Last week I discussed the need to weigh up prophetic ministry in light of the phenomenon of global prophetic ministry via the use of the Internet.

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.

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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.

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[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

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This article should be read in conjunction with Pt 1:

 

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

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

 

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

By nature and gifting, prophetic people tend to place a high value on prophetic words. We desire to know what the Father’s plans are for our lives, as well as what is on His heart for our church, community and nation.

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?

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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.

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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]

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© Helen Calder 2011    Enliven Publishing Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Prophetic Training Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer


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

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

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

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

Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer

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

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Activities To Do

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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ON THE FORUM:

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

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

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5. Some optional related reading:

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

Your Prophetic Word and Spiritual Warfare

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

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

© Helen Calder 2010    Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Our friend Charlie Forrest* began a conversation in the comments section of my last blog post on ‘The Heart of A Discerner.’ His thought-provoking observations are so good that I have decided to put the discernment series on hold in order to share the discussion with you.

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).

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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* *Charlie Forrest pastors New Hope Fellowship in Auckland, New Zealand. Charlie has many years leadership involvement in missions with Asian Outreach and is also a Bible College lecturer. Charlie and his wife Brenda are responsible for launching The Hunk and I into missions ministry around 23 years ago.

**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.

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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?’

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© 2010  Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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

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

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

Igniting a Prophecy with Prayer

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

Jesus taught us to pray,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discerning the Timing of God

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

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

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

It was time to birth that prophecy in prayer.

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

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

Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Neglected Prophecy

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here is a challenging question for you to consider:

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

Some Ways to use a Prophecy in Prayer:

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

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

3.    Use the prophecy to wage spiritual warfare

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

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Related Posts:

Dealing With Prophetic Disappointment

How To Make The Most Of Your Personal Prophecy

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

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

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© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

I sat in the office of a counsellor, head down in prayer. The visit was precipitated by difficulties in a ministry situation that had left me discouraged and heartsick.

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

In early 2006, I booked flights for my daughter Amy and I to visit my parents in Clarkston, Washington, USA. Our itinerary would take us through Spokane, Washington.

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

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

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