable and flexible attitude—being willing to adjust and change our ministry approach when necessary.
• Speaking positively of our leaders and the church. (Prov 18:21)
• Honouring the guidelines and protocols our leaders have established relating to sharing prophecy and other insights such as discernment in the church [2]

In the NT, prophetic ministry and intercession is not a platform to seek God in order to find out and declare what the vision of the church should be.

Rather, prophetic and intercessory ministry is a place to support in prayer and encouragement the vision that God has already given to the church leaders. Any prophetic words we bring will be recognised as confirmation—either at the time we bring them or at a later date. [3]

This is because in the NT, leaders have a relationship with God themselves, and hear Him speak in their function as leaders. This is one of the distinctions between prophetic ministry in the Old and New Testament. [4]

3. Prophetic Ministry Operates in Community

God has ordained the church community to be the place for people to grow in and express their gifts. (1 Cor 12; Eph 4)

There are no ‘lone rangers’ in New Testament prophetic ministry in the church. [5]

The Bible tells us:

• Our gifts are given for the body, to grow the church as a whole (1 Cor 12:7-8)
• In community, words of prophecy are given and weighed up, providing us with accountability (1 Cor 14:29)
• No single prophetic person is going to receive the complete or ‘word perfect’ revelation of what God wants to say (1 Cor 13:9-10, 1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-21)
• The church needs additional gifts such as wisdom, leadership and discernment, to fully benefit from prophetic ministry.(1 Cor 12)

Notes:

[1] This is Prophetic People In A Changing Church. We are in the process of republishing this book through David McCracken Ministries. The new edition will have additional insights for senior ministers by David McCracken.

The earlier edition is still available on the Enliven Blog e-books page.

[2] For more information on this, see my article Prophetic Ministry In Church Life: Why Have Guidelines?

[3] If you believe you have received a prophetic word that seems to be different from where the leadership is taking the church, you can still share it. It may relate to another season or may confirm something that God is already speaking to the leaders about.

However, it does change the way you share it. For example:

• Pray about the word first. Check that it is not being influenced by personal frustrations or your own values and ideals
• Do not speak about the word to others and do not bring it in public; instead, take it privately to your leaders to be weighed up
• Submit and release the prophetic insight without placing any expectation upon your leaders to do anything about it

These are not rules; rather the natural outcome of having a heart that honours God, our leaders and each other.

Note that this article assumes that you are in a healthy church environment. If you have questions or concerns, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section per below.

[4] Many difficulties in prophetic ministry in the church today arise from a person or ministry operating in an Old Testament paradigm. (In fact someone who has an OT perspective of prophecy is likely to have difficulty with my points above)

For a review on the chief differences between Old and New Testament prophetic ministry, see my post Differences Between Old And New Testament Ministry

[5] Isolation can be tempting for those with prophetic or prayer gifts who have been hurt or misunderstood. If you can relate to this, the following article may be helpful:

Break Free Of Hurts That Are Blocking Your Prophetic Gift

© 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

Do you have any questions or thoughts on the topic of prophetic ministry in the church? 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Criticism

There are several ways that criticism can occur:

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

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

Accusation and judgement are also related to criticism.

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

2.Disappointment

Some ways in which we can experience disappointment include:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Take Ownership

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Use discretion here, and look for some wise counsel.

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

3. Find a Safe Person who can pray with you

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

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

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

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

4. Receive God’s Healing

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

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

5. Step Out in your Gift Again

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

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

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

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

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

Notes:

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

E-books Page

Prophetic People In A Changing Church E-book

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

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

Related Posts:

11 Signs That Your Prophetic Gift Is Being Held Back

Why Is My Spiritual Gift Or Ministry Not Being Released

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

I regularly come across gifted prophetic people who wonder why they are not being given opportunities to minister in the area of their spiritual gifts and passion.

There are two contexts in which this can happen:

• You may be aware that you have a gift of prophecy, or another spiritual gift. In fact, you may have exercised that gift or ministry in the past, and even seen great results as the Holy Spirit touched people through your ministry.

• You may be newly emerging in your spiritual gift. You are aware that you have a gift and Spirit-given ability—so why is it that others do not see it?

Maybe you can identify with the following questions:

• ‘Why does it seem as though my gift is hidden?’
• ‘Why am I not receiving opportunities to exercise my gift?’
• ‘Why don’t leaders in my church recognise my ministry?’
• ‘Will I ever fulfil the call of God on my life?’

These are questions that I have asked myself at various times in the past. If you can relate to this today, I have some things that  I would like to share with you on a personal level.

Blaming Others will Disempower You

It can be very easy to blame others when we are not being given opportunities to exercise our gifts in church life.

We perceive that leaders especially, have the power to release or hold back possibilities for us to minister. It may seem that they are blocking the achievement of God’s call on our lives.

But the reality is that as long as we are blaming others for our lack of ministry fulfilment—whether it is a spouse, pastor, ministry leader or anybody else—we are actually disempowering ourselves and limiting God.

Invariably, we will begin to voice our frustration and resentment, for as Jesus said, ‘Out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths speak.’ (Luke 6:43-46)

Eventually, discouragement, disappointment and frustration pervade the atmosphere around our lives, creating a cycle of barrenness. But I have good news for you today: you can break free!

Reasons why Your Gifts are not Being Used

Firstly, you need to remember that God is sovereign. No human on the planet can hold back the fulfilment of His call on your life—except you.

You are empowered. You do not need to look to someone else to release your ministry.

So, if your spiritual gift or ministry call seems to be hidden, here are some possible reasons why this might be happening, along with some suggestions to help you move forward: [1]

1. You are Waiting for Appointment Unnecessarily

Sometimes we wait for an invitation, role or position when Jesus just wants to love people through us.

For example, if you have a gift of prophecy, you can use it at the basic level of encouragement in a small group and everyday life amongst family and friends. Remember, though, that if you have a word that goes beyond simple encouragement, the principles of accountability apply.

If you want to be used in the area of healing, start offering to pray for people—and so on.

The key is to stay within the appropriate context in the use of your gift. [2]

2. You Need to make your Desires and Dreams Known

Sometimes we think that ministry leaders are aware of our gifts and calling and should open doors for us. They would—if only they knew what was on our hearts.

I can remember one time in particular where I was frustrated because a ministry leader wasn’t giving me an opportunity. When I eventually broached the subject, he asked me why I hadn’t mentioned it, and happily provided a pathway forward for me.

Leaders aren’t mind readers. Sometimes we think that they are supermen and superwomen who should be listening to God about our personal gifts and situations.

They may simply need the opportunity to hear from us firsthand.

3. You are Beginning and Need to Step out.

Sometimes we wait too long for encouragement, when we should be stepping out of the boat ourselves.

Understandably, when you are new in your gift, this can be a bit daunting.

When a seedling emerges from the soil, there is a last push to break through the earth. When a butterfly is emerging from a chrysalis, there is a final wrestling to break free.

This is the kind of motivation that the Apostle Paul talked about when he said, ‘Desire spiritual gifts.’ (1 Cor 14:1) Is your desire strong enough that you will seek tangible ways of moving forward in your gift? [3]

4. The Delay is about God’s Timing

Wilderness seasons are a Biblical theme—remember Moses, Joseph, David, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul? [4]

Some reasons that God ordains a time of hiddenness may include:

• Timing as He brings circumstances and people together
• Strengthening other gifts and skills in your life that will be needed in the long run
• Preparation of our character or gift

If God has ordained a season of waiting, He is faithful and will release you at the right time.

5. You may Benefit by Adjusting Something in Your Ministry Approach.

This is a vital point. Many times I have seen people held back because there is something unsuitable in their approach to using their gifts—and yet they are completely unaware of it.

Here are some checks we should do regularly in relation to our gifts and ministry:

Faithfulness

• Am I willing to serve in small ways?
• Am I present at meetings, even when my gift is not being called on?
• Am I honouring my leaders in my conversation and actions?
• Am I being self-centred, i.e. it’s about my gift and my ministry, or others-centred—“What can I do to help you?”

Culture and Style

• Does the style of the way I use my gift fit with the culture of my church?
• What about my language—terminology and expressions?
• Do I use any methods or ‘formulas’ when I minister that my leaders do not use?
• Do I use actions, gestures or manifestations, e.g. when I pray for people, which are not in keeping with the culture of my church?

If a movement we have been brought up in, imparted to, or taught by, is different from that of our church, this is something that we need to especially consider.

We need to be willing to lay these methods aside and align our ministry style with the culture of our church or ministry organisation.

Vision and Values

• Do my values and vision for ministry differ from that of my church?

A friend of mine observed that a church is like a train—led by God and our leadership with a definite destination in mind. We need to decide whether we are willing to get on board and to serve in the direction that our church is going.

So long as we are nurturing our own desires for a different destination or culture of church life, our leaders will perceive this. They need to know we are pulling with them—not against them.

Why not ask?

You may benefit by approaching someone in leadership—perhaps sharing this article with him or her—and reviewing any possible reasons why you seem to be stuck in relation to your gift or ministry.

This will only work if you take an open and humble approach and are willing to listen to suggestions without becoming hurt or offended.

Often leaders do not address situations such as I’ve mentioned above because they know that their observations will not be well received. If you initiate the conversation, and are willing to make adjustments, you may be surprised at the results.

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.

Notes:

[1] Another reason our gift or ministry may be hidden is because we are hiding ourselves—due to fear or hurt. We will be covering these topics in the next few weeks.

[2] Every church has unique protocols for the operation of spiritual gifts. See Prophetic Ministry In Church Life: Why Have Guidelines

[3] If you believe you have a gift of prophecy emerging, see the following post for ideas:

How To Develop Your Prophetic Gift: Where To Begin 

[4] Here is a post on the topic of wilderness seasons that you may find helpful:

Going Through A Testing Season In Your Spiritual Gifts

Related Posts:

11 Signs That Your Prophetic Gift Is Being Held Back

Do You Have A Ministry Call?

Break Free Of Hurts That Are Blocking Your Prophetic Gift

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

We do not choose indifference—we drift towards it. (Heb 2:1) And as we do, it robs us of  our hunger for God and our motivaton to serve Him.

It also robs other people of receiving a life-changing blessing from God through us.

Some signs that apathy may be blocking growth in your gift of prophecy or other spiritual gift are:

• You believe that you have gone as far as you can go in the development of your gift
• You are comfortable with where you are, and not motivated to move forward in your ministry
• You can remember a time when you were excited about your spiritual gift, but you’ve lost the passion
• There is always a ready—and plausible—excuse as to why you should not step out and use your gift

There is one crucial ingredient that we must have, in order to overcome indifference and push forward in our spiritual gifts.

That ingredient is desire.

This also holds true for all spiritual gifts. This includes prophecy, as well as other revelatory gifts such as discernment, intercession and word of knowledge.

The Apostle Paul said,

Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. (1 Cor 14:1)

Here are three kinds of desire that are vital to growth in our gifts:

1. Desire for God

In any relationship, when we love someone, we want to spend time with him or her—and it is the same in our relationship with God.

To crave spiritual gifts without the greatest desire being for God Himself is like marrying someone for his or her money.

In Acts 8, Simon the sorcerer offered money to the apostles so that he could have the same power that they did. Peter rebuked him strongly for the wickedness in his heart.

Our love for God leads us to want to be close to Him, and out of that hunger for intimacy comes the longing also to hear what He is saying—to know His heart and priorities.

And right there is the place where we receive revelation.

Our prophetic ministry will not have depth, impact and anointing unless we foster intimacy with God.

If you feel that you have lost that sharp edge of hunger for God and His Presence, now is the time to return to that place. (Rev 2:4-5)

2. Love for People and Desire to help them.

The Apostle Paul made it clear in his lengthy discussion about spiritual gifts, that love is the vital prerequisite to the use of the gifts. (1 Cor 13)

Jesus said the whole law is summed up by the commands to love God and to love our neighbour. (Luke 10:27-28)

Loving people leads us to desire to help them and build Jesus’ church.

I encourage you to stop and do a check on how you are going in this area.

• Is your motivation to prophesy, or utilise your gift based on a genuine desire to help people and lead them closer to Jesus?

• How are you going in your desire to build the church—what about your own church? I’ve learned that my passion for my own local church is often a barometer or how I am going in this area.

Of course, sometimes discouragement or hurt can get in the way of this—and I will discuss that in another post.

3. Desire for the Spiritual Gift Itself

In 1 Cor 14, we are told to ‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy.’

This desire keeps us moving forward, not only to develop the gift, but also to use it to minister to others.

I have often heard it said that we should desire the Giver, not the gifts (and have sometimes said it myself!) But the Bible clearly says we should desire the gifts.

We should desire the Giver and His gifts.

I am challenged to have the desire that Elisha did, that caused him to pursue Elijah for his mantle. (2 Kings 2)

That mantle was the outward representation of Elijah’s prophetic ministry and office of the prophet.

We have all seen people who have an unhealthy focus on spiritual gifts or prophecy. Being concerned about this is a good sign.

We need to be alert to the wrong kinds of desire. To check our motives, we can ask questions like: [2]

• Am I comparing myself to someone else and wanting an ability that they have?
• Am I willing to wait, if this is not the right time to step out?
• Am I willing to submit this longing for a gift or ministry to leaders in the church—and hold back if they do not see God has called me to this area?
• Is this about loving people—or feeling fulfilled myself?
• Does reaching for this gift free me to be more of who God has created me to be?
• Is it clear—to others and to me—that it is God’s glory and His church that I want to bring attention to and not myself?

Don’t Separate the Gifts and the Giver

We think of a gift in the human sense, that we give a gift that is separate to us.

However, the gifts God gives us are the expression of His Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. We cannot separate the two.

When we cease desiring the gift, we have not only forgotten the value of the gift itself, we have lost sight of the treasure that is the unique expression of the Holy Spirit impacting others through us.

In valuing our spiritual gift, we are valuing the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:7)

When we long for the manifestation of a gift with a God-breathed desire—a desire that is birthed in communion with Him—we are longing for God Himself.

Keys to Reawakening Desire

Some things we can do are:

• Pray and ask God to stir a hunger up in you, so that you are not satisfied with anything less than God being first in your life

• Specifically repent of apathy. Invite the Holy Spirit to move and breathe His life into your heart and gift

• Stir up the desire by reminding yourself of the benefits of the use of your spiritual gift in helping people and bringing them closer to God

Was there an event you can look back on that caused you to stop desiring the gift? We will be looking at this in another post.

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.

Notes:

[1] Wayne Grudem defines a spiritual gift as ‘any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church.’ (GRUDEM, W. Systematic Theology. 1994. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity. p1016)
For examples of spiritual gifts see the following scriptures:
1 Cor 12:4-11, Rom 12:6-8

[2] From my e-book, ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts.’

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

But I need your help.

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

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

Identifying a Limitation is Good News

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

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

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

Signs that you are Being held back in Your Prophetic gift

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

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

See if you can identify with any of these:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now, some questions for you:

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

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

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

Some of the things I will be considering include:

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

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

Notes:

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

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

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

Related Posts:

Why Is My Spiritual Gift Or Ministry Not Being Released?

Break Free Of Hurts That Are Blocking Your Prophetic Gift

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

Understanding the difference between Old Testament (OT) and New Testament (NT) prophetic ministry is a vital key to flourishing in our gifts of prophecy.

A clearer perception of this in my earlier days would have saved me personally a great deal of heartache and error in church life. [1]

Here are four key points of difference between Old and New Testament prophetic ministry, along with some dangers that can occur when a prophetic person maintains an OT viewpoint in the context of church life.

1. In the OT, a prophet was the mouthpiece of God

Old Testament prophets had the singular role of bringing God’s word—instruction, warnings, prophecies, and so on—directly to His people.

By contrast, in the New Testament all believers have a relationship with God and can hear Him speaking to them personally. Therefore, prophecy is confirmation of what is already heard through relationship.

This also relates to leaders in the church today, who hear from God in their leadership capacity.

Prophetic ministry is designed to bring confirmation, clarity and empowerment to the vision of a church.

Signs of maintaining an Old Testament viewpoint in church life:

• Maintaining they have correctly heard from God (and the leaders are wrong) when there is a point of difference
• Believing that their prophetic insights carry greater weight than the vision or direction of others who may not have a prophetic gift.

2. The OT was an era of law and judgment

In the Old Testament, prophets pronounced warnings and judgements upon people and nations who were in disobedience to God.

The New Testament, however, is an era of God’s grace. [2] New Testament prophecy is for ‘strengthening, encouragement, and comfort.’ (1 Cor 14:3) Here is an example from Acts 15:32:

‘Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.’

New Testament prophecy is consistent with the ministry of Jesus and His revelation of the Father’s nature.

Even if a prophetic word is addressing error, the prophetic motive is redemption—to bring God’s purpose and to transform the situation and its outcome—and the word will be framed that way, presented in love and humility.

Signs of maintaining an OT viewpoint in church life:

• Using prophecy to point out wrongs, being quick to condemn or warn church leaders or other Christian believers
• Using prophecy to call for repentance with an underlying attitude of criticism or judgment [3]

3. In the OT, a prophet could ‘stand alone’ before God (1 Kings 17:1)

In the New Testament, Paul says in 1 Cor 12 that we are many members, with different gifts, in one body.

As with other spiritual gifts, prophecy is not meant to be a stand-alone ministry in the church, rather, it is incomplete without the added value of other gifts in the church body. (1 Cor 12:12)

No one ‘prophetic person’ has all the revelation. He or she also depends upon others with prophetic gifts to supply more ‘pieces of the puzzle’ of God’s revelation (1 Cor 14:29-33).

The person prophesying also needs those who have gifts of discernment, leadership and wisdom to complete their contribution to the church.

Also, in the New Testament you see less of the individual prophet and more of prophetic teams – e.g. Acts 15:32, Acts 13:1, Acts 11:27, 1 Cor 14:29, 31-32.

Signs of maintaining an OT viewpoint in church life:

• Isolation, separation from community
• Believing that they report directly to God only, and are commissioned and trained only by God
• Lack of accountability, i.e. not coming under leadership

4. OT prophets were expected to speak the PERFECT, inspired word of God

If they did not speak a word that proved true, they were condemned as ‘false prophets’ (Jer 14:14-16).

Some prophets were entrusted with the writing of scripture.  They also were used of God to convey His specific instruction to Kings, nations and others. Thus, accuracy and purity of their words was essential.

In the New Testament church, prophetic words are subject to being weighed up. (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-22)

New Testament Prophetic ministry needs an environment of humility, cooperation and grace to operate as Jesus intended it to.

Signs of maintaining an OT viewpoint in church life:

• Believing they have a ‘hotline to God’ that bypasses the input of leadership.
• Resisting having their prophetic words weighed up
• Reacting negatively when prophetic words are not acted upon, or feedback is given that disagrees with their viewpoint

The Fruit of New Testament Prophetic Ministry

‘So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.’ (Eph 4:11-12)

In the New Testament, prophetic ministry is a servant ministry in the church. This is also true of the prophetic office.

As Paul outlines in Ephesians, the role of a leading prophetic ministry is to equip the church. This includes encouraging and empowering Christians to hear from God, as well as releasing others who have prophetic gifts.

One danger of maintaining an Old Testament paradigm of prophetic ministry is that it sends a message of exclusivity (see points 1 and 3 above). It tends to have the opposite effect—intimidating others who have prophetic gifts and creating an unhealthy reliance upon the prophetic minister.

And finally, the fruit of New Testament prophetic ministry is unity. The picture that Paul gives is of a healthy body, each part unique but working and growing together into Christ-likeness.

Notes:

[1] For more on my journey check the ‘About Enliven Blog’ page.

[2] For more detail on this topic, see the post ‘How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 2

[3] This is not to say that someone with a prophetic ministry cannot call for repentance. See ‘How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 1′

[4] I am aware that many prophetic people have experienced unhealthy or even abusive leadership, at some stage of their journey. Past hurts and difficulties should not stop us honouring and having a Biblical response to our leaders in our current situation where God has placed us. For more information on this, read my e-book Prophetic People In A Changing Church.

Related Post:

Prophetic Ministry In Church Life: 3 Non-Negotiables

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on the topic of differences between Old and New Testament Prophetic Ministry? 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.

 ‘Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.’

You received a personal prophecy—or a prophetic word for your family or for your church.

You believed, you positioned, you prayed, and you waited.

Now it has become evident that the prophetic word will never be fulfilled in the way that you believed it would.

Maybe it is too late for something to eventuate in your life, as a prophecy led you to believe. Maybe someone you cared about became sick, and died contrary to prophetic words that he or she would live and do something more for God. Maybe other people around you, or in leadership over you, have made decisions that have ruled out the possibility that a prophecy will be fulfilled.

Questions now arise:

• Was the prophecy wrong? If so, why did God allow me to believe it and pursue it? What about the person who prophesied—was he or she mistaken?

• Was the prophecy right? If so, what have I, or we, done wrong? What conditions have gone unmet, and what has got in the way of the prophecy’s fulfilment?

• And how do we get past the hurt and the disappointment, the crisis of faith, and indeed the grief, of having a long-term prophetic vision die?

The Problem of Unfulfilled Prophecy

There are varying degrees of difficulty and pain associated with an unfulfilled prophecy. At the lower end of the scale, I have prophecies sitting in my drawer that I now realise will never be fulfilled in the exact way the prophetic minister described it to me. This does not cause me concern, because Father has clearly led me in a different direction.

At the other end of the scale, we have had friends pass away, leaving prophecies unfulfilled, questions unanswered, and pain in our hearts.

Why are Some Prophecies Unfulfilled?

There are many reasons why a prophecy may not be fulfilled. Let’s explore a few of them:

The Prophecy was not Adequately Weighed up

If you are waiting on a prophecy to be fulfilled, then it was most likely a very specific, directive type of prophetic word.

For our protection, these kinds of prophecies should always be submitted to wise oversight and leadership in the church. [1] Without this Biblical safety net, there is a greater possibility of some of the following issues taking place. (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-22)

Conditions Unmet

Some prophecy, especially that concerning the call of God, is conditional upon us doing our part, obeying God, and allowing the Spirit to deal with us in maturing our character.

I received a prophecy many years ago concerning my future ministry. In the same prophecy, I was exhorted to ‘stay committed, stay submitted.’ I know without doubt that I would not be where I am today if I had not stayed committed and submitted to my church and leadership during testing times.

The Prophecy has Already Fulfilled its Purpose

Sometimes a particular prophecy is the signpost that God uses to get you somewhere else. Instead of the destination you expected, you find that you are positioned for another, higher, God-given purpose.

This may also be an issue of inaccurate delivery of a prophecy. But we also need to understand the nature of prophecy:

Fulfilment of prophecy is not always like hitting a ‘bulls eye’ on a target. It may be more like a river that has twists and turns before reaching the Father’s intended destination.

The Prophecy was Delivered Inaccurately

‘For we know in part and we prophesy in part’ (1 Cor 13:9)

Following are some reasons that a prophecy may have been delivered inaccurately.

• If the person prophesying knows the recipient of the prophecy, it is tempting to deliver the prophecy in the context of what is known currently. This can hamper the purity of a word

• This also goes for prophecies made in church life. We may be receiving a revelation from God, but then we interpret and deliver that word in the light of our church’s current vision or circumstances, which may later change

• The person may have prophesied out of the desires of his or her heart, rather than from a revelation from God

• The person delivering the prophecy may be receiving an incomplete revelation, but then try to express the prophecy in specific terms when it has not been received that way.It is true that there is, on occasion, higher revelation and greater levels of accuracy (indeed we believe and strive for this), but we must also be content—and honest—when this is not the case.

The Prophecy was Interpreted by the Recipient Inaccurately

Maybe the prophecy was not mistakenly given, but there was a miscommunication, and the recipient took the prophecy the wrong way.

Just as the giver of a prophecy can interpret and deliver a word based on known circumstances, a receiver of a prophecy can also interpret a word based on what he or she knows or desires it to be.

Mystery

At the end of the day, we may never understand this side of heaven why a prophecy remained unfulfilled, just as we do not understand why some sick people who are prayed for do not get healed.

In the face of the unknown, we need to trust in the love and sovereignty of our Heavenly Father.

What to do About Prophetic Disappointment

There is a time to hold on to a prophetic word, but we also need to know when to release or shelve a prophecy. The time to release a prophecy is when holding onto it is not bearing good fruit in your life, or in the lives of others around you.

This includes disappointment, disillusionment, division or disunity, dissatisfaction, resentment, bitterness, grief, or any other negative fruit.

If you can relate to this, here are some things that may help in the process:

1. Allow the Prophecy to be Weighed up Again

Prophecy is subject to being weighed up. This does not only relate to assessing a prophecy at the time it is delivered. For our protection, we should also keep our prophetic vision submitted to godly leadership as time goes along.[1]

2. Forgive Whomever you Need to

If an unfulfilled prophecy has left you feeling disappointed or even bitter, it is vital that you forgive anyone that you need to. (Mark 11:25) This may be the giver of the prophecy, yourself, or anyone you perceived stood in the way of its fulfilment.

3. Stop Looking for Unfulfilled Conditions

If you are open to God, and the Holy Spirit is not forthcoming about a condition not being fulfilled, don’t labour over finding one—this may be distracting you from releasing it and moving on with God’s purpose for your life, or that of your family or church. Release it and trust Him to show you anything necessary.

If you can identify a wrong turning in your life, as you repent, the grace of God is released over your life. He will give you a new vision—He is the God of the resurrection.

4. Release Others from Expectations Relating to the Prophecy

Sometimes in our search for unmet conditions, it is tempting to blame other people for hindering the fulfilment of a prophecy. This may include a spouse, family member, vocational boss or leader in a church.

We need to release them completely from expectations and remember that God is sovereign and able to fulfil His plans regardless of their actions. Look at the life of Joseph! (Gen 37-50)

5. Release the Prophecy Completely

You are not being unfaithful to God and His word when you release a prophecy and all expectations associated with it, if holding onto it is not bearing good fruit.

God is able to bring the word to you again if it was truly of Him. He can resurrect the promise in His time.

Sometimes it is helpful to release the prophecy, not only through prayer, but to do something symbolic as well. We need to do whatever it takes to bring closure.

6. Ask, ‘Am I in the Father’s Will Right Now?’

If you know that right now your heart is right with God, then you are on track for His purposes to be fulfilled in your life.

Ultimately, we must trust in the absolute sovereignty of God—not in ourselves, others, or in any prophetic word.

‘The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; For the LORD upholds him with His hand.’ (Ps 37:23-24, NKJV)

It is Time to let go

‘Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?’ (Isaiah 43:18-19)

Is it time to let go of an unfulfilled prophetic word?

• Let go, and you will be released from the place of disappointment and grief
• Let go, and you will be able to receive the new word from God
• Let go, and you will have the joy of discovering the new things Father is doing

Notes:

[1] This can be a leader or pastor in your church, or Christian mentors (safe Christian mentors are themselves under authority). I am aware that many people have experienced unhealthy or even abusive leadership, at some stage of their journey. This must not put us off seeking safe Christian leaders who can speak into our lives.

Related Posts:

Is It Time To Birth Your Prophetic Word In Prayer?

How To Make The Most Of Your Personal Prophecy

Your Prophetic Word and Spiritual Warfare

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.

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

Prophecy is making known the heart, mind and intention of the Father. Personal prophecy occurs when a prophecy is given to a person through another individual.

Many people today are asking the question, ‘is personal prophecy Biblical?’ This response is not surprising, given much of which is purported to be Christian personal prophecy in the world today.

I regularly receive reports from people who have been misled or hurt, or pastors who have experienced trauma in their churches through damaging ‘personal prophecy.’

However, as a member of a prophetic team that ministers throughout local churches, I constantly see the benefits of personal prophecy [1]:

• Receivers of personal prophecy are encouraged and motivated in their relationship with God
• Individuals become aware of the Father’s love for them as they receive a personal word
• Churches are built in faith as the Holy Spirit reveals knowledge about one of their members that is known to them but not to the giver of the prophecy
• I frequently see people who have had a personal prophecy given to them during a church meeting rush to the altar at the close of the service, in a desire to recommit their lives to God
• Recently I gave a prophecy to a non-Christian in a meeting, and he came to the altar in tears and gave his life to Jesus.

Personal Prophecy in the Old Testament

God walked and talked personally with Adam and Eve in the garden. But when humanity became separated from Him through sin, God communicated to His people through the law and His prophets. (John 1:45)

Because people did not have a personal relationship with God, they relied on the prophets to convey God’s immediate instructions to them. In the Old Testament (OT), this included commissioning, warnings, commands, judgment, foretelling, and encouragement.

Some examples from the Old Testament include:

• In Judges 4:4 the prophet Deborah summons Barak and gives him God’s command to do battle against Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army

• In 1 Samuel 2, an unknown prophet shared a message of judgment against the priest Eli and his corrupt family. This was soon confirmed through the boy prophet Samuel

• In 1 Sam 22 the prophet Gad gave instructions to David concerning a warfare strategy

• The prophet Samuel commissioned both King Saul and King David. In 2 Kings 9: Elijah sent an unnamed prophet to commission Jehu

• Nathan the prophet shared God’s intentions with King David concerning his son Solomon’s building of the temple and his enduring dynasty (2 Sam 7)

• Isaiah prophesied to King Hezekiah of his recovery from illness (Is 38)

• Jeremiah prophesied to the scribe Baruch that his life would be spared (Jer 45)

• The prophet Haggai brought God’s instruction to Zechariah and Zerabbabel concerning the rebuilding of the temple

Personal Prophecy in the New Testament

Personal prophecy continues in the New Testament (NT); however circumstances have changed. Through faith in Jesus, people now have a personal relationship with God. They can hear from Him personally.

Prophecy is now one of many gifts in the church body, interdependent upon other gifts and ministries and subject to accountability and leadership. (1 Cor 12, 14)

Here are some examples of personal prophecy in the NT:

• Simeon blesses Joseph and Mary when they present Jesus in the temple and gives them a personal prophecy (Luke 2:25-35)

• In Acts 21, Agabus gives a personal prophecy to Paul concerning his upcoming arrest. Agabus is not a loner—he is one of a company of prophets from the church in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:27-28) This prophecy is confirmation of what God is already speaking to Paul—perhaps even through other prophecies (Acts 20:23)

• Paul exhorts Timothy to remember and follow personal prophecies that have been given to him (1 Tim 1:18-19)

• Paul also refers to special commissioning prophecy brought over Timothy when the church elders laid their hands on him. (1 Tim 4:14) Acts 13:1-3 also indicates that commissioning prophecy takes place with the participation and oversight of church leadership

• We see Jesus Himself giving personal prophecy to Nathanael (John 1:50-51) and Peter (John 21:18). The woman at the well is so taken with Jesus’ personal insights into her life that she says, “Sir, I can see you are a prophet.’ (John 4:19)

The Biblical Practice of Personal Prophecy

Personal prophecy is undoubtedly Biblical. However, the question remains, ‘What does the Biblical practice of personal prophecy look like for us today?’ [2]

Many of the damaging practices that have given personal prophecy a bad reputation are due to people modeling their ministry after that of the Old Testament prophets, and ignoring New Testament guidelines for prophecy. [3]

There are clear distinctions between the Old and New Testament roles of prophetic ministry, as I have mentioned above. These changes impact the practice of personal prophecy.

A Checklist for Personal Prophecy

Following is a checklist that includes NT guidelines for prophetic ministry in general—and personal prophecy in particular.

I encourage all of my readers to consider these things before giving a personal prophecy, or receiving personal prophecy from anyone.

These guidelines will also be helpful in weighing up personal prophecy that has already been received.

1. Accountability (1 Cor 14:29)

Paul states that prophecy should be weighed up—therefore it is vital that personal prophecy be given in an environment that facilitates this.
If a personal prophecy is not given in the context of a church meeting and goes beyond a general word of encouragement, it should be submitted to oversight. [4]

Both givers and receivers of prophecy should be in a place of accountability and members in a local church body (1 Cor 14).
A personal prophecy should be given in such a way that it allows room for the recipient to weigh up the prophecy and consider whether it is of God.

2. Love (1 Cor 13)

Personal prophecy should originate from a heart of love for God and for the person being ministered to. The prophecy should accurately reflect the Father’s heart towards the recipient of the word.

3. A Godly Life (2 Tim 2:20-26, 1 Tim 3)

A prophetic minister should demonstrate a lifestyle of integrity and righteousness. He or she should be commended, recognised and under leadership.

4. Confirmation.

(See the illustration of Agabus, above)

Because Christian believers have a personal relationship with God, prophecy is a confirmation of what God is saying, or will say in the future, to them—it is not direct instruction, as in the OT.

Personal prophecy should not be sought after as a primary means of guidance.

5. Encouragement, Exhortation, Edification

Paul said that ‘those who prophesy speak to people for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.’ (1 Cor 14:3)
Personal prophecy should be encouraging and upbuilding. It should move a person towards God and His purposes, and motivate him or her to live a life pleasing to God.

6. Fruit of the Spirit

(Gal 5:22-23)

A personal prophecy should exhibit the fruit of the Holy Spirit in both its expression and outcome: ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.’

It should promote unity and consideration for others. (James 3:13-18)

The fruit of the Spirit does include conviction leading to repentance—but not condemnation.

In the OT, prophecy included words of judgment, but this is not the case in the NT. We are in an era of grace, one in which the Father is giving every person an opportunity for redemption through His Son, Jesus.

7. Biblical Content

Finally and most importantly, a personal prophecy should be in harmony with God’s will as set out in scripture. A prophecy will not contradict Biblical principles.

Note that commissioning prophecy (prophecy that indicates appointment to a place of position in ministry) should not be a part of personal prophecy. In the NT, commissioning is done by the church oversight (1 Tim 4:14, Acts 13:1-3). A person who feels that he or she has a word that is in any way commissioning, should submit it to the person’s oversight and not directly to the individual.

Notes:

[1] I am blessed to be on team with David McCracken Ministries.

[2] This article is limited to discussion on personal prophecy between Christians. These guidelines do also relate to prophetic evangelism—however this is a different topic altogether.

[3] For more discussion on this read my articles:

How Do You Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 1

How Do You Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 2

[4] We should be especially wary of prophecy given or received over the Internet (‘free personal prophecy’) where it is not possible to verify much of the above criteria.

More articles on personal prophecy from Enliven Blog:

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

How To Make The Most Of Your Personal Prophecy

4 Things You Can Do With Your Personal Prophecy

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.

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

Guidelines are to prophetic ministry, as railway tracks are to a train. They provide a way for the gift of prophecy, along with other revelatory gifts, to be released and fulfil their God-intended purpose.

The Apostle Paul gave clear guidelines for prophetic ministry to the Corinthian Church. He advised the church to put protocols into place for prophecy to operate in church meetings. (1 Cor 14:26-33)

Healthy guidelines don’t hinder; rather, they provide a way for spiritual gifts to flow, whilst ensuring they do so safely and effectively. [1]

What I Learned About Prophetic Guidelines

I have not always appreciated guidelines and leadership in church life.

Years ago, when I was in danger of going ‘off the rails’ altogether in my prophetic ministry, God intervened in my life. I tell the story of my journey, repentance and restoration in my book, ‘Prophetic People In A Changing Church.’ [2]

The most significant thing God did during this time was to teach me the value of honouring and submitting to church leadership in the use of spiritual gifts.

Later, as a prophetic leader in our church, this value was the single most important factor that enabled me to help grow a thriving prophetic/ prayer ministry.

It enabled me to lead and teach our team in such a way that the people on our team, and their spiritual gifts, flourished.

As a result:

• Opportunities for prophetic ministry increased when our pastor and leadership team were assured that it was operating within a safe framework

• Our prophetic people had the assurance of knowing what our protocols were, and experienced freedom within the framework of these

• And the congregation benefited from the exercise of a loving, and safe prophetic ministry that brought great blessing to the church.

Whenever situations came up in prophetic ministry that I was unsure about, I would talk it over with my pastor and clarify the particular guidelines of our church.

Guidelines are to prophetic ministry, as railway tracks are to a train. Too many times we have seen prophetic ministry derailed, sidelined and disused in church life. Sometimes this has followed a crash—some event involving misuse or abuse of prophetic gifts.

A major benefit of guidelines and protocols is that they help prevent these situations from occurring. Should an issue arise, they also provide a reference and guide for restoration—while enabling continuing freedom for the gift to operate in the church.

Why Have Prophetic Guidelines?

I actively encourage guidelines in church life. In fact, during my prophetic training sessions, I teach the importance of following general guidelines, as well as the unique protocols that exist in churches.

Here are 7 important reasons for having guidelines and protocols in place:

1.There is a Biblical precedent for them. The Apostle Paul encouraged prophetic accountability and protocols in the life of the church (1 Cor 12, 14)

2.They provide a framework within which spiritual gifts can be released and operate freely with accountability

3.They prevent the cycle that is so prevalent in church today: Gifts released…damaging event…gifts suppressed…gifts released…and so on.

4.Guidelines can be pointed to when something unhealthy or potentially damaging occurs that needs to be addressed

5.They bring everyone ‘on the same page,’ e.g. if a new person comes into the church who has prophetic gifts but has a differing perspective on their use, it gives you something to refer to

6.They help provide a safe environment for a. pastors and leaders, b. prophetic people and c. the congregation (and therefore builds confidence in prophetic ministry)

7.They provide a means of pastoring prophetic people and intercessors in the church

Guidelines for Other Revelatory Gifts

Prophetic people frequently gravitate towards prayer-related ministries, such as intercession, in the church.

I believe that prayer ministry areas particularly benefit from having a defined framework in which to operate in the use of spiritual gifts. [3] This is because intercessors and pray-ers frequently operate in revelatory gifts including:

• Discernment
• Intercession (revelation on how to pray, what to pray, the burden to pray, etc)
• Prophecy
• Word of knowledge

What Kinds of Prophetic Guidelines can a Church Have?

The following situations may benefit from having specific guidelines and protocols in place:

• Personal prophecies (given from individuals to individuals within the church)
• Prophecies or revelatory insights (discernment, etc.) concerning the church, its direction or vision
• Prophecies for the congregation, pertaining to particular church services
• What to do when an unhealthy or potentially damaging event occurs (e.g. someone brings an ‘off’ prophecy)
• What to do with a word that is not purely encouragement; e.g. is directional, a warning, etc
• A track for people who desire to operate and grow in prophetic ministry

If you are a person in the church who is gifted in prophecy or other revelatory gifts, be willing to allow your pastor and/or leadership team to adjust guidelines as the church changes and grows.

A Note for Pastors

If you are a pastor or leader, when communicating guidelines, I recommend that you share the reasons for them and particularly, the benefits of them. As you do, convey your vision and passion for the release and blessing of spiritual gifts in the life of your church.

Your protocols will be unique to your church and are affected by a number of factors. These may include:

• The unique vision and values of your church
• The size of your congregation
• Your desired outcomes for prophetic ministry
• The needs and history of your church

Notes:

[1] I understand that there can sometimes be confusion between healthy guidelines that release ministry, versus unhealthy control that quenches the life of the Spirit. Feel free to leave any questions about this in the comments section.

[2] For key principles and my personal journey related to prophetic ministry in church life, see my e-book  Prophetic People in a Changing Church

[3] I have discussed the gift of discernment extensively in this blog. See the following post in particular:

6 Tips For Exercising The Gift Of Discernment In Church Life

Related Post:

Prophetic Ministry In Church Life: 3 Non-Negotiables

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on the topic of prophetic guidelines and protocols in church life? 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.

God is not the author of natural disasters, and He is not a remote spectator—rather, He is a God of love who is present with us in our suffering.

This past week we watched in horrified disbelief as the first news reports of Japan’s earthquake and resulting tsunami flashed across our screens.

As New Zealanders, my family is still reeling from news of the devastating Christchurch earthquake.

Some of the questions I muse over as I write today are:

• Why are there natural disasters?
• Where is God in the pain?
• Should we look for prophetic meaning in the earthquakes and natural events?
• Do earthquakes prove that we are in the end times?

Creation in Crisis

‘How could God allow natural disasters? Couldn’t He intervene and prevent the pain?’ My reflections take me back to the very beginning: the book of Genesis.

God created the earth to be perfectly in balance and to sustain life. The Fall that brought separation between humanity and God also affected creation—the earth itself. (Gen 1-2, 3:17)

Genesis reminds me that the imbalance in creation that causes natural disasters was not God’s plan, but the tragic outcome of sin.

In Romans 8, Paul tells me that creation is groaning in bondage, waiting for a future time when it will be set free. The earth is running a course that is parallel—and intrinsically connected to—the salvation of its people.

Turning to the last book in the Bible, I read that God’s plan for restoration climaxes in a new heaven and a new earth, where ‘There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ (Rev 21:1-4)

The reason for delay in the culmination of God’s plan is His mercy—the Father desires to give as many people as possible the opportunity to hear the Good News. (2 Peter 3:9)

I don’t have answers as to why disasters happen. [1] But I do believe that the Bible reveals:

• God is not the author of natural disasters, and He is not a remote spectator—rather, He is a God of love who is present with us in our suffering.

• Having participated in our suffering through Jesus’ death on the cross, He is at work to restore all things—including the earth we live in—to His original purpose.

Seeking Prophetic Meaning In Disasters

Should we look to see if there is any prophetic meaning in the earthquakes and other events that are taking place?

Two perspectives I have come across recently are:

1. Natural disasters are the judgment of God on nations that refuse to repent of sin and
2. Natural disasters are earthly signs of changes that are taking place in the spiritual realm.

Before embracing these, or any other viewpoints, we should ask, ‘What message are we sending out to those who are suffering?’

As a prophetic community, we need to view all insight through the lens of God’s love and mercy. All prophecy must be tested against the message of the Gospel. [2]

We must take the stance of Jesus, who said,

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:17)

I believe that the most important prophetic insight to do with current events is that of Jesus’ own prophecy.

Are we in the End Times?

In Matthew 24, Jesus Himself prophesies, ‘There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.’ (Matt 24:7-8) [3]

According to Jesus, an increasing number of earthquakes and natural disasters is one sign of the end times. As He continues His discourse, we learn that there are even more tragedies and evil to befall us.

In this catalogue of darkness, Jesus shines a beacon of light:

‘And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.’ (Matt 24:14)

We cannot know for sure whether or not we are in the end times. (Acts 1:7)

One thing, however, is of primary importance to me:

Regardless of the Biblical era we live in, for our generation, it is the end of time.

This generation—alive on the earth right now—is never going to have another opportunity to learn about the love of God expressed through His Son Jesus.

We have had recent reminders of our vulnerability and our mortality.

Our consuming passion should be that of Jesus. Our vision should be that which the prophet Zephaniah spoke of:

‘The nations on every shore will worship him, every one in its own land.’ Zeph 2:11

The Banquet is Ready

Jesus told a parable about a man who prepared a great banquet. (Luke 14:16-24)

When the time of the banquet arrived, the man sent out his servants to those who had been invited. However many made excuses, saying they could not attend.

He sent out his servants again, this time urging,

‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.’ (Luke 14:21)

Finally, the servants returned, saying, ‘There is still room.’ The master sent out his servant one last time saying,

‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and make them come in, so that my house will be full.’ Luke 14:23

Let’s pray earnestly for those who are suffering.

Let’s give extravagantly.

And let’s be a church on fire with an urgency to share the Gospel while we can, wherever we can, to reach whomever we can.

Because for this generation—time is running out.

Notes:

[1] Many people grapple with the question, ‘Why does God allow suffering?’ If you know of some helpful resources on this topic, I would love to hear from you. Please leave a comment below this post. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

[2] I urge Christians to weigh up what prophetic ministries are saying carefully before embracing and repeating their viewpoints. See my posts:

How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 1

How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 2

[3] Paul further explains the birth pains of creation in Romans 8:

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Rom 8:22-24

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

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

In times past, the only prophetic words that reached us personally were those of visiting prophetic ministries to our church or area. These were ministries known to us, or known to other leaders that we respected.

However, with the advent of the Internet, social media, Google and email lists, the ability to give and receive prophecy has multiplied dramatically.

To test this, I googled “Prophetic Word For 2011” and it came up with 13,500 results!

Language is no longer a barrier. I notice, for example, that people can view my pages in languages such as French and Spanish using a translator.

Of course this is a blessing, because there is now media available to share God’s word worldwide. I have known some prophetic words to go viral—spreading from inbox to inbox.

Many prophetic words that are circulating are filled with grace and have the ability to bless and instruct.

However, some that have crossed my path (or should I say inbox) recently have caused me concern.

I believe that the Bible teaches us to consider prophecy carefully and test whether or not it is from the Lord.

Last week I discussed some guidelines we can use as we weigh up prophetic ministries.

Today I am looking at what to consider when weighing up the content of a prophetic word or message.

Weighing up a Prophetic Word

Someone sends us a prophecy via email, or a link to a prophecy online that he or she is excited about. Before we hit the ‘forward’ button, here are some things to consider about the prophetic word:

A. Does the Word Reveal the Father’s Heart?

Prophesying Natural Disasters and World Events

In Part 1, I mentioned that some abuse of prophetic ministry today arises from ministries adhering to an Old Testament paradigm of prophetic ministry.

The New Testament ushered in an era of God’s mercy. It is an age in which God’s kindness, not His wrath and judgement, leads to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9)

When Jesus announced His ministry, He quoted that part of Isaiah 61 where it says, ‘He has sent me to proclaim… the day of the Lord’s favour.’ He stopped short of quoting, ‘and the day of vengeance of our God.’ (Luke 4:18, Is 61:1-3)

Jesus Himself said, ‘For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.’ John 3:17

God’s judgment on the nations is reserved for a future time. (Rom 2:5; Matt 25:31-46) [1] This being the case, what should motivate a prophecy about future events and trials?

Jesus’ Motivation: Prepare and Protect

A prophetic word warning of pending disasters should reveal God’s heart to save and protect.

When Jesus prophesied concerning the devastation coming upon Jerusalem He included the heartfelt cry:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.” (Matt 23:37)

Jesus’ verbally expressed desire was to embrace and save, not to condemn and judge.

In Matthew 24 Jesus warned His disciples of events to come, forecasting the destruction of Jerusalem and the tribulation of end times.

During His discourse, Jesus gave practical advice for protection (Matt 24:15-18), as well as warning signs to watch out for.

He was conveying prophetic revelation of difficult times to come, in order to prepare and protect His people.

A Prophecy that Mobilised the Church to Give

In the book of Acts, Agabus’ prophetic foretelling of a severe famine resulted in mobilisation of resources from the church to relieve those who were suffering. (Acts 11:27-30)

The purpose of Agabus’ prophecy was not to pronounce judgement, and not to authenticate the prophet. Instead, the prophecy prepared the church to express God’s heart towards those affected by the famine. [2]

What if today—instead of prophesying judgement—the church weighed up prophetic words concerning future events and then used those insights to prepare to share the Gospel through extravagant giving and service to those in need?

What if prophetic words, delivered in a spirit of love and concern, helped governments and civil leaders plan for disaster relief?

B. Does it invite consideration—is it open, or closed?

A prophetic word should invite hearers to consider it and weigh up for themselves whether the prophecy is from God.

In the past I had a mistaken belief that prophetic ministries have a ‘hotline to God’ that precludes them from error. I now realise how unscriptural and dangerous this is. [3]

This belief can sometimes be reflected in the language used in a prophecy.

Words of Direction and Correction

All prophecies are subject to testing, and this is especially true of words that give direction or correction.

Even a mature prophetic ministries in the prophetic office should not give directive or corrective words without submitting them in an attitude of humility.

A message that is directional (gives specific guidance) should be framed in an ‘open’ way that gives the recipient room to weigh it up—and if necessary, shelve or even reject the word.

C. Is It Redemptive?

A prophecy should reflect the truth of the Gospel; that God’s desire towards people, His church and the nations is always to restore and redeem.

Jesus used prophetic revelation in His discussion with the woman at the well to point out her sin; however, He did not condemn or judge her. Instead, He showed her truth and grace and led her to faith in Him. (John 4)

Does the prophecy bring with it faith and a sense of expectation? As God says in Jer 29:11,

‘ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”’

D. Is It Biblical?

Most of us know that prophecy should not contradict scripture. However, a prophecy can be Biblical and yet be imbalanced, or take a point out of context.

Prophetic ministry should reflect the whole counsel of scripture; for example, Old Testament truth is balanced and explained by revelation in the New Testament.

E. Is It Empowering?

‘Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the brothers.’ Acts 15:32

A prophetic word should empower the church and our individual Christian life. A word that brings conviction, for example, should lead to freedom and to intimacy with God.

Prophecy should be concerned with changing our heart first and our behaviour second. We need to be wary of a performance focus in prophetic ministry.

F. Does it Resonate with the Spirit of God Within Me?

The Apostle John said,

I am writing these things to you about those who are trying to lead you astray. As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit-just as it has taught you, remain in him. 1 John 2:26-27

A good question to ask about a prophecy that is aimed at us personally is, ‘Where does the prophecy lead me?’ As John said, we can discern a ministry by whether it keeps us in fellowship with Jesus.

I need to be on the alert if a prophecy leads me into fear, condemnation, criticism, or an unhealthy focus on supernatural experiences.

We need to be careful about a sensational word or a word that feeds our sinful nature (greed, need for affirmation, etc). Ask, ‘What in me is responding to the word?’

Finally, unless I am convicted that the word is pertinent and have gone through a process of weighing up the ministry and message, I am very reluctant to pass on a prophetic word, especially by email.

I would love to hear what others think about this topic. To view or contribute to this discussion, leave a comment below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

[1] This is a big subject. I highly recommend Ps Mark Conner’s response to a so-called ‘prophecy’ that fatal bushfires were a result of God’s judgement for sin in Australia. You can find his discussion here:

http://markconner.typepad.com/catch_the_wind/2009/02/are-the-bush-fires-the-judgment-of-god.html

[2] Agabus’ later prophecy concerning Paul’s upcoming arrest allowed both the church and Paul to come to terms with and prepare for what was to come. (Acts 21:10-14)

[3] I warn of a ‘hotline to God’ philosophy that bypasses Godly wisdom and accountability in my book, ‘Prophetic People In A Changing Church.’

See also the following blog post: Not Word Perfect: Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works In The Church Today

This article should be read in conjunction with Pt 1:

How Do You Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying? Pt 1

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing Blog   http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

As a result, we are naturally curious about what prophetic voices around the world are saying.

In today’s global community, a prophet may not even visit our nation, let alone our church, and yet still influence us because of the capabilities of the Internet, email, and related media.

I believe it is vital that we exercise wisdom in discerning both the prophetic messages and the ministries that are broadcasting globally.

How do we discern what is of God, from amongst the many voices that claim to be prophetic in the world today?

The Importance of Weighing up Prophetic Ministry

The Bible teaches us that we should weigh up prophecy and prophetic ministries carefully. (1 Thess 5:21, 1 Cor 14:29, 1 John 4:1)

Jesus warned that false prophets would come on the scene and deceive ‘even the elect’ with signs and wonders. (Matt 24:24)

Even though this is the extreme scenario, Jesus’ warning is a reminder that accurate predictions, signs, miracles or spiritual experiences do not of themselves validate a prophetic word or ministry.

John wrote,

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1-2)

‘Many’ means a lot. Even so, we should not draw back in fear, but take Paul’s wise advice:

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. (1 Thess 5:19-21)

So I believe the key question is not, ’Should we test prophetic ministries’, but ’How do we test them?’

How To Weigh Up a Prophetic Ministry

In the early days of growing in prophetic ministry, I did not exercise care in discerning the prophetic ministry that I received from or associated with.

As a result of being led along a pathway of prophetic independence, my heart, church and ministry suffered. I thank God for the gift of repentance and for the help and leadership He has given me along the way. [1]

Following are some characteristics that I believe are vital to exercising balanced prophetic ministry today.

(Note that I am not referring to testing a prophetic ministry in the context of church life—which is another topic, although many of the following points do apply).

A. Ministering out of a New Testament Paradigm

We can learn a lot from studying the lives and ministry of prophets in the Old Testament. However, there are some crucial differences between Old and New Testament prophetic ministry.

John The Baptist was the last prophet in the Old Testament era.

Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension ushered in a new age; the church was born. From that period on, prophetic ministry is a function of the church body.

Prophetic ministries that model their ministry on an Old Testament paradigm may miss some of the key attributes of New Testament prophetic ministry, such as:

• Being part of the church community (Acts 13:1, 1 Cor 12:27-28)
• Having a primary purpose of equipping, encouraging and strengthening the church (Eph 4:11-13, 1 Cor 14:3, Acts 15:32)
• Prophecy being confirmation, or subject to being confirmed[2]
• Accountability and the need for testing prophetic words (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:19-21), and most importantly—
• Revealing the heart of the Father—the grace of God—as seen in Jesus (John 14:9, Rev 19:10b)

Setting aside these characteristics of NT prophetic ministry results in abuses and extremes in the prophetic movement today. [3]

B. Accountability

Jesus commended the Centurion who recognised that the release of God’s power came from being under authority. (Matt 8:5-13)

If I don’t know ministries personally, I look to see to whom they are accountable. Are they reporting to a board or other mature apostolic oversight? Are they connected to a local church?

It is easy for ministries to have the appearance of accountability on their website. However the prophet’s testimony (life journey or ministry stories) may give more insight into whether or not true accountability exists:

• Do they describe the importance that leaders and community have played in their journey, or do they boast of being trained directly by God?
• Do they have accountability in place regarding spiritual insights and experiences, or do they describe supernatural encounters without reference to them being weighed up and tested?

Paul reported to church leaders both in Jerusalem and in his sending church of Antioch (Acts 14:26-28, Acts 15:2, Gal 2:1-2)

If the Apostle Paul, to whom God entrusted direct revelation and who wrote scripture, was accountable to church leaders, shouldn’t we be?

Other glimpses of accountability in the New Testament include:

• In Acts 15:32-35, the prophets Silas and Judas were sent from the church in Jerusalem to the church in Antioch.

• In the New Testament we see less of the individual prophet and more of prophetic teams – e.g. Acts 15:32, Acts 13:1, Acts 11:27, 1 Cor 14:29, 31-32.

• Even Agabus a noted prophet in the New Testament, was part of a prophetic group from the church in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:27)

Demonstration of accountability also reflects an attitude of humility and teachability—two vital attributes in prophetic ministry.

C. Loving the Church

Love for people and for the church is vital in prophetic ministry (1 Cor 13:2).
How does this relate to the many prophetic ministries today who believe they have a mandate from God to address areas of weakness in the church?

Words of Correction

Two prophetic words address weakness or sin in the church. Both have the same insights. Yet one is sourced in the spirit of ‘accuser of the brethren,’ whilst the other is of the Spirit of God and expresses the Father’s heart. How can this be?

Jesus is not ‘soft on sin’ in His church. In His letters to the churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus rebukes and corrects the church (He also gives some of the most powerful promises in the Bible).

The person Jesus chose to receive and convey this prophetic revelation of warning and rebuke was the Apostle John.

John had not only helped build the church, but he also served and loved the church—to the point that he paid the ultimate price of laying down his own life.

Here are some questions to consider the next time you hear a prophetic ministry exposing and rebuking sin in the church:

• Is he or she recognised and received as a builder of the church—or on the contrary, known as someone who consistently tears the church and its leaders down? (1 Cor 14:12, 2 Cor 10:8)
• Does he or she love the church—and how has this love been demonstrated?

C. Questions to Ask

Following are some more questions that may assist in weighing up prophetic ministries (and that we need to look for in ourselves):

1. Do They Exhibit a Godly Lifestyle & Character?

An intimate relationship with God is central to prophetic ministry. However, this is not displayed in the quality of supernatural experiences a person claims to have had.

It is revealed as he or she bears the likeness of Jesus. (Acts 4:13, 2 Cor 3:18). Humility, integrity, faith, grace towards people, honour towards other Christian leaders and a moral lifestyle are all hallmarks of a life lived with God.

2. Who recognises / endorses their ministry?

• Are respected ministries and churches receiving these prophets?
• If they are prophesying concerning nations, do they actually have the ear of governing leaders?
• What do other prophetic ministries say concerning their prophetic insights (1 Cor 14:29)
• And closer to home, would my own church leaders recommend these ministries, or caution against them?

3. What is Their Fruit?

Jesus said, ‘By their fruit you shall know them.’ (Matt 7:15)

• Is their ministry bearing fruit? If so—what? If they are calling for repentance, for example, is the Holy Spirit actually using their ministries to turn people from sin and to Jesus?

4. Are They Exalting Jesus?

Signs, wonders, angels, supernatural experiences or prophetic accuracy may draw people’s attention, but do not validate a prophetic ministry.

• We should always be looking to see whether ministries are making Jesus the focus.
• Is revealing the heart, mind and intention of the Father the primary mandate of this ministry?

I would love to hear what others think about this topic. To view or contribute to this discussion, leave a comment below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Next week I will share part 2 of this series, including some thoughts about prophetic words that foretell natural disasters and world events.

Notes:

[1] I share my story in my book, ‘Prophetic People In A Changing Church.’ To learn more about my testimony, click on this link for the ‘About’ page. To find out more about the book, visit http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/e-books/prophetic-people-e-book/

[2] In the New Testament Church, all believers have the Spirit of God and can hear God’s word and receive guidance for themselves. Christian leaders have the ability to hear from God in relation to their roles and the oversight they have been given. The prophetic voice should either bring clarity and confirmation to what is already received—or be confirmed by what others then hear.

[3] See also the following post: Differences Between Old And New Testament Prophetic Ministry.

Graham Cooke deals with this subject well in his book, ‘Developing Your Prophetic Gifting’ in the chapter ‘The Role Of The Christian Prophet.’ If you are interested in exploring this topic more, I recommend looking it up, as he covers some different points to those I have touched on above.

He notes,

‘’Sadly far too many people are displaying an Old Testament ministry and personality in a New Testament Church setting. This I believe accounts for the large number of horror stories, misunderstandings and misrepresentations which belittle the prophetic ministry and discredit the gift.’(P 201)

[Graham Cooke Developing Your Prophetic Gifting’ 1994 Sovereign World Ltd Kent England]

© Helen Calder 2011    Enliven Publishing Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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:

(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)

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.

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.

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

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?

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

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.

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

Here are Charlie’s comments, in blue italics (I’ve added the emphasis in bold), followed by my own responses.

Would you like to add your own thoughts to this conversation? Feel free to join us in the comments section of this post. (If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down).

Charlie: ‘Thanks for the reply Helen, just a couple of extra points. I believe the need of intimacy with the Father is vital for the prophetic to function as it should. A prophet has absolutely nothing to say if he does not hear what the Lord is saying.’

Charlie, you are so right—the whole point of prophecy (and other revelationary gifts such as word of knowledge and discernment) is to speak forth the heart, mind and will of the Father. Intimacy is vital if we are to accurately represent Him.

How tragic to catch the revelation of God’s purposes—His mind and will—but to miss His heartbeat!

I believe it is the apprehension of His heart that will enable us to frame a prophecy in such a way that His love—and redeeming purpose—shines through (1 Cor 13:1-2). Without this, a prophecy is empty and incomplete.

Charlie: If he does speak and does not hear from the Lord the source of what he is saying is coming from either the flesh or worse, demonic. This will cause much hurt in the body.

Personally, I do not believe that all prophecy sourced in the flesh (out of our natural heart and mind) is damaging, although it can be, especially if it is misleading or employs soulish manipulation. A prophecy (or ‘word of encouragement,’ as it may better be termed), spoken out of our own heart, may fall short of being God’s best; but if it is encouraging, simple, Biblical, and spoken in faith—with love—I believe God can still use it.

If we allowed ourselves to fear speaking ‘in the flesh’ (out of our natural heart and mind), many of us, myself included, would never speak a prophecy at all!

I believe this potential for us to fall short in prophetic ministry, and for damage to be caused, is the reason Paul exhorted the Corinthian church to ‘weigh carefully’ prophetic words (1 Cor 14:29). And as he said in 1 Thess 5:20-21:

‘Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.’ Unsaid, but inherent in the text is, ‘Reject what is not good.’

These guidelines were given by the Holy Spirit to the church to help purify prophetic ministry.

It continually amazes me that Jesus entrusts us, His church, with gifts that are—not in terms of source, but in our expression of them—imperfect and incomplete (see also 1 Cor 13:9-10). His higher plan is for us to be interdependent upon each other in the use of our gifts.

Check out an earlier post I wrote on this subject:

‘Not Word Perfect: Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works In The Church Today.’

The other point that flows from this of course is, ‘What do we do about damaging prophecy?’ I started to explore this in the comments section of the following post:

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

This topic is much broader than what we can cover here.

Charlie: Secondly from being in the Fathers presence we learn His heart and are then able to discern what is from Him and what is not.

So true. And I do agree with your implication that the ability to discern is not limited to those with a gift of discernment.

This leads us to your question about spiritual gifts, which we will dialogue on in next week’s post.

Charlie: I have heard a lot of prophetic words lately and I feel much is wishful thinking and the flesh. I long for the day when there will be men and women released in the body who know the Father and will speak his word in power and humility.

Charlie I know this is also the cry of my heart and many who read this blog will agree.

Deep down we know there is more. We live in the tension between our current experience and what we know is available.

I feel as though I am paddling in shallows, but longing for deep waters.

However, I am also mindful of the scriptural injunction to not despise the day of small things (Zech 4:10).

The greatest thrill I have in prophetic training is to watch people who have never received a prophetic word before receive and share a simple revelation from the heart of God.

It is not perfect, but it is a little baby step. And I know that just as a parent delights in a child’s first steps, our Heavenly Father takes joy in these moments too.

The thing is not to stop at that place, but to keep moving closer in intimacy with the Father, growing in character and in skill in the use of our gift.

I love your heart, Charlie, and your hunger.

Let the hunger spread.

**Next week I will continue the dialogue with Charlie Forrest on the topic of spiritual gifts. Charlie has raised some provocative questions, for which I don’t have all the answers. But we can certainly explore them together.

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

Related Posts:

A Dialogue On Spiritual Gifts
‘The Heart of A Discerner.’
‘Not Word Perfect: Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works In The Church Today.’
‘How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy Or Dream Interpretation Is From God?’

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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)

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

© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

At this point in the session, the counsellor was inviting me to look into my heart—to visualise, with God’s help, what was happening on the inside of me.

To my complete surprise, instead of the darkness she was verbally preparing me to face, I found myself in a vision:

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I was under water, looking up towards the surface, where a current was flowing swiftly. A thin layer of scum was being carried along and away by the fast-moving water, skimming across its surface. 

As I wondered what I was seeing, the vision changed. I saw myself at the bottom of a river, and Jesus was with me. Together we were pulling up weeds from the riverbed, laughing, enjoying the moment. The weeds came away from the river’s floor easily. As we raised our hands and released them, the current of the river caught them away.

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My problems were not difficult for the Lord to handle. In fact, I saw that He delighted in sharing this process—of identifying and removing what was not of Him in my life.
That day, I looked for pain and encountered my Saviour. The prophetic vision He shared with me changed my perspective and helped bring me healing.

Revelation Brings Heaven’s Perspective.

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.” But Abram said, “O Sovereign LORD, what can you give me since I remain childless?”  (Gen 15:1-2)

Abram had a perspective problem. He was wealthy, but without an heir and without lands he could not comprehend how God could bless him.

The Lord responded by assuring him that He would give Abram a son and that his descendants would possess the land around him. Then:

‘He took him outside and said, “Look up at the heavens and count the stars–if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”’ Gen 15:5

When God gives us prophetic revelation—whether in vision or otherwise—He enables us to see from heaven’s perspective.

• A vision from God changed Peter’s perspective about the Gentiles and facilitated the spread of the Gospel throughout the Gentile world (Acts 10:9-20)

• A vision of the Risen Christ overturned Saul’s perspective, transforming him from a persecutor of the church to a founder of many churches (Acts 9)

How can we tell whether a personal revelation is from God?

A revelation from God does not come cloaking own ideas; neither does it reinforce our opinions, suspicions or prejudices.

Instead, like a contact lens placed on a natural eye, a vision from God brings adjustment and focus.

The Holy Spirit enables us to see circumstances, others and ourselves as the Father sees them.

He transforms our viewpoint so we can see like Him—and ultimately become like Him.

• When we are discouraged, He brings hope
• When we are fearful, He speaks a word of faith
• When we are hungry to know Him, He reveals more of Himself to us
• When we are confused, He brings clarity
• When we are critical, He shares His love for another

Here are some more ways we can check whether a vision or revelation is from God:

1. Is it Biblical?

2. Does it reflect God’s character and wisdom?

3. Is it redemptive—speaking of God’s heart to save and restore?

4. Do you have an inner witness that it is of God?

5. If it concerns direction—does it have the confirmation of circumstances, your gifts and wiring, and other believers—including your leaders?

The Power of a Vision to Restore

If you could see what heaven sees for your situation right now, how would it change your viewpoint?

Years ago, we experienced division in our church. I was deeply hurt, and shared the opinions and grievances of my friends who had left the church. My heart was urging me to leave.

Standing in a service one day, I received a prophetic vision that brought heaven’s perspective to my situation. I stayed, repented, and was restored. And the rest, as they say, is history.

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Related Posts:

How Your Perspective Can Impact Your Destiny

Counterfeit Prophetic Vision: Don’t Settle For Less Than God’s Best

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

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

Need a Breakthrough? Uncover the Mysteries of Heaven

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

The Hunk and I, being revivalists at heart, have always loved hearing about the healing evangelist John G Lake, who had lived there during his latter years. During his ministry, Spokane was pronounced ‘the healthiest city in the United States’, with over 100,000 healings reported in 5 years from 1915 to 1920.

I researched the subject, deciding to visit both the re-opened Healing Rooms and John G Lake’s grave while I was there.

At the time my trip took place, staff members of our church who were travelling overseas would take other team member’s ‘desk buddies’ with them. It was a standing joke that our church’s staff visited places all around the world by proxy.

I feigned non-intention of transporting the growing number of assorted desk buddies, but kidnapped them shortly before takeoff. My daughter and I spent amusing hours taking photos of them in places such as Hollywood Boulevard.

Before leaving Washington, I visited the Spokane Healing Rooms, where I asked for healing prayer on behalf of one of our pastors. I also visited John G Lake’s gravesite, and took a photo of my senior pastors’ desk buddies there.

Little did I know that my trip would hold prophetic significance for the future of our church—or that it would set in motion a chain of events that would help bring Jesus’ healing power to our city.

The Power of Prophetic Actions.

Prophetic people love symbolic acts. Symbolism is a language that we relate to; it is the way we are ‘wired,’ in our spiritual DNA. I recently described a prophetic act that helped take me through a difficult time.

Prophetic actions are prolific in the Bible. Some Old Testament prophets are renowned for their strange prophetic acts. Isaiah went naked (Is 20), Hosea married a prostitute (Hosea 1:2), Ezekiel lay on one side for 390 days (Ezek 4:5).

Prophetic actions can be seen in the New Testament, too. Agabus tied his own hands and feet with the Apostle Paul’s belt as the Spirit warned him of his upcoming arrest and imprisonment (Acts 21:10-12).

A prophetic act has significance in a number of Biblical contexts. These include:

-         Intercession (1 Kings 18:42-44)

-         Healing (2 Kings 5:9-14)

-         Warfare (Ex 17:10-13)

-         Warning (Ezek 4-5)

-         Foretelling (Acts 21:10-12)

-         Calling to ministry (1 Kings 19:19)

A prophetic act can hold spiritual power for fulfilment or breakthrough when the Holy Spirit directs it (2 Kings 13: 14-20).

Jesus used symbolic action when He put clay on a blind man’s eyes and told him to wash in the pool of Siloam (John 9:6-7). He also taught His disciples the practice of anointing with oil for healing (Mark 6:13), symbolic of the ministry of the Holy Spirit.

A prophetic action can be deliberate, or we can be led of the Holy Spirit and only realise the significance later, as with my visit to Spokane.

Using Prophetic Symbolism Wisely

‘You did what? Why would you want to take photos by a dead guy’s grave? That’s weird!’

Not everyone understood the significance of my visit to John G Lake’s gravesite, so for a long time I kept the event, and the desire it represented, hidden in my heart.

Not every church has a culture that encourages prophetic symbolism. Some prophetic or revival churches favour it. Others are more conservative in their approach to prophetic ministry and prefer ‘plain speech’ to the mystery of symbolism.

At times, we need to use wisdom and submit our own preferred styles, terminology and methods for the greater good of our church. Unless a prophetic culture is overtly embraced, I recommend using ‘translation’ when it comes to prophetic ministry. This means speaking and acting in the language our leaders and church family are familiar with.

This does not mean that we are quenching the Holy Spirit; it simply means that we are expressing love—His highest law—and honouring those we serve.

The Chain Reaction

Some 3 years after my visit to Spokane, a ministry mentor—unaware of my journey—hesitantly showed me an application to Healing Rooms training which was taking place in Frankston, some 45 mins drive from where we live.

It was not something I would normally be interested in. However, because of my trip to Spokane, I my interest was piqued. I took the brochure and asked one of my trusted leaders, Sandi Bonavita, if she would like to attend with me and check out the training. We could then decide whether it would be suitable for our whole team to undergo the training at a later date.

During the first morning session, my excitement grew as our presenter showed slides that included the very Healing Rooms I had visited in Spokane, and discussed John G Lake’s ministry.

After the final session of the day, Sandi and I were anointed and prayed for by the Healing Rooms team. A heavy burden of intercession fell upon me—and the power of God hit me. I tell the story in my post, ‘When God Shows Up, How Will You Respond?’

Sandi Bonavita, who accompanied me that day, caught the vision of the Healing Rooms. Sandi and another team member, gifted in healing, began ministering regularly at the Frankston Healing Rooms.

Sandi’s vision and my four-year prophetic journey are bearing fruit. Our Senior Pastor is launching the first Healing Rooms ministry in the City of Casey, in Melbourne, Australia. This will be based out of our own church premises.

In August our church will be hosting the first Healing Rooms training in our area. Sandi has a burning vision to see more Healing Rooms set up in our City and locality. As a result, many Christians will be trained and released to pray for healing. Countless people will receive prayer and learn of Jesus’ love and healing power.

The birth of our own Healing Rooms has another, more personal significance for me. I was just beginning my term as Prayer Leader for our church in 2006 when I visited Spokane. Now, I have passed on the leadership baton to Sandi just as the Healing Rooms is becoming a reality.

The two events have served as ‘bookends’ marking the beginning and end of a significant term of service for me in the prayer ministry of my church.

PS I have asked Sandi to share what is happening in the comments section below. If the comments box is not visible, click here or on the post title and scroll down. If you are in our locality, feel free to make contact with us for further information.

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For further information about Healing Rooms:

In Australia:  http://www.healingrooms.com.au/

USA & International: http://healingrooms.com/

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Related Posts:

When God Shows Up: How Will You Respond?

Discover Your Unique Healing Gift

How Your Prophetic Song Can Release The Power of God

©  Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

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

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

In this session, I outline

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

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

Some quotes from this podcast:

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

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

How to Overcome Blockages In Your Prophetic Gift, Desire

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

Podcast series:

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

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

© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing

In this session, I outline

6 key stages in the development of your prophetic gift

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

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

1. Identify which season of development you are in

2. Check whether you have become stuck in that phase

3. Make the most of your season of development and

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

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

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

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Related Posts:

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

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Blessings,

Helen

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

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Prophetic Evangelism: How to Share a Message from God

In the context of church life, we understand that prophecy is imperfect and incomplete and subject to testing (1 Cor 13:9, 1 Thess 5:20-21). So generally, we don’t preface a prophecy with ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ and neither should we when we have a prophetic insight for someone who is not a Christian believer.

You can frame a word that you believe God has given you for an unbeliever with a question like, “Does ___ mean anything to you?” or, “I’ve been praying for you and I believe God is saying, ___.”

Remember that your objective is to build a bridge, not to burn your bridges! This is especially true when the person you are bringing a prophetic word to is someone you know personally and not a stranger. So you should bring a prophecy sensitively and in a relaxed manner.

I have also found it helpful to give a brief explanation about what a prophecy is, and to encourage them to consider it and even pray about it!

A genuine word from God will hit the spot, even when you bring it tentatively. This is because:

1.    You are sharing something that you could only know by supernatural means, and

2.    The Holy Spirit will bring impartation or conviction with a word that originates from God

Recently, I preceded bringing a prophetic word to a couple of young guys by saying, “If this is me, you’ll be able to brush it off, but if this is God, it will lodge.”

A Prophecy Will Point People to Jesus

To share a word that you believe is from God takes faith and involves risk. When deciding what to share, remember that God’s word to an unbeliever or backslidden Christian will be like a signpost.

A prophecy will point or lead them to Jesus. It will always be redemptive. It’s going to have the mark of the Gospel on it. In other words, it will reflect God’s desire to save them, turn the direction of their lives around, and transform their mess into a testimony of God’s goodness.

It will convey the message that God is personally interested in them, that He loves them and has a destiny and a purpose for them.

1 Cor 14:24-25 says,

‘But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

I would love to hear of any experiences or ideas you have, so if the comments facility is not visible at the end of this post, or you are not on the website, click on this link and leave a comment in the boxes below.

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Related Posts:

 A Beginners Guide To Prophetic Evangelism Part 1

Key To Prophetic Evangelism: What is the Father Doing?

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Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

The above post was adapted from a chapter in the e-book,

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

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© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Prophetic evangelism is sharing the Good News about Jesus with people, using the means of prophetic revelation.

I have come to realise that God wants to use our gifts in every arena of life, not just in ministry in the church.

The gift of prophecy, when used in the process of evangelism, is a powerful way that we can partner with the Holy Spirit to lead people to faith in Jesus.

Over the last few days, I have been thinking about Jesus statement: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.’ (John 5:19)

It seems so simple, and yet so profound. It is the basis that Jesus lived and ministered from—and holds a vital key for us today.

Seeing the way Jesus Sees

In John 4, the disciples returned from buying lunch and saw that Jesus had been speaking with a lone Samaritan woman. They wondered why Jesus had crossed cultural and religious boundaries to speak with her. No doubt they were shocked at His social impropriety.

Jesus, however, saw the situation differently to the way His disciples did. He looked at the Samaritan woman and saw a precious soul in need of a Saviour—and a city won to God.

He said to His astonished followers,

‘”My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ (John 4:34-35)

Jesus had the ability to look beyond the situation or person that He was presented with. He knew whether or not that person was someone the Father was ministering to at that time.

Another time, Jesus drew one man out of a crowd of disabled and ill people who were gathered at the Bethesda Pool, and healed him. In response to criticism of this healing being done on the Sabbath, Jesus said,

‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.’ (John 5:19)

The Power of Focus

It seems that faced with numerous options as to how to spend His time and particularly, who to focus on, Jesus limited Himself to doing those things that He ‘saw the Father doing.’

Sometimes I feel guilty or inadequate because I do not have the personal resources or time to meet the needs of every person I come across.

But Jesus’ example assures me that success in ministry in general and evangelism in particular, does not come from spreading myself thin, but in focusing on what God is doing at any given time.

What freedom! Truly, His ‘yoke is easy and His burden is light.’ (Matt 11:30)

How did Jesus see what the Father was Doing?

 
This week I have asked myself the question, ‘If Jesus did what He saw the Father doing, how did He receive that revelation?

I used to imagine that when Jesus had His prayer times, the Father would show Him in open prophetic vision what His plans were, and who Jesus needed to spend time with. Somehow, the level of prophetic revelation that Jesus walked in always seemed unattainable to me.

But what if the way Jesus was able to see what the Father was doing IS attainable to us? What if the way that the Father guided Jesus is the same way He wants to guide you and me—any Spirit-filled believer—today?

Prayer is the Starting Place

The prophet Habakkuk said,

‘I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me.’ (Hab 2:1)

In order to be effective in prophetic evangelism, we need to put ourselves in a place where we can see what the Father is doing, and that begins with prayer. Prayer is the primary way we connect to God.

As we pray, we can receive prophetic revelation about what God is doing in the lives of people around us. I have received scriptures, visions, insights and feelings about what God wants to do in the lives of people around me at different times.

Seeing what God is doing after we have Prayed

 
However, seeing what the Father is doing only begins with our prayer times. It continues as we commune with God in our daily life. Here are some more things I am learning to look out for:

1. Being alert to what happens next after I have prayed—in other words, actually believing God is answering my prayer! Who is God bringing into my life or across my path?

2. Learning to look past what I see with my natural sight, to what God is seeing. Being aware that I can be derailed by prejudice, by the hurriedness of my life, by my insecurity.

3. Holding on to my own agenda or expectations lightly.

4. Realising that God often works through happenstance—seeming coincidences and interruptions to show me what He is doing.

I am learning not to limit God. There are many ways that He can show me what He is doing. One time, a scripture verse emailed from our church office prompted me to visit a friend. The timing of that visit set in motion a chain of events that would bring my friend closer to faith in Jesus.

This week, I’m going to ask, Father, what are You doing? What are You doing in ____’s life right now? How can I join with You?

In the next post, we will look more closely at the part that prayer plays in the process of prophetic evangelism.

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Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

For further information, inspiration and stories, check out the e-book,

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

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

Related posts:

A Beginners Guide To Prophetic Evangelism Part 1

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Teams of Christian believers are pouring out into the streets and shopping malls, listening to the Holy Spirit as He directs them to speak with people. Using spiritual gifts, they are passing on words of knowledge and prophecies to people who may never have stepped into a church. They then offer to pray for them—and Jesus is doing miracles.

As awesome as this is, I have a burning conviction that ordinary, Spirit-filled believers, who might never join a team doing street witnessing, do not need to miss out. Anyone who has a heart to hear from God and to walk in spiritual gifts can learn prophetic evangelism. I believe that:

1. Prophetic evangelism can occur in our daily life

2. The principles of prophetic evangelism can be learned in a series of simple steps.

But before I start—lets ask the question:

What is Prophetic Evangelism?

Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)

Prophetic evangelism is, at its most basic level, sharing the Good News about Jesus with people using the means of prophetic revelation.

It begins with hearing from God (or seeing, if you’re wired as a visionary person) how and what He wants you to pray, speak and do in the process of witnessing, as well as where and to whom. Sometimes, but not always, prophetic evangelism involves sharing a prophetic message from God with someone who is not a Christian.

‘Revelation’ means that you are receiving knowledge or insight from God that you wouldn’t know by natural means. The Holy Spirit reveals it to you supernaturally.

Supernatural Evangelism

One time, I was walking along a beach when I noticed a man and his son dragging a large net to shore. With great difficulty they laboured to bring the net into shore, only to find it contained a few bits of seaweed. The young man shrugged his shoulders and began to take off his wetsuit. His whole demeanour said, “Don’t ASK me to do that again!”

It reminded me of how many times in church life we have worked hard to bring lost people to Jesus, only to have worn ourselves out for very little result.

Jesus once told His disciples to let down their nets for a catch of fish. Like the young man I saw, they had worked hard all night for nothing, but when they let down the net at Jesus’ word, a miracle happened. The net was filled to overflowing with fish. (Luke 5:4-6)

This is a great illustration of prophetic evangelism. When we partner with the Holy Spirit, miracles happen.

God never meant for spiritual gifts to be confined to within the four walls of the church. Jesus moved in healing, prophecy, deliverance, miracles and knowledge in the streets, in fields, in homes and in parties. The early church did the same.

I am being challenged not to be one kind of person in a church meeting and another outside. If the Lord has given me gifts of prophecy, intercession and so on, why shouldn’t I walk in those gifts wherever I go?

Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at some simple principles to help us enter into a fruitful partnership with the Holy Spirit in prophetic evangelism. These include:

Prayer—waiting in God for prophetic revelation. Who does He want us to share with? What is He doing in their lives and what is He saying to them at this time?

Position—we recognise that God has placed us alongside people, and that He is already at work in their lives

Power—felt needs in people’s lives give us an opportunity to offer prayer and for miracles to happen

Prophecy—an opportunity may arise in which we can share a message from God. Or—He may give us prophetic direction as to what to speak or an action to take.

Proclamation—at the right time, we share the story of Jesus with them.

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Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

For more information, inspiration and stories, learn more in the e-book,

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

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Related posts:

How To Share A Prophecy With Someone Who Is Not A Christian

How To Be a Supernatural Christian: The Good News

The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today

© Helen Calder  2010   Enliven Publishing

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

$5.95 e-Book*

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

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

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

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

(More details …)

PROPHETIC PEOPLE IN A CHANGING CHURCH

$4.95 e-Book*

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

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

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

(More details …)

GROW YOUR PROPHETIC AND PRAYER GIFTS

$5.95 e-Book*

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

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

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

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

(More details …)

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

$5.95 e-Book*

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

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

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

*All prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD).

Note that some of these e-books are now available from the David McCracken Ministries online store.

Check the e-books page for the complete list of e-book s available.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One word from God can hold tremendous power.

A prophetic word from God for your year can:

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

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

Here are some ways you can receive a prophetic word:

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

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

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

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

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

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

What you can do with your prophetic word:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
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1. Prophetic Teaching:
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• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on related spiritual gifts and spiritual renewal
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2. Prophetic Training:

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

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

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

Related posts:

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

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

© Helen Calder   2010  Enliven Blog