‘It is the privilege of sons and daughters to feast at the Father’s table.’

For 450 years, Israel lived in slavery in Egypt. Now, God was teaching the nation a different way of living—a life of faith.

How Israel Lived under an Open Heaven

‘Yet he gave a command to the skies above and opened the doors of the heavens; he rained down manna for the people to eat, he gave them the grain of heaven.’ (Ps 78:23-24)

The Bible tells us that God opened heaven to provide miraculous provision to the nation of Israel during its wilderness wanderings.

But God’s supernatural supply of their needs did not stop there—the wilderness manna was a sign of what was to come.

Israel’s destiny was to live in Canaan and continue a lifestyle of faith—dependent upon God for heaven-sent rain.

‘The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.’ (Deut 28:12)

Everything that is recorded in the Bible about Israel’s history is for our benefit and instruction. (1 Cor 10:11) The nation of Israel had to learn how to live by the provision of an open heaven, and so can we. [1]

Here are some principles we can learn from Israel’s history:

How to Position for an Open Heaven

1. Understand the Heart of the Father

We need to understand God’s motivation, in Israel’s history and for us today. He isn’t looking for dependent servants—He is seeking relationship. He desires sons and daughters.

 “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son… I led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love. To them I was like one who lifts a little child to the cheek, and I bent down to feed them.’ (Hosea 11:1, 4)

The manna, the rain, were a revelation: not of provision, but of a Provider; a loving Father.

2. Intimacy and Obedience

The nation of Israel was in the right place, at the right time for a miracle.

And the reason that Israel was positioned for a heavenly miracle of provision was because one man—Moses—had an intimate relationship with God.

Having heard God’s voice, Moses was able to lead Israel in obedience to Him.  Moses later left written instructions so that Israel could continue to live in obedience and reap the heavenly blessings.

Intimacy with the Father is the starting point for our miracle of provision. When we hear Him speak to us, and move out in faith upon His instruction, we will be in the right place, at the right time, for a miracle of supernatural supply.

3. Change your Source: Move from Self-Effort to Dependency Upon God

Having moved out in faith, Israel had no source of supply other than God. In Deut 11, God spoke to Israel, saying:

‘The land you are entering to take over is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you planted your seed and irrigated it by foot as in a vegetable garden. But the land you are crossing the Jordan to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drinks rain from heaven… So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul—then I will send rain on your land in its season.’ (Deut 11:10-11, 13-14)

Here, God is comparing the resources of Egypt with that of Canaan. The source of Egypt’s life-giving water was the river Nile. It was predictable and safe. It was self-sufficient, but a limited means of supply.

The Nile’s water could be accessed by man-powered irrigation. When the Nile flooded, irrigation would take place naturally, but during the remainder of the year, it was hard manual labour to pump the water into the fields.

In Canaan, however, the countryside was primarily irrigated by rainfall—and dependent upon those rains coming in their due seasons.

The picture is of an entire nation dependent upon the rain. Even their yearly calendar revolved around the seasons and the crops, which revolved around the rains coming in their due seasons.

And God made it clear that He was the source of the rain and that He could pour it out or withhold it at will.

He said, ‘Serve Me with gladness and obedience and I will send the rain. Turn away from Me, and you will remove yourself from that open heaven—because you and I were meant to do this together. You were never meant to be alone.’ (See Deut 28)

4. Become a Co-Labourer with God

The life of faith is one partnership and co-labour together with God. Even though God sent the manna, the people of Israel still had to collect it, prepare it and cook it. (Num 11:7-9)

Even though God sent the rain upon the land of Canaan, the people still had to labour and toil the ground.

Likewise, in order to position for God’s provision for our lives, we still need to work hard, to follow Biblical principles and to exercise wisdom as well as faith. We also partner with God through prayer.

5. Change Your Preferences

It is not easy to live a life of faith. It is not easy to trust God for His supply when He instructs you to step out in obedience to Him. As it is often said, FAITH is spelled ‘R-I-S-K.’

It is an amazing thing that having left a life of slavery, many Israelites still craved the provisions of Egypt. (Numbers 11)

When the Israelites said, let’s choose a leader and go back to Egypt, (Numbers 14:1-4) they were saying,

• We want safety, we want predictability
• We want to do things our own way, in our own strength
• We want to be self-sufficient

They were really rejecting God Himself. Sadly, they preferred bondage with familiarity, to freedom and having to go out on a limb to trust God.

6. Celebrate God’s Provision

The Feasts and celebrations of Israel were established around the seasons and the provision of rainfall.

Like Israel, we need to ‘mark the moment’ and celebrate and remember God’s supply for our lives, our families, our churches and ministries, and our communities.

He is a faithful and loving Father.

 ‘It is the privilege of sons and daughters to feast at the Father’s table.’

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic? 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.

Notes:

[1]. Last week, I shared that an open heaven is the inheritance of every Christian believer.  ‘An open heaven is a state where there are no barriers between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm—the throne of God, and all the resources of heaven… These resources include the Holy Spirit, salvation, provision and blessing, miraculous intervention and angelic help in answer to prayer.’
For more information, see the following post:
An Open Heaven Is Your Inheritance

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

The journey being longer than the day, he lay down on the hard ground with a stone for a pillow.

There was nothing in Jacob’s life that indicated what would happen next. His past was a mess—his future seemed uncertain. His hope was that a relative in a distant place would give him refuge.

But that night, he dreamed of a stairway reaching from earth into heaven, upon which angels were ascending and descending.

Above the staircase stood Almighty God. He spoke to Jacob of the covenantal promises given to Abraham and Isaac, and now passed on to Jacob.

Jacob’s life was changed by the revelation of an open heaven above his life. [1] There was nothing he had done to deserve it. God’s favour towards Jacob was based on covenant, not on personal merit.

Jacob was an heir to the promises. And like Jacob, we are heirs of a covenant; not through anything we could achieve ourselves, but by grace, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

An Open Heaven: Our Inheritance

When Jesus was baptised, Mark tells us that the heavens were ‘torn open’ as the Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove. (Mark 1:10) [2]

Jesus lived and ministered under this open heaven. He was in touch with the Father at all times. Nothing was impossible. Demons fled, diseases were healed; even death could not stand in His way.

Heaven’s supernatural resources were made available to Jesus as He prayed and did what He saw the Father doing. (John 5:19)

When the veil tore open at Jesus’ crucifixion (Matt 27:51), the heavens were opened permanently for all who would believe in Him and become children of God—for Jesus Himself is the stairway to heaven. (John 1:51, John 14:6)

Then, on the day of Pentecost, the Spirit of God baptised the waiting believers. (Acts 2)

Everything that was available to Jesus to accomplish the Father’s will is also available to us today. Jesus would not say, ‘Follow Me,’ if that were not the case. Living under an open heaven is our inheritance, and it should be our expectation.

What is Available to us Through an Open Heaven?

An open heaven is a state where there are no barriers between the earthly realm and the heavenly realm—the throne of God, and all the resources of heaven.

As sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father, we can live in the constant awareness that nothing separates us from our Father and His resources.

Here are some things that the Bible reveals are available to us through an open heaven. I encourage you to look up and meditate on the following scripture verses.

1. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit

(Matt 3:16, Acts 2)

2. Provision and blessing

(Deut 28:12, Mal 3:10)

3. Salvation—Ourselves and Others

(Isaiah 45:8)

4. Prophetic Revelation and God’s Throne

(Exodus 24:9-11, Ezek 1:1)

5. Angelic activity in Response to God’s Command, bringing Supernatural Answers to Prayer

(Ps 103:129-21)

The House of God

Many Christians associate an open heaven primarily with angelic activity, however as we can see from above, that is just one aspect.

We need to guard against becoming preoccupied with angels. Jacob did not name the place where the heavens opened to him, ‘Dwelling of Angels.’ He named it Bethel, ‘House of God.’

The revelation he received of God that day was so profound that later God would re-introduce Himself to Jacob as ‘The God of Bethel.’

In another era and on another journey, Elisha had to pass a test in order to bear the mantle and authority of Elijah. Would he keep his eyes fixed on his spiritual father to the very end? Or would he be distracted by the brilliance of the glorious carriers—the chariots of God?

When the heavens opened to Stephen, Ezekiel and John, they saw the throne of God.

I want to have my focus on the throne—‘where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.’ (Col 3:1)

There is the source of our life, and our authority. There, we seek the Father’s will and directive, knowing that the resources of heaven—including the angelic hosts—are released at His word and by our partnership with Him in prayer.

As Jesus said,

 “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’” Matthew 6:9-10

The Glorious Revelation

A revelation of what Jesus has done in opening heaven to us will change the way we pray.

• It will change the way we see
• It will change the way we think and act
• We will be conscious of what Father is doing ‘NOW’ and the resources that are available to us ‘NOW’
• We will have confidence in exercising our authority
• Our faith will be increased
• We will live in constant expectation

We will live centred upon God.

Do you have any experiences or questions to share on this topic? 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.

Notes

[1] You can read this story in Genesis 28.

[2] I recommend Bill Johnson’s message, ‘You Already have an Open Heaven.’  You can find it on YouTube here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RULjmyJbQs8

Related Posts:

No Longer Waiting for Revival

© Helen Calder 2011 Enliven Blog

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

As a result, we are naturally curious about what prophetic voices around the world are saying.

In today’s global community, a prophet may not even visit our nation, let alone our church, and yet still influence us because of the capabilities of the Internet, email, and related media.

I believe it is vital that we exercise wisdom in discerning both the prophetic messages and the ministries that are broadcasting globally.

How do we discern what is of God, from amongst the many voices that claim to be prophetic in the world today?

The Importance of Weighing up Prophetic Ministry

The Bible teaches us that we should weigh up prophecy and prophetic ministries carefully. (1 Thess 5:21, 1 Cor 14:29, 1 John 4:1)

Jesus warned that false prophets would come on the scene and deceive ‘even the elect’ with signs and wonders. (Matt 24:24)

Even though this is the extreme scenario, Jesus’ warning is a reminder that accurate predictions, signs, miracles or spiritual experiences do not of themselves validate a prophetic word or ministry.

John wrote,

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1-2)

‘Many’ means a lot. Even so, we should not draw back in fear, but take Paul’s wise advice:

Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. (1 Thess 5:19-21)

So I believe the key question is not, ’Should we test prophetic ministries’, but ’How do we test them?’

How To Weigh Up a Prophetic Ministry

In the early days of growing in prophetic ministry, I did not exercise care in discerning the prophetic ministry that I received from or associated with.

As a result of being led along a pathway of prophetic independence, my heart, church and ministry suffered. I thank God for the gift of repentance and for the help and leadership He has given me along the way. [1]

Following are some characteristics that I believe are vital to exercising balanced prophetic ministry today.

(Note that I am not referring to testing a prophetic ministry in the context of church life—which is another topic, although many of the following points do apply).

A. Ministering out of a New Testament Paradigm

We can learn a lot from studying the lives and ministry of prophets in the Old Testament. However, there are some crucial differences between Old and New Testament prophetic ministry.

John The Baptist was the last prophet in the Old Testament era.

Jesus’ death, resurrection and ascension ushered in a new age; the church was born. From that period on, prophetic ministry is a function of the church body.

Prophetic ministries that model their ministry on an Old Testament paradigm may miss some of the key attributes of New Testament prophetic ministry, such as:

• Being part of the church community (Acts 13:1, 1 Cor 12:27-28)
• Having a primary purpose of equipping, encouraging and strengthening the church (Eph 4:11-13, 1 Cor 14:3, Acts 15:32)
• Prophecy being confirmation, or subject to being confirmed[2]
• Accountability and the need for testing prophetic words (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:19-21), and most importantly—
• Revealing the heart of the Father—the grace of God—as seen in Jesus (John 14:9, Rev 19:10b)

Setting aside these characteristics of NT prophetic ministry results in abuses and extremes in the prophetic movement today. [3]

B. Accountability

Jesus commended the Centurion who recognised that the release of God’s power came from being under authority. (Matt 8:5-13)

If I don’t know ministries personally, I look to see to whom they are accountable. Are they reporting to a board or other mature apostolic oversight? Are they connected to a local church?

It is easy for ministries to have the appearance of accountability on their website. However the prophet’s testimony (life journey or ministry stories) may give more insight into whether or not true accountability exists:

• Do they describe the importance that leaders and community have played in their journey, or do they boast of being trained directly by God?
• Do they have accountability in place regarding spiritual insights and experiences, or do they describe supernatural encounters without reference to them being weighed up and tested?

Paul reported to church leaders both in Jerusalem and in his sending church of Antioch (Acts 14:26-28, Acts 15:2, Gal 2:1-2)

If the Apostle Paul, to whom God entrusted direct revelation and who wrote scripture, was accountable to church leaders, shouldn’t we be?

Other glimpses of accountability in the New Testament include:

• In Acts 15:32-35, the prophets Silas and Judas were sent from the church in Jerusalem to the church in Antioch.

• In the New Testament we see less of the individual prophet and more of prophetic teams – e.g. Acts 15:32, Acts 13:1, Acts 11:27, 1 Cor 14:29, 31-32.

• Even Agabus a noted prophet in the New Testament, was part of a prophetic group from the church in Jerusalem. (Acts 11:27)

Demonstration of accountability also reflects an attitude of humility and teachability—two vital attributes in prophetic ministry.

C. Loving the Church

Love for people and for the church is vital in prophetic ministry (1 Cor 13:2).
How does this relate to the many prophetic ministries today who believe they have a mandate from God to address areas of weakness in the church?

Words of Correction

Two prophetic words address weakness or sin in the church. Both have the same insights. Yet one is sourced in the spirit of ‘accuser of the brethren,’ whilst the other is of the Spirit of God and expresses the Father’s heart. How can this be?

Jesus is not ‘soft on sin’ in His church. In His letters to the churches in the book of Revelation, Jesus rebukes and corrects the church (He also gives some of the most powerful promises in the Bible).

The person Jesus chose to receive and convey this prophetic revelation of warning and rebuke was the Apostle John.

John had not only helped build the church, but he also served and loved the church—to the point that he paid the ultimate price of laying down his own life.

Here are some questions to consider the next time you hear a prophetic ministry exposing and rebuking sin in the church:

• Is he or she recognised and received as a builder of the church—or on the contrary, known as someone who consistently tears the church and its leaders down? (1 Cor 14:12, 2 Cor 10:8)
• Does he or she love the church—and how has this love been demonstrated?

C. Questions to Ask

Following are some more questions that may assist in weighing up prophetic ministries (and that we need to look for in ourselves):

1. Do They Exhibit a Godly Lifestyle & Character?

An intimate relationship with God is central to prophetic ministry. However, this is not displayed in the quality of supernatural experiences a person claims to have had.

It is revealed as he or she bears the likeness of Jesus. (Acts 4:13, 2 Cor 3:18). Humility, integrity, faith, grace towards people, honour towards other Christian leaders and a moral lifestyle are all hallmarks of a life lived with God.

2. Who recognises / endorses their ministry?

• Are respected ministries and churches receiving these prophets?
• If they are prophesying concerning nations, do they actually have the ear of governing leaders?
• What do other prophetic ministries say concerning their prophetic insights (1 Cor 14:29)
• And closer to home, would my own church leaders recommend these ministries, or caution against them?

3. What is Their Fruit?

Jesus said, ‘By their fruit you shall know them.’ (Matt 7:15)

• Is their ministry bearing fruit? If so—what? If they are calling for repentance, for example, is the Holy Spirit actually using their ministries to turn people from sin and to Jesus?

4. Are They Exalting Jesus?

Signs, wonders, angels, supernatural experiences or prophetic accuracy may draw people’s attention, but do not validate a prophetic ministry.

• We should always be looking to see whether ministries are making Jesus the focus.
• Is revealing the heart, mind and intention of the Father the primary mandate of this ministry?

I would love to hear what others think about this topic. To view or contribute to this discussion, leave a comment below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Next week I will share part 2 of this series, including some thoughts about prophetic words that foretell natural disasters and world events.

Notes:

[1] I share my story in my book, ‘Prophetic People In A Changing Church.’ To learn more about my testimony, click on this link for the ‘About’ page. To find out more about the book, visit http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/e-books/prophetic-people-e-book/

[2] In the New Testament Church, all believers have the Spirit of God and can hear God’s word and receive guidance for themselves. Christian leaders have the ability to hear from God in relation to their roles and the oversight they have been given. The prophetic voice should either bring clarity and confirmation to what is already received—or be confirmed by what others then hear.

[3] See also the following post: Differences Between Old And New Testament Prophetic Ministry.

Graham Cooke deals with this subject well in his book, ‘Developing Your Prophetic Gifting’ in the chapter ‘The Role Of The Christian Prophet.’ If you are interested in exploring this topic more, I recommend looking it up, as he covers some different points to those I have touched on above.

He notes,

‘’Sadly far too many people are displaying an Old Testament ministry and personality in a New Testament Church setting. This I believe accounts for the large number of horror stories, misunderstandings and misrepresentations which belittle the prophetic ministry and discredit the gift.’(P 201)

[Graham Cooke Developing Your Prophetic Gifting’ 1994 Sovereign World Ltd Kent England]

© Helen Calder 2011    Enliven Publishing Blog

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

As I have done so, I have been continually drawn back to the words:

‘Year Of Visitation.’

At first, I hesitated. The words, ‘Year of Visitation’ were already familiar to me.

You see, this past year so many extraordinary things had taken place for The Hunk and me, that as the year was drawing to a close, I dubbed 2010, ‘Year Of Visitation.’

To be honest, this was a bit scary. How do you follow up a year like we have had? I found myself being lured back into an ‘orphan mindset.’ [1] I was being tempted to fear that in 2011 the Presence and work of God in our lives would wane.

Thankfully, as I have prayed for you, the Spirit has also lovingly addressed and corrected my own thinking.

Divine visitation should not be the exception; instead, it should be our expectation as we approach the New Year.

You and I can have a ‘Year Of Visitation’ in 2011. The key lies in understanding what that means, and positioning for it in faith.

Visitation from God is a Biblical Concept

When God visits, supernatural breakthroughs occur. Prophetic words are fulfilled, seasons are shifted and new things are brought to birth [2]. Jesus gets the glory.

So—what does it mean, Biblically, to have a season of visitation from God? And how can we position ourselves for it?

Following are 6 of the times that the Bible tells us God visited His people.

As you read these accounts, there may be one or two that particularly resonate with you. If that happens, allow the Spirit of God to ignite faith in your heart, that His Word will be fulfilled in your life in the coming year.

1. Fulfilment of Prophecy & Removal of Barrenness

‘And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did for Sarah as He had spoken.’ (Gen 21:1) [3]

A visitation of God broke the long season of barrenness in Sarah’s life, resulting in fulfilment of prophecy and the birth of Isaac, whose name meant ‘laughter.’

2. Recognising God Has Seen our Pain and Come to Act on Behalf of His People

‘When they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.’ Ex 4:31

A visitation of God broke the long season of Israel’s bondage in Egypt. They realised God had not left them alone in their suffering, but was intimately concerned for them. His power was about to be revealed.

3. Divine Help And Provision

‘ Then [Naomi] arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the LORD had visited His people by giving them bread.’ (Ruth 1:6)

A visitation of God broke a long season of famine in Bethlehem, Judah.

The rumour of God’s goodness reached Naomi, who was estranged and widowed in the country of Moab. God’s visitation impacted her personally as her inheritance and family line was restored.

4. Restoration of Inheritance and Homecoming

‘For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place.’ (Jer 29:10)

A visitation of God broke the long season of Judah’s exile, and they returned to Jerusalem at His appointed time.

5. The Ultimate Visitation—Jesus

“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people…the Dayspring from on high has visited us” (Luke 1:68,78)

In the New Testament, Zacharias understood that the ultimate visitation of God to His people was fulfilled in the birth of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

6. Outpourings of the Holy Spirit

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord…” (Acts 3:19)

From the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 and throughout church history, we understand visitations of the Holy Spirit to be times of outpouring, bringing refreshing and empowering to God’s people.

3 Ways To Position For Divine Visitation

When God moves on our behalf, or in the lives of others around us, it is not because we deserve it—it is on the basis of Jesus’ shed blood, and the Father’s favour and mercy.

We cannot earn His visitation—however, we can position ourselves to enter into what the Father wants to do.

As you will see, the key to 2011 being a ‘Year Of Visitation’ lies in our relationship with God.

1. Understand God’s Timing

The primary key to experiencing Divine visitation lies in understanding the timing of God for our lives.

In each of the above situations in scripture, it was God’s time to act. For example:

• Sarah’s pregnancy with Isaac
• The four hundred years in Egypt come to its conclusion
• The seventy years in Babylon completed
• The birth of Jesus

You may know that there are two Greek words for time in the New Testament: The first is ‘chronos.’ This refers to ‘clock time’ or ‘calendar time.’ It is the word used for general time. [4]
The second Greek word for time is ‘kairos.’ Kairos means ‘due time, a fixed time, a season, or an OPPORTUNE time.’

A pregnancy is a great example of the two types of time. Approximately 9 months of ‘chronos’ time pass. But the moment comes when it is time to give birth. That moment is ‘kairos’—the due time.

God always desires to bring people closer to Himself, to fill us with His Spirit, to act on our behalf.

But we also need to see as Jesus did, what the Father is doing ‘now.’ (John 5:19)

Jesus always walked in the kairos time of God—and we can too.

Here are some arenas you might like to seek God for His kairos timing both now and throughout the coming year.

Ask, “Father, what are You doing in these areas?”

• A fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit
• An area of your life that needs breakthrough
• Family members and relationships
• Non-Christians that are around your life
• A shift of season

Prayer journaling is a great way to communicate with Him and record His response. [5]

2. Pray in the Season of Visitation

‘You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.’ (Jer 29:13)

When God spoke these words to Judah, He was saying, in effect, ‘When the kairos time comes for Me to deliver you, you will seek Me—and I will answer and deliver you.’ (see Jer 29:10-14)

The prophet Zechariah put this well when he said,

‘Ask the LORD for rain in the time of the latter rain.’ Zech 10:1

The prophet was saying, when it’s God’s kairos time, pray!

When we pray, we acknowledge that we cannot fulfil God’s plan through our own efforts. We need His help.

When that prayer is answered, Jesus gets the credit for what takes place.

3. Participate With God Through Acts of Obedience

When we have prayed, it is time look for ways to cooperate with the Holy Spirit. We want to participate with God in His work.

If God asks us to do something specific, an act of obedience can bring a powerful breakthrough.

Goliath was killed by the word of the Lord AND by a stone from David’s sling (1 Samuel 17). God provided food for a widow and her son, but first, she had to give away the last of what she had to Elijah (1 Kings 17:7-16).

Sometimes, however, it is not about doing anything except simply receiving—equally an act of obedience.

There are times to contend, and there are also times to just open our hands and say, ‘Thank you Lord.’

For we are His sons and daughters, and what we receive from Him, we receive by inheritance.

Through our relationship with God, we can experience the ongoing visitation of God in our lives—to move from visitation to habitation.

This is the desire of my heart. Is it yours?

Do you have any thoughts or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the space below. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Notes and Related Posts:

[1] An orphan mindset is ‘Fatherless thinking.’ I share about this in the following post:

Breaking Free From An Orphan Mindset

[2] Our friend Steve McCracken from David McCracken Ministries has said: “The two phrases I am feeling for 2011 are a year of achievement and a
year of new things. I believe it is to be a year of firsts.”

[3] These scriptures are all quoted in the New King James Version (NKJV)

[4] VINE, M.A. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words.  1985. Virginia: MacDonald.

An example of ‘chronos’ is in Matt 2:7. ‘Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time (chronos) the star had appeared.’

An example of ‘kairos’ is in Gal 6:9. ‘Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time (kairos) we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.’ (See also 2 Cor 6:1-2)

[5] For an explanation and examples of prayer journaling, see the following post:

Activate Your Prophetic Gift Through Prayer Journaling

© Helen Calder 2011    Enliven Publishing

http://enlivenpublishing.com/blog/

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

A mother chicken took pity on the apparently orphaned eagle and raised the baby as her own.

As it grew, the young eagle pecked and shuffled along the ground along with its chicken siblings, having never learned that life could be any different.

One day it looked up at an eagle soaring high in the sky and marvelled…

The Orphan Mindset

In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 1:5

As sons and daughters of a living God we should bear the family likeness and carry out the family business.

But we will never fulfil our potential or live a supernatural Christian life while we are living with an orphan mindset.

Until we do, we will live like the eagle in the story, believing that we are subject to limitations that do not exist.

We need to fully comprehend the Family that we belong to.

Recently I wrote a post entitled, ‘No Longer An Orphan: How I Discovered The Father’s Love.’

I have come to realise that it is possible to experience significant healing in this area, and yet still be restricted by orphan (Fatherless) thinking.

I can pay mental assent to the truth of my acceptance as a child of my Heavenly Father, and yet my feelings and responses sometimes reveal a deep-set belief that God has left me to live life alone and apart from Him.

Like other ‘strongholds’ in our minds [1], this way of thinking needs to be recognised and expelled from our lives and replaced with the truth of God’s Word.

So how do we recognise and deal with an orphan mindset?

In previous posts I have discussed the orphan spirit as it relates to our relationship with God as Father.Here are two further areas that I have been challenged over recently:

Signs of an Orphan Mindset

1. We have an orphan mindset when contemplating what God has called us to do continually makes us feel inadequate or afraid.

Jesus said,

I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth… I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. (John 14:16,18)

An important aspect of ‘comprehending the Family that we belong to’ is being aware of the relationship of the Holy Spirit to us.

The reality is that we will never be or do what Father has called us to, without the Presence and enabling power of the Holy Spirit.

So why do we often feel alone?

Here are two questions to consider:

• How would my life be different if I brought the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence into the picture of my life?
• How could I live if I took into account, not my own inability, but His ability, for every moment, every challenge, both present and future?

2. We have an orphan mindset when we believe that it is impossible to follow in Jesus’ steps.

Like the young eagle gazing at the eagle soaring in the sky, I look at the life of Jesus presented in the Gospels and wonder.

Can I really aspire to be like Him?

I know I am called to be a disciple—follower—of Jesus, my life a reflection of His.

Somehow, it is much easier to relate to the unlikely heroes of Scripture—those flawed and sinful people that God used to change history—than to Jesus.

And yet, Jesus’ life is the picture of what my life can look like.

The Apostle Paul puts it this way in Romans 8:29:

‘For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.’

Or as Eugene H. Peterson puts it in ‘The Message,’
“We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in [Jesus]”(Rom 8:29)

As children of God, we are created in His image and share His family likeness—His DNA. The same Holy Spirit that anointed Jesus also lives in us.

We are called to be Jesus disciples—but orphan thinking will cause us to be His followers in name only.

To be a disciple of Jesus requires us to actually live with and to learn from Him in the same way that His disciples did in the Gospels.

This comes not only from Bible study, but also by living life with Him as a present and continual experience.

An orphan belief system will act as a veil that will keep us from encountering Jesus and having a face-to-face relationship with him.

Prayer to be Released from the Orphan Mindset

Perhaps you can identify with some of the struggles I have shared above. You might like to join me in this prayer:

Father, I am sorry for the times that I do not recognise and embrace the truth of my relationship to You—that I am your fully loved and fully accepted child.

I repent of the times I feel and act as though I am an orphan alone, when Jesus has paid the highest price of His life that I might be a member of your family.

I renounce [refuse to have any longer] the orphan mindset, with all of its lies, rejection and unbelief, especially… [include anything specific God has shown you]

I ask that by Your Spirit you will continue to expose and deal with any residue of orphan thinking in my life.

Thank You for the gift of new life and for receiving me into Your Family. I choose to believe the truth of who I am in relationship to You and who You are in relationship to me… [include any relevant scripture references here]

In Jesus’ Name.

[1] A stronghold is a belief system that is contrary to what the Bible teaches. For more information see 2 Corinthians 10:3-6

Do you have any thoughts or experiences to share on this topic? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment in the box below. If the comments area is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.

Orphan V Sonship Message on MP3:

We need a Kingdom Perspective if we are going to fulfil our destiny. Is your perspective that of being a child of a loving Father—or is an orphan mindset affecting your response to God? Identifying the difference will change your life!
To listen to my message on ‘Kingdom Perspective,’ visit the Podcast page or click here.

Recommended Reading:

Ephesians Chapter 1

Romans Chapter 8

Related posts:

No Longer An Orphan: How I Discovered The Father’s Love

How Your Perspective Can Impact Your Destiny

© Helen Calder   2010  Enliven Publishing

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries

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.

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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’

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Related posts:

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

How To Be a Supernatural Christian: The Good News

The Greatest Evangelist In The World Today

© Helen Calder  2010   Enliven Publishing

• Roughly packaged treasures from small children,
• Innocuous cards containing expensive surprises,
• The smallest of presents from the largest of hearts

To accept or reject a gift based on its external presentation would be unthinkable.

This week I have been reading the Christmas accounts in Luke and Matthew and wondering again at the priceless treasure hidden in a stable and cradled in a manger—Jesus, Immanuel, God With Us.
The packaging may have been rough and ordinary, but this gift was also gilded with unexpected lashings of heavenly glory.

After 400 years of prophetic silence in the land of Israel, angels burst upon the scene bringing the word of the Lord direct from God’s throne.

And people—not prophets as of old, but ordinary people—are filled with the Holy Spirit and bring prophetic proclamations.

As Luke recounts events surrounding the birth of Jesus, my ‘Spirit Filled Life Bible’ makes the margin note, ‘..the new era is signalled by the renewal of the gift of prophecy, which has been dormant…’
I muse on the angelic and prophetic activity recorded by Luke, in the first two chapters alone:

• The angel Gabriel appears to Zacharias, bringing God’s word and instruction concerning John (Luke 1:11-22)
• The angel Gabriel is sent to Mary (Luke 1:26)
• Elizabeth makes a prophetic proclamation concerning Jesus (Luke 1:41-45)
• Zaharias prophesies (Luke 1:67-79)
• An angelic visitation to shepherds in the fields (Luke 2:8-15)
• Simeon prophesies over the baby Jesus (Luke 2:25-32)
• Anna prophesies concerning Jesus (Luke 2:36-38)

Matthew adds to this, instances of angelic guidance in dreams to Joseph and the wise men (Matt 1:20-23, Matt 2:1-15).

These events are not limited to the occurrences surrounding Jesus’ birth. Throughout the book of Acts prophetic guidance and yes, angelic activity, continue to be a part of the normal early church experience (see Acts 1:10, 5:19, 8:26, 10:3, 12:7, 27:23 for accounts of angels, before we even start on prophecy and signs).

Supernatural is now the new normal, testifying of Jesus and attributing to His saving grace and Divine intervention.

As I meditate upon this, I find it incredibly challenging.

What if the gift of God’s Presence, this year and beyond, was to come in unexpected wrapping? What if I failed to see it because I was looking for something else—or worse, dismissed it out of hand?

I am comfortable with prophecy and have grown to expect the occasional spiritual dream. But angels and signs? Reading Luke, I realise, with dismay, that I tend to rate some types of supernatural activity as acceptable and normal, and others as unexpected and abnormal.

I wouldn’t consider picking and choosing gifts under the tree based on the colour or packaging or size. So why would I do this with the gift of God?

As we enter the New Year, let’s be open to whatever way God chooses to manifest His purposes and His activity in our lives, our churches and in those around us. Let’s look for Him both in the rough and ordinary, and the supernatural, glorious and unforeseen.

Let’s enter the coming year EXPECTANT.

With prayers for a blessed Christmas from my house to yours!

Related Posts:

Christmas Advent Is A Time To Encounter God

© Helen Calder 2009 Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

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

We don’t know how we could ever be like that! It may be helpful to know that even mature prophets receive prophetic words the same way that we can—and it starts with receiving a simple revelation from God.

In Pt 1 of this series, we discussed 5 links in the process of prophecy:

1. We receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit

2. We assess the revelation and how to best communicate it in a prophetic message

3. We then deliver the prophecy to the person or group God is speaking to

4. The recipient(s) of the prophecy assess the message

5. The recipient(s) of the prophecy may or may not pray or take further action in response to the word.

Prophecy begins with receiving a revelation from the Holy Spirit.

The word ‘revelation’ in the New Testament Greek, apokalupsis, means ‘an uncovering,’ or disclosure. The Holy Spirit is showing us something that we could not know by natural means. He is revealing something supernaturally about the person, group or situation that we are praying about or ministering to.

A revelation can be a word of knowledge about something past or present, an encouraging outcome from a present circumstance, or illuminating God’s plans concerning the future. [A revelation may also contain a warning or a condition—however when you are first learning to prophesy, these are best submitted to leadership for oversight before delivery].

A revelation from God does not come externally; if you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit, He resides within you. As Jesus said,

‘“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit’ (John 7:38-39).

You receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit in your spirit, which is then imparted to your mind or through your physical senses.

Here are some ways in which a revelation can come to you:

• You are reminded of a Bible verse or story—or one is highlighted to you when you are reading the Bible*
• You ‘see’ a picture in your mind’s eye
• An idea or impression comes to mind
• You feel something emotionally or physically
• A word comes to mind or you ‘see’ a written word in your imagination

Other ways God can speak through revelation are:

• Dreams
• Waking visions (like a movie in your imagination)
• Something that you see physically is symbolic (for example, you are driving along and a sign impacts you. You realise that God is speaking through it, or you see a person who reminds you of someone else)
• He may also speak through another person

*Note that scripture is not only one of the primary ways that we receive revelation from the Holy Spirit, it is also the means of weighing up whether God is speaking to us and what He is saying. We will cover this in the next post.

There are many different ways that God can bring revelation to you when you are open to receiving it. Like a fingerprint, God’s way of speaking to and through you will be unique to you. In the Bible, we see that every prophet had his or her own flavour and style.

As you begin the journey of seeking for revelation from God, remember that he is your Heavenly Father; He wants to give good gifts to you and He wants to bless others through you too. Jesus said,

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

Receiving revelatory knowledge from the Holy Spirit is a first step in operating in the spiritual gift of prophecy. It can also be an important lead in to operating in other supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit such as discernment, word of knowledge, healing, deliverance and miracles.

Remember that receiving revelatory knowledge is a ministry tool and a helpful means of learning to hear from God for others and us; it should never become a quest in itself. Rather, we should hunger and thirst for God and make the Bible our primary source of instruction and wisdom.

In my next blog post, I will be looking at ‘How Can We Tell a Revelation is From God?’ From there, we will move on to how to interpret a revelation, and then explore some ways to deliver the prophetic message God has given to you.

If you have any more ideas of different ways of receiving revelation from the Holy Spirit, or an experience you would like to share, I would love to hear from you—leave a note in the comments below.

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles about prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living.
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See also:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understand the Process of Prophecy

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelation Is From God

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom’ (Luke 12:32).

Like the sheep of San Remo, however, we can only dimly perceive God’s Kingdom due to our earthbound state. God’s remedy for our condition can be found in ‘portal moments,’ those instances of unmistakeable, supernatural, divine intervention.

Portal moments can occur in the small passing moments of God-awareness, such as my pause of enjoyment at San Remo. But they can also occur in the larger breakthroughs of life.

We have portal moments when:

• God speaks to us personally
• Prayer is answered
• God’s intervention or guidance is the only explanation for something that has taken place
• We or someone else around us is saved, healed, or set free

Such portal moments are God announcing, ‘The Kingdom is here!’

When Jesus sent out His disciples, He instructed them, ‘Heal the sick who are there and tell them, “The kingdom of God is near you.”’ (Luke 10:9).

It was not only the message that gained the attention of people; it was the healing, miracles and the display of God’s authority over the demonic realm. The message and the supernatural demonstration of God’s power are supposed to go together. It is God’s way—and yet I have settled for much less than that.

Should we ask for portal moments?

The prophet cried, ‘Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down!’ (Isaiah 64:1).

The early church cried out, ‘Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus!” (Acts 4:30)

Apparently crying out to God for portal moments is His idea.

That’s what prayer is about: asking the Father for an act of divine intervention. However, I often neglect to do this. Sometimes this is because I am disillusioned about prayers that (from my earthly perspective) seem to have gone unanswered. But by far the most frequent reason that I don’t ask or look for portal moments is that it is simply easier to go along with the ordinary than to be a supernatural Christian.

Sometimes, I don’t expect portal moments because deep down, I don’t believe I deserve them.

Jacob had a portal moment at one of the lowest times of his life. He had failed, grasping for the promised blessing of God through lies and deceit. Now, it seemed he had lost everything, and his own brother was plotting to kill him. He was on his way into exile (you can read this story in the Bible, in Genesis 27-28).

Stopping for the night and using a rock for a pillow, he dreamed of a stairway reaching between heaven and earth to the place where he was. Angels descended and ascended and God stood at the top, and spoke to him reaffirming His promises of blessing.

When he awoke, he said, ‘Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.’ (Gen 28:16).

Like Jacob, or the sheep at San Remo, I do not always discern God’s presence and Kingdom, and the darkest of times I expect His intervention the least. I stop reaching for answers to prayer.

And then a Divine act of mercy provides me with a miracle, a provision, a healing, a message or a light of hope at the end of my tunnel. Like Jacob, I am reminded that God is still with me, just as He has promised.

I am currently being challenged both to ask for and to expect portal moments. Not only for my own benefit, and not even solely for those around me who need to know that ‘The Kingdom of God is near.’

I am also stirring up my expectation for portal moments because my hunger for God will not allow me to settle for anything less. For portal moments are either born out of the intimacy of prayer, or are encounters that lead me back to intimacy with Him. They are life’s confrontations with the Living God.

©  Helen Calder  Enliven Publishing

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows” (James 1:17).

Do you remember that age-old birthday party activity called ‘Pass-the-Parcel’?

After seating the children in a circle, the music begins. The CD player is presided over by an adult, who judiciously stops the music in such a way that every child has a turn at unwrapping and receiving a gift. To the children, the anticipation of the ‘random’ stopping of the music whilst the parcel passes through their hands generates great excitement. Predictably, some in the group hold the parcel for a few seconds longer than necessary. And once chosen, their faces light with joy as they open their very own gift, small as it is.

I still recall the magic of the game from my childhood, and a generation later, when as a parent it was my own turn to carefully wrap one gift over another, until multiple layers of gifts were wrapped into one.

We have a generous and loving God, who delights in giving His children good gifts. You are loved and chosen by God, and He has paid the price in full through Jesus’ death on the cross, to give you a priceless, multi-layered gift. And you get to receive, enjoy, and use everything that’s inside. But the choice is yours as to whether you will unwrap each layer, receive all of the gifts He has given to you, and pass them on.

1. The Greatest Gift of All: Jesus & His Salvation

The first gift that the New Testament reveals to us is Jesus Himself, God’s Son. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
When you believe in and receive Jesus, and give your life to Him, you become a child of God, a member of His family. With that transaction, you receive the gift of salvation: ‘whoever believes in him shall… have eternal life.’

“How much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!” (Rom 5:15).

The Greek word translated gift in this verse is dorea, meaning a free gift, emphasising that it is unearned and unwarranted. There is nothing you have done or can do to earn this gift—the price has been fully paid by God Himself.
Once we have received God’s free gift of salvation—freedom from the penalties of sin and eternal life in relationship with God, we discover another layer of His gift-package still awaits us.

2. The Gift Of The Holy Spirit

“Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off-for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).

The second gift you may choose to receive is the gift of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit resides in us from the moment of our salvation. However, the baptism of the Holy Spirit is an experience that is separate and distinct to that of our new birth in Christ, during which we receive the empowering of the Holy Spirit.

The Spirit is outpoured from the throne of God to give us power to live a supernatural Christian life and be effective witnesses of Jesus to others (Acts 1:8, Luke 24:49). Again, the word used is dorea—a free gift, available to all who have received God’s gift of salvation through Christ. And again, there is nothing we need do to deserve this gift, for Jesus has paid the price in full. All we need to do, as Christians committed and submitted to Jesus Christ, is simply believe, ask and receive.

3. Spiritual Gifts

“Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (Rom 12:4-6).

As we unwrap the free gift of our salvation, we realise that God has called us—in turn—to be His gift to the world. After His death and resurrection, Jesus said to His disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” And with that He breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:21-22).

We discover that God has not only saved us for eternity, He has a unique place and destiny for us as we live out our lives here on earth. The desire to be a history-maker, to achieve something lasting for God, is ingrained into our spiritual DNA. In Ephesians 2:10, the Apostle Paul states, ‘For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ He calls us to do something for Him that is God-sized.

Not only has God called us; He also enables us. And He does this by giving us special gifts to help us serve Him. These gifts are unique to us, and eminently suited to the life mission and ministry pathway that He has prepared for us.
The word used for a spiritual gift in the New Testament is ‘charisma,’ meaning a gift of grace . The emphasis here is upon the favour and kindness of God, His graciousness in bestowing the gift.

We have a saying, ‘Which comes first, the chicken or the egg?’ Whilst God has already laid our destiny out in advance, it doesn’t come with a map or set of guidelines, for He has called us to ‘live by faith, not by sight’ (2 Cor 5:7). Whilst the call of God does come clearly and sovereignly on occasion, it usually unfolds slowly. We receive clues to our arena of service by examining the unique gifts, passion and personality that He has given to us.

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10-11).

No one has been left out. No gift is inferior to another; there are no little people or little places in God. And you have been given your own unique gifts and your own arena of service, to love people, bring them closer to Jesus, and help grow His church. You are irreplaceable.

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

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

‘Who is Jesus, and what does He look like?’

I never used to wonder about the answer to this question, because there were pictures of Him on the walls of our house as I was growing up, the depiction of painters in centuries past. He was kind, gentle, mysterious and—human. He loved people and animals. One of my favourite pictures of Jesus was of Him dressed as a shepherd and carrying a lamb.

The book of Revelation, in the Bible, paints us a different picture of Jesus—providing a hint of what He looks like now. The apostle John caught a glimpse of the resurrected Christ and fell at His feet, ‘as one dead’ (Rev 1:17).

‘…someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance.’ Rev 1:13-16

Sometimes in worship I, too, catch a glimpse of this Jesus. His eyes that blaze with fire also, amazingly, blaze with love. He is seated on a heavenly throne—a place where the Bible says, because of what Jesus has done on the cross, I can make myself at home.

God’s throne is mentioned frequently throughout the book of Revelation, and referred to in the final chapter as ‘The Throne of God and of the Lamb.’ This throne is the ultimate seat of authority, and God Himself is the source of all authority and power in heaven and earth (Matt 28:18).

God’s throne is not figurative; it is a real place—and we have access to God’ throne by faith (Heb 10:19).

As supernatural Christians, our understanding of where we stand in relation to Jesus Christ and His throne is critical to the release of His power in us and through us.

Here are some key reminders about the throne of God:

1. The throne of God is our destination.

Saved and unsaved alike, we will stand at His throne one day and account for our lives spent on earth (Matt 25:31-46).

Those of us who believe and receive Him as our Lord (leader) and Saviour (forgiver) will live with Him forever. Jesus said He will invite us to sit with Him on His throne:

‘ To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ Rev 3:21-22

2. God’s throne is not only our eternal destination; it demands our present attention as we focus upon Jesus

‘Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.’ Col 3:1-2

Hebrews 12:1-2, says
‘Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.’

What was the joy set before Jesus that enabled Him to endure suffering and death and bear the weight of the world’s sin on the cross?  It was ‘bringing many sons to glory’ (Heb 2:10). You and I are His reward, restored in relationship to God, having free access to Him before His throne.

3. We can come Confidently to God’s Throne

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus…let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Heb 10:19,22

When we trust in Jesus for our salvation, we can stand before God’s throne unafraid and unashamed. Sin cannot hold us back from God’s presence. We have free access because Jesus has taken the punishment for our sin and its effects on the cross.

The throne is also where we come in our weakness and need.

‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathise with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.’ Heb 4:15-16

4. The throne is where we bring our prayers and our petitions for God to work on our behalf and in the lives of others around us.

‘Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne.’ Rev 8:3

The Bible says that our prayers go up before God’s throne like incense (Rev 8:3,4).

Real prayer to God is not religious, solemn or word-perfect. A prayer can be as quick as a breath or a silent cry from the heart. God understands an incoherent prayer as well as He does an eloquent one. Real prayer is YOUR prayer, born out of your own personal relationship with God. Your prayer is powerful. Your prayer can release God’s power, and reinforce His will (Matt 6:9-13).

When we know where we stand, and who we are, in relation to the throne of God, the opinions of people won’t shake us, the past will have no power over us, and sin will lose its grip on us. We will know God, and we will  live empowered lives.

© 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.

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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’

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Related Posts:

A Beginner’s Guide to Prophetic Evangelism Pt 1

How To Set Your Testimony On Fire Again

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing