The thing I love most about teaching beginners’ classes in prophecy

We should never lose the wonder of hearing the voice of God—whether for others or ourselves.

But sometimes over the passage of time, familiarity, staleness, or just plain weariness can rob us of that sense of awe, joy and privilege.

Early last year I was burnt out and in a place where it was difficult to hear from God. But now, the communication—and the wonder—is back.

So, how can we retain or recover the wonder of hearing God’s voice? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Reflect on the Privilege and Power of Hearing God’s Voice

Adam heard the voice of the Lord as He walked in intimacy with Him in the garden. (Gen 3)

And yet later, Moses wondered that Israel had heard God’s voice and lived. (Deut 4:33)

Such was the destructive power of sin on humanity’s relationship with God that upon hearing God’s voice Israel cried out,

‘We will die if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.’
(Deut 5:25)

The Power of God’s Voice

I have come to realise that the ability, power and strength of the voice of God is far beyond my capacity to perceive.

• Using His voice, God created the heavens and the earth
  (Ps 33:6, Gen 1)

• God’s voice shatters His enemies (Isa 30:31)

• God’s voice is heard in creation’s majesty—the roaring of the waves, thunder and lightning, the events of nature (Ps 29)

John heard His voice like a trumpet (Rev 1:10) and as rushing waters (Rev 1:15); Daniel, ‘like the sound of a multitude.’ (Dan 10:6)

Paul was taken to heaven and heard ‘inexpressible things.’

Reflecting on this causes me to wonder.

2. Consider What Jesus Has Done

That you and I can hear the voice of God and live is a truth that demonstrates His incredible grace.

Jesus reconciled us to God through His death on the cross so that the voice that once threatened death to Israel can bring LIFE to us.

In John 10:27, Jesus said, ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me’.

God desires an intimate relationship with you and I even more than we want it with Him—He created us to fellowship with Him and to hear His voice. He wanted it so much that Jesus paid the ultimate price.

And this causes me to wonder.

3. Remember it is About Relationship

When I was burnt out, it took me a while to realise that I had made the mistake of equating ‘listening to God’ with a type of performance—and I had nothing left to give.

I needed to get back to relationship.

Think about when the phone rings and you pick it up. How different are your responses when the caller is:

• A telemarketer
• Someone you love

You see it’s not about the Voice—but the Person behind the Voice.

When we are in love with Jesus, we look forward to hearing Him speak to us in our everyday lives.

4. Put Yourself in a Place to Encounter Him

We need to position ourselves to encounter God and hear His voice, and what that looks like will be unique to each of us.

For me, it firstly meant recognising and repenting of wrong beliefs that had trapped me in a lifestyle of performance.

I then rediscovered His grace.

It also meant being creative with my devotional life, trying new ways to journal, and discovering a new appreciation for the Bible’s personal message to me.

It meant paying attention to my ‘spiritual pathways’ and realising that spending time with God outdoors and with listening to fresh worship music helped me to personally encounter Him.

As I did these things—as I put myself in a position to encounter God—I began to hear His voice breathing life back into me.

5. Explore the Unique Ways the Holy Spirit Speaks

‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says…’ Rev 2:11

One day we shall look upon Jesus’ face in all His glory, and hear His voice in all its strength. For now, we hear Him speaking to us by His Spirit.

However, we need to realise that God speaking is not like a person speaking.

When we talk about ‘hearing God’s voice,’ we are using an earthly expression to describe a heavenly concept. We simply do not have a framework to understand it

You and I use words, speech and body language to communicate. However, the Holy Spirit has endless ways that He can communicate with us.

We hear His voice, not with our physical ears, but with our heart and our spirit.

Throughout the Bible there are many different ways God spoke to His people.

In the book of Acts alone, we see God speaking through prophecies, dreams, visions, angels, leaders, signs, the inner voice of the Spirit—and so on.
There are many ways in which the Holy Spirit can speak to you. Meditate on what the Bible shares about this and be open to hearing Him in new and fresh ways.

The Wonder Recovered

This year, my sense of wonder has returned.

During the past couple of weeks I have heard God speak to me personally in many ways:

• A conversation with my pastor that rocked my paradigm
• The words of a stranger who walked into our church for the first time
• A lone eagle in the sky during time out with God
• An insight from the Bible that has fed me for days
• Circumstances that could only have been orchestrated by the Holy Spirit

Last week The Hunk and I were ministering when I heard God’s voice for a woman in the room. As I shared the word, I watched her face change from defensiveness, to amazement and delight.

And right at that moment I fell in love with the Holy Spirit and prophetic ministry all over again.

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Related Posts:

Face To Face With God: Can I Have A Relationship Like Moses?

When your Devotional Life Is Dry: How To Fall In Love With The Bible Again

Spiritual Renewal: Café Moments With God

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Would you like to find out what your spiritual pathway is? I have included a simple assessment at the end of this post.

How do YOU best Connect with God?

A spiritual pathway is a way that you commune with God most effectively and naturally. Utilising your spiritual pathway is a great tool for spiritual renewal.

I first learned about the concept of spiritual pathways reading Bill Hybel’s book, Courageous Leadership.

In the chapter, ‘The Leader’s Pathway’, Bill concisely outlines 7 pathways [1].

I immediately recognised myself in three of these:

1. Worship Pathway

Fresh new worship gives voice to what is on my heart and helps me experience intimacy with Jesus. It is a means of being personally refilled with the Holy Spirit.

A new worship CD, discovery of an anointed song on YouTube or iTunes, especially if it is ‘Live’ worship, refreshes and uplifts me spiritually.

2. Contemplative Pathway

Introverted by nature I love my ‘cave times’ with God. I enjoy spending time alone, praying and reflecting with my Bible and journal—accompanied, of course, by my current favourite worship music.

3. Creation Pathway

Give me wide, open spaces where I can appreciate the beauty of creation, and I am refuelled beyond measure.

My favourite pictures consist of scenic photography and on my computer’s Desktop are inspiring pictures of nature’s beauty.

The Hunk, not surprisingly, is completely different from me in the way he connects best with God. His pathways are:

4. The Activist

My hubby has to be on a mission, fired up for a cause and spreading the fire. One of his favourite sayings used to be, ‘Two thirds of God’s Name is ‘Go.’ Of course, that phrase used to rile this Contemplative up!

5. Relational Pathway

No lone silent retreats for him—The Hunk takes his big strides forward when sharing and praying with other people.

Creation Pathway.

Yes, we do both share this pathway—and are blessed by times spent alone and together in the Great Outdoors!

There are two pathways I haven’t shared here. These are:

6. Serving (Caregiving) Pathway

I have a friend who has a serving pathway—feeling fulfilled and connected to God best when she is busy serving.

7. Intellectual Pathway

Identifying this as a pathway helped me understand a friend who loves hanging out with huge texts and books from ‘Thinkers’ in church history.

Others are Different

Discovering the concept of spiritual pathways has helped me to get closer to God. It has also helped me to appreciate that others do not connect to God the same way that I do.

I have learned not to place expectations on my husband, for example.

I have also learned that my spiritual pathway (or others) is NOT a sign of spirituality or Christian maturity.

Not Being Limited by Spiritual Pathways

As with other tools, such as personality and spiritual gift identification, spiritual pathways has been criticised by some as ‘putting people in a box.’

Personally, I think we should see the concept of spiritual pathways as a starting point, not a limitation, to perceive and discover the way God has wired each of us to uniquely commune with him.

How to use Your Spiritual Pathway to be Refilled with the Holy Spirit

Identifying my spiritual pathways helped me experience renewal when I was suffering from ministry burnout. Like other efforts related to my Christian life, devotional times had become a labour and a duty. I simply had nothing left to give to any task.

When I realised I needed to take deliberate action to be refuelled, I reviewed my spiritual pathways.

Recognising the value of my creation pathway, I began to schedule whole days to go out in the wilds, where I would pray and worship. I would return from these days feeling revitalised and refilled. This simple exercise contributed to my recovery.

Spiritual Pathways Resources:

Bill Hybels’ helpful summary of spiritual pathways draws from Gary Thomas’ book, Sacred Pathways [2]. Gary Thomas adds several other pathways to the mix. These include:

• Traditionalists—loving God through ritual and symbol
• Ascetics
• Enthusiasts

John Ortberg has picked up the concept of spiritual pathways in his book, “God Is Closer Than You Think.”

John Ortberg & Ruth Barton include an assessment based on the above 7 common pathways in their resource, ‘An Ordinary Day With Jesus’

This questionnaire, which I don’t have personally, but was utilised in my church, was helpful. However, I did find their emphasis on the corporate (church) context rather than personal devotional life—especially in the worship pathway—a little disappointing.

A Questionnaire To Help You Discover Your Spiritual Pathway

Following is a simple checklist that can help identify your spiritual pathway, using the 7 pathways described in Bill Hybel’s book, Courageous Leadership [1].

On a scale of 1 to 5, with one being ‘least describes me’ and 5 being ‘most describes me’, label the following points in each group.

Add up your scores and see which pathways you score highest in. These may be your preferred spiritual pathways. Note that like me, you may have more than one.

For a more comprehensive questionnaire, especially if you are leading a group, check out John Ortberg and Ruth Barton’s resource ‘An Ordinary Day With Jesus

Relational

• I love to pray with others and feel God’s presence more when I’m praying with others than when I’m doing it alone.
• I would rather do Bible study & journal with others than alone. I thrive on the discussion that comes out of these times together.
• I love worshipping alongside others
• It is hard for me to have solitary devotional times; I’d much rather be seeking God with others around me, spurring me on (& vice versa!)

Intellectual

• I feel closest to God when my mind is fully engaged
• Give me an intellectually stimulating book any time!
• My best devotional times with God have me poring over commentaries and studying the Bible
• I love research & study; it brings me closer to God

Service / Caregiving

• I feel closest to God when I’m serving
• I feel fulfilled when I’m doing voluntary work
• I am most aware of God’s presence when I’m doing something for Him
• I am happiest when worshipping God by helping others

Contemplative

• I love to spend time in solitude, and busyness drains me
• have a large capacity for prayer and for private worship
• I am a deep thinker; there’s usually a lot going on inside me!
• I would like to put boundaries around my schedule so that I can spend more time alone with God

Creation

• I feel close to God when I’m surrounded by the beauty of nature
• My best devotion times have been moments when I’ve been on a walk, or looking at a view, or staring out to sea…
• The wonders of creation leave me in awe of God
• I love to spend time in the Great Outdoors; that’s where I feel most connected to God

Worship

• I feel closest to God when I’m worshipping Him
• Putting on worship tapes or CD’s add life to my devotional times with God
• I love worship times in the church services; that’s when I feel I touch God
• If I lack opportunities to spend time in worship, I start to feel dry.

Activist

• I feel close to God when I am engaged in ministry at a fast pace
• I am a person of action!
• I thrive spiritually in a highly challenging environment
• I connect with God best when I’m using every ounce of energy to serve Him!

[1] Bill Hybels, Courageous Leadership, 2002, Zondervan, Grand rapids, Michigan

[2] Gary Thomas, Sacred Pathways, 1996, Zondervan, Grand rapids, Michigan

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Related posts:

Spiritual Renewal: Café Moments With God

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

When Your Devotional Life Is Dry: How to Fall in Love With the Bible Again

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©  Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

Have you ever hit a wall in your ministry—a place where you feel you can go no further?

This happened to me a few weeks back in relation to one of my ministry responsibilities. During a 24-hour period, I realised that I had ‘hit the wall.’ I awoke one morning and knew that I could no longer see the future for me in this particular leadership role.

Don’t get me wrong! The ministry was flourishing, I had a great team, people’s lives were being transformed, and Jesus was being glorified. However, there was now another leader who could do what I was doing—whilst due to lack of time, I was putting off other ministry opportunities available to me.

Why we hit a wall in ministry

When we feel as though we have hit a wall, it is vital to establish what—and who—is responsible for it. The situation can be caused by:

1. Ourselves

We may hit a wall when we have overextended ourselves and run out of personal resources—spiritual, emotional, mental or physical. When burnout occurs we need to do whatever it takes to replenish our reserves. On occasion, this may mean taking time out.

2. Demonic Forces

Sometimes spiritual warfare can cause us to feel that we have hit a wall and can go no further in our ministry area. When this takes place we need to recognise the warfare and deal with it for what it is—the enemy’s attempt to derail us from God’s purpose for our lives.

3. God

We can hit a wall when the time has come in our Heavenly Father’s agenda for us to release the ministry and move on.

Just because God has ordained the ending of a season does not mean that it is easy.

• We have carried the ministry in our hearts and given our lives to serve God in this role. It can be like handing over our ‘baby’ to another ‘parent’ (leader)
• We may not have seen the end coming and even though it is in God’s plan, it is unexpected to us (Is 55:8-9)
• We may have been in a difficult season of transition
• God may have allowed difficult circumstances, or even conflict, to shift us out of a role that we would not have willingly released of our own volition

Sometimes there are a combination of the above factors, as Divine timing, personal and demonic issues collide. In this case, it is good to have people in leadership that we trust who can help us work through the difficulties and our response.

When we believe God has brought us to an end in a ministry role, it is good to submit that guidance, as I have done over the past few weeks, for confirmation.

When God has a purpose in the wall

The Hunk and I have experienced this wall a number of times over the years, when it has been time to release a ministry responsibility or area of Christian leadership. We have not always responded well, even when the timing was of the Lord!

When the sudden realisation came that it was time to move out of my leadership role, it was with a mixture of pain and relief that I contemplated what I believed God was asking of me.

That day, I took time out to pray—driving for miles, contemplating the autumn scenery, walking, anguishing, surrendering. Even though I had been preparing for this wall for some time, its sudden appearance still came as a shock.

After a few hours, I drove into a reservoir park. As I drove in, I looked up, and saw—A HUGE WALL! “I’m going to walk on the wall!” I said.

Prophetic people love symbolic acts, and God in His graciousness had set me up for one, right when I needed it. That day, I walked on the wall, from one end of the dam to the other.

As I walked one way, I looked over the valley and thanked Him for everything that had led to this place: the people whose lives had been changed, the leaders who had been raised up, ministries that had been birthed, and my own growth in the journey.

It took a long time, for there was so much to be thankful for. When I had finished, I stopped, took courage and thanked God for the wall itself—this painful and confronting place.

Dangers at the Wall

It was then that I remembered past times I had faced similar walls. I have not always responded well. Some dangers of the wall are:

• Staying too long at the wall and not willingly releasing a ministry
• Mourning over the wall—the loss of our ministry—for longer than we should
• Allowing the wall to define us. At the place of the wall, we are no longer the right ‘fit’ for the role. There is a danger of taking this personally or internalising reproach from others or ourselves

It was a moment of clarity and healing for me. As I paused on the reservoir wall, I chose to be thankful for my present wall and also prayed about my wrong responses to past walls.

Realise God has not Finished with you yet.

When you hit a wall in a ministry and it is God’s time for you to move on, you may not always see what He has in store for you next. But He has a future and a hope; He has a greater season of fruitfulness ahead (Jer 29:11; John 15:2).

As I walked back along the reservoir wall, I looked out over the other side, across the water to the distant hills. I thanked the Lord in faith for His provision, and for the future ahead—even though I could not define it.

At the wall that day, the Spirit prepared me to release the ministry with joy.

Have you ever, or are you experiencing a similar ‘wall?’ I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment on the bottom of this post. If the comments box is not visible, click here or on the post title and scroll down.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

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‘

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Related Posts:

How To Discover Your Spiritual Pathway

The River Returns: How To Be Refilled With The Holy Spirit When You Are Dry

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

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

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 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.