Stolen Car Recovered

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

You did it! You have a prophetic word, picture, scripture or thought that you believe is from God for your non-Christian friend or family member. How do you share it?

Prophetic Evangelism: How to Share a Message from God

In the context of church life, we understand that prophecy is subject to being weighed up (1 Cor 13:9, 1 Thess 5:20-21). So generally, we don’t preface a prophecy with ‘Thus saith the Lord,’ and neither should we when we have a prophetic insight for someone who is not a Christian believer.

You can frame a word that you believe God has given you for an unbeliever with a question like, “Does ___ mean anything to you?” or, “I’ve been praying for you and I believe God is saying, ___.”

Remember that your objective is to build a bridge, not to burn your bridges! This is especially true when the person you are bringing a prophetic word to is someone you know personally and not a stranger. So you should bring a prophecy sensitively and in a relaxed manner.

I have also found it helpful to give a brief explanation about what a prophecy is, and to encourage them to consider it and even pray about it!

A genuine word from God will hit the spot, even when you bring it tentatively. This is because:

1.    You are sharing something that you could only know by supernatural means, and

2.    The Holy Spirit will bring impartation or conviction with a word that originates from God

Recently, I preceded bringing a prophetic word to a couple of young guys by saying, “If this is me, you’ll be able to brush it off, but if this is God, it will lodge.”

A Prophecy Will Point People to Jesus

To share a word that you believe is from God takes faith and involves risk. When deciding what to share, remember that God’s word to an unbeliever or backslidden Christian will be like a signpost.

A prophecy will point or lead them to Jesus. It will always be redemptive. It’s going to have the mark of the Gospel on it. In other words, it will reflect God’s desire to save them, turn the direction of their lives around, and transform their mess into a testimony of God’s goodness.

It will convey the message that God is personally interested in them, that He loves them and has a destiny and a purpose for them.

1 Cor 14:24-25 says,

‘But if an unbeliever or someone who does not understand comes in while everybody is prophesying, he will be convinced by all that he is a sinner and will be judged by all, and the secrets of his heart will be laid bare. So he will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”

I would love to hear of any experiences or ideas you have, so if the comments facility is not visible at the end of this post, or you are not on the website, click on this link and leave a comment in the boxes below.

Related Posts:

 A Beginners Guide To Prophetic Evangelism Part 1

Key To Prophetic Evangelism: What is the Father Doing?

Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

The above post was adapted from a chapter in the e-book,

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

© Helen Calder Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

In the year 2000, The Hunk and I were living in Tauranga, New Zealand and working for a mission agency that was reaching Asia with the Good News about Jesus.

I loved my country of birth with a passion. I had also fallen in love with our adopted city, and planned to live there—God willing—for the rest of my life.

One evening at a church service, the visiting speaker asked us to form groups to pray for nations that were on our heart. I moved to the group that was interceding for Asia. To my utter surprise, when I closed my eyes, I saw the map of Australia.

At that moment, the Holy Spirit spoke to me and said, ‘You are going to receive a Macedonian call.’

Then I remembered that in Acts 16, the Apostle Paul had a dream in which a Macedonian man stood begging him, and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”

I shared the incident with my husband, and we tucked the word away in the back of our minds. ‘Perhaps’, we thought, ‘we will take short trips across to Australia for ministry at some stage.’

Some six months later, we had a social visit from the Australian Board Chairman of our mission organisation. We were sitting in a café in Tauranga when he said, ‘Would you come over and help us?’

The Hunk and I looked at each other—both thinking the same thing. Had we just received our Macedonian call?

Many other incidents served to confirm that God was indeed calling us to live and minister in Australia, and the call to ‘come across and help’ became stronger. In 2002 we moved our family across to Melbourne to live.

Divine Positioning

In Acts 17:26-28, Paul said,

‘From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.’

Stop! Read that again…

Sometimes it is easier for us to believe that God is in charge of the big picture of our lives—like our move to Australia—than in our daily life.

However, I have come to realise that God has not only divinely placed me, but that He is also at work in the lives of people around me, positioning them to seek Him.

If God has placed someone around your life who does not know personally Jesus’ love and salvation, you can be assured that God has put them there.

This may be a family member, a workmate, neighbour, fellow-student or even someone you bump into at the supermarket or on the street.

Their proximity to you tells you that God is already at work in their lives, drawing them to Himself. There may not be any outwards signs of faith, but you do not need to be discouraged by their apparent lack of interest or hardness.

You can have confidence that God has positioned you alongside them. To be a messenger of His love and goodness, an influence to bring them further along on their journey of faith.

Prayer Aids Divine Positioning.

When you pray, the Holy Spirit will position you at the right place, at the right time, to be part of someone’s salvation miracle.

Prayer aids divine positioning. The story of Cornelius in Acts 10 is a great example of this.

In this story, we see prayer accomplishing two things. Firstly, the prayer of Cornelius moved the hand of the Lord to bring salvation to him and his household (Acts 10:4) and secondly, prayer put the Apostle Peter into a place where he could see, hear and respond to the purposes of God to evangelise the Gentiles, beginning with Cornelius. (Acts 10:9)

Sometimes we looks at people around us and all we see is impossibility—but nothing is impossible for God (Luke 1:37).

I have learned to pray and ask God to put the people that He wants to touch in my path every day—THEN, to look for what happens next.

You are a vital link in the chain of relationships and events that will lead someone to faith in Jesus.

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Related Posts:

A Beginners Guide to Prophetic Evangelsim Pt 1

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

This is the third post in the Prophetic Evangelism series.

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.

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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

Prophetic Evangelism

Prophetic evangelism is sharing the Good News about Jesus with people, using the means of prophetic revelation.

I have come to realise that God wants to use our gifts in every arena of life, not just in ministry in the church.

The gift of prophecy, when used in the process of evangelism, is a powerful way that we can partner with the Holy Spirit to lead people to faith in Jesus.

Over the last few days, I have been thinking about Jesus statement: ‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.’ (John 5:19)

It seems so simple, and yet so profound. It is the basis that Jesus lived and ministered from—and holds a vital key for us today.

Seeing the way Jesus Sees

In John 4, the disciples returned from buying lunch and saw that Jesus had been speaking with a lone Samaritan woman. They wondered why Jesus had crossed cultural and religious boundaries to speak with her. No doubt they were shocked at His social impropriety.

Jesus, however, saw the situation differently to the way His disciples did. He looked at the Samaritan woman and saw a precious soul in need of a Saviour—and a city won to God.

He said to His astonished followers,

‘”My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ (John 4:34-35)

Jesus had the ability to look beyond the situation or person that He was presented with. He knew whether or not that person was someone the Father was ministering to at that time.

Another time, Jesus drew one man out of a crowd of disabled and ill people who were gathered at the Bethesda Pool, and healed him. In response to criticism of this healing being done on the Sabbath, Jesus said,

‘I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing.’ (John 5:19)

The Power of Focus

It seems that faced with numerous options as to how to spend His time and particularly, who to focus on, Jesus limited Himself to doing those things that He ‘saw the Father doing.’

Sometimes I feel guilty or inadequate because I do not have the personal resources or time to meet the needs of every person I come across.

But Jesus’ example assures me that success in ministry in general and evangelism in particular, does not come from spreading myself thin, but in focusing on what God is doing at any given time.

What freedom! Truly, His ‘yoke is easy and His burden is light.’ (Matt 11:30)

How did Jesus see what the Father was Doing?

This week I have asked myself the question, ‘If Jesus did what He saw the Father doing, how did He receive that revelation?

I used to imagine that when Jesus had His prayer times, the Father would show Him in open prophetic vision what His plans were, and who Jesus needed to spend time with. Somehow, the level of prophetic revelation that Jesus walked in always seemed unattainable to me.

But what if the way Jesus was able to see what the Father was doing IS attainable to us? What if the way that the Father guided Jesus is the same way He wants to guide you and me—any Spirit-filled believer—today?

Prayer is the Starting Place

The prophet Habakkuk said,

‘I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me.’ (Hab 2:1)

In order to be effective in prophetic evangelism, we need to put ourselves in a place where we can see what the Father is doing, and that begins with prayer. Prayer is the primary way we connect to God.

As we pray, we can receive prophetic revelation about what God is doing in the lives of people around us. I have received scriptures, visions, insights and feelings about what God wants to do in the lives of people around me at different times.

Seeing what God is doing after we have Prayed

However, ‘seeing what the Father is doing’ only begins with our prayer times. It continues as we commune with God in our daily life.

Here are some more things I am learning to look out for:

1. Being alert to what happens next after I have prayed—in other words, actually believing God is answering my prayer! Who is God bringing into my life or across my path?

2. Learning to look past what I see with my natural sight, to what God is seeing. Being aware that I can be derailed by prejudice, by the hurriedness of my life, by my insecurity.

3. Holding on to my own agenda or expectations lightly.

4. Realising that God often works through happenstance—seeming coincidences and interruptions to show me what He is doing.

I am learning not to limit God. There are many ways that He can show me what He is doing. One time, a scripture verse emailed from our church office prompted me to visit a friend. The timing of that visit set in motion a chain of events that would bring my friend closer to faith in Jesus.

This week, I’m going to ask, Father, what are You doing? What are You doing in ____’s life right now? How can I join with You?

In the next post, we will look more closely at the part that prayer plays in the process of prophetic evangelism.

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

Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

For further information, inspiration and stories, check out the e-book,

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

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

Related posts:

A Beginners Guide To Prophetic Evangelism Part 1

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

The prophetic evangelism movement is growing.

Teams of Christian believers are pouring out into the streets and shopping malls, listening to the Holy Spirit as He directs them to speak with people. Using spiritual gifts, they are passing on words of knowledge and prophecies to people who may never have stepped into a church. They then offer to pray for them—and Jesus is doing miracles.

As awesome as this is, I have a burning conviction that ordinary, Spirit-filled believers, who might never join a team doing street witnessing, do not need to miss out. Anyone who has a heart to hear from God and to walk in spiritual gifts can learn prophetic evangelism. I believe that:

1. Prophetic evangelism can occur in our daily life

2. The principles of prophetic evangelism can be learned in a series of simple steps.

But before I start—lets ask the question:

What is Prophetic Evangelism?

Jesus gave them this answer: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. (John 5:19)

Prophetic evangelism is, at its most basic level, sharing the Good News about Jesus with people using the means of prophetic revelation.

It begins with hearing from God (or seeing, if you’re wired as a visionary person) how and what He wants you to pray, speak and do in the process of witnessing, as well as where and to whom. Sometimes, but not always, prophetic evangelism involves sharing a prophetic message from God with someone who is not a Christian.

‘Revelation’ means that you are receiving knowledge or insight from God that you wouldn’t know by natural means. The Holy Spirit reveals it to you supernaturally.

Supernatural Evangelism

One time, I was walking along a beach when I noticed a man and his son dragging a large net to shore. With great difficulty they laboured to bring the net into shore, only to find it contained a few bits of seaweed. The young man shrugged his shoulders and began to take off his wetsuit. His whole demeanour said, “Don’t ASK me to do that again!”

It reminded me of how many times in church life we have worked hard to bring lost people to Jesus, only to have worn ourselves out for very little result.

Jesus once told His disciples to let down their nets for a catch of fish. Like the young man I saw, they had worked hard all night for nothing, but when they let down the net at Jesus’ word, a miracle happened. The net was filled to overflowing with fish. (Luke 5:4-6)

This is a great illustration of prophetic evangelism. When we partner with the Holy Spirit, miracles happen.

God never meant for spiritual gifts to be confined to within the four walls of the church. Jesus moved in healing, prophecy, deliverance, miracles and knowledge in the streets, in fields, in homes and in parties. The early church did the same.

I am being challenged not to be one kind of person in a church meeting and another outside. If the Lord has given me gifts of prophecy, intercession and so on, why shouldn’t I walk in those gifts wherever I go?

Over the next couple of weeks we will be looking at some simple principles to help us enter into a fruitful partnership with the Holy Spirit in prophetic evangelism. These include:

Prayer—waiting in God for prophetic revelation. Who does He want us to share with? What is He doing in their lives and what is He saying to them at this time?

Position—we recognise that God has placed us alongside people, and that He is already at work in their lives

Power—felt needs in people’s lives give us an opportunity to offer prayer and for miracles to happen

Prophecy—an opportunity may arise in which we can share a message from God. Or—He may give us prophetic direction as to what to speak or an action to take.

Proclamation—at the right time, we share the story of Jesus with them.

Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

For more information, inspiration and stories, learn more in the e-book,

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

Related posts:

How To Share A Prophecy With Someone Who Is Not A Christian

Key to Prophetic Evangelism: What is the Father Doing?

The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today

© Helen Calder  2010   Enliven Blog

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

Are you looking for resources to help you develop your gifts of prophecy or prayer?

I am thrilled to announce that all four of my books are now available in e-book format. Here is a synopsis of each of them, or you can review and purchase them on the e-book sales page:

HOW TO BE A SUPERNATURAL CHRISTIAN IN YOUR EVERYDAY WORLD

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PRAY FOR THE LOST: Impact The Eternal Destiny Of Those You Love Through Prayer

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*All prices are in Australian Dollars (AUD).

Note that some of these e-books are now available from the David McCracken Ministries online store.

Check the e-books page for the complete list of e-book s available.

© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog

Have you ever received a prophecy that left you feeling uncomfortable?

On rare occasions, I have received a prophetic word that has felt wrong—and yet because it was given to me in a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ manner, the person prophesying was inferring that to reject the prophecy was to be in disobedience towards God!

This dilemma has the potential to cause great pain and can especially be harmful to newer Christians. I have prayed with people who have received a negative or ‘off’ prophecy and together we have broken the power of the word spoken over their lives.

Prophecy is abusive when it does not give room for a receiver to weigh up whether the prophecy is from the Lord or not. This is true even if the word is one of encouragement. But if the word is mistaken, it has the added potential of becoming a curse that bears negative fruit in the recipient’s life until it is broken in Jesus’ Name. (For more information about breaking the effects of abusive prophecy check out the post and comments, ‘How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy is From God?’)

• Releasing the Receiver of Your Prophecy

When you share a prophetic message, it is vital that you give the person or group you are prophesying over freedom to weigh up the prophecy and receive it, or discard it.

You can do this by using releasing language such as, ‘I believe the Lord is saying…’ ‘Does this mean anything to you?’ ‘I sense…’ This communicates to them that you see yourself as a ‘human vessel’ that could miss the mark. You are submitting the word to them for their assessment.

You do not need to worry that the effect of the prophecy will be watered down by such an approach. The Lord honours humility in the use of His gifts.

This is not to say that prophesying as though God was speaking in the first person through you is always wrong. In fact, this approach can be incredibly powerful, especially when the prophecy is being accompanied by the impartation of an anointing or spiritual gift. However, I believe that this style of prophesying is best left to those who are mature in the prophetic ministry.

If you do move into first-person prophecy such as, ‘The Lord is saying…’ ensure that it has been prefaced or concluded by releasing language as we’ve discussed above.

When prophesying over individuals, I like to make available a brochure I have written called, ‘What to do With Your Personal Prophecy.’ The handout explains how to weigh up a prophetic word and what to do with it. It reminds them that they have the freedom to receive or release the word, and fulfils a duty of care on my part.

• Be Honest About Conflicting Motives

Prophecy is not a format for us to give our opinion, nor under any circumstances should it be used as a cover for directing or counseling a person to our way of thinking.

If we are experiencing conflict about our motives in bringing a prophecy— it is better to abstain from bringing the word—or to be honest about this conflict as we deliver it. This can occur when we are familiar with the person or situation that we are prophesying over.

• Provide Accountability

Whichever means you use to deliver a prophecy, it is important to do so in a way that provides you with safe accountability (you can review the Biblical guidelines in 1 Cor 14).

This means that if the prophecy is not delivered publicly or where there is at least another witness, it is able to be remembered and recorded in some way. That way, the recipient can receive advice or oversight about the prophecy if desired. It also provides you with protection should your prophecy come under question. Churches usually have their own guidelines and protocols regarding prophecy.

Writing down a prophetic word (or storing it electronically) aids with both accountability and the communication process. It also means the recipient can keep the prophecy for future encouragement or reference.

• Prophetic Evangelism

When you are using prophecy in the process of prophetic evangelism, accountability would take the form of sharing what is taking place with Christians that are journeying with you.

If the person you have a prophetic word for is not yet a Christian, I would add the following guidelines to the above:

• Be careful how you communicate that you believe what you have is a word from God. You could preface your insight with a statement such as, “I’ve been praying for you and I believe God is saying…”
• Bring the word in a natural manner and avoid using religious jargon. This is preferable at all times, but especially so when sharing a prophecy with an unchurched person.

• How To Release A Prophecy You Have Given

Once we have delivered our prophecy, we have completed our part in the process. It is over to the recipient of the message to assess the prophecy and decide whether to take current or future action on the word from God.

Bringing a prophecy is like a postman delivering a letter. Once we have faithfully ‘dropped the letter in the mailbox’, what the receiver does with it is generally no longer our concern.

We can pray about the person and the word, especially if we sense the Holy Spirit urging us to do so. However, we need to release the outcome to the Holy Spirit and to the recipient of the prophecy.

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Related Posts:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 4: How to Deliver a Prophecy

4 Things You Can Do With Your Personal Prophecy

© Helen Calder   Enliven Blog

Have you ever dreamed of praying for someone and seeing them healed or set free in Jesus’ Name? Have you ever thought it would be great to bring a prophetic message from God to a person that changed their life?

I’m not talking about a Christian meeting or church service;
I’m talking about your everyday life—your family, your workplace, your neighbourhood—wherever you happen to be.

Here are some common reasons why we hold back from praying for people, whether in the context of a Christian environment or in our everyday world. See if you can identify with any of these and take action to overcome them today:

1. I don’t have experience

If we used inexperience as a reason not to step out and pray, no one would ever begin! There came a day when Jesus sent out His disciples to pray for the sick and preach the Gospel for the very first time (Matt 9:35-10:1, Mark 6:7-13, Luke 9:1-6, Luke 10:1-20).

The real issue is not whether or not you have experience, but whether you are willing to begin. Sometimes it is actually our pride that is holding us back. We are concerned at how our inexperience will look to those who are more capable than we are, or to the person we are praying for.

Another thing Jesus did was He sent His disciples out in pairs (Luke 10:1). You don’t have to go it alone! When the lame man by the Temple gates was healed, John was alongside Peter when he gave the word (Acts 3:1-10). There may be someone in your world who God has given to you to partner with and pray and take action together.

Pause right now and ask God to show you what the first step for you to begin is. Ask Him to show you the person or group who can partner with you in being a supernatural Christian.

2. I’m not good enough

No human being on the planet is ‘good enough’ to be used by the Holy Spirit—or ever will be. If you were to make a list of those that you perceive to be the most effective Christian ministers in the earth today, none would make the grade before God. No one is on top of all of their weaknesses and problems. We were not deserving of salvation, but Jesus gave it to us freely as we believed and received Him (Rom 8:31-34). We minister, not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus has done.

Having said that, it is right to ensure that you are, as best as you are able to be in your current season of life, a ‘clean vessel’ for God to use—walking in excellent moral character, displaying the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and living in unity with others in the church (2 Tim 2:20-22, Gal 5:22-25).

If God is calling you to step out, and you are accountable, teachable, and walking in transparency—not denial—concerning the problems that you do have, then go for it!

When you read the words, ‘not good enough,’ is something coming to mind for you? Pray about this and release it to God. Receive the capacity and worthiness that Jesus has paid the price for on the cross for you.

You might need to find a safe person to process this with who will pray with you and help you move forward. You CAN overcome this.

3. I can’t pray for the sick—I’m sick or weak myself

—or other issues

You are the channel, or ‘vessel’ God uses, the power of God flows through you, but it is not from you. The power is exercised in the Name of Jesus and not your own strength (Acts 3:16).

The Hunk and I were acquainted with a man who had the ministry of a healing evangelist. Many people were healed under his ministry. He saw people cured of deafness through the power of God, however he himself wore a hearing aid. He explained to us that he did not know why he remained unhealed; that was a mystery. However he pointed out that his lack of healing did not disqualify him from praying for others.

Again, the important thing for any weakness that we are struggling with, be it physical or otherwise, is that we remain accountable to leaders in our church and keep doing what we can to become free or whole. In the case of physical weakness or illness, we need to manage our health and be good stewards of our physical bodies. But the presence of unwholeness in ourselves does not disqualify us from praying for a miracle of wholeness in others. In fact, releasing the gift of God in praying for others can build our faith for our own situations.

If being sick or weak in any way has held you back in praying for healing for others, now is the time to take action! Pause and pray for God to release healing to someone in your world who has a need in a similar area. Next time you see them, offer to pray with them.

4. I’m not gifted

(in prayer, healing, prophecy and so on)

It’s true that some people have a stronger gift or higher degree of giftedness than others. But not knowing whether or not you have a gift in a particular area should never hold you back from learning how to pray for people. Neither should it prevent you from ministering when you have an opportunity or the need arises.

Remember, the basis for you being able to pray is not your gift. It is the Name of Jesus Christ. What He has accomplished on the cross, and the authority that He has given to you as His committed follower, is the basis of your prayer ability.

Remember also that you will connect with people in your everyday life that the ministers and gifted people in your church will not, and occasions for prayer will arise when there is no one present but you and the Lord.

And if you are in a leadership role of any description in the church, you will need to be ready to pray for those you are leading, whenever there is a need. You signed up for this!

When Jesus sent out the 12 and the 70 disciples, He didn’t say, “OK, you who are gifted in healing in this group, and those who are gifted in deliverance, you go there”. He sent them ALL out—together. We need to be Kingdom-culture Christians who are open to hearing God’s voice and loving and praying for people wherever we go.

You are never going to be good enough and you may never feel ready. That is why the Christian journey is called a walk of faith.

Become a Can-Do Christian

At the beginning of the school year, my daughter’s Grade 3 teacher asked the children to write a list of the things they believed they could not do. The list included things like physical sports activities such as swimming, subjects such as mathematics, and other things, like talking in front of the class.

When each of the children had written their list, the teacher collected them all up and put them in a box. Then, she took the children outdoors, where they had a ceremony to bury the box. “This class,” she announced, “is going to be a ‘Can-Do Class.’” Not surprisingly, my daughter made more progress in that school year than in any year previously. My challenge to you as you begin to move out is to identify and surrender your list of things you can’t do to God.

Now add some things to the list of things you can do:

• Praying for sick people to be healed in Jesus’ Name
• Sharing a prophetic word, or message from God
• Offering to pray for someone who has a need
• Prophetic evangelism

Remember that it is not about you. It is about Jesus—He gets the fame when He uses weak people to do the job (1 Cor 1:26-29, 2 Cor 4:7), it is about God loving people and extending His Kingdom. Finally, it’s about who you are in Jesus, not who you are apart from Jesus.

If you are interested in learning more about being a Supernatural Christian, take a look at www.supernatural-christian.com

How Your Perspective Can Impact Your Destiny

You Don’t Need A Special Gift To Be A Supernatural Christian

For more information, inspiration and stories, learn more in the e-book,

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

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

‘Supernatural’ refers to something that cannot be explained by natural means.

When we are living a supernatural Christian lifestyle, Jesus is the only explanation for what others see occurring in and through us.

In our relationship with God, He is the ‘super’ and we are the ‘natural.’ Supernatural Christianity is a life lived in partnership with God and His Spirit.

The good news is that we don’t have to change ourselves or try and be someone different to have God’s power displayed in our lives. Just as grace (undeserved favour from God) is the basis for our faith in Jesus, it is also the foundation of our lives as supernatural Christians.

Unlikely Bearers of Good News

I love the story of the four lepers who were living outside the city gates in Samaria (you can read the full story in 2 Kings 7).

In those days, lepers were considered unclean, and had to live apart from society. Israel’s powerful enemies had set up a siege against the city, and as a result the city’s population was starving.

The lepers finally became so desperately hungry that they approached the enemy army’s camp in a final bid to obtain food or to die trying.

In the meantime, the Lord had caused the enemy army to hear the supernatural sound of a greater army coming their way. They fled in panic, leaving their camp intact, and their bounty, clothes, food and provisions behind.

The unlikely four tucked into the bountiful feast and helped themselves to the clothes and food. Gradually the enormity of what had happened as well as their sense of personal responsibility dawned on them. There was a whole city of starving people—and they were keeping the good news of God’s salvation to themselves!

Chosen By Grace

Like the lepers, we may have flunked the system, failed to measure up, be alienated or feel disowned by people. And yet God has chosen us; firstly to discover the wealth of all Jesus has purchased for us on the cross, and secondly, to share this Good News with others.

When it comes to being bearers of God’s power and His Gospel of grace, God doesn’t look for those who are qualified or successful in human terms. One of the first evangelists in the New Testament was a Samaritan woman, who was also an outsider (see John chapter 4). But she brought an entire city to Jesus!

The journey of supernatural Christianity and prophetic evangelism is a voyage of grace-discovery. It is on the basis of grace that we receive God’s transforming power and that He uses us to share His love and power with others.

The story of the unlikely four lepers is a reminder that we don’t have to be anyone special in the world’s standards, and certainly not by religious standards, for God to use us. Jesus can use us the way that we are. Paul explains this in 1 Cor 1:26-30:

‘Brothers, 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. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.’

Are you interested in Prophetic Evangelism?

For more information, inspiration and stories, learn more in the e-book,

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

Related Posts:

A Beginner’s Guide to Prophetic Evangelism Pt 1

How To Set Your Testimony On Fire Again

© Helen Calder   Enliven Blog