Prayer is, in essence, communicating with God. It is not merely communicating to God—for He also wants to share with us in return.

Neither is prayer merely talking to God. Prayer is so much more than speaking words.

Prayer may be an attitude in our hearts before God; it may be the wordless communion of friends; it may be the ineloquent groans of a burdened heart. It can even consist of joyful shouts of praise.

Prayer comes in many forms and can be used for many purposes. Describing prayer is like describing a rainbow. You can speak of the rainbow as a whole, or you can describe the colours and spectrums that make up the rainbow.

In my article, 4 Ways To Pray: Exploring The Wonders Of Prayer, I share about relating prayer, requesting prayer, receiving prayer and ruling prayer—and that is just a start!

3 Reasons why we Pray

Here are three important reasons why we pray—I believe that God will speak to you personally through at least one of these today:

1. We Pray Because of Relationship

Communication is the lifeblood of any relationship—and it is the same in our relationship with God.

Did you know that it is the great desire of God’s heart to have a personal relationship with you?

In the beginning, Adam and Eve walked and talked with God in the garden. (Gen 3:8-9) When that intimate relationship was lost, God moved heaven and earth to restore it to us.

That is the primary reason that Jesus died on the cross—to restore our relationship with God. (John 1:12-13) He paid the penalty for our wrongdoing and sin, so that we could spend now and eternity with God.

Sometimes people see the Christian faith as way of settling their eternal destiny—or as a type of spiritual insurance—something to have in place for when a need arises in their lives. Sadly, they have missed the purpose of the cross.

We are created and saved for an intimate relationship with God, and communication—prayer—is vital to that relationship. (Rev 3:20)

2. We Pray Because it Makes a Difference

Imagine that someone in your family has an illness for which the doctor prescribes several types of medication. He or she receives the medicines—and then upon arriving home, only takes one of the medicines prescribed.

That would be crazy, wouldn’t it?

God, the Master Physician, the all-knowing One, our loving Father, has given us prayer to assist in times of need.

The Bible tells us to pray in circumstances of:

• Sickness (James 5:14-15)
• Trial (Phil 1:19, James 5:13))
• Danger (2 Cor 1:10-11)
• Temptation (Matt 26:41)
• Being mistreated (Luke 6:28)
• Need of provision (Matt 6:11)
• Spiritual warfare (Eph 6:10-18)
• In times of weakness (Rom 8:26)
• In every situation (Phil 4:6)

If prayer is prescribed to us by God—and is a means of releasing His grace and power into situations—why would we not participate in it? Why would we hold back the benefits of prayer from others and ourselves?

Today you can make a difference in your life and the lives of people around you—by praying.

3. We Pray Because it Fulfils our Destiny

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

Prayer is not just for times of need. Jesus instructed us to pray in order for God’s will and purposes to be accomplished.

Watchman Nee once described prayer as being to the will of God what railway tracks are to a train. The train engine may be powerful, it may be able to go thousands of miles—but unless the tracks laid down, it will not go anywhere. [1]

God has set a law into place whereby His purposes can only be accomplished in conjunction with the prayers of His people.

When God created Adam and Eve, He gave them dominion in the earth. Psalm 115:16 tells us that, ‘The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given [assigned] to mankind.’

God’s purposes have never changed.  When we pray, we are exercising God’s rule—and our God-given Dominion on the earth—in partnership with him. [2]

Something deep within us yearns for significance. And this is why: we are created and destined to be royal sons and daughters of God—born to rule. (John 1:12-13) And in eternity to come, we are destined to reign with Him. (Dan 7:27)

Only in eternity will we fully understand the purpose of prayer, and see the results that our prayers have accomplished.

Notes:

[1] Watchman Nee, in his book ‘Let Us Pray’, 1977.

[2] I highly recommend the book, ‘Intercessory Prayer’ by Dutch Sheets for excellent teaching on this topic. (Regal Books, California, 1996)

Related Posts:

Release the Resources of Heaven Through Prayer

4 Ways To Pray: Exploring The Wonders Of Prayer

The Power Of Prophetic Prayer

© 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

Do you have any questions or thoughts on the topic of reasons why we pray? Do you have some requests for, or answers to prayer you would like to share? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment on the comments box. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

I have a dream that every Christian will have the confidence and freedom to pray for other people, in any situation.

We serve a loving and supernatural God, Who longs to express His grace and power through us in our everyday lives.

Last week I shared some reasons why we can pray for physical healing, and today I want to share 3 simple ways that you can put it into practice.

It Isn’t about a Formula

When we start out, it can be helpful to become familiar with a few different methods of praying. It is a bit like having access to a toolkit. We can then use whichever method suits the situation—or pray as the Holy Spirit leads us.

When you look at how Jesus healed people in the Gospels, you see many different ways that it took place.

So when we pray, it is not about a formula, although you might find one way of praying for healing that suits you.

Contrary to what some people may try and tell you, there is no one best method to pray for healing.

If there was one superior method, then those healing ministries in the world to day that are getting the most results would all be using one method. But they are not—they all have different expressions of ministry!

3 Easy Ways to Pray for Physical Healing

Here are three different ways that you can pray for healing. I call them Petition (Asking) Prayer, Power Prayer, and Pastoral (Caring) Prayer.

1. Petition (Asking) Prayer

We petition God when we simply ask Him to do something—in this case to bring healing—in Jesus’ Name.

Petition is not inferior to other types of prayer—asking is powerful, and is the privilege of sons and daughters. (Matt 7:7-11, John 14:13-14)

Making requests of God should be done with thanksgiving—we pray with the confidence that He hears us, and has already provided the answer to our prayer. (Phil 4:6)

We see petition happening in the Bible when people came to Jesus asking for healing on behalf of themselves and others.

Petition prayer is a powerful witness to non-Christians because it demonstrates our relationship with God.

2. Power Prayer

Power Prayer is short, brief and to the point, rather like a ‘laser beam’ of focused prayer or command, using the Name of Jesus.

In Power Prayer, we exercise the authority God has given to us over sickness. This includes:

A. Praying using the authority of Jesus’ Name (Acts 4:10,30; John 14:12-14)

B. Praying or declaring scripture

God’s word has authority. Some scriptures we can pray include 1 Peter 2:24, Ex 15:26, Ps 107:20

C. Speaking a word of command to the sickness (Ps 107:20)

Jesus frequently used a word of command or pronouncement of healing. (Luke 8:54, John 5:8, Matt 12:13)

Peter primarily used the spoken word to bring healing in his ministry. (Acts 3:6, 9:34, 9:40)

3. Pastoral (Caring) Prayer

In pastoral care prayer, we aim specific prayer at caring for the person, not only for healing, but also for issues related to the illness.

The power of Pastoral Prayer is that we are praying specifically. It lets the person know that God cares and we care about their whole life related to that issue. (Gal 6:2, Rom 12:12)

Some things we can pray for include:

• Healing and Divine intervention
• Pray concerning specific symptoms as well as the underlying cause of the sickness
• Other family members affected by the need expressed
• Key events such as medical appointments, operations, and so on
• The medical skill of doctors and other professionals
• Other logistics relating to the illness—such as finance, help and transport
• Any emotional responses to the situation—e.g. fear, trauma or anxiety

I like to pray for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit for Christians who are in difficult times or require healing. They may have had a lot of emotion, or pain to deal with and can feel depleted emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually.

Other Prayer Tools

Here are some further thoughts about prayer for healing:

Repeated Prayer

Repeated prayer show the people that we care enough to journey the distance with them. And God may use the power of recurring prayer in the process of healing. Jesus prayed more than once for a blind man, who was healed gradually. (Mark 8:22-26)

Two Points of Connection

a. Laying on hands

Laying on of hands was one of many methods that Jesus used to minister healing to people. (Luke 4:40)

Paul mostly used the laying on of hands and physical impartation to heal. (Acts 20:10, 19:11-12, 28:8)

The benefits of having a physical point of connection include:

• It can help build faith
• It reminds others and us that we are an agent, or representative of Jesus.
• It is a Biblical means of impartation (releasing the healing power of God through one person to another)

We should always ask people first to ensure they are comfortable with us touching them as we pray.

b. Anointing with oil

Anointing with oil is symbolic. It is recommended for use by leaders in the NT. (James 5:14) Jesus’ disciples also used anointing oil on one occasion in Mark 6:13.

We need to keep in mind that unchurched people do not understand the symbolism of anointing with oil, therefore it is may not always be appropriate.

Important Things to Remember

Finally, important things to remember whilst praying for healing are:

• The basis for our prayer is not our ability, but what Jesus has accomplished on the cross. (1 Peter 2:24)

• Jesus healed people out of compassion. (Matt 14:14) Love is vital to praying for healing as it is in any ministry situation. (1 Cor 13:2-3)

• Never advise people to cease prescribed medications. If they believe they are healed, refer them to their physician for confirmation first.

• Acknowledge the mystery of prolonged or unanswered prayer and never place blame for this on anyone’s ‘lack of faith’.
  In 2 Tim 4:20, we learn of a close associate of the Apostle Paul who remained ill. No answers were given. We are called to pray in faith, leaving the outcome up to God.

Other articles in the Healing Series:

7 Reasons Why You Can Pray For Healing

Discover Your Unique Healing Gift

Do you have any further thoughts or questions about the topic of healing? 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

Our neighbours were distraught when their car was stolen from outside our local supermarket on Christmas Eve. At the time they told The Hunk and me about it, we were just on our way out the door for an engagement but we said, “We will pray now as we’re in the car.”

We climbed into our car and immediately started to pray that God would reveal where our friends’ car was, and that it would be kept intact. Suddenly, it was as though I received a gift of faith for this situation. “Thank you Lord that you are revealing where the car is right now!” Instead of asking, we continued to thank Him.

We later learned that at that very time, some other neighbours had been going on an evening stroll, when they decided to turn up a street where they didn’t normally walk. There was our friends’ car!

The answer to prayer was another seed sown into their lives to learn that God cared personally for them.

Praying for the Needs of Non-Christians

As Supernatural Christians, our radars should be alert for whenever a need comes up that we can pray about. When our prayer is answered, Jesus is the only explanation for what takes place. As soon as we offer to pray, we are giving God an opportunity to reveal His love and power to people in need.

I don’t remember ever having a negative response about prayer being suggested. When we offer to pray, we are saying, “we care.”

If a person has a felt need and it is not appropriate for you to pray for them on the spot, you can let them know when you will be praying. That way, they will be able to relate an answer to the prayer itself. As soon as you have an opportunity after speaking to them, send up a quick prayer. If they have a time they particularly need prayer, such as a medical appointment, it is important to remember to pray. I put a reminder alarm signal on my mobile phone if prayer is needed at a certain time.

If the prayer is not answered the way you would like it to, give God room to move in other ways—the way He sees fit. By offering to pray you have exercised the supernatural power of caring. You have asked the Holy Spirit to move in their lives. The miracle of healing or breakthrough may not happen then or there, but the recipients of your prayer witness other miracles: divine peace, God-sized coincidences and provisions are all ways that God answers prayer.

Lose the Jargon

“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible… To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” 1 Cor 9:19-23

When praying in the hearing of non-Christians, it’s important to pray in a straightforward and seeker-friendly manner, avoiding ‘Christianese’—spiritual jargon, or formula-type prayer.

The person needs to hear in his or her own everyday language, what we’re praying for. This helps them realise that we don’t serve a religious or performance-oriented God, but a loving and relevant God that they can connect with right where they’re at. A side benefit of learning to pray without relying on jargon is that we have to think about the principles behind what we’re praying (I confess I often find this difficult!).

Woman Healed of Cancer in a Supermarket

My friend Bob Leach writes, [2]

‘I needed to get home help for one day a week. A lady called Pam came twice before another lady was sent permanently. After that, I only saw Pam a few times in passing in the shopping mall, and we just said, “Hello.”

One day, I was shopping in Woolworths when Pam came to me and said, “I have cancer and I am to have an operation in May.” I said, “I am sorry to hear that, can I pray for you?” So there in the crowded supermarket I prayed for her healing and comfort and added that I would pray for her every day, particularly on the 5^th May.

I was back shopping in Woolworths 17^th August and there was Pam, hurrying over to me, saying, “You healed me, you healed me!” Of course, I said that I had nothing to do with the healing but Jesus did. I said, “Let’s give thanks to the Lord,” so we held hands and gave grateful thanks and praise to a wonderful God for His healing love. Then I asked if she would like Jesus in her heart and be born again, so she repeated the prayer after me. We hugged, and then I got her a New Testament Bible from my car.

I did not see her again for two years, and again in the same supermarket. She excitedly said, “I have not seen a doctor for two years, I am so well.” She had three scans in six months that clearly showed growths on her uterus, but the operation showed all clear. She said, “They had no answer, but I knew it was the prayer.”

How wonderful is our God! He is everywhere, even in a crowded supermarket ready to answer a simple prayer.’

A Power Encounter does not Guarantee a Changed Heart

It is important to realise that just because someone sees the power of God in action, it doesn’t mean they are going to soften their heart towards God. We’ve had friends who saw demonstrations of God’s power and personal care towards them countless times, yet still refused to yield their lives to Jesus.

In Jesus’ time, multitudes of people saw and were touched by His miracles, but they didn’t necessarily turn to God. Where were those multitudes on the days before Pentecost when a mere 120 believers gathered together? In Matthew 11:20, Jesus denounced the cities in which most of His miracles were performed, because they did not repent.

It is vital that we get our motives right so that we do not get discouraged and give up when people continue to resist God, even when there is supernatural evidence of His existence and love. [1] Here are some reasons why we give God room to move in power in our unchurched, everyday world:

• Obedience to Jesus (Matt 28:18-20)
• Love for people (1 Cor 13)
• Demonstrates the Kingdom of God (Luke 11:20)
• The Holy Spirit flows through our lives (John 7:38)
• We were created for this! (John 14:12-14)
• Jesus gets the credit, the glory, the fame (Acts 3:11-16)

Questions for Reflection or Discussion:

Think of an non-Christian friend in your world. Focus on one area of felt need that they have in their life. Write a prayer that you could pray if you had opportunity to pray with them—avoid using Christian lingo or Christian prayer practices an unchurched person would not understand.

What opportunities can you think of in your everyday life that you can stop and pray when needs arise, great or small?

Do you have any thoughts, questions or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you–use the comments box at the bottom of this post. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes:

See also: Pentecost: How God Exploded My Box

This article is an excerpt from my book, ‘How To Be A Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World,’ a beginners’ guide to prophetic evangelism.

Find out more about the e-book here:

‘How To Be a Supernatural Christian In Your Everyday World’

It is available [until the end of May only] for free download on the David McCracken website here:
http://www.davidmccracken.org/Resources—FREE-This-Month.php

[1] See 2 Peter 3:8-9 for a comment on God’s patience towards unbelievers

[2] Bob Leach is now in his 90’s and continues to share about Jesus with people wherever and whenever he can

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

On team with David McCracken Ministries

As we prayed, my sister-in-law said she had a picture of angels ‘outside his bedroom window.’

Soon afterwards, we heard that Grandad was miraculously well again. He later shared with us that he had a vision of angels that came into his bedroom and surrounded his bed. Strength flowed back into his body.

After this experience, Grandad’s faith in Jesus became vibrant and unshakeable. He could not be dissuaded from the reality of his angelic encounter.

When we pieced the story together, we realised that the heavenly visitation had taken place at the time we had prayed.

The Power of Prayer for Loved Ones who Don’t Know Jesus

As Christian believers, we have the privilege of taking the names of those we care about before the very throne of God, the highest authority in heaven and earth. There, we can petition our Father to release heavenly resources on behalf of those we love.

Like presenting a cheque to our bank that has been made out to us, prayer draws on the resources that are available to you and me through the bank of heaven.

We have access to all that has been purchased by Jesus’ shed blood on our behalf, in Jesus’ Name.

God wants to draw people to Himself. He desires to release heavenly resources to do so. He wants to convict people by his Spirit. He is waiting for us to pray. He is waiting for us to simply ask, in Jesus’ Name.

What are some of these heavenly resources that are ours for the asking?

1. Prayer Releases the Spirit of God

In the book of Acts, the church was in prayer, and in response to that prayer there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. And in response to the outpouring of the Spirit, thousands of people came to know Jesus and were born again.

There are things that only the Spirit can do. Jesus said in John 16:8 that it is the Spirit of God who brings conviction to people, who reveals the truth. We can have all the right words, we have truth on our side, we can talk to people until we are blue in the face, but only the Holy Spirit can show them truth and cut through their consciences.

The great evangelist Billy Graham understood this principle. He writes,
‘I am always deeply conscious that I am absolutely helpless and that only the Holy Spirit can penetrate the minds and hearts of those that are without Christ. All I am doing is sowing seed. It is God—and only God—who can make the seed bear fruit… We stress that prayer is an indispensable element in preparation for a crusade, and we seek to organise in advance as many prayer meetings as possible. It is the mightiest force in the world.’[1]

2. Prayer Releases God’s Miraculous Power

In Acts 4:30 the church asked in prayer,
‘Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.’

God responded to their prayer and in the following chapter we read, ‘The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people’ (Acts 5:12).

The Hunk and I see God do miraculous things in the lives of unbelievers that we have been praying for. The power of God is available to us through prayer. This was a prayer that the early Church prayed, and so can we.

3. Prayer Releases People into Ministry

In Luke 10:2 Jesus said to His disciples:
‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’

Through prayer, God will position people around your loved one at significant times who will be witnesses of Jesus to him or her. But know that the very act of asking is also enlisting, for in the next breath He said, “Go! I am sending you.” If we are praying, we must also be prepared to speak when the opportunity arises.

4. Prayer Prepares the Environment for the Sharing of the Gospel

Through prayer, God moves in our political, cultural and spiritual environment, preparing the way for the spread of the Gospel. [2] Through prayer, the Lord sets up circumstances in the lives of those we care about that will confront them with the truth of the Gospel. He can turn even difficult circumstances into opportunities for His grace.

We can participate with the Holy Spirit in prayer to set up Divine appointments. Like dominoes, people and circumstances move into place that will lead our loved ones closer towards a decision for Christ. I call these ‘God-incidences,’ although at the time they may seem like coincidences.

5. Prayer Releases Angelic help

‘Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?’ (Heb 1:14)

In Matt 26:53-54, Jesus said, ‘Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?’ In Acts 12, an angel broke Peter out of jail as the church was praying and asking God for his release. [3]
We have learned that God calls us to partner with Him through praying for His will to be accomplished ‘on earth as it is in heaven.’ The Psalmist reminds us that angels are the means that God uses to fulfil His plans. [4] When we pray, angels are activated into bringing about God’s purposes.

‘Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.’ (Ps 103:20-21)

[1] Billy Graham, Just As I Am, San Francisco : HarperCollins 1999

[2] 1 Tim 2:1-5

[3] Acts 12:6-13

[4]  Psalm 103:20-21

See also, The Power Of Prophetic Prayer

The above article is excerpted from my e-book: Pray for the Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny of Your Loved Ones Through Prayer.

Have you experienced any miraculous answers to prayer you would like to share with us? 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

What is Prophetic Prayer?

Prophetic prayer occurs when we use revelation received from the Holy Spirit in the process of praying.

The New Testament Greek word translated ‘revelation’ means ‘unveiling.’ The Holy Spirit shares knowledge that we could not know by natural means. We then reflect that supernatural insight back to God in requests, intercession and proclamation.

A revelation from God may come in the form of a prophecy, picture (vision), dream, idea, or scripture. However, there are a myriad of creative ways that the Holy Spirit can speak to us if we are open to hearing His voice.

We can also pray prophetically without it being premeditated on our part. During or after the prayer we realise that the Holy Spirit has directed us how to pray.

4 Types of Prophetic Prayer

There are four main types of prophetic prayer. These are:

1. Receiving:

The Spirit shares prophetic revelation with us as we wait on God in prayer

2. Interceding:

We use the prophetic revelation we have received to remind God of His promises

3. Warfaring:

We use prophetic revelation to wage spiritual warfare and make powerful proclamations

4. Imparting:

God uses us to pray prophetically as we minister in prayer to others

How Prophetic Prayer can help in the Process of Evangelism

1. Receiving revelation in prayer

One time, I was praying for a family in our neighbourhood in New Zealand, when I had a vision. It was like a slide show. I saw the couple getting married; I saw my husband officiating at the wedding; I saw them becoming Christians.

Many months later, the man called us to share a secret—he had asked his partner to marry him and wanted The Hunk to perform the ceremony. We were thrilled, because we knew that God was at work, drawing them to Himself.

As you pray for God’s guidance in the process of evangelism, or for someone on your heart that is not a Christian, be open to have the Holy Spirit speak to you.

We do not need to be limited to set times of prayer. As we learn to walk with God in our daily life, we can be open to revelation that the Holy Spirit shares with us as we go along.

2. Using revelation to make requests in prayer

Once God has spoken to us about His plans for a friend or loved one who is unsaved, or for people that we come across, we can use that revelation to make specific, faith-filled requests to God. (Is 62:6-7)

The date of our friends wedding was getting closer. One morning I prayed and cried out to God, reminding Him of the vision and promises for this couple. That very day several events took place that showed us—and them—that God was at work in their lives.

Scriptures can be especially powerful in this regard. I have a Bible verse that the Lord has spoken to me regarding a family member that I frequently bring back to Him in prayer.

The power of this kind of prophetic prayer can be summed up by these words from the Bible:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of him. 1 John 5:14-15

3. Using revelation to wage spiritual warfare

Similarly, prophetic revelation can be used to wage spiritual warfare in prayer for the lives of people who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus. (Eph 6:12-18)

We can use the prophecies, scriptures, and other revelations we have received to declare God’s purposes for their lives and to pray against demonic strongholds (2 Cor 10:4-6).

Prayer helps us lead a prophetic lifestyle

In the process of prophetic evangelism, prayer can also help us in other ways:

• Prayer is where we get to know the Father’s heart and values—this helps us to respond to people the way He would.
• Prayer is the place where we commune with God. As we live out of that fellowship, we grow in sensitivity to what He is doing moment-by-moment, in our daily lives.
• Prayer helps us to stay filled with the Holy Spirit and empowered to witness of His love and power to others.

Prophetic prayer is powerful because we are praying according to what is on God’s heart and in His purposes for a situation, ourselves or other people.

Just as with all prophecy, it is important that any revelation we receive in prayer be weighed up, to see if it really is from God.

In the next post, I will look at a third key to prophetic evangelism, which is ‘positioning’—being aware that God has strategically placed you alongside people who are on His heart. He is already at work in their lives, drawing them to Himself.

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

Are you interested in finding out more about how to pray effectively for your unsaved family and friends?

For further information, check out the e-book,

Pray for the Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny of Those You Love

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

Related posts:

Prophetic Prayer Training Session

A Beginners Guide To Prophetic Evangelism Part 1

Pray for Those You Love and Unleash the Power of God

Need A Breakthrough? Uncover the Mysteries of Heaven

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

I didn’t talk to God for 5 days, following a powerful encounter with Him during the final session of a Healing Rooms training day.

It didn’t seem to be a remarkable moment, this rushed conclusion during which every participant was anointed with oil and prayed for.

What happened? Well, let me just say that childhood encounters with electric fences on my uncle’s dairy farm pale in comparison to what struck me in full force at that moment.

After 5 days of stunned silence, I thought I had better get back on speaking terms with the Lord—and only then because I was leading a prayer meeting at our church that evening.

I drove out to the beach, planted my feet in the sea and uttered just 3 words:

‘WHAT WAS THAT?’

The response was immediate, and very clear:

‘You asked for it.’

I had to admit, the Spirit of God had me there. I had encountered the power of His presence after praying a big, bold prayer. ‘Lord,’ I said, I’m not here for healing, and I’m not looking for a healing ministry, I want to help raise up an army of healers!’

When we pray for God’s Presence, do we know what we are asking for?

I believe it was Tommy Tenney who reflected on the annoying way that some small dogs chase after cars. What would the dog ever do if it caught the car? Does it ever enter its mind?

In the same way, we ask for God to move, and seek His Presence, but do we really know what we are asking for?

I have thought about this again this week, because The Hunk and I have experienced a series of miracles, and a heightened sense of God’s Presence.

I found myself overawed, conscious of an urge to draw back from Him.

When heaven invades earth, when God shows up, when miracles break out—we will not always respond the way we expect to, or would like to.

I draw reassurance from accounts in the Bible that show I am not alone in my weak and imperfect response to God’s Presence:

When God showed up:

• Moses and Gideon argued with God (Exodus 4, Judges 6:11-15)
• Saul was blinded (Acts 9:1-9)
• Daniel fell and lost his strength (Dan 11:15-18)
• The Apostle John was told not to be afraid (Rev 1:17)

When Jesus came to His disciples walking on the water, the disciples did not recognise Him, thinking He was a ghost! He told them not to be afraid, for they were terrified.

God does not always show up in the way we imagine, or at the time we expect.

If the greatest saints in scripture struggled in their response to God’s Presence, what makes me think I can?

The Unfamiliar God

God is not ‘safe.’ That is—He is not safe to our pride, our dignity, our sinful nature, our puny ideas or plans. He is more than we can handle and He is beyond our control.

In the Narnia Chronicles, C S Lewis wrote stories of the lion Aslan, King of Kings of Narnia. Aslan’s subjects had a saying about him: ‘He is not a tame lion.’ He was majestic, terrifying to his enemies and redeemer of his own, powerful and unpredictable. Yet the child Lucy would run to him with joyful familiarity and bury her face in his mane.

At times, I respond as Lucy did. At other times, struck by God’s power and unpredictability, I draw back. I have wandered into unfamiliar territory in my relationship with Him.

God did not disqualify Moses, Gideon, or His disciples, when they did not respond well to His Presence or the message that He brought them. Instead, He showed them patience and brought comforting reassurance.

As I recall these things, I do not feel so bad about my own response. I decide to receive His grace and reassurance too.

Ps 103:13-14 says,

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.

The challenge we face is to continue to press in, to continue to pray the bold prayers. To take a deep breath and be honest with Him about how we feel, that He is overwhelming, that we are not certain that we can take any more of His Presence, and yet are afraid that He will draw back; that we cannot live without Him, and yet need His strength to live with Him.

I think I will go and do that right now.

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Related Posts:

The Power Of A Prophetic Act

If you have any thoughts on this topic, or have had any experiences like this, I would love to hear from you. Click on this and leave a comment at the bottom of this post.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

In the face of so much tragedy as we have seen this past week in the earthquake-ravaged nation of Haiti, how can we respond?

It is far too easy to take the role of a global bystander.

I have to admit that my first response has been one of helplessness. But I have realised that there are some things that I can do:

• I can contribute to the aid effort by donating financially
• I can join with those who are petitioning and acting for justice
• I can also pray and speak prophetic words of life

Those of us who have prophetic gifts, and gifts of prayer have a unique offering that we can add to the efforts being made on Haiti’s behalf. In addition to taking practical action, we can pray and prophesy life-giving words.

I came across an article about praying for Haiti, where a reader scathingly responded that we should give money, not waste our time praying.

And yet prayer is the most valuable contribution that we can make.

As Christian believers, we have the privilege of taking the needs of the people of Haiti before the very throne of God, the highest authority in heaven and earth. We have the ability to petition the Most High God, who is also our Father, to release heavenly resources on the nation’s behalf.

Your Prayers Can Impact A Nation

Daniel prayed for his exiled nation after reading from the writings of Jeremiah concerning God’s plan for Judah to return to Jerusalem.
He had been praying and fasting for three weeks, when he had an angelic visitor who said,

“Do not fear, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand, and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard; and I have come because of your words. Dan 10:12

This angel spoke of an invisible war taking place in the spiritual realm, for the nations of the earth. The angel, and God’s answer, had come in response to Daniel’s prayer, overcoming powerful opposition along the way.

This week, this one phrase is challenging me: ‘I have come because of your words.’

The Bible demonstrates that the prayer of just one person can impact a nation. Look at Daniel, Nehemiah (Neh 1), and Elijah (1 Kings 18).

The Apostle James used Elijah’s example to remind you and me,

The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective’ (James 5:16).

Our natural response in the face of tragedy is to feel powerless. But the Bible tells us that our words, spoken to God, have power to impact nations.

• Through financial giving, we help release ‘on-the-ground’ resources.
• Through prayer, we release heavenly resources.

**Prayer launches angelic help, as God speaks His word of command in answer to our prayers. (Ps 103:20-21)

**Prayer can reach places that we could never go, and impact people and situations our finances may never reach

**Through prayer, the effectiveness of humanitarian aid can be multiplied; through prayer Haiti will find favour with world leaders and decision-makers, and so much more…

**Prayer is like the currency of heaven, releasing heavenly resources

Let us be generous givers, in both word and deed; praying, acting, giving, petitioning.

Some Ways We Can Help Haiti

Here are some links that you will find useful as you pray and give to the needs in Haiti. Over the next few days, I am going to work through each one—I invite you to join with me.

8 ways to specifically pray for Haiti

http://helpresources.net/operationsafe/blog/2010/01/8-specific-ways-to-pray-for-haiti/

6 ways to pray for Haiti and organisations you can give to

http://www.examiner.com/x-15670-LA-Faith–Community-Examiner~y2010m1d15-Six-ways-to-pray-for-Haiti

Here are a list of organisations you can give to from Australia and New Zealand

http://www.yahoo7answersblog.com/b4/2010/01/14/haiti-earthquake-how-can-you-help/

Advocacy—A petition you can sign online, asking for world leaders to cancel Haiti’s debt and for assistance to be provided by way of grants, not debt-incurring loans

http://one.org/international/actnow/haiti/?rc=haitifb

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Related Posts:

Pray For Those You Love And Unleash The Power Of God

The Power Of Prophetic Prayer

Need Breakthrough? Uncover the Mysteries of Heaven

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

How did my mother-in-law know God had His ‘net’ over us? She knew because she was praying. Her prayer for our recommitment and salvation made the net of God’s grace inescapable.

Some Things Only God Can Do

Before we can exercise life-changing prayer, it is vital we acknowledge that between where circumstances are now and where we believe God wants them to be, is a gulf that we cannot cross. This gap means that no matter how hard we try, or no matter what we say, we are powerless in ourselves to make the desired changes happen.

• There are things that you believe to be on God’s agenda for your life, family and others you care about, that you are helpless, apart from God, to make happen
• There are people you care about who are far from God right now, whose hearts will only be changed by the power of God’s Holy Spirit
• There is no way by natural means that person who is dear to you will have that addiction or bondage broken over their life.

Let’s take a moment right now to stand together at that chasm and let the realisation sink in. Take a good look at the distance that you cannot leap across without help.

Now imagine there is a bridge, suspended between this natural reality and the seeming impossible fulfilment of God’s Will. Stepping up to that bridge you see a sign that reads, ‘Ask in My Name—Jesus.’

In John 15:16-17, Jesus said,
‘You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.’

God’s Plan for Prayer

Jesus taught us to pray, ‘Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’ He revealed that the will of God must be ‘asked’ into being. And He didn’t just teach that, He demonstrated it. In the book of Luke especially, we see that Jesus lived a life of prayer.

It was God’s plan from the beginning that His people rule in the earth, under His authority.[1] God has designed prayer to be the means by which we exercise that authority and partner with God to fulfil His purposes. This is also true of His plan to bring salvation to people.

Watchman Nee once said that prayer is to the will of God as railway tracks are to a train. A train engine can have tremendous power; it can go a thousand miles a day, it can pull a heavy load. It can have all the potential in the world, but unless there are tracks for it to go on, it’s not going anywhere. The train and tracks are designed to work together”[2]

I heard the testimony of a woman who was very dry and religious in her faith. She was admitted to hospital with a ruptured, infected appendix; her condition was so severe that she died. As her spirit was leaving her body she saw her father rushing into the hospital. He uttered one word of prayer—‘Jesus.’ She saw that prayer beam up to God’s throne like a shaft of light. That single word of prayer was answered; she lived and her faith was transformed.

Like that beam of light, your prayers and cries to God are significant and powerful. You can be a Supernatural Christian and make a difference in the life of those you care about. Your prayer can help bring them to God.

The above is a brief excerpt from my new e-book: Pray for the Lost: Impact the Eternal Destiny of Your Loved Ones Through Prayer.

In this book, I explore a number of things relating to this subject.

There are some tough issues as we examine the spiritual condition of a person who is lost and far from God, or a Christian who is backsliding. But there are also some exciting discoveries about how your prayer can release the resources of heaven, including angels, signs and miracles and the Spirit of God. There is a whole section on some practical ways to pray for unsaved loved ones and some discussion and keys to wage spiritual warfare. You will also learn a bit more about my own story and how I was saved through the ministry of prayer and deliverance.

See also Portal Moments: Supernatural Encounters and Answers to Prayer

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

[1] Gen 1:28,  Dan 7:27

[2] Watchman Nee, Let Us Pray, 1977