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

Have you Ever had the Opposite of Your Prophetic Word Happen to you?

You have received your prophetic word for 2010 and you are excited about it. You feel close to God. You are highly motivated to live out the word and hold onto it throughout the coming year.

But then, it happens.

Out of nowhere, you are sideswiped; a problem, a negative word, a criticism, or a disappointment comes your way. Perhaps the very opposite of the promise God has given to you begins to happen. You find yourself swamped in spiritual warfare and oppression.

You have entered the next stage of fulfilling God’s word for your life: it’s time to contend for your prophetic word.

Where is God When we are in the Trial?

One day, Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.’ They joined Him in the boat and began their journey.

Suddenly, a terrifying storm blew across the lake, and the boat began to be swamped with water. Finding themselves in peril for their lives, the disciples looked for Jesus. He was asleep in the stern.

Jesus had given the disciples a word, ‘Let’s go over to the other side.’ But halfway across the lake, it looked as though they weren’t going to make it. They woke Jesus up and said, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ (Mark 4:38)

The disciple’s response is familiar to our own. When difficulties overwhelm us, we find ourselves wondering, ‘Where is God? Does He even care at all?’ It seems as if Jesus is asleep in the boat of our lives.

We have His word, but like the disciples, we find ourselves in trouble at the place in-between. The distant shore of our word’s fulfillment is impossibly out of reach.

What hurts the most is, that we so willingly followed Jesus and believed His word in the first place. We have been doing our best, and now, all hell is breaking loose against us.

If this sounds familiar, take heart! Jesus is the Lord and master of your situation. God’s word for your life will be fulfilled.

The disciples cried out, ‘Master, master, we are going to drown!’ (Luke 8:24). Their statement of negative prophecy was the very opposite of what Jesus had told them would take place. However, their words and their fear were no obstacle to the grace and power of God.

What a wonder God’s grace is. Even when we slip into being negative and afraid, God brings us through the hardship. Like Jesus’ disciples did, we need to keep our confession of Jesus’ Lordship in the midst of the trial.

Having been called upon to save them, Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves and as suddenly as the storm had swept up, calm reigned.

Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)

Jesus’ response to the tempest seems to indicate that spiritual warfare was taking place.

The disciples had the two ingredients necessary for faith. They had Jesus’ word, and they had Jesus presence with them. And yet they still doubted in the storm.

How Should we Respond in the Trial?

The disciples’ acted in a way that we often do in times of testing:

• They forgot, or doubted, Jesus’ word
• They looked at the circumstances versus their own ability and believed the situation hopeless
• They believed the word would not be fulfilled and spoke out of that unbelief
• They were afraid
• They felt that Jesus didn’t care for them because He did not appear to be acting on their behalf at that time.

I read this story and wonder, how should the disciples have responded?

What would they have done that would have resulted in Jesus praising them for their faith, rather than rebuked them for their fear?

They could have:

1. Used the authority Jesus had given them and rebuked the storm themselves
2. Immediately gone to Jesus, instead of trying to save the boat in their own strength, and given control of the situation over to Him
3. Not given way to fear, but responded in faith
4. Not given voice to doubt, but spoken in confidence and trust.

This coming year, times of trouble and spiritual warfare will come.

Let’s live out of the Spirit’s enabling power, and respond in faith, not fear, when opposition comes to God’s prophetic word over our lives.

There will inevitably also be moments when we respond wrongly during the trial. We might believe we have it all together, but God will allow situations to come along that reveal just how weak we are and how in need of His grace we are.

We won’t always get it right, and that’s OK. At the end of the day, it is not our performance that counts, but that we stay in relationship with Jesus, the Giver of the word.

In those moments, the words, ‘Master, save us!’ are the only ones we need.

For more of the story, check out Matt 8:23-27, Mark 4: 35-41, Luke 8:22-25

Related posts:

Prophetic People & Spiritual Warfare

Prophetic People in Testing Times: The Reason for the Season

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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

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

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Thirst

‘If anyone is thirsty’ (John 7:37)

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

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

Am I thirsty? Or am I just dry?

2. Get Personally Connected to Jesus

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

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

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

3. Find Out What Fills You and Do It

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

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

4. Ask

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

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

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

Let the River flow!

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Related posts:

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

How to Discover Your Spiritual Pathway

©  Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Photography © Junette Keefe   www.pictorialparadigm.com

I read in a time management book recently that clutter in one’s home or work environment causes stress. I figure that is because clutter represents a pile of unfinished tasks. This, I muse, makes a great deal of sense. My own current ‘clutter’ issue is not indoors but just outside. My garden glares at me accusingly every time I walk in and out of our front door. It is a mass of unpruned roses and the last brave flowers—the ones that were giving me the excuse of neglect—have been lost to the winds.

This is somewhat ironic because I have just been in the process of writing a chapter about pruning. According to the Bible, God is in the business of cultivating our lives, and every now and then He gets out the shears (John 15:1-3). The unpleasant business is all for good, of course, because the end result of pruning is greater fruitfulness.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15:1-2

Prophetic people go through testing times, and whether these relate to the barrenness of a winter season or the process of pruning, there IS some good news to be had. Here are some examples from the Bible:

The Testing Season: What is God Doing?

1. Developing Skills you will need in the Future

(Gen 37-50)

Joseph knew that his destiny was one of rulership, but it seemed that his life was taking the opposite course. Sold into slavery and unjustly imprisoned, he developed skills that would be invaluable to his future. During the season of trial, God may be working gifts and skills into your life that you need to fulfil His destiny in the long run.

2. Refining Character

(James 1:4)
Integrity is of vital importance so that the ministry and God’s Name is not discredited. This is especially true when operating in spiritual gifts such as prophecy.

Other character traits that God looks for in His people are humility and the ability to persevere. After a 40-year sojourn in the wilderness, Moses was a man of great humility. God had refined his character in the desert.

3. Repositioning

During a wilderness time, God may actually be repositioning us for a new season of fruitfulness.

Elijah sat under a tree in the desert and actually prayed that he would die. The Lord visited Him and gave him directions for a new season of his ministry. He was to call Elisha as his successor and anoint a new king who would bring Jezebel’s reign to an end (1 Kings 19).

Elijah had an appointment with God in the wilderness and so do we. During the times of difficulty or separation, allow Him to speak to you about the next season He has for your life.

4. Calling us to Intimacy with God

(Hosea 2:14-15)
Testing times are seasons when we have the opportunity to get closer to God than any other time. Perhaps there are fewer distractions. Perhaps need or barrenness causes us to draw nearer to Him.

5. Awaiting the Right Timing

While we feel as though we are fighting to survive, God is moving to change the scenery on the stage of our lives—positioning circumstances, others and us for what is to come. David went on the run from Saul in the wilderness. He was destined to become a king, but he became an outlaw first. He stayed in the desert while God worked things out on his behalf. Saul died and eventually the people called for David to be their new king.

6. Strengthening our Faith

Abraham is known as the ‘father of faith.’ It was twenty-five barren years before Isaac was born in fulfilment of God’s promise to make him a great nation; God waited until it was physically impossible. Paul later said of Abraham in Romans 4:19-20:

“Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God.”

7. Pruning for Greater Fruitfulness

Pruning seasons occur when the best that we have produced is stripped away from us and every natural means of being fruitful seems to have been removed, leaving us barren (John 15:2). God is allowing fruitful areas of our lives and ministries to be cut back, in order that we can focus in a significant way.

Now, I’d better do something about that garden… tomorrow.

The information in this post is excerpted from the e-book, ‘Grow Your Prophetic and Prayer Gifts.’ If this post has ministered to you and you would like further help in the development of your prophetic gifts, click here to review the book.

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

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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

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

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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

See also Prophetic People in Testing Times

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

There is an old song that goes, ‘Nobody loves me… I’m going to the garden to eat worms…’ My friend Junette has a compost barrel in her garden and inside under the lid is teaming with juicy, wriggling worms, hundreds of them—eeuuw! Eating worms has become something of a metaphor for having a bad day. A message that says, ‘Need worms, quick!’ is code for, ‘I’m having a bad day—need sympathy and prayer!’ On a really bad day, it’s ‘Give me the barrel!’ But what if you are not only having a 1-barrel-of-worms day, but a whole 10-barrel month, or even a 100-barrel year?

I am working on a chapter in my new book on ‘The Testing Season’—or should I say, the chapter is working on me? (It couldn’t get worse than the week a few years back when I was working on a chapter on pride!) At any rate, this whole business of experiencing testing, or wilderness seasons in the growth of our prophetic gifts is pretty relevant, and actually there is GOOD news too, so I thought I’d share some of it with you.

Signs that you may be experiencing a wilderness season in relation to your spiritual gift:

• Feeling that you have been shut down in your God-given abilities. You wonder where your gift has gone and what God is doing

• You may have voluntarily or involuntarily released ministry responsibility to do with your gift and feel displaced as a result

• You long for the honeymoon period when you first discovered your spiritual gift and think of it as ‘the good old days’

• You may have made mistakes and wonder whether you will ever recover

• You experience doubts about your ability and wonder if God really called you

• You find yourself going through character-testing circumstances and coming up short on the character side

• You wonder whether the prophecies once made about you will ever be fulfilled

• You feel as though you are being criticised, blocked or resisted

• You feel battle-worn and weary

• You feel displaced, separated or hidden in relation to your gift and ministry

• The opposite of God’s call and the destiny you believed for seems to be happening to you.

If you can identify with any of these things, there is some very good news for you—there is a REASON for this SEASON and it all has to do with you, God, and fruitfulness! We’ll have a look into this some more in the next few days.

Do you identify with any of the above points now, or have you in the past? I’d love to hear from you, and so would others—leave a comment for me.

In the meantime, I’m going to fast worms and try thanksgiving and praise instead…

The information in this post is excerpted from the e-book, ‘Grow Your Prophetic and Prayer Gifts.’ If this post has ministered to you and you would like further help in the development of your prophetic gifts, click here to review the book.

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

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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

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

Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010

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

See also Prophetic People in Testing Times: The Reason For The Season

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing