Before we embark on this journey, here are some things about 2012 that, whether you have a prophetic word or not, you can have absolute assurance on:

1. It is Time to Release past things that have been Holding you Back

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

You do not have to continue tripping up over past issues, old habits and ingrained thought patterns. Your Heavenly Father’s plan for you is freedom, and He has paid the ultimate price in the shed blood of His Son Jesus.

You already have the word of release, but you have to rise up in faith and take it. Persevere in 2012 for the freedom of yourself and others—and chains that have held you back will be broken.

2. God is Working all things Together for Good

‘And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’ (Rom 8:28)

‘Good’ does not mean ‘as we like it.’ ‘Good’ means, ‘the outcome that our Heavenly Father, Who knows the end from the beginning, has intended for us.’ And He is completely trustworthy.

The Gospel, the Good News of Jesus is one of redemption—and He loves you immeasurably.

No matter what you have done; no matter what has been done to you, His plan is to restore. He desires to bring ultimate good out of the pain and trouble of the past—to turn your tests into a testimony, and your mess into a message.

And whatever comes your way, know that His goodness is with you every step of your journey.

‘Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.’ (Ps 23:6)

3. You can Experience great Fruitfulness this Year

^‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.’ (John 15:16)

God’s plan for your life this coming year is one of fruitfulness.

In our culture today we equate fruitfulness with tangible results, but that is not the way of God’s Kingdom.

• Kingdom fruitfulness is sourced and rooted in the Holy Spirit and grows out of our intimate relationship with God
• Then it overflows into our inner life and attitudes (Gal 5:22-25)
• Finally, it results in obedient action that reproduces His purpose in our lives and that of others.

God’s plan for you is fruitfulness—but it will require your cooperation—it will require you to rise up and say, ‘No matter what! This year, I will rise up and be all God has called me to be.’

4. God Wants you to draw Closer to Him

‘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 that person, and they with me.’ (Jesus – Rev 3:20)

There is no end to the depth of intimacy that is available in our relationship with God. There is no end to the revelation of who He is and His ways that we can learn about and discover.

This coming year, you can draw closer to God than you have ever done before. If you have drifted from your first love in your relationship with Him, you can choose to return. What does taking that step look like for you? Today you can begin the journey.

Do you have any scriptural promises that you could share with others? 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.

Related Posts:

2012: A Year Of Unprecedented Access

Prophetic Words For 2012: How To Make The Most Of Them

3 Mistaken Beliefs About God’s Blessing

How You Can Have An Intimate Relatonship With The Holy Spirit

Prophetic Words For 2012: How To Make The Most Of Them

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

Your DESTINY is the answer to the question, ‘What has God called me to do?’

Your IDENTITY is the answer to the question, ‘Who has God called me to be?’

How can we discover the answers to these questions? And what will it take to completely fulfil the calling of God on our lives?

Out of Hiding and into History

In Judges 6, Israel is living under oppression from their enemies, the Midianites. A young man called Gideon is hiding from the enemy in a winepress, threshing wheat.

God sends an angelic messenger to Gideon to proclaim his God-given destiny and identity.

‘And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, “The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour!” Gideon said to Him, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us?… Then the LORD turned to him and said, “Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have I not sent you?” (Judges 6:12-14)

When the angel calls Gideon a ‘Mighty man of valour,’ he is calling him by his God-given identity.

In the Bible, a given name is often synonymous with a God-ordained identity or destiny. [1]

The name Gideon means ‘cutter down’ or ‘destroyer’, and Gideon is destined to be a leader who, with God’s help, overthrows Israel’s powerful enemy.

Gideon, however, sees himself differently—as insignificant and powerless. As a result, he is living in fear and weakness.

The angel’s pronouncement of Gideon’s identity and destiny sets in motion a chain of events that propels Gideon out of hiding and into history.

What Gideon teaches us about our Identity and Destiny

We may not have an angel turn up on our doorstep with a message from God like Gideon did. We may not even have a personal prophecy. But we can begin to grasp our God-given identity and destiny.

When we do, it will have life-changing consequences to others and ourselves.

Here are some things that we can learn from Gideon’s story:

1. God Himself Initiates our Identity and Destiny

‘For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.’ (Eph 2:10)

God steps into Gideon’s normal, everyday life and announces His intention for him.

God’s purpose for our lives is not our own good idea of what we would like to be or do; it is His plan for us.

God’s destiny for your life will be consistent with the way He has wired you. It may be helpful to consider the clues He has given—your unique experiences, passion, abilities and spiritual gifts.

But don’t limit God by over-defining these things. Remember—He took Gideon by surprise and may have some surprises in store for you too.

Prayer journaling is one helpful tool that you can use to converse with God. [2] Take time to pray and ask your Father the questions:

• ‘What have you called me to do?’
• ‘Who have you called and created me to be?’ [3]

Ask godly leaders that you have a relationship with what they see in you. Allow them to speak into your life.

2. He Turns our Weaknesses into His Strengths

‘Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.’ (1 Cor 1:26-27)

When God calls Gideon, the young man does not comprehend his destiny or his identity—in fact, he is currently being and behaving the very opposite of what God has called him to be.

Gideon is fearful, however his God-given identity is to be bold. He feels himself to be the smallest and least significant, but God is calling him to be a leader.

In the Bible, those whom God uses powerfully usually have a history of weakness or failure in their very area of strength.

God is by nature a Redeemer.

Consider where you have been hurt and wronged, or have sinned, or are weak. These are the very things God is redeeming. With His help you will not only overcome those weaknesses, but they will become points of strength. They will become areas in which you minister to others.

Remember, too, when your Heavenly Father speaks to you of your identity and destiny, it will be something beyond your own natural ability to accomplish.

3. It Takes an Intimate Relationship with God to Wholly Fulfil our Destiny

An encounter with God is an invitation to relationship with Him.

Potentially, Gideon’s encounter with God could be the beginning of a personal relationship with Him. He has the opportunity to be an Abraham, a Moses—a friend of God.

Gideon has the opportunity now, to not only overcome the enemy, but also to lead Israel in worship of God.

However, tragically, he will fall short of his destiny and instead, lead the nation into idolatry. (Judges 8:22-27)

Here is the bottom line.

Here is the very foundation of our identity and destiny.

We are created to have an intimate love relationship with God. This is both the beginning of our identity and the ultimate end of our destiny.

As Christian believers, we are sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father. This is the relationship that Jesus paid to restore when He shed His blood on the cross.

And before we can fully understand our personal identity, we need to comprehend our Family identity.

We need to understand what it means to have the divine DNA, the identity of being a member of God’s royal family. [4]

Only once we have understood this can we fully embrace and enter into our personal God-given identity—and fulfil it.

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic, or difficulties you are facing that you would like us to agree with you in prayer for? 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

Notes

[1] It makes an interesting study to track name changes in the Bible, and see the destiny that God was speaking into those He named—for example, Abram became Abraham (father of a multitude). Jesus renamed Simon (meaning reed), Peter (meaning rock).

[2] To learn more about prayer journaling, read the following post:

Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling

[3] In relation to personal guidance, the following post contains vital information:

Personal Guidance For The Important Decisions Of Life

[4] I discuss this more in the following article:

Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

‘It is the privilege of sons and daughters to feast at the Father’s table.’

For 450 years, Israel lived in slavery in Egypt. Now, God was teaching the nation a different way of living—a life of faith.

How Israel Lived under an Open Heaven

‘Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.’ (Ps 78:23-24)

The Bible tells us that God opened heaven to provide miraculous provision to the nation of Israel during its wilderness wanderings.

But God’s supernatural supply of their needs did not stop there—the wilderness manna was a sign of what was to come.

Israel’s destiny was to live in Canaan and continue a lifestyle of faith—dependent upon God for heaven-sent rain.

‘The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.’ (Deut 28:12)

Everything that is recorded in the Bible about Israel’s history is for our benefit and instruction. (1 Cor 10:11) The nation of Israel had to learn how to live by the provision of an open heaven, and so can we. [1]

Here are some principles we can learn from Israel’s history:

How to Position for an Open Heaven

1. Understand the Heart of the Father

We need to understand God’s motivation, in Israel’s history and for us today. He isn’t looking for dependent servants—He is seeking relationship. He desires sons and daughters.

 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son… I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.’ (Hosea 11:1, 4)

The manna, the rain, were a revelation: not of provision, but of a Provider; a loving Father.

2. Intimacy and Obedience

The nation of Israel was in the right place, at the right time for a miracle.

And the reason that Israel was positioned for a heavenly miracle of provision was because one man—Moses—had an intimate relationship with God.

Having heard God’s voice, Moses was able to lead Israel in obedience to Him.  Moses later left written instructions so that Israel could continue to live in obedience and reap the heavenly blessings.

Intimacy with the Father is the starting point for our miracle of provision. When we hear Him speak to us, and move out in faith upon His instruction, we will be in the right place, at the right time, for a miracle of supernatural supply.

3. Change your Source: Move from Self-Effort to Dependency Upon God

Having moved out in faith, Israel had no source of supply other than God. In Deut 11, God spoke to Israel, saying:

‘The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven… So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—then I will send rain on your land in its season.’ (Deut 11:10-11, 13-14)

Here, God is comparing the resources of Egypt with that of Canaan. The source of Egypt’s life-giving water was the river Nile. It was predictable and safe. It was self-sufficient, but a limited means of supply.

The Nile’s water could be accessed by man-powered irrigation. When the Nile flooded, irrigation would take place naturally, but during the remainder of the year, it was hard manual labour to pump the water into the fields.

In Canaan, however, the countryside was primarily irrigated by rainfall—and dependent upon those rains coming in their due seasons.

The picture is of an entire nation dependent upon the rain. Even their yearly calendar revolved around the seasons and the crops, which revolved around the rains coming in their due seasons.

And God made it clear that He was the source of the rain and that He could pour it out or withhold it at will.

He said, ‘Serve Me with gladness and obedience and I will send the rain. Turn away from Me, and you will remove yourself from that open heaven—because you and I were meant to do this together. You were never meant to be alone.’ (See Deut 28)

4. Become a Co-Labourer with God

The life of faith is one partnership and co-labour together with God. Even though God sent the manna, the people of Israel still had to collect it, prepare it and cook it. (Num 11:7-9)

Even though God sent the rain upon the land of Canaan, the people still had to labour and toil the ground.

Likewise, in order to position for God’s provision for our lives, we still need to work hard, to follow Biblical principles and to exercise wisdom as well as faith. We also partner with God through prayer.

5. Change Your Preferences

It is not easy to live a life of faith. It is not easy to trust God for His supply when He instructs you to step out in obedience to Him. As it is often said, FAITH is spelled ‘R-I-S-K.’

It is an amazing thing that having left a life of slavery, many Israelites still craved the provisions of Egypt. (Numbers 11)

When the Israelites said, let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt, (Numbers 14:1-4) they were saying,

• We want safety, we want predictability
• We want to do things our own way, in our own strength
• We want to be self-sufficient

They were really rejecting God Himself. Sadly, they preferred bondage with familiarity, to freedom and having to go out on a limb to trust God.

6. Celebrate God’s Provision

The Feasts and celebrations of Israel were established around the seasons and the provision of rainfall.

Like Israel, we need to ‘mark the moment’ and celebrate and remember God’s supply for our lives, our families, our churches and ministries, and our communities.

He is a faithful and loving Father.

 ‘It is the privilege of sons and daughters to feast at the Father’s table.’

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic? 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.

Notes:

[1]. Last week, I shared that an open heaven is the inheritance of every Christian believer.  ‘An open heaven is a state where there are no barriers between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm—the throne of God, and all the resources of heaven… These resources include the Holy Spirit, salvation, provision and blessing, miraculous intervention and angelic help in answer to prayer.’
For more information, see the following post:
An Open Heaven Is Your Inheritance

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

The quality that I personally believe is most vital for prophetic ministry is an intimate relationship with the Father.

This kind of intimacy comes from having a revelation of, and personal encounter with, God as a loving Father. [1]

The Unbelieving Heart of the Believer

My mother-in-law used to speak fervently about ‘evangelising the unbelieving heart of the believer.’ This spoke of her call to minister healing to the hearts of Christians. [2]

The Hunk and I were passionately involved in world missions, and her favourite quote was a continual irritation to me. ‘What,’ I thought, ‘could be more important than evangelising the heart of the unbeliever?’

A Crisis of Faith

‘What has happened to all your joy?’ (Galatians 4:15)

By 2009, Mum’s voice began to be silenced as Alzheimer’s robbed her of the ability to convey what was on her heart. But her vision was to finally bear fruit in my life.

I had not realized the contradiction that was within me until burnout brought it to the surface.

After years of exhausting Christian service—comprised of unwise choices of my own making—I could finally go no further. The approval I had sought to work for was out of reach. My crisis of faith was summed up by the question I cried out at that time:

‘Are You the God I am afraid that You are—a task-master whose approval I can never win? Or the Father I have longed for—a God of grace and joy?’

One day, as I voiced the question for the umpteenth time, I was surprised to hear God’s voice in response. His answer to me was, in brief, ‘You choose.’

I took time to consider the evidence of

• The Bible’s teaching
• The heart of the Father that Jesus demonstrated in the Gospels, and
• The gracious love of the Holy Spirit that I recognised and felt for others, but failed to perceive for myself.

Finally, I made a decision and a recommitment. ‘I believe that You are the God of grace and joy—and I receive You as my Lord and Saviour.

The matter was settled, and the unbelieving heart of this believer was converted. My spiritual eyes were opened to see my loving Father.

One Father, Two Sons, Three Positions

Following this revelation of God as Father, I moved into a period of recovery, during which Jesus’ parable of the Prodigal Son came to life for me. [3]

At that time I noticed three positions of sonship that were illustrated by Jesus’ parable, and I saw aspects of my journey in each of them.

1. The Lost Son

The younger son became separated from his father and his father’s household through sin and rebellion. After squandering his inheritance, he became destitute. He then found employment with a harsh foreign master who sent him to the fields to feed pigs, whilst not providing him with the food that he himself needed to live.

Ironically—in spite of the clear parallels between the lost son and someone who is a non-Christian or a backslider—at my lowest point, I mostly identified with the younger son.

My master had been a system of good works. I too had spent all that I had; not on ‘riotous’ living, but on ‘right’ living—doing the right things in my own strength. Now I was starving spiritually. But like the lost son, I finally came to my senses—it was time to come home.

2. The Serving Son

The older brother could have enjoyed the privileges of sonship and intimacy with the father. But although he lived in the Father’s household, he laboured as a servant.

His lack of intimacy with his father was demonstrated by his failure to rejoice at what his father rejoiced in—the return of his lost brother.

The older brother served for his future inheritance, but did not partake of the portion that was available to him in the present. Instead of enjoying what was his by right, he complained to his father, ‘You never gave me…’

I recognised that like the older brother, my focus had been on bringing pleasure to God by faithfully serving, performing and gaining results. Deep down, I felt I needed to do something to earn God’s blessing and favour.

My Christian life lacked joy. I began to see that I had been working for God’s Kingdom whilst neither enjoying, nor being fully aware of, the Kingdom inheritance that is available to me now.

3. The Embraced Son

Coming to his senses, the lost son returned, penitent, to a surprising reception. Instead of the father he was expecting to meet—a charitable employer who would take care of him as a servant—he discovered a love-consumed, waiting, embracing father.

His father ordered a feast, brought him into the household, and put a robe, ring and sandals on him—symbols of restored sonship.

Since the ‘conversion’ of my heart, I have come to realise that there is nothing I can do to gain my Father’s approval. I already have it, along with His unconditional love and acceptance. Rejection and low self esteem has fallen away. I know that I give Him pleasure, not through what I do, but simply because I am His child.

My focus is now centred upon my intimate relationship with God as being the most important thing—and I have fallen in love with Him in a greater way. Out of that love I can freely love others.

In the past, I struggled with an orphan mindset. But now, knowing Abba Father and being with Him gives me the greatest joy—abundant and effective service flows out of that place of rest. And finally, I am learning that there is a Kingdom inheritance available to me now—not just in the future.

Although I sometimes move out of this position, I recognise when I do and continually find my way home to the Father’s waiting arms.

I pray that you also will discover something in this study, as well as my own story, to move you closer in your own relationship with God the Father.

I also encourage you to follow this up by reading and prayerfully considering the original passage in Luke 15:11-32.

One Father, Two Sons, Three Positions: Which of These Describes You?

Notes:

[1] Jesus came to reveal God as Father (John 17:6-8, John 14:9-11) and to restore us to relationship with God as His children. This revelation of the Father accounts for some of the key distinctions between Old and New Testament prophetic ministry.

See also:

How To Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 2

And look out for the following post in future weeks: The Difference Between Old And New Testament Prophecy

[2] This expression, ‘evangelising the unbelieving heart of the believer,’ is a quote by John and Paula Sandford. In their book ‘The Transformation Of The Inner Man’, they write, ‘Paradoxically, we are healed by being taught to put no confidence whatsoever in our own flesh, simply to rest in Him.’ P10, Phil 3:3

Sandford, J & P.  The Transformation of the Inner Man. 1982. Bridge Publishing. 412p

[3] In Luke 15:11-32, Jesus told a parable concerning a lost son who returned home to his father, in response to religious criticism of His association with ‘sinners.’At the time Jesus spoke this parable, the elder brother was illustrative of the listening Pharisees who were critical of Jesus’ fellowship with the sinners they despised. Sadly, many of them would end up shut outside of God’s Presence, whilst the grace of God would be extended to repentant sinners who put their faith in Jesus.

This same grace is available through Jesus to you and me today.

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic? 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

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

As I reflect back on the journey, one blog post stands out above all others in terms of the impact it had on me personally at the time of release.

That post was, ‘How Your Prophetic Song Can Release The Power Of God.’

In it I wrote,
‘It has been said that ‘desperate times call for desperate measures.’ In God’s Kingdom, however, desperate times call for extraordinary measures.’

The Crisis

What I did not share was that The Hunk and I were facing our own desperate times—a financial crisis.

I had been without paid work for nearly a year, after transferring from a paid role to a volunteer one at our church. Repeated attempts to find a part time job had been unsuccessful. In the meantime, my husband had been valiantly working to support our household on his sole income.

Every week we continued to go backwards, until we could go no further—we did not have enough money for our next house payment. Unless a miracle occurred, we faced losing our home and a great deal more.

In spite of this crisis, our faith remained surprisingly buoyant. We recalled previous times that we had come to the end of our own resources and watched as our Heavenly Father had brought miraculous intervention.

A Prophetic Song of Praise

At this time, I was asked to run a workshop for our worship team on ‘Prophetic Song.’ During the training session, I shared Biblical examples of how prophetic song can be pivotal to breakthrough.

Something happened in my heart as I joined with our team in prophetic worship that Thursday night. I knew that God was calling me to spend specific time praising Him for breakthrough.

My husband was away over the next few days training for a new job. Being a commission-only role, with no set salary, we had no idea how his new job would work out for us financially.

The Hunk’s absence that weekend gave me the time I needed to focus on God. I put together a collection of praise songs on CD. I sat at our keyboard. I spent hours praising my Father, singing songs that expressed faith and gratitude for His love, provision, help and power.

I also wrote what I was learning about the power of prophetic song in the blog post, ‘How Your Prophetic Song Can Release The Power Of God.’ The following Tuesday evening I published it online.

Breakthrough Begins

Wednesday morning following the release of the blog post, I had a vivid dream before waking.

I received a phone call from a minister overseas. He expressed thanks to me for publishing the post about prophetic song and shared that it was of great significance.

As our conversation closed, I asked him, ‘Where are you from?’ He replied clearly, ‘Einstein.’

I woke up aware that I had just received a dream from God. The word ‘Einstein’ seemed to have particular importance, but what did it mean? I wondered if I should look it up on the Internet to find out.

I went to our computer and noticed that a close friend who was one of my prayer leaders had just sent an email.

In the email, she mentioned some signs that spiritual warfare was taking place in her world and closed by saying,

‘You don’t have to be Einstein (to figure out what is going on).’

When I read the word ‘Einstein’ I was electrified. That morning, inspired by an urgency of the Spirit, I hurried to our church to be early for the weekly staff meeting.

As I rushed into our church carpark, our pastor was outside having a conversation when he saw me and called me aside. He shared that an opening for a part time paid administrative role had come up and invited me to take the job.

I now had paid work.

In the meantime, the Hunk was starting his new job and that very day won the first of two prizes of petrol vouchers—a welcome supply to help meet our immediate needs.

Several days later we received a large gift to help towards some family expenses.

And a day after that someone pressed an envelope into my hands at church, saying God had instructed her to give it to us. It was filled with cash.

It was also proving obvious that income from my husband’s new line of work would far exceed what he had earned in his previous role.

Within a week our situation had turned completely around and we were in awe at the love and power of God.

The Power of A Prophetic Song of Praise

A song of praise is a powerful prophetic tool that

• Celebrates victory in the face of apparent defeat.
• Declares God’s ability in the circumstance of your inability
• Thanks God for answers that have not yet been sighted

It is prophetic because it gives voice to the word that God has spoken to you, concerning His outcome for your circumstances and life.

Intimacy and Obedience

I hesitate to share a testimony like I the one I have above, because there is always a danger that people will imitate a method in order to gain a result.

You see it is not about a method. It is not even about a principle (although the principle of prophetic praise is powerful).

It is about relationship with God and obedience to His word.

In 2 Chron 20, King Jehoshaphat responded in faith to a prophetic word that God would route the powerful armies that were coming against the nation of Judah.

Jehoshaphat sent out musicians and singers at the head of his army to praise God. As they began to sing and praise, the enemy armies turned on each other. The prophecy—that God would defeat the enemy without Judah having to fight—was fulfilled.

However, this was the only time in the Bible a battle was won in this precise way.

The key to breakthrough is not about a method, it is intimacy with God. And out of that intimacy, let the faith rise, let the praises start to flow.

If my story inspires you, I encourage you to spend time with God. Ask your Heavenly Father how you should respond in your particular situation.

And then, do whatever He tells you. (John 2:5)

Notes:

For teaching on the topic of prophetic song, I encourage you to view the following blog post:

How Your Prophetic Song Can Release The Power Of God

To leave a note or share your own story, leave a comment at the bottom of this post. 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

What comes to mind when you think about the word ‘prayer’?

Some reasons that many people struggle with the concept of prayer include:

• Prayer has become a religious term in our culture today
• We have a preconceived idea as to what kind of activity prayer involves and we can’t relate to that activity
• We may associate prayer with a group or person in the church who seem very spiritual and don’t think that we could ever be like that
• We feel inadequate when it comes to prayer.

The great news is—prayer is simple and you can be yourself with God!

The Journey Of Prayer

Prayer is a bit like Jesus inviting you into a mansion to spend time with Him. You enter one room, and its treasures captivate you. You could spend months there—and you do.

Gradually you realise that there are other rooms to explore with the Lord that contain different wonders. When you are ready, you can investigate them.

To help you get started on this exciting journey, or to reflect on what more might be available to you, here are 4 essential types of prayer:

1. Relating Prayer

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend (Ex 33:11).

In the relating type of prayer, we approach God as our friend.

Just as in any relationship, you can choose whether or not you relate at a surface level or whether you will trust enough to disclose the real issues in your heart.

Sometimes people hold back from doing this because they think that God knows everything about them anyway, so why tell Him how they feel? However, God wants to share an intimate relationship with us—He wants us to tell Him what is really going on inside.

Relating with God also includes dealing with anything that might get in the way. This means:

• Forgiving anyone who has hurt you or done you wrong (Mark 11:25) and
• Repenting of any sin—wrong thoughts, acts or attitudes in your life (Matt 6:12).

We can also take time to thank Him for what He has done through Jesus and in our lives, just as we would thank a friend for something they have done.

As with any friendship, meaningful communication in prayer is not just one way. Besides talking to God, we can also listen to what He is saying. This is where journaling can be beneficial, as it enables us to keep a record of what God is saying to us.

2. Requesting Prayer

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. (Phil 4:6)

In this kind of prayer, we relate to God as our Father. (Matt 7:9-11)

Prayer is where transactions are made that will bring about needed change in your life and in the lives of those you care about.

The Bible calls this ‘petition.’ This is where we make requests about people and needs that concern us. We are looking for God’s help and intervention. We ask in Jesus name. (John 15:16, John 16:23-26)

Through relating prayer and studying the Bible, we discover God’s plans for our lives. In requesting prayer, we ask for His plans to come to fruition. (John 15:7, 1 John 5:14-15)

3. Receiving Prayer

‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.’ (John 7:37)

Here, we relate to God as our Source—our life-giver and baptiser in the Holy Spirit

This type of prayer is not focused on tasks or requests, but is about enjoying and benefiting from God’s presence. Ps 91:1, Ps 63:1-8

Receiving prayer enables you to be refreshed and filled with the Holy Spirit. It includes:

• Personal times of worship or adoration (having accompanying music can help but is not necessary)
• Positioning yourself to receive a fresh infilling of His Spirit
• Enjoying God’s presence without agenda

Like intimate friends or family members who can enjoy each other’s company in silence, you do not always have to talk to God. In receiving prayer, your relationship has moved beyond the place where you have to fill it with words.

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Our natural tendency in our busy, service-oriented life is to downgrade the importance of this kind of prayer. However, it is a vital way to receive power to live the Christian life. Placing yourself in a position to be receiving from God in prayer may be the most unselfish thing you can do.

4. Ruling Prayer

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

In this kind of prayer, we relate to God as King.

Ruling prayer is where we discover and use the authority God has given us as His sons and daughters.

We remember that God is and has the ultimate authority. We praise Him for who He is, and the power that He has.

We then step up to use the authority God has given us in the name of Jesus. We get bold, reminding the Lord of His promises and declaring His Word for our lives. We speak out scriptures and prophetic promises that have personal meaning and application.

In ruling prayer, we are saying we are not putting up with the status quo of circumstances and our enemies. We can address forces of darkness, resisting Satan’s plans for our lives, or the lives of others (Eph 6:10-18). We exercise spiritual warfare.

The benefit of this type of prayer is that it helps us grow in our spiritual authority. Through ruling prayer, we can shift situations where others or we have become immobilised. It helps us break through to a better place.

If this kind of prayer is new to you, trying it with others might be helpful (Matt 18:18-19). Remember it is okay to write out prayers and proclamations and to read them when you are learning.

Questions to Consider

Note that although I have identified these as four distinct types of prayer, they can be used together. Here are some questions to reflect on:

• Which type of prayer are you most familiar with?
• Which type of prayer are you least familiar with?
• Which types of prayer could you focus on to bring positive change or refreshment in your devotional life?

For Further Study:

Would you like the opportunity to study these 4 types of prayer further in a small group setting? Review my e-book here:

Encounter God: Change Your World Through Prayer

This study will also take your group through basic training on how to pray for each other for healing and other needs.

Related Posts:

Prophetic Prayer Training Session

Pray For Those You Love And Unleash The Power Of God

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

You have to know someone intimately to be familiar with the desires of his or her heart.

And you have to be in close proximity to hear your friend express a quiet wish.

But it takes more than intimacy, and more than proximity, to move you to sacrifice your own priorities in favour of those of your friend.

Only love will move you to lay down your life.

Such was the love of three of David’s mighty men who were close enough to hear him say, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

Unbidden, the three warriors broke through enemy lines at risk of their lives to fulfil David’s wish. (2 Samuel 23:13-17)

Intimacy With The Holy Spirit

Those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. (Romans 8:5)

There is a lot of talk about the Holy Spirit in Christian circles today.

Many of us have a great longing to see the Holy Spirit move, or for His power to be released to bring healing, deliverance, signs and miracles.

Kathryn Kuhlman once said,

‘There are literally thousands and thousands in the great charismatic movement who have never become acquainted with the person of the Holy Spirit, only with His gifts.’ [1]

And sadly, that statement is as true today as it was then.

So the question I am asking of you and myself today in response to this statement is, ‘Are you one of the many—the ‘thousands and thousands’—or one of the few?’

Many times we talk about ‘using’ the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

But there is another way of life possible—where we allow the Holy Spirit to ‘use’ us.

This way of living is only going to happen when we give Him leadership of our lives.

• When we so value His Presence with us, and the relationship that we have with Him, that we cannot bear for anything to come between us.

• When we are listening, ready for the sound of His voice

• When we have so become attuned to Him as a Person—to His desires and what grieves and pleases Him…

…that we will respond accordingly [2].

The Fellowship of the Spirit

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you. (2 Cor 13:14)

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity—God living in and with us.

He is not merely an impersonal power. The New Testament reveals the Spirit to be a Person with will, mind and emotions.

As well as empowering us, the Holy Spirit communicates and fellowship with us. He guides, teaches, helps, assures and comforts us. [3]

The Holy Spirit is God up close and personal.

The Ungrieved Presence of the Holy Spirit

And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. (Eph 4:30)

Many years ago I read the story of a Chinese scholar-turned-pastor called Hsi [4].  It made a lasting impression upon me.

Pastor Hsi ministered deliverance to a troubled young man called K’ong at a conference.

A missionary who saw Hsi minister in the power of the Spirit pressed a large sum of money into his hands, as a gift towards his ministry.

Hsi received the cash without praying as to whether or not he should accept it. Immediately he felt uncomfortable.

As he went to pray about the matter, Hsi heard cries as the demonised man became uncontrollable once more.

No longer fearing Hsi, the demons in K’ong taunted him, saying ‘You have no power to control me any more.’

Realising that his soul’s response to the money had affected his ability to minister in the Spirit, Hsi went to the donor and returned the cash. He confessed that the sudden possession of a large sum of money had ‘come between his soul and God.’

Immediately he went to where K’ong was causing the commotion and quietly commanded the demons to be quiet and leave—with immediate and effective results.

Pastor Hsi later summed up this painful lesson with the words,

‘The ungrieved presence of the Holy Spirit is more to be desired than abundance of gold and silver.’

How To Have An Intimate Relationship With The Holy Spirit

Or do you suppose that the Scripture is speaking to no purpose that says, The Spirit Whom He has caused to dwell in us yearns over us and He yearns for the Spirit [to be welcome] with a jealous love? (James 4:5, AMP)

I want to have the kind of relationship with the Holy Spirit that Kathryn Kuhlman experienced—and that Hsi valued.

If this kind of relationship with the One who is God present with you, the Holy Spirit, is what you want, here are some steps to help you move closer to Him:

1. Realise that such a relationship—fellowship with the Holy Spirit—is possible

2. Hunger and thirst for intimacy with Him

3. Learn all you can about the Holy Spirit. Study His role, purpose, names, likes and dislikes from Scripture

4. Pray—ask to know Him more and for Him to fill you

5. Make a decision to go deeper in your relationship with God—to be more available to Him

6. Allow God to put His finger on anything in your life that displeases the Holy Spirit—and deal with it

When I stand before the Father on that Day, He may ask me,

‘What did you do with what I entrusted to you—your gifts and talents, your time, opportunities, relationships, and call?

But there is another question He may ask that is currently challenging me:

‘What did you do with the One I sent you?’

[1] A Glimpse Into Glory, by Kathryn Kuhlman with Jamie Buckingham

[2] Recommended Reading: Romans 8

[3] Recommended Reading: John chapters 14-16

[4] One of China’s Scholars, by Howard Taylor

Hunger For God: 6 Ways You Can Stir It Up

© Helen Calder  2010  Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

‘Do not neglect your gift…’
(1 Tim 4:14)

‘A prophet visited our church in Auckland, New Zealand. He pointed me out in the congregation and said, “You have a gift of discernment.”

A few years later when we were living in another city, the same prophet visited our church there. He again pointed me out and said, “Has anyone ever told you that you have a gift of discernment of spirits?” I said, “Yes, you did several years ago.”

We all had a good laugh—but he remembered neither the earlier prophecy nor me. He ministered throughout New Zealand and overseas and had prophesied over hundreds of people in the interim.’[1]

It is one thing to know that you have a spiritual gift of discernment—it is quite another thing to know what to do with it, and how to use it.

A short time after this prophetic confirmation, I began to struggle in church life. I had not been taught the principle of honouring leaders and accountability in the use of my revelatory gifts.

I thank God that He allowed a time of trial to teach me and bring me through repentance to a place of fruitfulness in the use of my gifts. [2]

Through good stewardship we can reach our potential and our gifts can be used to bless and grow the church.

The gift of discernment is a powerful weapon in times of spiritual warfare and of great assistance when breakthrough is needed in our personal or church life.

Here are 8 ways that you can grow your spiritual gift of discernment of spirits. And yes, some of these I have learned the hard way—through trial and error.

1. Source It

True discernment comes from intimacy with the Father.

It is vital that we understand the difference between discernment that is from the Holy Spirit and suspicion, which can masquerade as discernment, but is actually sourced in our own human nature. This is a danger that can trip even mature discerners up. The best means of preventing this is our intimate relationship with God. Other ways we can keep our gift on track are below:

2. Plant It

‘Planted in the house of the LORD, they will flourish in the courts of our God.’ Ps 92:13

The Biblical context for growing in our gifts is the community of a church (1 Cor 12).

As with all prophetic people, discerners need to be cared for and pastored in a church environment.

When we are planted in the life of a healthy church, we can flourish and grow in our gift. However, we must remember that it will not always be smooth sailing in community life—even in the healthiest of churches.

3. Submit It

It is vital, and a matter of protection for others and ourselves, that we operate in our spiritual gift of discernment with accountability, and under God-given leadership.

It is important that we encourage our insights to be weighed up (1 Cor 14:29). As the Apostle Paul said, ‘For we know in part and we prophesy in part.’ (1 Cor 13:9)

The discernment that we receive is incomplete without the insights of others, who will have different pieces of the puzzle and complementary gifts. (1 Cor 12:12-27)

Feedback is also a great tool to help us grow in our discernment.

4. Purify It

It is possible for the expression of a discernment gift to be affected by our response to negative experiences that we have had in our lives.

I had prayer ministry to help me break free of fear associated with early experiences of demonic encounters. I also received ministry in relation to difficulties with authority. As a result, I have a much more useful gift.

I have also had to grow a great deal in my character—a journey that is ongoing!

5. Study It

Find out what the Bible has to say about the gift of discernment:

• Read examples of people who encountered unseen spiritual realities—how did they respond? What did they do as a result of their experiences?

• How and when did Jesus use the gift of discernment to minister to people?

• What does the Apostle Paul say in his epistles about how spiritual gifts operate in the context of church life and ministry?

6. Develop It

As with other gifts, discernment can be developed and strengthened.

The ability to receive a revelation from God is only one aspect of this spiritual gift. Other aspects include:

• Having the wisdom to know what to do once you have received the discernment,
• How and when to share your insight
• How to weigh up what you have received against scripture
• Procedures for submitting an insight, and so on.

Seek to be trained or mentored in the context of Christian community, where you have safe people who can give you feedback and encourage you on the journey.

Look for good training, along with books and other resources on the topic of spiritual warfare and related areas.

7. Use It

Don’t hold back. Even if you are starting out and tentative, God can use you powerfully. Use your gift of discernment to help guard and grow your church.

If you discern warfare or have a warning, remember that God’s heart is always to redeem and restore. Seek the Father for a promise and His outcome.

The gift of discernment can also help give you insight as to how to respond and pray for breakthrough in any situation.

8. Persevere With It

In the development of every spiritual gift there are times of trial.

In some testing times, God may be allowing us to lose confidence in our own ability to perform in our gift. For example, we may have a period when our discernment becomes cloudy, or we may make an assumption that turns out to be in error.

During these times He is calling us to become more dependent upon Him, and to grow in humility.

You may have true discernment but have been misunderstood or feel as though you have been set aside for a season.

These are times to persevere, and not to allow offense or discouragement to divert you from your calling.

Wilderness seasons are allowed by our Heavenly Father to help us grow in our character or to direct us into new areas of fruitfulness.

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

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

UNLOCKING THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT E-BOOK – *NEW!*

$5.95 e-Book*

Are you sensitive to what is taking place in the spiritual realm? Have you ever been adversely affected by a negative atmosphere?

You may have the spiritual gift of discernment.

The gift of discernment of spirits is a powerful weapon in times of spiritual warfare, and can be of great assistance when ministering freedom to individuals.

And yet many who have the gift of discernment have difficulty knowing what to do with what they are feeling or sensing.

(More details …)

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

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

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Related posts:

8 Signs You May Have The Spiritual Gift Of Discernment

The Heart Of A Discerner

Prophetic People In Testing Times: The Reason For The Season

6 Tips For Exercising The Gift Of Discernment In Church Life

Notes:
[1] This is quoted from my book, ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’
[2]I tell the full story in ‘Prophetic People In A Changing Church.’ For a brief testimony check out the Enliven Publishing ‘About’ page.

© Helen Calder 2010    Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Here are Charlie’s comments, in blue italics (I’ve added the emphasis in bold), followed by my own responses.

Would you like to add your own thoughts to this conversation? Feel free to join us in the comments section of this post. (If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down).

Charlie: ‘Thanks for the reply Helen, just a couple of extra points. I believe the need of intimacy with the Father is vital for the prophetic to function as it should. A prophet has absolutely nothing to say if he does not hear what the Lord is saying.’

Charlie, you are so right—the whole point of prophecy (and other revelationary gifts such as word of knowledge and discernment) is to speak forth the heart, mind and will of the Father. Intimacy is vital if we are to accurately represent Him.

How tragic to catch the revelation of God’s purposes—His mind and will—but to miss His heartbeat!

I believe it is the apprehension of His heart that will enable us to frame a prophecy in such a way that His love—and redeeming purpose—shines through (1 Cor 13:1-2). Without this, a prophecy is empty and incomplete.

Charlie: If he does speak and does not hear from the Lord the source of what he is saying is coming from either the flesh or worse, demonic. This will cause much hurt in the body.

Personally, I do not believe that all prophecy sourced in the flesh (out of our natural heart and mind) is damaging, although it can be, especially if it is misleading or employs soulish manipulation. A prophecy (or ‘word of encouragement,’ as it may better be termed), spoken out of our own heart, may fall short of being God’s best; but if it is encouraging, simple, Biblical, and spoken in faith—with love—I believe God can still use it.

If we allowed ourselves to fear speaking ‘in the flesh’ (out of our natural heart and mind), many of us, myself included, would never speak a prophecy at all!

I believe this potential for us to fall short in prophetic ministry, and for damage to be caused, is the reason Paul exhorted the Corinthian church to ‘weigh carefully’ prophetic words (1 Cor 14:29). And as he said in 1 Thess 5:20-21:

‘Do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good.’ Unsaid, but inherent in the text is, ‘Reject what is not good.’

These guidelines were given by the Holy Spirit to the church to help purify prophetic ministry.

It continually amazes me that Jesus entrusts us, His church, with gifts that are—not in terms of source, but in our expression of them—imperfect and incomplete (see also 1 Cor 13:9-10). His higher plan is for us to be interdependent upon each other in the use of our gifts.

Check out an earlier post I wrote on this subject:

‘Not Word Perfect: Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works In The Church Today.’

The other point that flows from this of course is, ‘What do we do about damaging prophecy?’ I started to explore this in the comments section of the following post:

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

This topic is much broader than what we can cover here.

Charlie: Secondly from being in the Fathers presence we learn His heart and are then able to discern what is from Him and what is not.

So true. And I do agree with your implication that the ability to discern is not limited to those with a gift of discernment.

This leads us to your question about spiritual gifts, which we will dialogue on in next week’s post.

Charlie: I have heard a lot of prophetic words lately and I feel much is wishful thinking and the flesh. I long for the day when there will be men and women released in the body who know the Father and will speak his word in power and humility.

Charlie I know this is also the cry of my heart and many who read this blog will agree.

Deep down we know there is more. We live in the tension between our current experience and what we know is available.

I feel as though I am paddling in shallows, but longing for deep waters.

However, I am also mindful of the scriptural injunction to not despise the day of small things (Zech 4:10).

The greatest thrill I have in prophetic training is to watch people who have never received a prophetic word before receive and share a simple revelation from the heart of God.

It is not perfect, but it is a little baby step. And I know that just as a parent delights in a child’s first steps, our Heavenly Father takes joy in these moments too.

The thing is not to stop at that place, but to keep moving closer in intimacy with the Father, growing in character and in skill in the use of our gift.

I love your heart, Charlie, and your hunger.

Let the hunger spread.

**Next week I will continue the dialogue with Charlie Forrest on the topic of spiritual gifts. Charlie has raised some provocative questions, for which I don’t have all the answers. But we can certainly explore them together.

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

Related Posts:

A Dialogue On Spiritual Gifts
‘The Heart of A Discerner.’
‘Not Word Perfect: Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works In The Church Today.’
‘How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy Or Dream Interpretation Is From God?’

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

I am currently preparing to go to Sydney for a ‘School of Healing and Impartation’ with Bill Johnson and Randy Clark.

It’s a funny thing, that there are ‘Schools of the Prophets’, ‘Prophetic Conferences,’ ‘Healing Schools,’ and so on. But whoever heard of a discernment conference? There are books a-plenty on the topics of healing and prophecy—but few on the topic of discernment.

When I first started to navigate my way through the mysteries of encountering the spiritual realm, I had few resources to help me. It seemed that I had ‘marched off the map.’ I did have some prophetic mentors, but not all of the advice I received was healthy. For the most part, I was alone.

Over the next few posts I am going to discuss how to grow in and exercise the gift of discernment—an area I am still learning about. If you have some thoughts and experiences you would like to share, I would love to hear from you in the comments section. If the comment box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Seeing the Way the Father Sees

Discernment of spirits is the Spirit-given ability to distinguish whether Divine, human or demonic origins are the source of what is presented—whether it be in an atmosphere, encounter, event, or prophetic message.

Our goal in discernment is twofold: firstly, to see what the Father would have us see, and secondly, to communicate that in such a way that we represent His viewpoint as closely as possible.

When He shows us something—even if it is demonic in nature, it is because He has a purpose for us in revealing it. His heart is always to redeem and restore people and for His church to be purified and made holy (Eph 5:25-27).

Whatever I perceive in the spiritual realm, I do not want my impression or communication to be coloured by my own viewpoint, prejudices or fears. This is a danger common to all who have the gift of discernment of spirits, and one that I have struggled with continually. [1]

The Discerners Heart

‘In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself… he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.’ 2 Tim 2:20-21

I have come to realise that the most important thing, as I seek to grow in the gift of discernment, is to prepare and guard my heart, and to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in cleansing myself from those things that endanger the clarity and purity of His gift in my life.

Here are some qualities to seek after if you would like to grow in the spiritual gift of discernment:

1. Love for God

We need to have a passion for God and His intimate Presence. As I have said, the highest use of the gift of discernment is not to see what the enemy is doing, but to discern what the Spirit of God is doing.

When we love Him, we will desire to know His heart and to faithfully represent Him in the expression of our gift.

2. Love for People

There is a reason why 1 Corinthians 13—the love chapter—is sandwiched between Paul’s two chapters on spiritual gifts.

I realise now that it is vital I do not jump to conclusions about a person, situation or anything based on my perceived discernment without first moving into Jesus’ position of love.

When I step into judgement, I inevitably get it wrong. I grieve over times in the past when I have formed opinions about people based on ‘discernment’ and missed Divine appointments.

Love for people will also keep us in Christian community. Our gifts were never meant to operate in isolation but in the environment of a local church (1 Cor 12-14).

3. Faith.

I want to learn to respond in faith and not fear, no matter what I perceive taking place in the spiritual realm.

It is important for us to always look for God’s positive outcome, not just to focus on the negative. God’s plan is to overturn every strategy of the enemy! I want to grow in faith and to place increasing value on looking for His redemptive purposes in the things He allows me to see.

4. Humility ( Teachability)

I have learned to be open to being adjusted about my discernment and to present and release my insights with ‘no strings attached.’

We will not always have similarly-gifted people around us to guide us in our gift. Pastors and leaders who do not have the gift of discernment themselves may be leading us.

As with other prophetic ministry, our leaders will not always respond to or act upon our revelations. God has graced them with the ability to see the bigger picture and we need to trust Him—and our leadership—in their response.

Even when we have been misunderstood or unfairly treated, it is important to keep a right heart attitude. I know that these are the times that I have learned and grown the most in my gift and character.

4. Wisdom (Balance)

All revelationary gifts need to be balanced with wisdom. Wisdom instructs us how to share what we are receiving, and also when to share, or when to hold back and pray.

People who are ‘flaky’ in their gifts are usually those who do have a gift of discernment, but have not developed the wisdom to use and communicate the gift properly (another reason is not receiving instruction on how to operate in the ministry in a way that honours God and people).

5. Purity (Wholeness)

The things that cloud my discernment often relate to areas of past hurts or circumstances that I have not responded well to. I want to grow in wholeness, so that old fears, temptations, judgments and wrong beliefs lose their hold on me (Eph 4:22-24).

The degree to which I can see clearly, and be sensitive to how the Holy Spirit would have me respond, is the degree to which I become more like Jesus—having cooperated with His Spirit in experiencing restoration in my heart.

I am still a long way from seeing what God sees, and perceiving how He sees, but my desire is to draw ever closer to that place when I am reflecting Him in my heart, thoughts, life and gifts—and that includes the gift of discernment.

Now, gotta go pack my suitcase…..

[1] This is one reason why, as in all revelatory gifts, it is vital that whatever we perceive is given to the opportunity to be assessed by others who are leaders or mature in the gift of discernment. As Paul said, “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”  2 Cor 13:1-2

UNLOCKING THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT E-BOOK – *NEW!*

$5.95 e-Book*

Are you sensitive to what is taking place in the spiritual realm? Have you ever been adversely affected by a negative atmosphere?

You may have the spiritual gift of discernment.

The gift of discernment of spirits is a powerful weapon in times of spiritual warfare, and can be of great assistance when ministering freedom to individuals.

And yet many who have the gift of discernment have difficulty knowing what to do with what they are feeling or sensing.

(More details …)

Related Posts:

8 Signs You May Have The Gift Of Discernment

8 Ways To Grow Your Gift Of Discernment

Hunger For God: 6 Ways You Can Stir It Up

6 Tips For Exercising The Gift Of Discernment In Church Life

©  Helen Calder   2010   Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

Would you like to find out what your spiritual pathway is? I have included a simple assessment questionnaire 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 that of 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:

How Using Your Learning Style Can Revitalise Your Bible Study

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

This series has been renewed and updated in 2011. For the first post in the new series, visit the following article:
11 Signs That Your Prophetic Gift Is Being Held Back

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

In this session, I outline

3 kinds of desire that you need to have to grow in your gift of prophecy

**Desire is what motivates us to keep close to God and on track with our spiritual gift of prophecy. Discover how to regain the gift of desire when it has waned.

Some quotes from this podcast:

• be like Elisha who pursued Elijah for his mantle..
• desire the Giver AND His gifts
• If you feel that you have lost that sharp edge of hunger for God and His Presence, it’s time NOW to get back
• love that leads us to desire to help people and grow Jesus’ Church is vital

Click on the message title below to listen to the 12 minute podcast in MP3 format. To save the file to your computer right click on the link and select “Save Link As …” (Firefox) or “Save Target As…” (Internet Explorer).

How to Overcome Blockages In Your Prophetic Gift, Desire

The next in this series of podcasts will be on how to identify and be released from hurts or wounds that you have sustained in relation to your prophetic gift.
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Related Posts:

Podcast series:

Pt 1: How to Overcome Blockages and Barriers to Growth in Your Prophetic Gift – Intro

Pt 2: How to Overcome Blockages and Barriers to Growth in Your Prophetic Gift – Identify Your Season

© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing

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:

Spiritual Renewal: Cafe Moments With God

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing