Entries tagged with “Relationship With God”.
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Wed 9 May 2012
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.
Sun 18 Mar 2012
‘Be [continuously] filled with the Spirit.’ (Eph 5:18)
As Christians, our life, our witness and our service to others should be empowered by the life of the Holy Spirit within us.
This is what Jesus referred to when He said, “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:38)
However we do not always maintain that vital connection to God perfectly. And therefore all of us experience seasons where we feel spiritually dry.
The great evangelist D L Moody understood this. When asked why he placed so much emphasis upon being filled with the Holy Spirit, he wisely said, ‘Because I leak.’
Spiritual Dryness
Spiritual dryness, or depletion, is not a problem in itself.
In fact, the awareness of our spiritual dryness is a gift from God. It is His invitation to come and partake of His life and His Spirit.
However, spiritual dryness does become a problem if we:
- do not recognise that we are becoming depleted, or
- do not recognise that God is the answer to our need, or
- become too exhausted to connect with God
Therefore it is important for us to recognise the signs of depletion as early as possible.
Signs of Spiritual Dryness
‘You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, in a dry and parched land where there is no water.’ Psalm 63:1
Here are some signs that we are becoming spiritually depleted. If you can relate to these, you need to reconnect with God and receive a fresh infilling of His Spirit:
1. Giving While Empty or Weary
A sign of spiritual dryness is that we are no longer giving to others out of a sense of fullness. We feel empty or weary—our inner tank is running dry.
Spiritual dryness if left undetected can turn into burnout, if we continue to give out in Christian service whilst not being replenished.
If left untended, spiritual dryness can impact our emotional, mental, and even physical state.
2. Serving out of Duty
When we are spiritually dry there is a subtle shift in our motivation to serve God, whether in the church or elsewhere.
We are no longer motivated by passion. We feel an inner reluctance, or resistance to serve, but continue to do so because we feel we have no choice.
Our motivation to continue serving may be that others are relying on us, or we want to honour a commitment, or even feel a duty towards God or towards His calling upon our lives.
3. Our Faith is no Longer Contagious
According to David in the Psalms, it is the joy of our salvation that results in us leading people to God. (Ps 51:12-13)
When we are spiritually dry, it affects our relationship with those who do not know Jesus. We are not bubbling over; we have lost our joy.
People are not seeing something in us that causes them to thirst for God, and we lack motivation to share with them, feeling we have nothing to offer.
4. God Feels Distant
When we are spiritually dry, there can be a gradual distancing from God. Either we are not encountering Him regularly, or we are not hearing from Him, or we are hearing Him speak to us intermittently.
God is, in fact, continually speaking to us. However sometimes we neglect to tune in. (Ps 139:17-18)
5. Our Spiritual Life is in a Rut
We lack the excitement we once had in our relationship with God. Our devotional life—connection to God through the Bible and prayer—has either been reduced to a rote exercise, is occasional, or has ceased to exist at all.
We love God, but have lost a sense of being ‘in love’ with Him. Our relationship with God has lost its freshness.
6. A Contributing Event
The state of spiritual dryness does not always creep up on us slowly. Trials or sudden trauma can result in us being depleted spiritually, as well as in other ways.
7. Negative Thinking
‘The Kingdom of God is… righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.’ (Rom 14:17)
When we are spiritually dry the atmosphere of heaven—righteousness, peace and joy—seems to evade us. Instead, we find it easier to give way to negative thinking. We falter in our ability to resist and ‘cast down’ destructive thoughts and emotions.
There is an Answer to Spiritual Dryness
The good news is that when we are spiritually dry, God has already initiated and provided the answer to our need.
In the next post, I will discuss some ways in which we can be replenished spiritually. In the meantime, here are some questions to consider:
Questions for Reflection:
- Do I have any of the above signs in my life at the moment—and to what degree? How long have I felt this way?
- What is the difference between emotional, mental, physical and spiritual depletion? How are they inter-related?
- What is God’s response to my spiritual depletion?
- What can I do this week to personally reconnect with God?
Can you think of some other signs of spiritual dryness? Have you ever experienced dryness or burnout and recovered? 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.
Related Posts:
7 Ways To Combat Spiritual Dryness
Escaping A Half-Lived Christian Life
The River Returns: How To Be Refilled With The Holy Spirit When You Are Dry
Prophetic People In Testing Times: The Reason For The Season
Hunger For God: 6 Ways You Can Stir It Up
© 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
Mon 16 Jan 2012
Selective hearing occurs when we tune in to what we want to hear, and zone out that which we do not want to listen to.
- Greg wonders why his boss does not seem to have heard his repeatedly expressed concerns about safety in the workplace, and yet jumps at the smallest complaint from customers.
- Kelly, a young mother, jokes with her friends about what she calls her husband’s ‘selective hearing.’ At night he seems to be oblivious to the baby’s cries, slumbering on while she wakes and attends to their son’s needs.
In spite of these examples, selective hearing can actually be a good thing. It is important to filter out those things that are clamouring for our attention, but are a distraction, or wrong and ungodly.
Selective Hearing in our Relationship with God
When selective hearing occurs in our relationship with God, we may genuinely believe that we are hearing from Him. However, the truth is that we are only listening to what He is saying to us on some issues. We have neglected to listen to His voice regarding other, important things.
I know that many of my readers have a great love for God and desire to serve Him. Like me, you may be involved in some kind of ministry or service, or helping people, or preparing for ministry.
When it comes to our ministry priorities, many of us eagerly listen and press in to God. But I believe He desires to encourage us to hear His voice in other areas of our lives.
The Father wants you to know that He knows and cares for every area of your life intimately. He does not have a hierarchy of concerns—every part of your life is valuable to Him.
Remember what Jesus said: ‘even the very hairs on your head are numbered.’ (Matt 10:30)
Signs that we are Selectively Hearing
Important areas that we may overlook in our conversations with God may include health, family, finances, relationships, our attitude and even the quality of our thought life.
We may be sincerely loving and serving God and even have an active devotional and prayer life. But if we do not communicate with God over the above vital areas in our lives, they begin to clamour for attention.
- Weaknesses in our health and general wellbeing begin to show—eventually they actually hinder us from doing what God has called us to do
- Relationships start to come under stress, and may begin to break down
- We feel stressed, or lack the joy that we are supposed to have in our service for God
- Our financial situation starts to slide, and so on
For example, as a writer, it is very easy for me to spend a lot of time sitting at the computer. This is a vital ministry role for me. But sometimes I work additional hours at the computer and do not spend sufficient time resting and walking and exercising. After a while my body starts to ache and complain because I am not living a balanced lifestyle and looking after my fitness and wellbeing.
If I were listening to God and following His leading in the area of my physical health, then I would be attentive to this.
Selective hearing does not just happen with ministry. We can also be focusing on some priorities in our lives to the exclusion of others—for example working hard in the area of fitness, but not spending quality time with our family.
Do a Self-Check for Selective Hearing
At this time of year especially, it is beneficial to do a self-check in each of the following things. Note: if you have recently had a holiday, think about the quality of your life immediately prior to your break.
- What is my body telling me?
- What is the quality (or lack of quality) in my close relationships telling me?
- What is my schedule saying?
- What about the state of my finances?
- Am I honouring God in my thought life?
- Am I communicating with and listening to God in each of these areas?
- What am I tolerating?
As you consider these questions, the Holy Spirit may bring another area to mind.
I have come to realise that selective hearing is defective hearing.
It is not honouring to God when important areas of our lives are not in submission to Him.
Samuel was one of the greatest prophets in the Bible. He had an intimate relationship with God, listened to His voice and instructed a nation in God’s ways. And yet, he did not pass on his spiritual values and legacy to his sons—they grew up to be godless men who neglected justice and took bribes. (1 Sam 8:1-4)
Talk with God about your Whole Life
One of the best things that I did last year was take a week’s break to get aside and relax and spend quality time talking with God with no ministry agenda. After a few days, I found myself talking to my Father about important things in my life that I did not normally take the time to pray about. There were things that I was tolerating, that I knew were not His best for me. I was able to be honest and to process some things. I came away with a renewed sense of vision for the whole area of my life, not just my vision for ministry.
Do you call Jesus Lord? Do not just listen to Him concerning the areas that satisfy your desire for fulfilment. Give Jesus the leadership of your whole life, not just a part.
The life that honours Him is one of balance and wisdom.
As you enter this New Year, take some time to meditate and pray about on these different areas in your life. And remember, you can be transparent in your dialogue with God. The Father’s love for you is intimate and all-encompassing, and no issue in your life is too small or too big for His interest and care.
Related Posts:
Jesus Is Lord: What Does This Mean In My Daily Life?
Your Prophetic And Christian Ministry Will Be Impacted By This Choice
How To Recover The Wonder Of Hearing God’s Voice
Do you have any further thoughts about the topic of hearing God’s voice? 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
Mon 13 Dec 2010
The Least Likely List
Do you have someone in your world right now whose heart seems hardened towards God?
Someone, who—if you were to make a list of those who would be least likely to become a Christian—would be first on that list?
Who else is on your list?
The imaginary list we have just made represents the PERCEPTION that we have about people close to us who do not yet know Jesus as their Saviour.
I believe that our Heavenly Father wants us to review our perception, shake it up and exchange it if need be—until we see people around our lives the way HE sees them.
The question is: will we?
Why the way we see People Around us is Important
The way we view people in our lives who don’t know God is vital:
- If we believe someone is hardened towards God and unlikely to become a Christian, that belief will affect our thoughts, prayers and actions towards that person.
- If we believe God is at work in a person’s life, we will be expectant and pray, speak and act accordingly.
Most often, we look at the evidence of our 6 senses—what we have seen and heard, as well as our history with people—and make a judgement about the state of their heart towards God and their potential for salvation.
But the Bible reveals a different viewpoint: the Father’s perspective.
The Father’s ‘Most Wanted List’
If Jesus’ disciples had a ‘Least Likely List’ of those God would welcome into His Kingdom, the Romans—despised, brutal invaders—would have been at the top of the list, followed closely by Gentiles and Samaritans.
But Jesus continually surprised them.
Time and time again, Jesus showed His disciples that those on their ‘Least Likely List’ were actually on the Father’s ‘Most Wanted List,’ along with everyone else.
A Roman commander came to him asking for healing for his daughter. Jesus healed his daughter with a word and praised him saying, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.” (Matt 8:10)
A Gentile woman came asking for deliverance for her daughter and the disciples wanted to send her away. Jesus tested her faith and then exclaimed, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” (Matt 15:28)
As Jesus ministered, He sought out the unloved, the unwanted, the despised. Tax collectors, prostitutes, criminals—all were welcome in God’s Kingdom.
One time, Jesus went out of His way to speak with a Samaritan woman with a bad reputation. An entire Samaritan city came to faith in Him after hearing the story of how she encountered Jesus.
Realising Jesus had been speaking with a Samaritan woman, the disciples were mystified. Jesus said to them, ‘Open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.’ (John 4:35)
I believe Jesus is speaking the same to us today:
‘Open your eyes and look at people—see them the way I see them. They are ready to come to Me.’
Heaven’s Perspective
Here are 4 insights that I believe are vital to having God’s perspective about people in our world who don’t know Him yet.
1. God is Already at Work In their Lives
Paul said in Acts 17: 26-27
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.
If there are people in your world, to whom you are connected in some way and who does not yet know Jesus, be assured that God is already at work in their lives.
The fact that God has arranged for them to be connected to you is just one evidence that He is already at work in their lives, positioning them to seek Him.
2. They are Created for Relationship with God
‘He [God] has set eternity in the hearts of men,’ states the writer of Ecclesiastes.
Peel away the layers and within every person is a need for God—a place of hunger that will only be fulfilled by a relationship with the Father through Jesus.
Created by God and for God, each person’s need for Him is written into his or her DNA.
In spite of what may be presenting, that inner need, the voice of the spirit within them, is continually letting them know of their need for God—even if they are currently trying to fill that need with other things.
3. Nothing They have Done Affects God’s Response to Them
As Jesus demonstrated, the worst of sinners are candidates for the grace of God.
Choices they have made seem to have led them further away from Him. The degree of possibility of their salvation—at least in our eyes—seems to be reduced.
Sometimes we have a personal history with people that gives us reason to believe they are unlikely to respond to God. We may even have been hurt by them.
But none of these things affects God’s heart towards them or His ability to reach and transform them. They are on His ‘Most Wanted List.’
4. Their Degree of Hardness of Heart does not Impact God’s Ability to Reach Them.
The Holy Spirit can break through the hardest of hearts. That is why you are His today. And what He has done for you, He can do for others.
It can happen in an instant. A criminal came to faith in Jesus in his dying moments on a cross. All it took was a one-sentence declaration of faith. (Luke 23:40-43)
Don’t be deterred by a person’s seeming attitude towards God. They might be a heartbeat away from faith.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view.
(2 Cor 5:16)
We tend to see people through the lens of our culture, our priorities, our opinions, and our personal history with them. It’s time to take off these glasses and see people the way that Jesus does.
When we do, faith will rise up in us. We will pray, speak and act accordingly, giving the Holy Spirit freedom to move through us. And miracles of salvation will result.
‘Open your eyes and look at people—see them the way I see them. They are ready to come to Me.’
Prayer
Who was on the top of your ‘least likely list? Let’s pray for him or her now:
Father, right now I bring _____ before Your throne.
Thank You that you are already at work in ____’s life, drawing him/her to You by Your Spirit.
Thank You that ____ is on Your ‘Most Wanted List’; that you sent Jesus to die for ____ that he/she would not perish, but have eternal life with You.
Send Your Spirit to reveal Jesus to him/her, to assure _________ of the truth of the message of salvation.
Lord, I ask that You would send Your angels to continue setting up Divine appointments. Connect _____ with your people who will speak words of life to him/her. Speak to _____ through circumstances and at every opportunity, day and night.
Help me in my relationship with _____ to take opportunities to share Your love, to speak Your word and to have timely insights to share. Anoint me by with Your Spirit to be Your representative to _______ . I choose to stir up my faith with regard to ________’s salvation.
In Jesus’ Name
If you you have any responses or experiences to share on this topic, I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment below. If the comments section is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.
Related Posts:
Divine Positioning: How To Be In The Right Place At The Right Time
Key To Prophetic Evangelism: What Is The Father Doing?
The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today
E-book: Pray For The Lost: Impact The Eternal Destiny Of Those You Love Through Prayer
© Helen Calder 2010
Enliven Publishing http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/
Now on team with David McCracken Ministries
Prayer is, in essence, communicating with God. It is not merely communicating to God—for He also wants to share with us in return. 
