‘Be [continuously] filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph 5:18)

As Christians, our life, our witness and our service to others should be empowered by the life of the Holy Spirit within us.

This is what Jesus referred to when He said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)

However we do not always maintain that vital connection to God perfectly. And therefore all of us experience seasons where we feel spiritually dry.

The great evangelist D L Moody understood this. When asked why he placed so much emphasis upon being filled with the Holy Spirit, he wisely said, ‘Because I leak.’

Spiritual Dryness

Spiritual dryness, or depletion, is not a problem in itself.

In fact, the awareness of our spiritual dryness is a gift from God. It is His invitation to come and partake of His life and His Spirit.

However, spiritual dryness does become a problem if we:

• do not recognise that we are becoming depleted, or
• do not recognise that God is the answer to our need, or
• become too exhausted to connect with God

Therefore it is important for us to recognise the signs of depletion as early as possible.

Signs of Spiritual Dryness

‘You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.’ Psalm 63:1

Here are some signs that we are becoming spiritually depleted. If you can relate to these, you need to reconnect with God and receive a fresh infilling of His Spirit:

1. Giving While Empty or Weary

A sign of spiritual dryness is that we are no longer giving to others out of a sense of fullness. We feel empty or weary—our inner tank is running dry.

Spiritual dryness if left undetected can turn into burnout, if we continue to give out in Christian service whilst not being replenished.

If left untended, spiritual dryness can impact our emotional, mental, and even physical state.

2. Serving out of Duty

When we are spiritually dry there is a subtle shift in our motivation to serve God, whether in the church or elsewhere.

We are no longer motivated by passion. We feel an inner reluctance, or resistance to serve, but continue to do so because we feel we have no choice.

Our motivation to continue serving may be that others are relying on us, or we want to honour a commitment, or even feel a duty towards God or towards His calling upon our lives.

3. Our Faith is no Longer Contagious

According to David in the Psalms, it is the joy of our salvation that results in us leading people to God.  (Ps 51:12-13)

When we are spiritually dry, it affects our relationship with those who do not know Jesus. We are not bubbling over; we have lost our joy.

People are not seeing something in us that causes them to thirst for God, and we lack motivation to share with them, feeling we have nothing to offer.

4. God Feels Distant

When we are spiritually dry, there can be a gradual distancing from God. Either we are not encountering Him regularly, or we are not hearing from Him, or we are hearing Him speak to us intermittently.

God is, in fact, continually speaking to us. However sometimes we neglect to tune in. (Ps 139:17-18)

5. Our Spiritual Life is in a Rut

We lack the excitement we once had in our relationship with God. Our devotional life—connection to God through the Bible and prayer—has either been reduced to a rote exercise, is occasional, or has ceased to exist at all.

We love God, but have lost a sense of being ‘in love’ with Him. Our relationship with God has lost its freshness.

6. A Contributing Event

The state of spiritual dryness does not always creep up on us slowly. Trials or sudden trauma can result in us being depleted spiritually, as well as in other ways.

7. Negative Thinking

 ‘The Kingdom of God is… righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.’ (Rom 14:17)

When we are spiritually dry the atmosphere of heaven—righteousness, peace and joy—seems to evade us. Instead, we find it easier to give way to negative thinking. We falter in our ability to resist and ‘cast down’ destructive thoughts and emotions.

There is an Answer to Spiritual Dryness

The good news is that when we are spiritually dry, God has already initiated and provided the answer to our need.

In the next post, I will discuss some ways in which we can be replenished spiritually. In the meantime, here are some questions to consider:

Questions for Reflection:

• Do I have any of the above signs in my life at the moment—and to what degree? How long have I felt this way?

• What is the difference between emotional, mental, physical and spiritual depletion? How are they inter-related?

• What is God’s response to my spiritual depletion?

• What can I do this week to personally reconnect with God?

Can you think of some other signs of spiritual dryness? Have you ever experienced dryness or burnout and recovered? I would love to hear from you. Leave a note in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Related Posts:

7 Ways To Combat Spiritual Dryness

Escaping A Half-Lived Christian Life

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

Prophetic People In Testing Times: The Reason For The Season

Hunger For God: 6 Ways You Can Stir It Up

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

Selective hearing occurs when we tune in to what we want to hear, and zone out that which we do not want to listen to.

• Greg wonders why his boss does not seem to have heard his repeatedly expressed concerns about safety in the workplace, and yet jumps at the smallest complaint from customers.

• Kelly, a young mother, jokes with her friends about what she calls her husband’s ‘selective hearing.’ At night he seems to be oblivious to the baby’s cries, slumbering on while she wakes and attends to their son’s needs.

In spite of these examples, selective hearing can actually be a good thing. It is important to filter out those things that are clamouring for our attention, but are a distraction, or wrong and ungodly.

Selective Hearing in our Relationship with God

When selective hearing occurs in our relationship with God, we may genuinely believe that we are hearing from Him. However, the truth is that we are only listening to what He is saying to us on some issues. We have neglected to listen to His voice regarding other, important things.

I know that many of my readers have a great love for God and desire to serve Him. Like me, you may be involved in some kind of ministry or service, or helping people, or preparing for ministry.

When it comes to our ministry priorities, many of us eagerly listen and press in to God. But I believe He desires to encourage us to hear His voice in other areas of our lives.

The Father wants you to know that He knows and cares for every area of your life intimately. He does not have a hierarchy of concerns—every part of your life is valuable to Him.

Remember what Jesus said: ‘even the very hairs on your head are numbered.’ (Matt 10:30)

Signs that we are Selectively Hearing

Important areas that we may overlook in our conversations with God may include health, family, finances, relationships, our attitude and even the quality of our thought life.

We may be sincerely loving and serving God and even have an active devotional and prayer life. But if we do not communicate with God over the above vital areas in our lives, they begin to clamour for attention.

• Weaknesses  in our health and general wellbeing begin to show—eventually they actually hinder us from doing what God has called us to do
• Relationships start to come under stress, and may begin to break down
• We feel stressed, or lack the joy that we are supposed to have in our service for God
• Our financial situation starts to slide, and so on

For example, as a writer, it is very easy for me to spend a lot of time sitting at the computer. This is a vital ministry role for me. But sometimes I work additional hours at the computer and do not spend sufficient time resting and walking and exercising. After a while my body starts to ache and complain because I am not living a balanced lifestyle and looking after my fitness and wellbeing.

If I were listening to God and following His leading in the area of my physical health, then I would be attentive to this.

Selective hearing does not just happen with ministry. We can also be focusing on some priorities in our lives to the exclusion of others—for example working hard in the area of fitness, but not spending quality time with our family.

Do a Self-Check for Selective Hearing

At this time of year especially, it is beneficial to do a self-check in each of the following things. Note: if you have recently had a holiday, think about the quality of your life immediately prior to your break.

• What is my body telling me?
• What is the quality (or lack of quality) in my close relationships telling me?
• What is my schedule saying?
• What about the state of my finances?
• Am I honouring God in my thought life?
• Am I communicating with and listening to God in each of these areas?
• What am I tolerating?

As you consider these questions, the Holy Spirit may bring another area to mind.

I have come to realise that selective hearing is defective hearing.

It is not honouring to God when important areas of our lives are not in submission to Him.

Samuel was one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. He had an intimate relationship with God, listened to His voice and instructed a nation in God’s ways. And yet, he did not pass on his spiritual values and legacy to his sons—they grew up to be godless men who neglected justice and took bribes. (1 Sam 8:1-4)

Talk with God about your Whole Life

One of the best things that I did last year was take a week’s break to get aside and relax and spend quality time talking with God with no ministry agenda. After a few days, I found myself talking to my Father about important things in my life that I did not normally take the time to pray about. There were things that I was tolerating, that I knew were not His best for me. I was able to be honest and to process some things. I came away with a renewed sense of vision for the whole area of my life, not just my vision for ministry.

Do you call Jesus Lord? Do not just listen to Him concerning the areas that satisfy your desire for fulfilment. Give Jesus the leadership of your whole life, not just a part.

The life that honours Him is one of balance and wisdom.

As you enter this New Year, take some time to meditate and pray about on these different areas in your life. And remember, you can be transparent in your dialogue with God. The Father’s love for you is intimate and all-encompassing, and no issue in your life is too small or too big for His interest and care.

Related Posts:

Jesus Is Lord: What Does This Mean In My Daily Life?

Your Prophetic And Christian Ministry Will Be Impacted By This Choice

How To Recover The Wonder Of Hearing God’s Voice

Do you have any further thoughts about the topic of hearing God’s voice? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

Did you receive this from a friend? Read more from Enliven Blog or sign to receive our weekly prophetic teaching updates at http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog

A few weeks ago, I shared 8 signs that your devotional life—your quality time spent with God in prayer and Bible study—may be caught in a performance trap.

These signs included: being stuck in a rut in your devotional life (or ceasing altogether), not finding it life-giving, having a nagging sense of condemnation about the quality or quantity, not hearing personally from God, and so on. [1]

Having a deep-rooted belief that we have to work to please our Father—instead of realising the truth that we are already pleasing to Him—can affect our ability to connect with God and His Word.

Jesus’ Remedy for the Performance Trap

“I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance…You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.” Rev 2:1-5

The Ephesian Church fell into a lifestyle of performance.

At the start, they were on fire and in love with God.

But gradually, their faith degenerated. Eventually, the church was focussed on doing a bunch of good works. They were busy doing the work of the Lord, but neglecting the Lord of the work.

Jesus gives them a remedy for their position. He tells them to remember, to repent, and to do the things that they did at first.

A key to recognising whether or not we have been caught in a performance trap is to simply ask the question,

‘How does the expression of my love for God compare now to when I first became a Christian?’

Once we recognise that we have fallen into a lifestyle of performance—working to please God without enjoying a love relationship with Him—we can then repent and receive Jesus’ forgiveness.

How wonderful is God’s grace—that through Jesus’ death on the cross we are forgiven. Our slate is wiped clean, and we can begin again. And this is true, not only of our devotional life, but every other area of our life too.

The First Step To Repositioning Our Devotional Lives

One practical way that we can disarm and escape the performance trap is to move from an activity-based devotional life to an outcome-focused devotional life. Let me explain:

Our devotional life is activity-based when its goal is to complete an activity such as:

• Read a passage of Scripture
• Complete our devotional exercise, or
• Spend a certain amount of time in prayer.

These activities are beneficial and bring us closer to God. However, when they become an end in themselves, we have moved into performance.

This can easily be overcome by redefining our goals—our desired outcome for our devotional life.

God Himself initiates true devotional outcomes.

• He wants to have an intimate relationship with you.
• He wants to involve you in His plans and purposes for your life and those around you, through prayer.
• He wants to you to grow and interact with Him through His Word, the Bible.

Devotional activities, tools and methods serve these outcomes, not the other way around.

Let’s take a look at some examples of meaningful goals for your devotional life.

I recommend that you consider choosing at least one outcome related to prayer, and one related to Bible study:

Prayer Goals

**I have an intimate relationship with God

**I regularly have close and meaningful conversation with God

**I am involved in fulfilling God’s plan for my life and those around me through prayer

**I am participating with God to bring ‘breakthrough,’ whether it be in my circumstances, or in the lives of others

Bible Study Goals

**I am interacting with God through reading the Bible and recording what He is saying to me

**I am growing in my spiritual life through practical Bible study

**I am learning more about God and His ways through studying the Bible in-depth.

Choosing A Goal That Fits Your Current Position

The outcome that you choose needs to be relevant to where you are. If you have realised that your devotional life needs resuscitation, for example, then you may start with a very simple and achievable goal, such as meaningful conversation with God. [2]

Author and speaker Keri Wyatt Kent tells of her struggles with devotional time becoming another item to be ticked off on the daily ‘to-do list.’ A simple question a spiritual mentor once gave her that she found helpful was, ‘Where did I create some space for God in my day?’ [3]

I love it!

A basic outcome you could pursue, is simply,

“I am creating some space for God and His Word every day”

However, if you already have an effective devotional life, and are looking for a ‘turbo boost’, you may go for more challenging goals such as learning more about God and his ways through in-depth Bible study.

If you choose simple goals for the stage where you are at currently, you can review and upgrade your outcomes when you are stronger.

Exercise:

Think about one or more outcomes you would like from your devotional life, taking into account where you are currently positioned.

Choose at least one goal related to prayer, and at least one related to Bible study.

You do not have to choose an outcome from the ones listed above. You can make up your own. It may help to write it out and keep it in front of you.

Take care not to choose activity-based goals. If you are unsure, read the above distinctions again.

I would love to hear from you if you have any thoughts or questions on this topic. Leave a note in the comments box below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes:

[1] For more about this read the following post:

8 Signs Your Devotional Life May Be Caught In A Performance Trap

[2] I share about this in the following post:

Does Your Devotional Life Need Resuscitating?

[1] For further information about Keri, see http://www.keriwyattkent.com/

The article can be found here: http://www.navpress.com/magazines/archives/article.aspx?id=10236

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

On team with David McCracken Ministries

In the same way that we have different gifts, talents and personalities, each of us has a unique way that we best learn and study.

When I attended a course on how to train people in groups, I was taught to make allowance for individuals’ different learning styles. [1]

This is why I don’t just talk during my training sessions; I also incorporate visual aids and other media, give opportunities for practical application and encourage questions and discussion.

Schoolteachers are taught about learning styles and encouraged to incorporate them into their classroom environment.

What would happen if we began to apply these same principles to discipleship, Bible study and our devotional life?

Do You Know what Your Learning Style is?

You may relate to one of these 3 main learning styles:

1. Visual—you learn best by seeing—reading, diagrams, visual media and other visual aids.

2. Auditory—you learn best by hearing—lectures, audio media, discussions.

3. Kinesthetic—you learn best by doing—hands on, activities and an emphasis on practical application.

The Visual style can be broken into two further categories: Visual and Reading/Writing. [2]

At the end of this post I will give you a link to an online questionnaire to help you discover your primary learning styles.

How Using my Learning Style Renewed my Devotional Life.

I have shared recently how our devotional life—vitally connecting to God through prayer and studying the Bible—can suffer when we feel we have to do it out of duty, to please God or people. [3]

A few years ago, I became exhausted and my devotional life waned—especially Bible reading, study and journaling.

When I was picking up the pieces of my life, I reflected on where I had gone wrong.

One of the things I noticed was that I had been trying to conform to a set method of journaling for my personal Bible study.

The method I had been using did not come naturally to me.

My personal learning style is primarily visual. Being creative, I also need an unstructured way to record what I am learning from the Bible.

I put aside my A5 lined journal, purchased an A4 unlined notepad, and began to use diagrams and mind-maps to visualise what I was learning about a Bible passage or topic and to record what God was saying to me.

Life began to flow back into the time I spent with God’s Word!

Devotional Methods are Tools, not Rules.

It is vital that we understand that devotional methods, such as journaling styles, are not rules to be followed.

Instead, they are tools that we can choose to use—if they suit our unique wiring—that can help us connect to God and His Word.

There is a common misconception that one particular devotional or journaling method is better than others.

For example, some churches provide SOAP journals for all of their congregational members.[4]

SOAP is a simple and effective devotional tool that everyone can (and should) learn. However—let’s not stop there!

The limitation of SOAP journaling is that it assumes a Reading/Writing learning style. And this does not come naturally to many of us.

So let us teach, encourage, model and provide resources for Bible study that incorporate all learning styles.

And let’s validate the unique ways that people connect with God, rather than endangering their relationship with Him by leading them into performance.

Marlene Le Fever, who teaches about learning styles, tells the moving story of an old African-American man who approached her at the end of a session.
“Teacher!” he said. “Iffen somebody’d a tol’ me when I was a kid that God made my mind right, I’da’ done something for my Jesus.” [5]

Using a Questionnaire to Discover Your Personal Learning Style

You are created to uniquely connect with God and His Word, the Bible.

Do you know what your learning style is? Sometimes, we are aware of our primary learning style but can also benefit from using a questionnaire to help us confirm this or discover our secondary learning style.

I have included a link below to an online questionnaire that can help you discover your learning style. [6]

Following are the basic learning styles and some ideas of how to make the most of these in your Bible study and in journaling.

Ideas for Bible Study Using the 4 Main Learning Styles

VISUAL – You learn by seeing

• Journal using diagrams and pictures. Try mind-mapping your Bible study
• Make use of colour coding, indexing and highlighting in your journal
• Bible teachers that use vivid (picture) story telling will suit you
• Use your imagination when reading Bible stories (create an internal movie of the scene)
• Parts of the Bible have been filmed using the NIV text—try Matthew or Acts on DVD. Ask at the Christian bookstores what is available
• Illustrative Bible study tools and dictionaries
• Locate good teaching DVDs

AUDITORY – You learn by hearing

• Read portions of Scripture aloud to yourself
• Process what you are learning in the Bible verbally—you can do this through praying about it, sharing with others or simply musing your thoughts aloud
• Try a conversational journaling approach, where you talk with God about what you are learning and write what you ‘hear’ Him saying to you (e.g. prayer journaling)
• Listen to the Bible on MP3 or CD—purchase or download free from the Internet
• As above, but Bible teaching (Ensure that the teaching is sound and not slanted towards a particular doctrines or agenda)
• iPod or MP3 player while walking, using public transport, doing housework, etc

READING / WRITING – You learn with words

• Traditional forms of devotions may suit you
• Try daily devotional booklets
• Practice journaling (SOAP or similar)
• Selective Bible reading (character studies, books, portions)
• Sequential Bible reading (read the Bible in a Year – look-up or One Year Bible formats)
• Bible teaching or study books
• Use written study tools such as commentaries, dictionaries—in text form, software or online

KINESTHETIC – You learn by doing

• Find a good devotional that includes Bible references and reading, and includes life application principles
• Teaching and study tools that have practical life application will suit you.
• Write ‘action points’ in your journal from your Bible studies or teaching that you receive. This will help translate what you learn into everyday life. Follow them through
• Teaching with real-life case studies and stories will be helpful
• Cross-reference devotional and instructional teaching in the Bible to historical Biblical accounts of actual characters. For example, a study on wisdom—who demonstrated wisdom in the Bible and what did they do?
• When studying with others, discuss real life situations and case studies. Try role play.

If you have found this article or recommended resources helpful, I would love your feedback, as I am in the process of developing further studies and resources to aid people in this area. Do you know what your learning style is? Are the above lists helpful, or do you have other ideas?

Please contact me using the comments section of this blog or use the contact form here to email me. If the comments section is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes:

[1] Cert IV in Assessment & Workplace Training

[2] In 1987, a researcher called Neil Fleming split Visual, which originally included learning through reading, into two categories: Visual and Reading/Writing. Visual encompassed learning through diagrams and symbols, whereas Reading/Writing referred to the traditional, text-based style of learning. This distinction is helpful in examining fresh approaches to devotional study. Fleming, N.D. and Mills, C. (1992), Not Another Inventory, Rather a Catalyst for Reflection, To Improve the Academy, Vol. 11, 1992., page 137.

[3] See the following posts:

Does Your Devotional Life Need Resuscitating?

8 Signs Your Devotional Life May Be Caught In A Performance Trap

[4] I recommend the SOAP method of journaling personally. See the following post:

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

[5] Le Fever, M. Learning Styles, Reaching Everyone God Gave You 2002.  Cook. p 11,

[6] Take the VARK learning styles questionnaire online at
http://www.vark-learn.com/

For more information on learning styles, see also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog   http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/

A ministry of David McCracken Ministries

A Life out of Balance

Last week, I was shocked to learn that I have been imbalanced my whole life!

A podiatrist examined my feet and explained that they are not naturally straight. My ankles turn inwards, resulting in pressure being placed on the wrong parts of my feet when I’m walking. This condition explains recent soreness in my feet and possibly, the lower back trouble I have had for many years.

I would never have known anything was out of order if I had not been forced, through pain, to seek help.

The Paradox

Similarly, when we are experiencing internal pain that does not have an obvious or immediate source, it may be a signal that something in our lives needs attending to.

I was faced with a situation like this a couple of years ago, when I withdrew from most of my ministry and vocational responsibilities, exhausted.

The paradox, I realised, was that my devotional life was a key to my recovery. I desperately needed to reconnect in an intimate relationship with God.

But how could I, when instead of being life-giving, my devotional life had become just another task to accomplish, that I couldn’t face?

My spiritual life had become seriously out of balance—and I did not know how to bring it back to health.

8 Signs Your Devotional Life may be Caught in a Performance Trap.

Our devotional life is meant to be life giving.

Prayer and Bible study should never be a Christian duty—something we do to please God. We are already pleasing to Him.

Neither should it be about serving or pleasing people.

It is possible to know this (as I did), and yet still revert to a lifestyle of performance when under pressure.

So—what are some signs that your devotional life may be caught in a performance trap? See if you can identify with any of these:

1. Stuck in a Rut

You are bored with prayer and Bible study, doing the same things over and over and not sure how to break out

2. Condemnation

When you miss a devotional time, once or ongoing, you feel a nagging sense of guilt or condemnation

3. Failing to Meet a Standard

You generally feel as though you do not measure up as a Christian in your devotional life

4. Wrong Focus

You are concentrating more on doing the devotional activity than on having an intimate relationship with God

5. Not Life-Giving

Your devotional life is not recharging you spiritually, emotionally and mentally

6. Not Hearing

You haven’t sensed God speaking to you personally in your devotions for a long time, or at least not very often

7. Ministry focused

Your focus in prayer and study is primarily on the need to pray for other people or find Bible teaching for a ministry responsibility.

8. Stopping Altogether

Your devotional life—in particular, a set time you spend time with God in prayer and in Bible reading or study—is irregular or non-existent. You are not drawn to, or excited about it.

If you can identify with any of the above symptoms, I have good news for you! You CAN rediscover a regular time of prayer and Bible study that is life giving and fosters your intimate relationship with God.

The Danger of Christian Performance

Christian ‘performance’ is when we feel a need to do something a certain way in order to feel good about ourselves or to gain approval from God or others.

It invariably shows up in our devotional life, affecting our relationship with God.

I realise that performance may not be an issue that you face personally, even if you do relate to some of the above symptoms. You may simply be busy, or bored.

So over the next couple of weeks, I will give you a list of some practical things you can do to refresh your devotional life.

However, it is probable that presence of the above signs—like fruit—is symptomatic of a deeper issue other than just busyness or boredom.

That deeper problem may be an internal drive to perform.

And when performance is the underlying problem, the worst thing we can do is to try and fix our problem through creating another to do list!

The Hidden Roots of the Orphan Mindset

Deep down, hidden under the soil of our lives are root systems—beliefs that we live by.

This need to perform comes from an orphan mindset. [1]

We have an orphan mindset when:

• We find it hard to believe that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us unconditionally
• We are seeking approval of our Father God through performance—doing the right things
• We fear or believe that He is disapproving of us when we do not measure up to a standard

Often this kind of deep-seated belief is related to the absence of a loving earthly father or father figure in our lives.

The Truth That Sets Us Free

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can uncover the deep-rooted beliefs that have kept us from a love-relationship with God and replace them with the truth from the Bible.

Our Father loves us so much that He paid the highest price possible—the blood of His Son Jesus—to restore us to relationship with Him.

We can be certain of His love and His approval as sons and daughters—without doing anything to earn it.

‘God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ (2 Cor 5:21)

Recently I was listening to a message by Leif Hetland. [2] He reminds us that when Jesus went to the cross, God exchanged Jesus’ righteousness—His perfect ‘score’ with God—for our imperfect one.

Jesus replaced our D+ report card with His A+ one. Now that is good news!

Before we do anything, we already have an A+ on our report card—and that includes our devotional life.

Amazing grace!

If you sense that what I have shared today may be an issue for you, I encourage you to pause, reflect on this glorious truth and pray about it. [3]

Our whole life can be lived out of this joyful experience of freedom.

Notes:
[1] I first came across teaching about the orphan spirit when reading Jack Frost’s material in 2002. Since then, this vital teaching has become widespread in the church, bringing healing to many.

See the notes in the following post, where I share the links to Jack Frost’s original articles on this subject:

No Longer An Orphan: How I Discovered The Father’s Love

[2] This is from Leif Hetland’s message entitled ‘The Three Chairs.’ You can view this resource here (I notice it can also be found searching iTunes podcasts):

http://www.globalmissionawareness.com/Store/Products/1000016726/Store/MP3s/Which_Chair_are.aspx

[3] I share a prayer to help break free from an orphan mindset here:

Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset

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

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

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Two years ago I experienced burnout. I can now reflect with gratitude on the things that I learned during and following that period—and the wonder of God’s grace as He has led me back to a place of health spiritually, emotionally and physically. [1]

One day during that time I remarked to someone that I was struggling in my devotional life. This was met with a shocked response—it seemed to be incomprehensible that as the prayer leader of our church, I could be having difficulties with Bible study and prayer!

What Is a Devotional Life?

Our devotional life is the substance of our personal relationship with God as a Christian. It includes communication with Him through conversation and other forms of prayer, as well as Bible reading and study.

A healthy devotional life both feeds and is drawn from an intimate love relationship with God.

Because our devotional life has to do with our personal times with the Bible and in prayer, it is easy to cover it up when it is not going well.

The Elephant in the Room

In church life, our devotional difficulties can become like the proverbial elephant in the room that everyone knows is there, but nobody wants to talk about.

This is frequently true of Christian leaders. When our lives become busy with ministry it can be easy to spend our devotional time preparing for ministry to others instead of relating personally to God.

Sometimes leaders find it difficult to openly encourage others’ devotional lives because they are struggling with their own.

Your Devotional Life—A Quick Diagnostic Tool

If you would like to grow in your devotional life or help others in this area, you might find the following categories helpful. Does one describe your devotional life right now?

A. ‘L-Plates’—Learner

**You are a new Christian and would like to learn how to begin a devotional life for the first time

**You may have been a Christian for a while but have not yet developed a devotional life

**You would like to study the Bible for yourself but are unsure where to begin or what study tools are available

**You have not yet developed a regular connection and prayer time with God.

B. Resuscitation

**Your devotional life, or some aspect of it is ‘dead in the water.’ You need rescuing!

**You have stopped having time for God; you may even have lost heart and given up on a devotional life altogether

**There may be external reasons in your world for your lack of a devotional life—stress relationally, vocationally, and educationally. Your world is spinning around and you feel powerless to stop it

**You may also be avoiding a devotional life due to a nagging sense of condemnation or you may feel displeasing to God.

C. Renewal

**You have some measure of activity in your devotional life

** You may be irregular or haphazard in your approach to devotions

**You may need help in one or more areas of prayer, worship, Bible reflection and Bible study

**You may be stuck in a rut, and feel your devotional life is not as good as it could be

D. Turbo Boost

**You have a regular devotional life that includes prayer and Bible study

**It may be starting to lose its shine and you could do with encouragement and a fresh boost

**You would like to know how to go to the next level in prayer or Bible study

** You could do with some more ideas and tools to help you. [2]

There is no right or wrong answer, only real and honest answers. Most of us have struggled with our devotional life seasonally if we have been Christians for any length of time.

Why is Your Devotional Life Important?

Your devotional life is vital because it connects you relationally to God. It is the place of conversation, where you learn to know Jesus not only as Saviour and Lord, but also as a Friend.

To assist you with some motivation, here are some more reasons why your devotional life is important:

1. Jesus demonstrated and talked about a devotional life with God

Prayer was a regular part of Jesus’ life. Jesus also had an intimate knowledge of the Scriptures and understood how these related to His life and His personal journey. Mark 1:35, Matthew 14:23; Luke 21:37, Luke 5:16

2. It is your primary source of spiritual nourishment and growth Psalm 1:1-3

3. It provides protection from sin and strengthens us in times of crisis and temptation Matt 26:40-41, Ps 119:11

4. It helps you with guidance, in your everyday life as well as with important long-term decisions John 10:27

5. A healthy devotional life results in fruitfulness (others around us benefit from our devotional lives) John 15:4, 7

6. It plugs you into God, your Source of power John 7:37-38

It is through your devotional life that you hear God personally speak to you about what he wants to do in and through you.

You also grow in wisdom and Christian maturity as you get to know more about God and his ways through the Bible.

We wouldn’t locate the water mains to our home and wind the supply right down to a trickle—but this is what we do with God’s power in our lives when we do not plug into Him with a healthy devotional life.

Next week I will look at how performance can kill our devotional life and what we can do when it has been reduced to a routine.

Questions to Consider

1. Which position—L-Plates, Resuscitation, Renewal, or Turbo-Boost—do I most relate to?

2. What are some factors that have contributed to me being at this place?

3. Is there someone caring who I can talk to and pray with about this—and with whom I can be mutually accountable to grow in this vital area?

If you are a leader, consider providing a safe place for others to discuss where they are in relation to their devotional lives.

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

Notes

[1] I have shared some of my journey relating to burnout in the blog. The following post reviews some of the reasons behind it:

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/09/05/no-longer-an-orphan-how-i-discovered-the-fathers-love/

[2] Journaling can be a helpful tool to assist in renewing your devotional life. I share about two different types of journaling here:

Prayer Journaling:

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/01/29/activate-your-prophetic-gift-through-prayer-journaling/

SOAP Journaling:

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2010/02/04/when-your-devotional-life-is-dry-how-to-fall-in-love-with-the-bible-again/

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

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

‘God is looking for men and women of maturity…
But there is no maturity because there is no birth.
There is no birth because there is no pregnancy.
There is no pregnancy because there is no conception.
There is no conception because there is no intimate relationship.
There is no intimate relationship because we busy ourselves seeking satisfaction apart from God.’

David Ravenhill [1]

I have kept an early edition of the Morningstar journal in my shelf for many years, for the value of the single paragraph above.

It speaks truth to something deep inside of me—a truth I find myself returning to regularly in my quest for spiritual renewal.

And that is, that at the heart of life-giving prophetic ministry—or any ministry, and even life itself—is intimacy with Jesus.

Face To Face—God’s Purpose from Beginning to End

We are created for a FACE TO FACE relationship with God. We see this at the outset—from the very moment of creation.

Genesis 2 V 7 says:
‘The LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.’

Every other creature was created by the word of God, but God fashioned Adam from the ground and breathed life into him,

And from the moment of that very first FACE TO FACE encounter, Adam lived.

After Adam and Eve sin, in Genesis chapter 3, you see God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. It has evidently been His custom to walk and talk with Adam & Eve… FACE TO FACE, but now Adam and Eve have hidden their faces in shame from God

And you see throughout the whole of the remainder of Scripture, God is working, through His plan of redemption, to restore that FACE TO FACE relationship that was lost.

He accomplishes it by sending Jesus to die on the cross for the forgiveness of our sin. And there on the cross, in one eternal moment, THE FATHER TURNS HIS FACE AWAY from Jesus.

Jesus bore our sin, and the punishment of separation from God that was due to us, in order that our own FACE TO FACE relationship with God might be restored.

And even now, that process of restoration continues until the final fulfillment will take place when we enter eternity…

The Apostle Paul explains it like this in 1 Corinthians 13V12:
‘Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see FACE TO FACE. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.’

Even though the ultimate fulfillment of our FACE TO FACE relationship with God is in ETERNITY, God WANTS to share a close relationship with us now.

• It is the purpose He created us
• It is the reason Jesus went to the cross

And this being the case, I want to know what a FACE TO FACE relationship with God means. In the certain knowledge that I have yet more to discover, I also want to know what I am missing out on.

Responding To God

We cannot meditate on this truth without considering our own personal response. For me, right now, that is twofold:

1. Soaking—Taking time to Worship and to be Refilled.

When Jesus was resurrected, He met with His disciples and FACE TO FACE, He breathed on them, saying ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’

Receiving His breath, His Spirit, His life, into us is an integral part of having a FACE TO FACE relationship with God.

For me that means spending time with God, with no other agenda apart from being with Him, receiving His Spirit, enjoying His Presence.

2. Conversing—Intimate Conversation with God

I am personally being challenged that God wants to speak to me FACE TO FACE a whole lot more than I have imagined He does. I recognise that doubts and fears have stopped up the flow of His voice, His revelation, to me.

So I will be digging into some journaling this week—with a specific focus.

Here are some ideas for how to do this, if you would like to join me:

• Start your journal with the words ‘Lord what do you want to say to me today?’
• A thought or idea may come to you immediately—in which case, start to write. But if not, wait for the Holy Spirit to give you a revelation—a picture/vision, a Bible verse or story, a word, feeling or idea. Write what you see or what comes to mind and also what you believe God is saying to you.
• Write your response to Him. You may even want to ask another question. It is your conversation with God.

Remember to weigh up carefully any revelation you receive. Keep up your regular Bible reading and always reflect on what you are receiving in the light of what God says in His Word.

[1] The Morningstar Journal Vol. 3 No.4 1993, ‘The Birthing of a Ministry, David Ravenhill.

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Related Posts:

Face to Face With God: Can I Have a Relationship Like Moses?

Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling

Spiritual Renewal: How To Receive An Impartation Of The Holy Spirit 

How To Exercise Your Prophetic gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelation Is From God?

©  Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

Like Moses Did, You Can Have Intimacy With God

There is something compelling about the image of Moses speaking directly with God, standing with the cloud of God’s Presence at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. (Ex 33:7-11)

• How did it feel to be that close to God?
• What did God’s voice sound like?
• What must it have been like to know that God wanted to spend time talking personally with Moses—sharing His own intentions and feelings?

Moses had an intimate friendship with God that no one else at that time shared. And yet, this relationship is available to each one of us, should we desire it.(John 15:15, 2 Cor 3:12-17)

It has been said, ‘you are as close to God as you want to be.’ A glimpse of Moses’ prayer life shows us the nearness to God that is possible.

Intimacy—God’s Idea

Our word ‘intimacy’ comes from a Latin word meaning ‘innermost.’

An intimate friend is someone with whom we can share our deepest personal feelings. ‘INTO-ME-SEE’: Intimacy implies a high level of transparency in a relationship.

Intimacy is what Adam and Eve had with God at the beginning of creation, when the Lord walked in the Garden of Eden with them. Intimacy is what they lost when they disobeyed God’s word. (Gen 1-3)

Intimacy of relationship is what Jesus died on the cross to restore; hence, we know it is very important to God. (Gal 4:4-6)

As it has been said—‘If God seems far away, guess who moved?’

God has already done all that He can to restore intimacy with us. He is waiting for us to make the move towards Him.

5 Ways Moses’ Face to Face Relationship Challenges Me

As I contemplate Moses’ friendship with God, here are the truths that confront me:

1. God Wants to be Close to me.

The pillar of cloud moves towards the Tent of Meeting, where Moses has kept his appointment with God.

The depth of God’s desire to spend time with me, and the price He has paid to do so is beyond my ability to comprehend.

• I know He desires to be with me—too often, I move to meet Him hesitantly. Today, I choose to take bold, firm steps towards God

2. There is Always More of God to Encounter

Moses has a ‘face to face’ friendship with God. He speaks with Him in the cloud of His Presence. And yet, Moses is still dissatisfied with his current experience of God.

‘Lord, show me your glory.’ (Ex 33:18)

• There is always more of God to encounter; dare I, like Moses, request it—and what will happen when I do? Lord, show me your glory, increase my capacity to bear it.

3. Intimacy Involves 2-Way Conversation

Moses shares his concerns with God, but he also listens as God shares His own plans, thoughts, and feelings.

There is a place of intimacy, beyond the self-absorbed prayer I have known, where I can move from self-consciousness to GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS.

• I wonder—when was the last time I listened to God as He shared His feelings and plans? Lord, may I hear Your voice today.

4. A Friend or an Onlooker—I Get to Choose

The people of Israel stand at the entrances to their tents, watching in awe as Moses enters the Tent of Meeting.

The people of Israel were onlookers. They saw the distant cloud of God’s presence but did not hear the conversation. All they knew of God’s words were what they heard second-hand from Moses (Ps 103:7)

• Am I content with being an onlooker while others get close to God? …I say, ‘No’…  I want to see You Lord, I want to hear Your voice for myself

5. Withhold, or Disclose my Inner World?

Moses does not hold back his thoughts, his grievances, his desires. His life is an open book to God.

I can open up my real inner self to God because I am safe with Him. Nothing is hidden from God, He knows all about me anyway. His grace is the remedy for my weakness, His forgiveness the remedy for my sin.

• God says, ‘Come to Me as you are.’ (Heb 10:19-22) Will I reach for more of the intimate relationship with God that Jesus has paid the price for?

**One day when my daughter was small, we were walking to church when it started to rain. I shrunk against the side of the building to avoid the damp; after all, the rain would spoil my hair. My daughter leapt out into the rain, her arms flung wide, yelling out, ‘I just want to get wet!’ That’s the attitude I want to have towards the Presence of God. The Kingdom is for the children (Matt 18:3)–will you join me?

The people of Israel stand at the entrances to their tents, watching in awe as Moses enters the Tent of Meeting. The pillar of cloud, which has been leading the people of Israel in their journey out of Egypt, moves towards the entrance of the tent. Now it stays, positioned at the doorway, while the LORD speaks with Moses

‘face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.’

(Ex 33:7-11)

Related posts:

Host God’s Presence and Change a Nation

Hunger for God: 6 Ways you can Stir it Up

Spiritual Renewal: Cafe Moments With God

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

I read a statistic recently that 35% of church-going people in Australia rarely or never read the Bible. Only one in 5 read it every day.

What does that say about how we Christians view the Word of God?

We need a Bible revival!

How My Devotional Life Dried Up

One year ago, I was suffering from burnout.

My devotional life was one area that had suffered. Sure, I still picked up my Bible every day… but the joy had gone out of my devotions.

The act of doing devotions had become a duty. The Bible’s content had become yet another barometer of Christian performance—instructions on how I should live my Christian life. And I had nothing left to give.

To be honest, I was not only burnt out, I was bored.

I have been acquainted with the Bible since childhood, have read it many times over and still today read it from cover to cover. I have studied it both personally and with the help of great Christian teachers.

But I had lost my passion for God’s Word.

During the course of this year, I have experienced renewal in my devotional life.

How To Fall In Love With The Bible Again

Here are some keys that have helped me recover my love for God’s Word:

1. Realise Something Is Missing

Jesus said ‘ask, seek, knock,’ (Matt 7:7-8) but we will never do any of those things until we become conscious that we have a need.

Until we realise that what we are experiencing in relation to the Bible is less than what it could be, we will never change.

It was only when I realised how dry I was and how dead my devotional life had become that I decided to do something about it. I began to ‘Ask, seek and knock.’

2. Reconsider the Value of the Bible

Recently I read a news item about a real-life ‘slum-dog millionaire’. This man was living in a slum whilst he had access to millions of dollars.

Like this guy, I had been living like a spiritual pauper whilst sitting on a fortune—God’s Word.

As I began my seeking time, I went through Psalm 119, in which David expounds the wonders of God’s Word. One of the verses that stood out to me was, ‘Your word has given me life’ (Ps 119:50).

Being revived by God’s word is a recurring theme in this Psalm, with the Hebrew word, ‘chayah,’ meaning to revive, nourish, restore to life, and give life to, being used 16 times in relation to God’s Word.

When it comes to the Bible, life is a verb! The promise of being revived—or ‘lifed’—through God’s Word kept me on track. There was obviously something in my devotional life I had missed.

3. Relate to the Bible the Way Jesus Does

The next breakthrough in my journey came when I had an idea to take a look at how Jesus responded to the Bible in the Gospels. Perhaps by studying His response to the Bible, I could see what I was missing.

Jesus knew the scriptures intimately and used His knowledge of them to teach others. But more than this—He lived them.

Jesus walked in perfect fulfillment of God’s Word. The Old Testament described every details of His life from birth to death, His character, His purpose and mission and His redeeming work on the cross.

As I considered Jesus’ response to the scriptures, it occurred to me that just as Jesus walked in fulfillment of God’s Word, so should I.

The Bible explains my origins, my value, my redemption, my call, and my destiny. The Bible is the story of me. And it’s your story, too.

I have known the scripture as a place of instruction, upbuilding, protection and power to live the Christian life. I have understood the Bible as the story of Jesus, the story of redemption, the story of Israel and the church.

But this simple revelation—that the Bible is the story of me—is the one that helped bring me back to life.

4. Reconnect Creatively With God’s Word

When my children were small and had been sick, they sometimes lost their appetite for food.

I would give them smaller portions of tasty food that would tempt them to eat, and help strengthen their appetites.

It is important, when we have lost our appetite for God’s Word, to provide ourselves with fresh inspiration, and new tools or methods to help us study.

Here is one tool that can be used for Bible study and journaling:

The SOAP journaling method

SOAP is an acronym:

• Scripture
• Observation
• Application
• Prayer

To use this journaling style, read your portion of scripture—it may be a daily reading or a passage or book in the Bible you are currently studying

S = Choose a verse that has particularly spoken to you and write it in your journal

O = Note down your observation—what God is saying to you personally through the verse

A = Record how you can put what God is saying into practice in your life

P = Now write a brief prayer in response to what God has spoken to you

Over the next few days I will be using the SOAP method in my own journal and write my observations in the comments section of this post.

Related posts:

How Using Your Learning Style Can Revitalise Your Bible Study

Does Your Devotional Life Need Resuscitating?

8 Signs Your Devotional Life is Caught in a Performance Trap

Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

A Window of Opportunity

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.

What We Can Learn From Martha

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 the coming year, will you value your relationship with Jesus above service?

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

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Related Posts:

Spiritual Renewal: Cafe Moments with God

7 Signs of Spiritual Dryness

7 Ways to Combat Spiritual Dryness

© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog   David McCracken Ministries