Prophetic Training Update

This week I am going to share with you a lesson from the prophetic training that I’ve recently launched. This particular session is on the topic of ‘Prophetic Prayer.’

Overall, the course is more than just how to’s on prophecy, it is about developing a prophetic lifestyle, starting with our personal relationship with God, and progressing through topics about personal prophecy, prophetic dreams and prophetic evangelism–sharing the good news about Jesus using prophetic gifts and guidance.

Before I started developing the online prophetic training, I felt that the Father was encouraging me to do something creative and different, something that had never been done before.

Recognising that we all learn in different ways, I have included a number of different expressions and media in the training, including:

• Reading – providing insightful articles and links on the topics
• Writing – personal journal and forum
• Listening – a new podcast for every lesson
• Sharing the journey – relationally with others on the forum
• Coaching and mentoring – on the forum
• Activation – in daily life

It has been a thrill for me to see participants already engaging on the forum, sharing testimonies and needs, praying for each other as well as working through the topics.

I am about two-thirds through developing this training and expect it to be completed by the end of November. Here is a bonus preview of Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer:

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Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer


Hi everyone, and a warm welcome back to Enliven Prophetic Training.
A special thanks to those who have been engaging on the forum. I love hearing what others have to say about the revelations that they are receiving and what they believe God is saying. We can learn from each other as we share different interpretations.
Please don’t hold back and feel free to challenge, chew over and add your opinions to my own ideas and insights. I’m on here to learn, too!

(Note to visitors: most of the forum is only accessible to registrants, so you will only be able to view a few topics. The privacy settings are there to provide a safe place for trainees)

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Please listen the following 16 minute message which has teaching, along with information on activities for the week and some pointers for contributing to the forum:

Click on the message title below to listen to the 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).

Topic 2: Prophetic Prayer

Note you may have to wait a few moments for this message to load.

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Activities To Do

This week we are continuing our focus on prophetic ministry as it relates to our personal relationship with God. Last week, our context was receiving a prophetic message (hearing His voice) for ourselves personally. This week, our focus is prophetic prayer.

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My simple definition is:
Prophetic prayer is when we pray using information that has been supernaturally revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. **Note, this can be revelation we have received ourselves, or we can pray using a prophecy given to us by another person.

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Here is a list of some things that will help you grow in the area of receiving revelation from God and participate in discussions on the forum:

1.   Listen to the explanations of the different types of prophetic prayer in the podcast. In brief, these are: Receiving, Interceding, Warfaring, Ministering, Proclaiming.

Think about which type of prophetic prayer you could personally benefit from becoming stronger in, or could help you in a current situation you are facing.

For more encouragement to help get you started, read the following blog post:
Need A Breakthrough? Uncover The Mysteries Of Heaven

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2.   This week, use your journal to write out a prophetic prayer, or make bullet-point notes to use as you pray.

You may like to use a prophecy given to you by someone else. If so, here is an article that can help:
Is it Time to Birth Your Prophetic Word in Prayer?

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ON THE FORUM:

3. Tell us which type of prophetic prayer you would like to work on and (if you feel comfortable doing so), share why.

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4. Do you have a story about prophetic prayer from your past (or present) that you would like to share? Or a question you would like to ask? We’d love to hear from you!

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5. Some optional related reading:

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

Your Prophetic Word and Spiritual Warfare

*Do you have any experiences or responses 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.

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For more information on the Enliven Prophetic Training, check out the Prophetic Training page.

© Helen Calder 2010    Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

My standard response to any need for information is, ‘Let’s Google it.’ It seems that any knowledge on earth is now literally available at our fingertips.

Recently, I have Googled to find information on such mysteries as whether my computer had signs of a Trojan virus (yes, and remedial software was suggested), and why my daughter’s cockatiel instantly shed a batch of feathers when unexpectedly knocked (a reflex action of self defence).

But there are some problems and decisions in life for which there are no earthly solutions:

• When in need of provision
• At a crossroad facing life-changing decisions
• When a loved one is wandering far from God
• When no medical answers exist for a physical, mental or emotional health issue

These kinds of situations prompt us to turn to our heavenly Father for the intervention that only He can bring.

The Knowledge That Counts

The key to this kind of miraculous breakthrough, according to James, is effective prayer (James 5:16-18).

The key to effective prayer, according to John, is to pray according to God’s will (1 John 5:14-15).

In order to pray according to God’s will, we need to know the Father’s heart and intent (Matt 6:10).

When it really comes down to it, and we are faced with the critical issues of life, it is not earthly knowledge that counts—but understanding God’s purposes for our situation.

This is the power of prophetic prayer.

What is Prophetic Prayer?

Prophetic prayer is when we pray using information that has been supernaturally revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.

We call this supernatural knowledge revelation.

Beyond The Curtain

It is as though there is a curtain between the natural realm and the realm of heaven.

And on this side of the curtain—the side we live in—is everything that we can know by natural means, for example, through our six senses. This includes Information Technology.

On the other side, are things that are only known in heaven:

• The eternal realm of past, present and future
• The realm of the Spirit and spiritual reality
• The realm of God—His knowledge, His desire, His plans

Revelation—the Greek New Testament word means uncovering, or disclosure—is when the Holy Spirit parts that curtain.

We catch a glimpse of what God has in store, or receive knowledge that the Father wants to disclose to us at that time.

God Wants to Reveal Mysteries to us

Those things on the other side are a mystery to us. We cannot discern them by natural means. But we can discover them with the help of the Holy Spirit.

This concept of the ‘mysteries’ is a biblical one.

In 1 Cor 13:2-3, Paul says,

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.’

That word mysteries in the NT GREEK is ‘musterion.’

The Vines Concordance has this to say about it:

In the NT [mystery] denotes…that which, being outside the range of unassisted natural apprehension, can be made known only by divine revelation, and is made known in a manner and at a time appointed by God, and to those only who are illumined by His Spirit [1].

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him why He spoke to the crowds in parables, His response was:

“Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. Matt 13:11-12

The Power of a Prayer Language.

The gift of a prayer language is a powerful tool that can help us access this realm of revelation.

The Apostle Paul said,
‘Anyone who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God. Indeed, no one understands him; he utters mysteries with his spirit.’ 1 Cor 14:2-3

That word translated ‘mysteries’ is—again—the Greek word, ‘musterion.’ It also means ‘secret.’ When we pray in the Spirit using the gift of tongues, we are praying heaven’s secrets—things that haven’t been revealed in the earth realm yet.

We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Rom 8:27)

How to Exercise Prophetic Prayer for Breakthrough

There are many ways that we can use supernatural revelation that the Holy Spirit has revealed to us as we pray. Here are 5 types of prophetic prayer:

1. Receiving: Waiting on God, in prayer, or during prayer, for His insights (Hab 2:1)

2. Interceding: Receiving revelation whilst praying for people or circumstances, or using insights already received to pray for them (e.g. John 17:20-23)

3. Warfaring: Using revelationary knowledge to wage spiritual warfare in a prayer context (A great example of this is David, who prophesied Goliath’s downfall in 1 Sam 17:45-47)

4. Ministering: Using prophetic prayer in the context of ministering to people

5. Proclaiming: Using prophetic insight to make powerful declarations and commands (e.g. Ezekiel 37 valley of dry bones)

The Challenge

I believe that God desires to communicate His plans, purposes and Divine knowledge to us even more than we realise.

The challenge to all of us is, ‘Will we get into the place of intimacy with God where we can receive it?’

[1]. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, (c)1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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Related Posts:

Is It Time to Birth Your Prophetic Word In Prayer?

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

© Helen Calder 2010   Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

The Hunk and I have a drawer that contains personal prophecies given to us over a period of 20 years. Most of them are on loose-leaf pieces of paper.

Some are yellowing with age. On a couple, the typed print is fading and I can barely make out what is written there. A few are on audiocassette tapes.

A number of the prophecies have been fulfilled to varying degrees. Others speak of times yet to come—of things that we carry in our hearts but have not yet seen with our eyes.

Igniting a Prophecy with Prayer

A prophetic word from God is like a notice to us of His intentions. However its fulfilment will only take place as we partner with Him—as we pray, listen and obey.

Jesus taught us to pray,

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

Everything God does on the earth He accomplishes in partnership with His people through prayer. As John Wesley said,

“God does nothing but in answer to prayer, and everything by it.”

Elijah understood this. He prophesied to King Ahab that the drought would be broken immediately by rain. What happens next? We see him immediately birthing the prophetic message in prayer. As James says:

‘Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.’ James 5:17-18

Elijah prophesied—and then He prayed. When the prophecy and prayer were combined, in God’s timing, ignition took place. God’s power was released to fulfil His Word.

Discerning the Timing of God

‘In the first year of [Darius’] reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.’ Dan 9:1-3

Here we see Daniel using Jeremiah’s prophecy to pray, repent, and remind God of His mercy and promises.

Daniel was gifted himself in prophetic ministry. But he recognised that Jeremiah had received a message from God that pertained to the current time in which he, Daniel, lived.

It was time to birth that prophecy in prayer.

Nehemiah reminded God of the prophetic promise made through Moses—that God would restore His exiled people to their land when they returned in obedience to Him. (Neh 1:8-9)

Nehemiah’s prophetic prayer was so powerful that it propelled him into becoming a leader in answering that prayer.

Sensitivity to the Holy Spirit

It is not enough to prophesy or simply receive a prophecy.

Many times we receive a personal prophecy and we say, “That’s nice.” We might even get excited about it, because it speaks to something that is already on our hearts.

We may pray about it as we weigh it up. But then, we shelve it where it gathers dust. After all, the ultimate test of whether it is actually a word from God is whether or not it comes to pass. And so we wait.

Now here is the challenge that I believe the Bible makes to us:

There comes a time when we should begin to birth that prophecy in prayer. And we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as to when that time is.

In 1 Chronicles 12:32, we read about the sons of Issachar, who ‘understood the times and knew what Israel should do.’ This ability to sense God’s timing is a quality and gift that we should seek as prophetic people.

The Holy Spirit directs the timing of prophetic prayer to bring to birth God’s purposes at the right moment in history.

We need to ask Him for sensitivity to the times and seasons of God, so that like Daniel, Nehemiah and Elijah, we will know when it is time to pray for God’s prophetic word to be brought to pass.

A Neglected Prophecy

Last week, I led a study in prophetic prayer. As I was preparing for it, I realised that we have neglected to review and pray over our prophecies.

A prophecy that was given to us more than 10 years ago came to my attention. A visiting prophet to our church in New Zealand brought a word over my husband and me. He said that God was going to increase the prophetic anointing in our lives.

Now I have a confession to make right here. Because we have other, more dramatic and exciting prophecies, I have never paid much attention to this one.

However, we discussed the prophecy last week and realised that this was indeed stirring in us right now.

I shared the prophecy at our training night and demonstrated some different ways we could pray and proclaim it. Within 24 hours something happened that confirmed to us that the timing of that prophecy is for our current season.

A message from God that we had shelved has suddenly been brought to the forefront.

Here is a challenging question for you to consider:

What prophecy have you shelved—but it is now time to birth it in prayer?

Some Ways to use a Prophecy in Prayer:

1.    Use the prophecy to remind God of His promises in prayer and ask Him for their fulfilment

2.    Turn the prophecy into a declaration of what God will do—and speak it out

3.    Use the prophecy to wage spiritual warfare

4.    Consider the power of praying and proclaiming prophetic scriptures (e.g. over yourself and family members)

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Related Posts:

Dealing With Prophetic Disappointment

4 Things You Can Do With Your Personal Prophecy

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

The Power of Prophetic Prayer

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© Helen Calder    Enliven Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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

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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