Entries tagged with “Prophetic Word For 2010”.
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Fri 8 Jan 2010
Have you Ever had the Opposite of Your Prophetic Word Happen to you?
You have received your prophetic word for 2010 and you are excited about it. You feel close to God. You are highly motivated to live out the word and hold onto it throughout the coming year.
But then, it happens.
Out of nowhere, you are sideswiped; a problem, a negative word, a criticism, or a disappointment comes your way. Perhaps the very opposite of the promise God has given to you begins to happen. You find yourself swamped in spiritual warfare and oppression.
You have entered the next stage of fulfilling God’s word for your life: it’s time to contend for your prophetic word.
Where is God When we are in the Trial?
One day, Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Let’s go over to the other side of the lake.’ They joined Him in the boat and began their journey.
Suddenly, a terrifying storm blew across the lake, and the boat began to be swamped with water. Finding themselves in peril for their lives, the disciples looked for Jesus. He was asleep in the stern.
Jesus had given the disciples a word, ‘Let’s go over to the other side.’ But halfway across the lake, it looked as though they weren’t going to make it. They woke Jesus up and said, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’ (Mark 4:38)
The disciple’s response is familiar to our own. When difficulties overwhelm us, we find ourselves wondering, ‘Where is God? Does He even care at all?’ It seems as if Jesus is asleep in the boat of our lives.
We have His word, but like the disciples, we find ourselves in trouble at the place in-between. The distant shore of our word’s fulfillment is impossibly out of reach.
What hurts the most is, that we so willingly followed Jesus and believed His word in the first place. We have been doing our best, and now, all hell is breaking loose against us.
If this sounds familiar, take heart! Jesus is the Lord and master of your situation. God’s word for your life will be fulfilled.
The disciples cried out, ‘Master, master, we are going to drown!’ (Luke 8:24). Their statement of negative prophecy was the very opposite of what Jesus had told them would take place. However, their words and their fear were no obstacle to the grace and power of God.
What a wonder God’s grace is. Even when we slip into being negative and afraid, God brings us through the hardship. Like Jesus’ disciples did, we need to keep our confession of Jesus’ Lordship in the midst of the trial.
Having been called upon to save them, Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves and as suddenly as the storm had swept up, calm reigned.
Jesus turned to His disciples and said, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40)
Jesus’ response to the tempest seems to indicate that spiritual warfare was taking place.
The disciples had the two ingredients necessary for faith. They had Jesus’ word, and they had Jesus presence with them. And yet they still doubted in the storm.
How Should we Respond in the Trial?
The disciples’ acted in a way that we often do in times of testing:
- They forgot, or doubted, Jesus’ word
- They looked at the circumstances versus their own ability and believed the situation hopeless
- They believed the word would not be fulfilled and spoke out of that unbelief
- They were afraid
- They felt that Jesus didn’t care for them because He did not appear to be acting on their behalf at that time.
I read this story and wonder, how should the disciples have responded?
What would they have done that would have resulted in Jesus praising them for their faith, rather than rebuked them for their fear?
They could have:
- Used the authority Jesus had given them and rebuked the storm themselves
- Immediately gone to Jesus, instead of trying to save the boat in their own strength, and given control of the situation over to Him
- Not given way to fear, but responded in faith
- Not given voice to doubt, but spoken in confidence and trust.
This coming year, times of trouble and spiritual warfare will come.
Let’s live out of the Spirit’s enabling power, and respond in faith, not fear, when opposition comes to God’s prophetic word over our lives.
There will inevitably also be moments when we respond wrongly during the trial. We might believe we have it all together, but God will allow situations to come along that reveal just how weak we are and how in need of His grace we are.
We won’t always get it right, and that’s OK. At the end of the day, it is not our performance that counts, but that we stay in relationship with Jesus, the Giver of the word.
In those moments, the words, ‘Master, save us!’ are the only ones we need.
For more of the story, check out Matt 8:23-27, Mark 4: 35-41, Luke 8:22-25
Related posts:
Prophetic People & Spiritual Warfare
Prophetic People in Testing Times: The Reason for the Season
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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:
- regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
- notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
- news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift
Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010
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© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing
Sun 3 Jan 2010
Have you noticed that there is an inbuilt curiosity and yearning in the heart of a prophetic person to reach out to God for the revelation of His plans and purposes?
This is especially true when we enter a new season, such as a New Year.
We want to see what the Father is seeing and hear what He is speaking. This is, of course, primarily because we want intimacy with Him. But it also helps us to
- Pray in agreement with God’s will
- Build up our faith, and
- Share His message of hope with others.
Last week, we looked at how to receive your own prophetic word for 2010. If you would like to develop your prophetic gift, here is a prophetic activation exercise to start 2010 off with.
Use these questions to wait on the Lord for a powerful prophetic picture and word for yourself or for another person that you are praying for.
1. What (new) name is the Father calling me by, in reference to this coming season?
(Read Isaiah 62:2-4)
The Lord often calls forth His plans and purposes in us with a descriptive name. He named Abram, Abaham, ‘Father of many nations’ (Gen 17:5) while he was still childless. The angel of the Lord addressed Gideon as ‘Mighty warrior,’ though he was in hiding from the enemy (Judges 6:12)
We do not need to let the past define us, not even our recent history in 2009.
Ask the Lord for a name or description that is in keeping with your spiritual identity and calling for 2010 and beyond. As you agree with Jesus about who you are and what you are capable of, His word will bring transformation to your life and things of the past will begin to drop off you.
The second question is related to this:
2. What is the picture of me—in Jesus—that God is giving me, that will help prepare me to reach my highest potential in the coming year?
For Abraham, that was a vision of his descendents. For Gideon, the name the Lord gave him was evocative of leading others into battle and winning in warfare.
If you have a ‘seer’ prophetic gift and have an ability to perceive pictures, visions and dreams, this exercise will be easier for you. If not, or you are uncertain, you might find it simpler to ask the Lord for a Biblical character that you can identify with.
Here are some more questions that may help you:
A. What am I wearing?
Here are some Biblical examples of symbolic clothing:
- Joseph’s coat of many colours (Gen 37:3)
- Robe of righteousness (Is 61:10)
- Signet ring of authority (Esther 8:2)
- New mantle (Gen 41:42)
- Holding a sword (Eph 6:17)
There could also be a non-Biblical symbol or garment that has specific meaning to you.
B. What am I doing?
Some examples are:
- Witnessing in the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8)
- Stomping on the enemy (Luke 10:19)
- Dancing (Ps 30:11)
- Caring for hurting people (Luke 10:34)
- Resting (Ps 23:2)
(Hint: use a word ending in ‘ing’! Some other examples are: preaching, leading, enlisting, moving, and so on)
Some more questions you can ask as you seek God’s picture for your new season are:
C. What am I saying? (to people)
D What am I praying? (to God)
E. Where am I standing?
F. Who is with me?
And finally,
G. What is in my hand that God can use? (Exodus 4:2)
God has given us an imagination. As prophetic people let’s surrender it to Him and allow Him to anoint it for His use.
Once you have a picture from the Lord, use it to build your faith. Journal about it. Refer to it often and commit it to memory.
When you have the assurance of how God sees you, it can help dispel old identities and negative thinking. Belief will rise up in your heart and you will begin to walk in that God-given vision. For some of you, that may mean walking boldly, with Divine confidence. For others, it may mean simply relaxing into His plans and purposes for your life and experiencing peace, no matter what circumstances you are currently facing.
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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:
- regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
- notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
- news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift
Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010
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Articles Relating to Prophetic Activation:
Prophetic Word for 2010: How Your Can Receive Your Own Prophecy
Sharpen Your Prophetic Gift Through Journaling
Exercising Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: How To Receive A Revelation From God
© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing
Mon 28 Dec 2009
Are you interested in having an encouraging prophetic word for 2010?
You can have your own prophecy to remind you of God’s faithfulness throughout the year.
Years ago, friends of ours shared with us how they usually prayed and asked the Lord for His word for the coming year. For example, if the Lord told them it was going to be a year of fruitfulness, they then named the year, ‘Year of Fruitfulness.’
‘You should do that too,’ they told us. Receiving the word of the Lord for the coming year became an annual quest and has produced a great deal of encouragement over the years.
One year, I sensed the Holy Spirit nudge me with the word, ‘transformation.’ We were on a New Year’s break at a friend’s house and I was musing over what the word ‘transformation’ might mean for us personally. I looked it up in a dictionary, which produced a list of descriptions. One leapt out of the page and struck me hard. It was, ‘A sudden change of scene on stage.’
The Hunk agreed this word was from the Lord, and we felt both excitement and trepidation as to what it might mean. That year, key staff members unexpectedly exited from our ministry. A number of other changes occurred that created difficulties for us.
Even though ‘The Year Of Transformation’ was a tough period, we knew that God was orchestrating what was happening in our lives and ministry, arranging the next scene of His plan for us. The Lord had prepared us with His word.
One word from God can hold tremendous power.
A prophetic word from God for your year can:
- Bring encouragement throughout the year
- Help you stay focused on His plan or promise
- Provide motivation to stay on track
- Give you the strength to persevere through tough times
- Help you see God’s bigger picture—His redemptive purpose in what is taking place
As the angel said to Mary, ‘For no word from God shall be void of power’ (Luke 1:37, ASV). God’s word brings power with it, to fulfil God’s purposes for our lives.
Here are some ways you can receive a prophetic word for 2010:
1. Pray and ask the Lord to give a word concerning His promise and plans for the coming year.
There are many ways in which you might receive a revelation. The Holy Spirit might speak through a through, scripture, a picture, an idea or some other way.
One year, I was opening up a program on our computer when the word ‘Discover’ came up on the screen, and that one word impacted me so much I knew the Holy Spirit was bringing it to my attention. We were about to enter ‘The Year of Discovery.’
2. Pray and ask the Lord for any further insights about the word.
I like to look the word up in a dictionary or thesaurus to clarify the meaning, as well as pray and seek out scriptures that reinforce what God is saying.
3. If the word goes beyond simple encouragement and compels you towards action or change, remember that the principles of interpretation and accountability apply to the word.
What you can do with your prophetic word:
1. Write down or journal about how you received the word and what it means to you.
2. Share it with those around your life who can rejoice with you when it is fulfilled and encourage you on when times get tough
3. Keep it in front of you throughout the year. Some ideas for doing this are:
- Use it as a password for programs or websites you commonly use (not if you’ve shared the word widely, of course!)
- Link the word to an accompanying scripture, and put both on a poster where you can see it daily
- Write it on card and use it as a bookmark in your Bible or other book
- Have it as a greeting on your mobile phone
4. Review the word and its outcome at the year’s end. Reflect upon what God has done throughout the year and how the prophetic word has been fulfilled.
****************************************************************************************
Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:
- regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy
- notifications about online prophetic training opportunities
- news of resources to help develop your prophetic gift
Check here for online prophetic training opportunities in 2010
****************************************************************************************
Related posts:
How To Develop Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Where To Begin
How To Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understand the Process of Prophecy
© Helen Calder Enliven Publishing
