This week, The Hunk had to carry me out of a church service. I could not walk, because I was utterly overcome physically by the presence and power of God (I can only recall one other instance of a similar thing happening, around twelve years ago).

We have been blessed to have our sister and brother-in-law, Stuart and Lynley Allan here in Melbourne during this past week. We attended a couple of meetings at which they, along with John and Carol Arnott, from Toronto, Canada, were ministering.

‘Do What it Takes to Get Filled’

Only four months ago, I was sitting overlooking a local reservoir that has been affected by our State’s drought. It was around 30% full.

The emptiness of the reservoir echoed the devastated state of my soul. 

I had spent most of the year **not** recovering from ministry burnout. I mistakenly thought that taking extended time out and reducing my ministry responsibilities would help me get better. It didn’t.

A wise pastor who had himself been through burnout said to me, ‘Time doesn’t heal the problem. You need to intentionally do whatever it takes to get refilled again.’ As he spoke, I realised that one of those things, for me personally, was taking time outdoors to meet with God.

Being intentional about doing what it took to get refilled, spiritually and emotionally, proved a turning point for me.

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How Am I Going–Really?

Jesus called His disciples firstly to be with Him, and then to serve Him (Mark 3:14). When we get the order of that around the wrong way, we get into trouble. I have learned this the hard way.

As we begin a new year, let’s reflect on this very important question:

• Am I filled, or depleted in my spiritual life?

A similar question that is also vitally important, is:

• Am I filled, or depleted in my emotional life?

It can be difficult to tell how used up the tank of your emotional and spiritual reserve is, until it is too late. This is where looking for external clues to your condition become important—a subject I may cover another time. (If you have questions or ideas about this, feel free to comment on this post or email me).

As Christians we can receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, to empower us to be all we can be, and change our world (Acts 1:8).

However, we continually need a fresh impartation of the Holy Spirit if we are going to minister out of fullness (John 7:37-39). We also need to be acquainted with the Spirit if we are going to hear His voice and receive prophetic revelation that will break open situations and lead people to Jesus (John 14:26).

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, the word ‘impart’ means ‘to give, convey, or grant from or as if from a store.’

Impartation implies a source. When that source is God, and our need is for His Spirit, we know He has an unlimited heavenly abundance that we can draw from. (John 3:34)

3 Ways the New Testament Church received an Impartation of the Holy Spirit are:

1. Directly from Jesus

Matt 10:1, John 20:22-23.

We can also receive directly from Jesus when we spend time with Him by having a healthy devotional life.

2. From God as they prayed

Acts 2:1-4

The Church received the baptism of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. However, this kind of praying and waiting on God should not just be a one-off experience. We see the church praying and receiving an infilling of the Holy Spirit again in Acts 4:24-31

3. Through the Ministry of Laying on of Hands

Acts 6:6, Acts 8:17, Acts 19:6

As effective as ministry with ‘laying on of hands’ can be, it should never become a replacement of our receiving personally and directly from God.

Also, it is our own responsibility to maintain the gift from God that this kind of impartation gives us. The Apostle Paul said to Timothy,

‘For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.’ 2 Tim 1:6-7

How to Receive a Fresh Infilling of the Holy Spirit

The Apostle Paul’s present continuous use of the verb, ‘Be filled with the Spirit’ in Eph 5:18-20, indicates that being filled with the Holy Spirit should be our ongoing experience.

Here are some things that I have found useful to receive a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit in my life over the past four months:

1. Doing what it took to be renewed in my devotional life

2. Being intentional about doing the things that connect me personally with God

(in my case, this included spending time in prayer and reflection outdoors, however it will be different for every person)

3. ‘Soaking.’

(Dictionary definition: To be immersed until thoroughly saturated.)

For me, this means taking time in God’s presence with no other agenda but to connect with and receive from Him. I find that intimate worship music is a great facilitator of this.

4. Receiving prayer from others (laying on hands) for a refilling of the Spirit

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Has this worked?
Recently, I was again visiting the reservoir, when I noticed the difference: the emptiness of the dam no longer reflected my inner state. I knew I had been refilled. (Thank You Jesus). My response to God’s Presence in the meetings held here in Melbourne this week demonstrated the overflow.

What are the ways that you can be filled with God’s Holy Spirit, and refreshed, spiritually and emotionally?

For related posts, review the Spiritual Renewal Category

Check back on this blog over the next couple of weeks as I will be discussing ‘Prophetic Activation through Journaling‘

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

The close of a year can be a time in which we review our responsibilities for the coming year. We have a window of opportunity in which to decide which roles to keep or take on in our church, ministry, or other activities outside of our personal and family life.

These are decisions that have eternal consequences.

Martha was a good woman who, along with her sister Mary, became a disciple of Jesus. Jesus valued their hospitality and their home became a place of refreshing that He made use of as He travelled in and out of Jerusalem (Luke 10:38, John 12:1-2).

One time, Martha invited Jesus into her home for dinner. But she became overloaded with her work preparing for the meal. To make matters worse, her sister Mary absconded from her kitchen duties and sat down to listen to Jesus’ teaching, leaving her to labour alone. Finally, the stress became too much for Martha to bear. She marched into the room where Jesus was speaking and ordered Him to tell Mary to help her.

Far from the response Martha was looking for, Jesus took the opportunity to point out that she, not Mary, was in the wrong. Her attitude of care and worry over all the details of serving was unnecessary, and Mary had made the better, lasting choice.

Many of us can identify with Martha. I can! Martha had lost the joy of serving Jesus and was hindered from spending quality time with Him.

What were some of the reasons Martha got into this stressful place, and we do today? Here are some potential traps we need to avoid as we make decisions regarding our life and ministry in 2010.

Trap #1: Maintaining High Standards

Perhaps Martha was preparing a 4 star meal, when Jesus and His friends would have been happy with much simpler fare. But Martha had a certain standard of hospitality in mind that she wanted to keep up. Maybe she had a reputation for quality hospitality that she wanted to live up to. That standard became a trap.

Prayerfully ask, ‘Are there any areas in my life or ministry that I am intent on maintaining a high standard could cause me stress? What is my motivation for this?

Ask, ‘What is the opportunity cost of meeting this high standard?’ What will I neglect by insisting that I meet my desired criteria? If the answer is, time to enjoy God, enjoy life, or enjoy your family, you may need to reduce your expectations or release the role.

Trap #2: Filling Gaps

Like Martha did, we can be tempted to fill any gaps left by other people. This is especially true when we have leadership responsibility. We want to provide a certain level of service and feel the ministry will fall over if we don’t step in.

Sometimes, others may place well-intentioned emotional pressure on us to fill a gap. If this is the case, stop! Step back and prayerfully ask yourself, family members and God if this is the right course for you to take.

Ask yourself, ‘What is the worst thing that can happen?’ Is this gap something I can trust God with, or am I trusting in my own efforts?

There may be other team members who will step into the void when it appears. They may not have the courage to do so until they see that their contribution is needed.

Even if this doesn’t happen, isn’t God’s grace big enough to make up the difference?

Realise that the worst thing that can REALLY happen is that you is that you fill the ministry gap and become stretched so thin you dry up, spiritually, emotionally, mentally, physically. Eventually the very thing you are working to keep will be lost to you.

Trap #3: Prioritising Service Above Relationship

Martha was so busy serving her guests that she didn’t take time to be with her guests. She had become so stressed that the most important part of hospitality, spending time WITH her Guest, was neglected.

Martha was conforming to a misguided value that serving Jesus by taking physical action is the most important thing a Christian can do.

Sometimes, like Martha, we embrace the same belief. This can arise out of urgency to meet a genuine need.

The dire circumstance of unreached people groups and lost people in our community heading towards a Christ-less eternity can become a driving force. For many years, my husband and I were involved in world missions. But many times we were in danger of neglecting personal and family issues as well as our personal relationship with Jesus.

More than once I have become so engaged in meeting needs until I had nothing left to give. I call this, ‘Christian service burnout.’

The presupposition is that our highest act of service to God is to offer all of our gifts, time and energy to the cause of Christ.

But is that really what Jesus wants?

Trap #4: Valuing Other People’s Opinions Above Our Devotional Life

Another trap we can fall into is to give way to the pressure of other people’s opinions or values. It is important to note that Mary did not allow Martha’s opinion to sway her from spending time with Jesus.

Be a Non-Conformist Like Mary

It takes courage not to conform to the expectations of others in our world—especially the opinions of other Christians! But we must have that courage if we will have Mary’s reward.

Watch out when your intention to release or bring focus to your ministry is resisted. It is understandable that you will be missed, but you are not irreplaceable.

As prophetic people, the greatest investment we can make into our relationship with God, our spiritual gifts and ministries is the personal time we spend with Jesus—our devotional life.

As you plan for 2010, will you value your relationship with Jesus above service

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Related Posts:

Spiritual Renewal: Cafe Moments with God

The River Returns: How to be Filled With the Holy Spirit When you are Dry

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

As prophetic people, our devotional life is not only the centre of our relationship with Jesus; it is also the place where we receive revelation—messages from the heart of God that are the basis of our prophetic ministry.

Here are some thoughts that may help you get a fresh perspective on your quiet times with God, along with some practical tips to help freshen up your devotional life.

A Cafe Culture

Today, we live in a coffee culture. Cafes have become synonymous with connection. Meeting friends or colleagues at a coffee shop has become a regular part of life’s routine for many of us.

You arrive at your favourite cafe. The smell of coffee permeates the air. You are waiting in eager anticipation for the arrival of your friend, colleague or loved one, looking forward to the time you will spend together.

In one area of the cafe, a business meeting is taking place. At another table, a group of mums enjoy coffee together, watching over their young children as they play. Nearby, old friends meet, enjoying each other’s company.

Meeting Jesus

If Jesus invited you to meet with him at your local cafe, how would you feel? What would you do?

As the Psalmist says, ‘Selah.’ Pause and think quietly about that for a moment.

This is the kind of anticipation we should have when it comes to our devotional life.

In Revelation 3:20, Jesus makes an invitation to the church,
‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.’

It seems to me that God thought up cafe moments long before we ever did. Meaningful and intimate connection with people and with Him is part of His original design.

Quality Time With Jesus

The Hunk (Malcolm) and I spend many hours together at home. Although we are together, often we are occupied with our own tasks and priorities. Meeting at a cafe has become a significant way to spend quality time together.

Similarly, we are with God throughout every moment of our daily life. And yet, He invites us to spend quality time with Him. Jesus demonstrated the importance of this when He took time apart to pray and be with His Father (Mark 1:35).

By the end of last year, I was weary from taking on too much ministry responsibility. My daily devotions had been squeezed into a smaller and smaller window of time. Instead of taking time to enjoy God’s Presence, my brief moments with Him were punctuated with desperate calls for help. I am so grateful that He heard and answered those cries.

Exhausted, I had reached the point where I could not face personal Bible study or journaling. Thankfully, since then the Lord has taken me on a journey of rediscovery where quiet times have become a joy, not a duty. I now look forward to meeting with God with anticipation.

It is time for a paradigm-change in the way we view our devotional times with Jesus. Out with dreariness and duty! In with cafe-moments!

Creating Freshness in Our Devotional Life

Changing our perspective about our quiet time with God can help re-ignite our relationship with Him. Here are some practical things you can also do to help refresh your devotional life:

1. Choose the Cafe

• Designate a space where you can meet with God. It might be an appointment with Him outdoors. It might be a corner, a room, or a chair in your home;
• Create a fresh and enjoyable environment. Add something new that you personally enjoy. It might mean creating order or removing clutter. It might mean adding an object of beauty, or simply changing the arrangement of furniture.

2. Make the Appointment

• Consider the best time for you to meet with Jesus, praying and reading the Bible. You can set aside dedicated time in the morning, or if you’re like me, the evenings may be your best option.
• If you connect best with God through relational means, ask a friend to help keep you accountable. When you meet, ask each other what is happening in your connection times with God, or study and pray together;
• If you live on the go, don’t give up! Assess times and places where you can connect with God whilst you are in transit. Add Bible study tools to your iPod, car CD player, put a devotional or Bible somewhere you might find yourself waiting.

3. Preview The Menu

• Consider your devotional tools—Bible, journal, study helps, worship music. Are they still providing interest to your quiet times? If not, change something. A new Bible translation, different study guides, or new worship CD can make a huge difference.

4. Meet Your Friend

• You arrive at the appointed place of your devotional time with God. You are excited as you anticipate a personal meeting with Jesus. You are looking forward to taking your fill of the food of His Word; of drinking afresh of His Spirit; of spending time with the One who loves you most.

You are in awe that the Creator of the universe desires to connect with you.

Nothing could keep you away. This is your appointment with God.

See also, How to be Filled With the Holy Spirit When You are Dry

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

• What do you do when daily devotions became a daily grind a long time ago, and now they’re nearly non-existent?

• What do you do when you are so dry, you’ve lost the ability to be thirsty for God?

• What happens when you can’t face Bible study because it has become another place to spiritually perform—and you don’t have an ounce left to give?

What do you do when you’re in Christian leadership—but can hardly face the prospect of a church meeting? What do you do when you’ve got nothing left to give?

If any of this rings true for you, or you are concerned that at the rate you’re going you might end up like this, or you have been there and are on a journey of recovery —you’re not alone.

You may also know of someone who is heading down this track, and be wondering how you can help them.

I heard someone say recently, ‘Your mess becomes your message.’ That being the case, I thought it was time to start to share what I’ve learned. Thankfully, as I mentioned in another blog post, the River has begun to flow for me again.

Over the next few weeks, I will be focusing on keys to spiritual renewal in this blog. We will be looking at questions like:

• Hungering for God—why is it important and where does it lead?

• What is Christian-service-burnout?

• How can I get excitement and expectancy back in my devotional life?

• Is falling in love with the Bible again possible (why did it get so dry)?

• How am I uniquely wired to connect with God (and why do I try to be like everybody else)?

I want to encourage you to engage with your own experiences, ideas and feedback.

Can you relate to any of this? Have you discovered some keys to recovery from spiritual dryness or burnout? Leave us a note in the comments.

PS if you receive this post by email, and would like to join in the conversation, click on the blog title in the email and it will take you directly to the blog post, where you can read and leave comments.