Tag Archives: growing in the prophetic

Prophetic Acts Bring Change

Posted on by

Calculating the exact mid-way point between the two major cities, we pulled over to the side of the highway. We seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, but a cemetery was beside us. That was a surprise and unexpected. Jumping out of the car, we grabbed a pair of scissors out of a special box, and my son proceeded to cut the air to symbolise cutting the divide between these two cities. There had been a long-standing invisible divide between the two cities, with one wanting to be the capital city of the state and the other winning that role. The jealousy and envy were evident in numerous ways.

We briefly made a declaration as we selected a beautiful rainbow ribbon with the seven colours of the rainbow from our special box and carefully tied the two ends together, symbolising the joining of this area with the promises of God and the seven spirits of God written about in Revelations. There had been 44 deaths from car accidents along this very straight stretch of road in the previous ten years, with the latest fatality being a young girl killed by a senior member of the legal team representing the state. We felt to decree and declare life into this area, this region, these two city fractions.

Hopping back into the car, I swapped roles with hubby and began to drive. Switching on the hire car radio that had previously not been used by us, the song was “I’m alive again”. We all looked at one another in amazement. Was that a coincidence? I am a huge believer that there are no coincidences with God. The next instant, the sun disappeared, and it started raining. The rain lasted about 5 minutes, and then a beautiful vibrant rainbow appeared and ended right in front of us at our front bumper bar. I was shocked. What was happening? Keeping an eye on that rainbow, it guided us into the next city we were travelling to, another forty minutes further on, keeping all the time at our front bumper bar.

This car trip was our family’s first introduction to a prophetic trip where we asked God what the issues were for the various cities/towns/regions we were visiting and what He wanted to show us about those areas. We then asked God to reveal prophetic actions we could do that would help change something in both the physical and spiritual realms.

On that ten-day trip, this incident was only one of the many remarkable outcomes we saw. I believe that God was graciously allowing our family to physically see that the prophetic acts we felt called to do were making a massive difference in the spiritual.

Another significant physical reaction occurred precisely one week after we had briefly stopped to pour out a bottle of pure water on an area of burnt, dry, barren ground. We were running late for a dinner appointment, so as we drove through the countryside, we remembered that this was where we had planned to do the act of pouring out the water. I slowed the car down to a virtual stop, and our son leaned out the window and poured out the water. I am not even sure we stopped long enough to say anything. Exactly one week later, it rained on that very spot – that small area was the only area in the state to get rain. Not only that, but it recorded twice the highest ever recorded rainfall for that area. Coincidence or not?

I believe God graciously allowed our family to see physically that prophetic acts do work as we then travelled interstate and overseas where we didn’t physically see any change at the time we carried out the prophetic actions, but we could have complete confidence that it was making a difference in the spiritual.

One such action was in our nation’s capital. As a family, we travelled to Canberra for a week because we believed God wanted us there. Sure, it was great educationally for the kids. Sure, it was a good time away as a family. But the primary significance was that we felt it was God’s timing, and He wanted us to do something there. I have full confidence that the prophetic actions we did joined with the prayers and prophetic actions of thousands of other Australians to bring a significant change. Exactly one week later, we watched our Prime Minister give her resignation speech and the incoming Prime Minister’s reply. As we were watching this event, our 10-year-old daughter asked, “Now what will happen to all those babies in their mum’s tummies who were going to be killed by the laws Julia Gillard wanted to introduce (for full-term abortion)”?

What is a prophetic act?

A prophetic act is something done (at God’s direction) in the natural (physical) realm that supports God’s workings in the spiritual realm to bring forth results manifested in the natural realm. It somehow opens the channel for God’s presence, power, and victory to be released to have an effect in the physical realm and change outcomes.

It is not a formula or method you can blindly follow to produce different results. God is not a respecter of formulas. It is also not always possible to fully explain or justify the sense behind a prophetic act with our human mind. It is also not worthwhile doing something that constitutes a prophetic act if it doesn’t first come from God.

Thus, it is a physical action that God gives you to do that becomes a sign and decree to forge a breakthrough in the spiritual realm. When praying for healing for someone, I may sense that God wants them to do a prophetic act, so I ask God for more details. I will share with the person I am praying for and give them an option. Do you feel you could, for example, take a step forward as a sign of stepping into the new mindset, etc.? Prophetic acts are powerful visual and kinaesthetic statements to the spirit world.

In today’s culture, we celebrate various occasions that once began as very symbolic and prophetic, but the significance may have dimmed for some people, e.g. 21st birthday key symbolising the key to the door, the wedding ring symbolising eternal love.

Biblical examples:

There are many prophetic acts throughout the Bible. Several examples are:

  • Ezekial 4 – Lying on the left/right side, food, and drink preparation, prophesying to creation.
  • Ezekial 37:1-14 – The valley of dry bones.                   
  • 2 Kings 13:14-19 – Elisha – King Jehoash’s arrow.
  • Exodus 17:1-7 raising rod and verses 8-16 raising arms against the Amalekites.
  • Exodus 12 – Israelite families killed a lamb and put blood on their doorposts
  • Joshua 10:12-14 – declaration for the sun to stand still.
  • Jacob giving Joseph the multicoloured coat.
  • Hosea – marrying a prostitute.
  • John 2:1-12 – Jesus turning water into wine.
  • John 9:1-7 – Jesus putting clay on the blind man’s eyes.

The action can be for intercession, warfare, healing, a call to ministry etc. It can hold the spiritual power necessary for fulfilment or breakthrough.

The action can be for intercession, warfare, healing, a call to ministry etc. It can hold the spiritual power necessary for fulfilment or breakthrough.

The main principle:

Ask God what the issue is and whether He wants you to do a prophetic action to facilitate change. If so, what prophetic action comes to mind? As always, act on it whenever you feel prompted by the Holy Spirit.

I would love to hear any current prophetic acts you are doing. Please feel free to comment below.

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every blog post I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation: Gather bubble blowing equipment and a world map that can get wet. (I use a shower curtain with a world map printed on it.) Ask God to highlight to everyone which countries He would love to release joy into. Pray and have fun blowing bubbles as you release joy over those countries.

2. Group Activation: Beforehand gather items in a tool box that you can use for individual prophetic acts eg key, scissors, ribbon, ball, knife, pen & paper, bubbles, balloon, stone, scarf, etc plus a world map. As a group select a country and ask God for a current issue for that country. Then corporately ask God for a prophetic act that you could do for that nation so as to usher in a change. Carry out the prophetic act. Repeat the process individually for a different country.

3. Beginner Activation: What is your biggest need at home at the moment? Ask God to show/tell/give you a sense/idea of a prophetic act that you could do to change that situation and usher in breakthrough. Then do it.

4. Intermediate Activation: Spiritually map your local neighbourhood this week and ask God to show you the spiritual condition in this area. Ask God for an idea for a prophetic act to address an issue somewhere in your neighbourhood. Then carry out that prophetic act.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God to show you His heart for your nation, a current national challenge, and for a prophetic act you can do to release breakthrough in this area.

If my mind goes blank when prophesying

Posted on by

Has your mind ever gone blank when faced with having to give a prophetic word to someone immediately?

Mine has.

I am on our church’s prophetic team, and we are often involved in a prophetic presbytery. Our church sets it up with multiple pairs who prophesy over a person for a maximum of 5-6 minutes. We have a line of people waiting to receive a prophetic word. As soon as you and your partner have finished prophesying over a person, that person leaves, and the next person in line moves forward to come to an available team. We begin by introducing our names and ask if their recording device is ready to record. Usually, I immediately get a sense of something from God for the person, and more comes as I speak it out. I am also learning to wait a minute before speaking to get more detail and greater depth. There are some occasions, though, when I get nothing, and my mind is blank.

I used to be paired with different people who wouldn’t speak first but liked to wait for me to go first. My prophesying first gave them confidence; they were sometimes seers and saw pictures. They spent several minutes asking God more about those pictures before speaking. In the last few years, I am usually teamed up with a person who is relatively new to giving prophetic words and wants to hear what I have to say first or who is not 100% confident in giving prophetic words to people. Unfortunately, since we are usually limited time wise, we don’t have the luxury of having a long pause before we speak the prophetic word.

Practically, these are the things I do when my mind goes ‘blank’ in these situations:

The first thing I do is to turn my heart and affections to Jesus. I get the focus off myself and my thoughts of ‘oh no’ and turn my thoughts to God. I silently worship God. Praise shifts the atmosphere. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”. If I want to enter His presence and see what He is seeing and hear what He is saying, praise and thanks will do that. I have learnt to do this in my preparation for prophesying before I even arrive at church. But this has been useful for me when I am in the community and feel like giving an impromptu prophetic word to a stranger.

I then ask God how He sees this person and how He wants to show love to them right now.

If I’m still finding it hard to connect, I ask God a question about the person, eg

  • How He sees this person dressed
  • Their strengths
  • What this person’s identity in Heaven is, i.e. how is this person known in Heaven?

If I’m still finding it hard to get a prophetic word for this person, I picture them standing under a Holy Spirit waterfall. I imagine them standing there with the Holy Spirit flowing down over them, and I ask the Holy Spirit what He is showering upon them.

The above questions focus on identity words. Identity always precedes destiny. If our identity in God is not solid, how can we do what He requires of us? I also like to give destiny words. If I am struggling to get a destiny word, I try to imagine a blank canvas or a blank jigsaw puzzle. I then ask God what is the next piece of the puzzle this person needs to know, or what will this canvas become?

Remember, this usually occurs within 10-30 seconds. It would take longer if I were at home writing a prophetic word out for someone. Thus, in situations like the Prophetic Presbytery, I find it invaluable to have a list of questions to ask God in my mind, ready to ‘pull on’ and get God’s perspective for the person.

The questions I have ready to ask God include:

  • How does God see this person?
  • How does God want to show love to them right now?
  • How does God see this person dressed?
  • What are their strengths?
  • What fruit of the spirit does God want to grow in their life?
  • If the person was a tree, what would they be, and what fruit would they produce?
  • What is this person’s identity in Heaven, i.e. how is this person known in Heaven?
  • What are God’s plans for this person’s future?
  • If this person was standing under a Holy Spirit waterfall, what is it Holy Spirit that you are pouring over them and filling them with, and why?
  • What is the next piece of the puzzle this person needs to know?
  • What will the blank canvas of their future become?

Upon reflection, the times I find it hard, I need to take a further moment not to rush things. I also need to look at my preparation. How have I prepared for giving prophetic words, and how could I prepare more effectively? For instance, my husband often asks God for random words. He writes these words in his notebook, and for the next few people he meets, he releases a prophetic word to that person using the following random word on his list. When you have a starting word, thought, or image, it can help the flow begin.

In asking myself how I can more effectively prepare for prophesying, the question challenges me and helps me be ‘switched on’ immediately to release God’s heart out of my mouth for these folks.

I know from experience that when I feast on God’s Word in the lead-up to giving prophetic words to people, parts of Scripture will come back to me as I prophesy and apply to that person. A key in the preparation process is spending time with God and nurturing my intimacy with Him.

Three principles from Scripture:

  1. Grab the ‘quiet’ thought. In 1 Kings 19:11-13, we see Elijah waiting until the storm passed before hearing God’s still, quiet (gentle) voice. I wonder if sometimes we don’t recognise what God is already telling us because it is not in the manner we are looking for? If they are in a good relationship with God, I encourage people to grab the first thing that comes through their mind when they ask God what He would like to say to the person they are prophesying over. Often it can be so obvious, but we disregard it because it is so obvious. At those times, we need to wait for the quiet prompting of the Holy Spirit. To lean into what we are sensing, feeling, smelling, hearing, tasting, and knowing.
  2. Take captive every thought. 2 Corinthians 10:5. Deliberately choose to throw away any unhelpful thinking (e.g. on no, my mind’s gone blank) and thank God for His thoughts for this person.
  3. Don’t be anxious or go to a place of fear. Philippians 4:6-8. Quietly refocus on God, thanking Him, waiting for His prompting.

As a last resort, you can be honest and admit that your mind is blank and that you have nothing for them. If you still want to give them a prophetic word, you can tell them you will pray and seek God and get back to them, taking their contact details so you can pass on the prophetic word later.

What do you find helpful when you have a ‘blank’ mind when you give someone a prophetic word? I would love to know, so please feel free to comment below.

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every blog post I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation: Gather foods that are sour, bitter, or have an unpleasant taste. Ask everyone to taste one and while tasting them to ask God who or what the taste reminds them of. Ask God to reveal to them a solution or encouraging word for the person/place.

2. Group Activation: Buy a variety of chocolate/candy bars and display them. Ask people to get into pairs and select a bar for their partner. Give that chocolate/candy bar to their partner and prophesy over them using the name of the chocolate/candy bar.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with God asking Him what season of life you are in at the moment. Ask God more questions around this eg Is there something God would like you to be doing at the moment, what is His perspective on the season you are in, etc.

4. Intermediate Activation: Find an area in your town where there is a lot of vandalism or crime. Visit that area and ask God to show you His perspective on that area and to give you the words to prophesy into that area’s future and the people who congregate there – into their future.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God what His heart is for abortion clinics in your state or country and the women attending them and for the other options. Prophesy over the alternatives that need to become available for these women. Declare these into being. Ask God what your role is in the process.

Thriving, not just surviving, in the Season of Waiting.

Posted on by

The season of waiting is hard. It can be painful. It can be disheartening.

You may feel excited initially but may gradually lose that sense of excitement as time slowly passes.

You may feel rejected, or dejected.

You may be waiting for a baby.

You may be waiting for a job.

You may be waiting for a partner.

You may be waiting for a healing or a medical diagnosis.

You may be waiting for the end of covid or for the end of mandatory vaccinations.

You may be waiting for a loved one to return home, or a son or daughter to come back to the faith.

There are many things you may be waiting for. And one thing doesn’t take precedence over another.

It is more how we handle the waiting. What we can do to keep the faith, to keep the joy in the journey and not let the despair, the dejection, the current circumstances overwhelm us.

            Waiting is a transition.

                        A preparation.

                                    An opportunity.

                                                A spiritual discipline.

My husband and I waited a long ten years as we battled infertility. Boy was it hard. Friends having babies was exciting but reinforced the lack in our lives. Youth we ministered to having babies out of wedlock was another punch in the gut. Then when our precious children arrived, multiple food allergies. Meanwhile my mum dying of cancer despite our intense prayers. Another season of waiting for healing that never eventuated.

The last two years of being isolated whilst enduring lockdown in the most lock downed city in the world due to covid-19, followed by mandatory vaccination, or exclusion if not vaccinated, has seemed to drag on. With restrictions being lifted, only with more enforced if unvaccinated – unable to enter any shops except supermarkets, pharmacy or the Post Office and unable to hold down a job or play sport or go to church or be involved in any community activity for anyone aged 12+ years due to not being mandatory vaccinated. Waiting for the bans to be lifted can seem unbearable, just like waiting to fall pregnant seemed unbearable. 18 years later, that is a dim memory. Thus, I am choosing to adjust my attitude and be thankful and content despite the situation our family is facing. I certainly do not want to have to ‘go around this mountain’ again due to not learning the lesson God is desiring me to learn in the ‘waiting’.

How can you steward this waiting season for your best outcome?

1. Determine which season you are in.

Some initial questions to ask include:

  • Is this a season to share with a lot of people or to have one or two close confidants or just God?
  • Who do you need to support you in this season?
  • What do you need to do?
  • Who do you need to become to be able to steward it when the promise comes?
  • Where do you need to grow so that you are ready and able to properly steward the promise when it becomes evident in your life? What character traits, physical abilities, intellectual requirements will be necessary so that you can steward the outcome?
  • What can you focus on now?
  • Do you need someone to keep you accountable?

2. How can you remain content whilst waiting? How can you ‘wait’ well?

The Apostle Paul in the Bible is renowned for his writing about contentment. He wrote the letter to the Philippians whilst sitting in prison due to the action of corrupt officials. He was facing the possibility of execution for preaching the Gospel. If ever there was a time when you wouldn’t be content, it was then. But Paul managed to write these verses: Philippians 4:11b-13 “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

So often we can view life, the world, our situation as a dichotomy – two opposing or mutually exclusive aspects on life. Like good or bad. Often, though, we are called to hold the differing aspects of our life in tension. I feel this worldview may well assist our ability to be content in all circumstances.

What would it look like for me to be content whilst waiting?

  • Be fully present in the now. Give up wishing for the future or for now to be no longer. Live your life and not put it on hold. Enjoy the present. Laugh. Find joy and gratitude in the now.
  • Be faithful to that which God has called you. Your calling hasn’t changed. Your frustration may have though. Remain faithful to that which God has called you to do.
  • Be careful what questions you ask God. Instead of when or why me, choose to ask what now Lord or how Lord do you want me to respond?
  • Be focussed on God and others.

3. Waiting is a ‘surrendering’ season.

Surrendering your plans, your desires, your timing to God and His plans, His timing, His outcome.

  • How can you turn waiting into surrendering?
  • How can you use this time wisely and not waste the opportunities you currently have in this season?
  • How can you embrace the waiting and realise that waiting is part of God’s plan for you?
  • How can your attitude and behaviour change so that you realise God is using this season as part of His plan?
  • What does God want to do in you while you wait?
  • What do you need to still surrender completely?
  • Where in your inner depths does God still want to be allowed to transform and embrace you?

4. This season is not just a waiting season. It is a growing and an enlarging season.

Usually, we don’t choose the season of waiting. Usually, it is thrust upon us. We do have a choice, though, in how we wait, how we respond during this season.

We can lose out when we feel we are just treading water and waiting. We can waste this precious season and the benefits we can acquire from the pain and frustration of waiting.

We have an invitation to grow in this season, to develop.

  • What is your invitation in this season?
  • How is God wanting to redeem this time for others?
  • What does God want to bring about in your life so that you can laugh in the face of the future? (Proverbs 31:25)
  • How does God want to use this time to triumph over the devil? What is the bigger picture at play?
  • What if this season is purely learning to wait well? What if the sole goal of this season is learning to wait well? How does that change my view and help me embrace this season well? Waiting strengthens character. Isaiah 40:31 “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Too often, our desire is to obtain the goal as soon as possible, but what if this waiting season is not about you, but about the proclamation of the Gospel through your waiting? If your waiting displays God and His attributes in a whole new dimension, how does that change your attitude, behaviour, and responsibility?

Waiting is a spiritual discipline. To resist the waiting season can be to resist the very thing that is making you into the image of Christ.

Applicable Bible verses:

  • Philippians 4:11b “…for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.”
  • Lamentations 3:24-25 “I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.”
  • Romans 5:3-4 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…”
  • Isaiah 40:31 “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”
  • Galatians 6:9 “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
  • Psalm 33:20 “We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.”
  • Psalm 130:5 “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word, I put my hope.”
  • Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.” The Passion Translation puts verse 3 as “A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him!”
  • Deuteronomy 31:8 “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
  • Jeremiah 32:27 “Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?”
  • Psalm 94:19 “When the cares of my heart are many, thy consolations cheer my soul.” Or in The Passion Translation “Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight.”
  • 1 Samuel 7:12b “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.”

How can I wait well during the season of waiting?

  • Keep your eyes on God.
  • Fast social media.
  • Allow God’s voice to be louder and have pre-eminence than other people’s voices.
  • Prophetic acts.
  • Worship. Praise God in the big and small.
  • Make a daily choice to keep your faith in God.
  • Get into the Word and look for a promise from God. Hold on to that promise and make it a declaration.
  • Look at what you are saying every day. Are you negating the promise by how you speak? Our words do not return empty. Isaiah 55:11
  • Stay fully present in your current situation.
  • Remain faithful.
  • Choose to trust God and look at how you can grow.
  • Pray for others you meet who are also navigating this season.
  • Daily relinquish control.
  • Re-examine expectations. Unmet expectations are painful, so it may be time to look at lowering or changing your expectations.
  • Look to what new song God is putting in your mouth. Psalm 40:1-3
  • Celebrate the ordinary.
  • Create memory stones from how God has come through in the past. Remember the times God has worked miraculously in your life so far. Joshua 4

How exciting it is to learn to wait well and not have to re-learn the lesson because the first time we didn’t undergo the character transformation that was purposed for us.

Faith comes from surrendering not striving. Surrendering completely in this season is the invitation we can embrace fully.

Let the words from 1 Samuel, Psalm 94 and Psalm 40 be true for us as we wait well.

  • 1 Samuel 7:12b “Thus far, the Lord has helped us.”
  • Psalm 94:19 “Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight.”
  • Psalm 40:3 “A new song for a new day rises up in me every time I think about how he breaks through for me! Ecstatic praise pours out of my mouth until everyone hears how God has set me free. Many will see his miracles; they’ll stand in awe of God and fall in love with him!”

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every blog post I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation:  Ask God to highlight a person who is feeling isolated at the moment. Brainstorm how you can show love to this person this week.

2. Group Activation: Ask God to highlight a refugee group or asylum seekers where you can show love practically to them this month. Compile a prophetic word to release to them as well.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with God asking Him to remind you of the memory stones in your life where God has performed a miracle for you. Grab some rocks/pebbles and textas/paint and physically create memory stones that you can place in a special spot to remind you of God’s goodness.

4. Intermediate Activation: Spend time with God asking Him to show you someone struggling in the waiting season. Ask God to show you how you can express His heart to them. Craft a prophetic word for them as well.

5. Advanced Activation: Identify a person of major global influence at the moment. Spend time with God gleaning His heart for this person, then declare it aloud into the atmosphere. You may even feel inclined to write to them as a means of releasing it to them.

Dream Interpretation Part 1

Posted on by

God is so amazing. He loves communicating with us. He is extremely creative. In fact, He is the author of creativity and creatively uses all sorts of ways and means to get our attention.

One of the methods that God uses to communicate with us is through our dreams.

Unfortunately for most people, we short-change ourselves by not making use of this communication with God. We may have ‘shut’ our dream life down by an inner vow after a ‘scary dream’ or may not be aware that God even wants to speak to us during the third of our life that we are asleep.

When I am talking about dreams, I am referring to the events or series of thoughts and images seen in our mind whilst asleep.

I dream prolifically and find that they are extremely helpful to me in my daily life. Just the other day, I had a dream and on waking was unsure what it meant. Lately I haven’t been paying enough attention to them as I haven’t prioritised writing them down in my dream journal, but I knew that I needed to write this dream down. I still had no idea what the dream meant and didn’t make the time to do this. I just knew that it was a warning that Gary & I were ‘running ahead of ourselves’ in a certain area and taking possession of something before the right time. In other words, we were too eager in our timing to see something huge accomplished and pushed ahead when we should have waited. Several hours later, I suddenly realised that that my dream was relevant to that very day. I had just received news that the shipment of my paperback books had not left the warehouse and wouldn’t be delivered for several days. We had been expecting the delivery that day and all the plans I had made for the day plus the weekend and next week would need to be adjusted. Initially I was extremely disappointed and frustrated. Realising that God had tried to show me this suddenly shed a new light on the situation.

God has a purpose with our dreaming. He is inviting us to draw closer to Him. In Proverbs 25:2, the Bible says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.” We are royalty as a child of God. As such, we are invited to live as royalty and have an invitation to search out what God is trying to communicate to us.

Dreams show us more of God. Dreams reveal more about God, more about His nature, His ways, and His workings. Dreams produce a hunger for more of God.

Other purposes of dreams include:

  • Wisdom and insight
  • Encouragement
  • Evangelism – many Muslims have dreams of a man in white speaking to them and become Christians due to their dream.
  • Show us outcomes and what to do
  • Dreams bypass our reasoning

In the Bible, we see a number of people had night time dreams where God communicated to them.

  • Abimelek in Genesis 20:3 was warned by God that he was about to commit a sin by having sex with Sarah. Abraham had not been honest with Abimelech and thankfully God stopped Abimelek in time.
  • Jacob was given a dream of a ladder with ministering angels in Genesis 28:11-22 and Genesis 31:10-13 which revealed God’s will to him.
  • Laban’s warning in Genesis 31:24
  • Pharaoh in Genesis 41 – for preparation for the future of his country.
  • King Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2
  • Solomon in 1Kings 3:5 encouraged to ask for anything he wanted in his dream.
  • Daniel in Daniel 7
  • Gideon, in Judges 7:13-15 was mightily encouraged by God and His faith built up by overhearing two Midianites talking about a dream where Gideon overpowering them.
  • Joseph, in Genesis 37:5-10 had the future revealed to Him.
  • The imprisoned cupbearer and baker in Genesis 40:5-23.
  • Joseph, Mary’s husband & Jesus’ stepfather was given multiple instructions by God for the care and safety of Jesus in Matthew 1:20-23, 2:13, 19-20, 22.
  • The Wise men seeking Jesus dreamt of being told not to visit Herod the Great on their return trip home in Matthew 2:12
  • Job in Job 33:14-18 shares about dreaming as a warning, preparation and preservation
  • Pilate’s wife in Matthew 27:19 had a warning dream about the death of Jesus and the implications for her husband.

Throughout history, we can also see the amazing effects of when people have had dreams and put the outcome of those dreams into action. Some fantastic examples include:

  • Elias Howe invented the sewing machine after searching for answers to the issue. He then dreamt about cannibals surrounding him and preparing to cook him as they waved their spears up and down. His eyes focused on the holes near the end of the spears and the upward and downward movement of the spears. He put that picture into reality with the sewing machine needle and found that was the answer to the invention.
  • Paul McCartney from The Beatles had a dream in which he immediately rolled out of bed and played the music and lyrics he had heard in his dream on the piano by his bed. He had just composed the song ‘Yesterday’.
  •  Jack Nicklaus dreamt of an adjustment to his golf swing which he then implemented the following day and improved his score dramatically.
  • Abraham Lincoln dreamt that he would be killed three days before his assassination.
  • Frankenstein, Kubla Khan, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Tintin in Tibet, The Terminator, and countless other books and movies have been inspired by dreams
  • Science has been impacted greatly through scientists and philosphers dream life – Descartes and his philosophy, Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity, Kekule and his discovery of the chemical benzene, James Watson & Francis Crick discovering the structure of DNA, Bohr’s structure of the atom, Mendeleev envisisioned the complete arrangement of the periodic table in a dream

I wonder what mysteries, inventions, amazing discoveries and opportunities we are missing out on by not paying attention to our dreams?

Over the next few weeks, I will start to unpack dreams and look at basic dream interpretation. Next week I will also offer some suggestions to help your dream life to be more active.

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation:  Go for a walk around your neighbourhood playground and pray a blessing over the park, equipment and families who will return there after the COVID-19 lockdown.

2. Group Activation: Ask every group member to bring a small object to the meeting (whether online during this COVID-19 time or in-person). Take it in turn to prophesy over each person in regard to their object and what God is showing you as a springboard to their life.

3. Beginner Activation: Ask God to show you how to express His love to your neighbour.

4. Intermediate Activation: Open your fridge and ask God to highlight an item. Use that item as a basis to write a prophetic word for a friend.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God hearing and sensing His heart for a business owner in your local area who is needing to make a decision about the future of their business.

Excerpt from my new book!!

Posted on by

Friends, I am so excited. My new book is about to be released and today’s blog post includes a chapter. It is a  30 Day Devotional from Mark’s Gospel entitled:

Ministering like Jesus

How to Grow in Healing, Deliverance and Miracles

DAY 15: MARK 5:22-34 

Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better, she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.” Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’”

But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”

Jesus loves people. He loves healing people and bringing transformation to them. He loves addressing the real issue.

In today’s reading, we see two stories interwoven – two people from the extremes of society. The end of the first story about the synagogue leader and his daughter carries over into tomorrow’s devotion.

A synagogue leader well placed in society has a 12-year-old daughter (verse 42). He asks Jesus to come to heal his daughter, and Jesus immediately goes with him, no questions asked. We can only presume that doctors could not do anything to treat her.

We then see a woman with bleeding issues, who has been ostracized from society for twelve years. She is considered unclean and cannot touch anyone. No doctors could heal her either. She suffered physically and emotionally, and financially as she was now penniless from seeking healing.

The number twelve was significant for both people. Twelve represented faith, perfection, authority, power, completion.

Both this woman and Jairus exhibited faith in Jesus before they felt or saw the healing. They both fully knew and believed that Jesus was the answer. They did not question Jesus’ ability to heal them.

This woman comes up behind Jesus where He cannot see her and touches Him, making Him ‘unclean’ by doing this. She does not want attention. She wants to remain ‘invisible’. Maybe that was why she did not face Him and ask Him to heal her. Instead, choosing to extend her arm to touch His garment discretely. It seems like she was hoping He would not notice. Due to her bleeding condition, which made her an outcast, she was ‘invisible’ to society, and this was no different. She did not want anyone, even Jesus, to ‘notice’ her. Maybe she thought that she was not good enough, rich enough, significant enough, influential enough.

Nursing a critically ill lady in Coronary Care, we were on the brink of an emergency. Alarms were loudly beeping, her blood pressure plummeting, her heart rate severely dropping, and this lady knew she was in grave danger. The doctors were just outside the door, discussing her condition and how soon we could transfer her to another hospital. She needed more intensive care and access to new treatment methods before receiving a heart-lung transplant.

I had been sharing with this lady about Jesus. This lady recognized that Jesus could heal and was good at healing. But she did not believe that Jesus would heal her. She thought that she was not good enough; that she had not led a life worthy of being healed.

There was no time left. I frantically uttered, “Heart be healed in Jesus’ name.” That was it. She was deteriorating so rapidly I did not have time for anything else as I was juggling medication infusion lines.

The alarms frantically changed their sounds, and as I looked at all her heart and lung measurements from all the tubing we had in place, I realized things had stabilized.

The Doctors flung the door open and hurried in, expressing disbelief at all the measurements on the monitor.

“What’s happened?” they asked. “What did you do?”

What could I say? ‘I prayed for this lady, and God healed her.’

The Doctors preceded to take all the measurements to double-check. Yes. The monitor readings were accurate. The recordings were so good that this lady was able to be taken off the heart-lung transplant list as she no longer needed a new heart. Still on the lung transplant list (until her next admission when she was prayed for again and was totally healed.)

I was speechless. God could heal in an emergency like this. God could also heal people when they did not believe they were worthy enough. It is not about their relationship with God. It is all about God and the goodness and kindness of God.

The woman in the passage today knew the imbalance of societal value and feeling worthless. Here was Jesus, a powerful man, on the way to another powerful man’s house. Not only was she a woman, and a woman of a lower societal standing, but an outcast due to her bleeding.

Yet she persisted.

After everything she had overcome, she finally reached Jesus.

Immediately this woman knew in her body that she was healed. Instantaneously. Jesus also felt the difference as the power left Him. How often do we ‘feel’ the Holy Spirit as He connects with whom we are praying?

What I find extremely interesting is that Jesus could have just kept going about His business. People were crowding Him, jostling Him, pushing Him. But He still stopped and acknowledged this woman. He wanted to meet her face to face, to talk with her. To re-establish her standing in society by pronouncing her healed, thus cleansed, and blessing her with peace as she left.

This woman ends up telling Jesus the ‘whole truth’. Do we tell Jesus everything? The whole truth?

Jesus finishes the interaction by calling her ‘daughter’, a title that indicates intimacy, acceptance and position. All the things she was missing in society due to her illness.

Do we take that extra time to ‘finish’ what Jesus is doing? With this lady, the healing and transformation were miraculous, but it was the restoring her place in society that was the ‘icing on the cake’, the completion. Jesus was letting her know, face to face, that she was now completely healed in all areas.

Reflection:

  • How desperate am I for my healing? To what lengths will I go to receive my healing?
  • Do I tell Jesus the whole truth about myself, how I am feeling, my doubts?
  • What is my understanding and experience of the goodness and kindness of God?
  • Do I allow people to meet face to face with Jesus for themselves?
  • Do I take the time to see what else Jesus wants to restore in a person’s life after they have received healing? Do I take that extra time to allow Jesus to ‘finish’ what He is doing?

Prayer:

Jesus, thank you for Your stunning example of how You treat people. How You are always willing and available to take the extra time with people, despite the apparent pressures around you.

Help me Lord to follow Your example.

Lord, may I be an accurate representation of Your kindness, goodness and love to others. I decree today that I will make time to show kindness to others.

Help me to have the faith of this lady and Jairus and fully believe that You are the answer to all my needs.

Lord, I commit to sharing my innermost thoughts and feelings with You. I desire to hold nothing back from You. To linger in Your presence and remain close. To spend time with You, no matter what. Lord, I declare that I will make us a priority today.

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The key for me today is:

 

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation:  Put some favourite music on quietly and spend time as a family asking God to show or tell you what He thinks of you each. Then ask God who He would like you to encourage this week. Ask God how you could best encourage that person.

2. Group Activation: Compile a list of your group member’s birthdays. Allocate a different month, or a week, to different people within your group. Ask the group members to find a creative way of expressing how God views each person within their group. You may need to ask permission first to share contact details or arrange a zoom call for the group where members could share what they received from God for each person.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with God writing down everything you love about God. Then spend time listening to Him and writing down everything He loves about you.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to show you a creative way of expressing God’s love for the workers at your local supermarket. Then do it.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time hearing from God about the organization and people in W.H.O. (World Health Organization) & the United Nations Secretariat. Hear God’s heart and His purpose for these people and ask God what He would like you to do in response to what He has shared with you.

It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!

Posted on by

Have you been side-tracked by COVID-19 and your heart preparation for Easter sidelined?

I woke up this morning and realised this was occurring in our household. We haven’t even thought about Easter this year and it is next weekend. I feel like Easter has been hijacked. Christianity’s greatest historical moment pushed to the side, drowned by COVID-19.

Several times overnight the following sermon was swirling through my head. I first heard Dr Tony Campolo, a sociologist from USA speaking it when I was a teenager, but the originator was a Pastor involved in the Civil Rights movement, Shadrach Meschach Lockridge from Calvary Baptist Church, San Diego, California. (If you can watch it on YouTube, it is worth it!!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cikenKl92Og

 

“It’s Friday. Jesus is praying. Peter’s a sleeping. Judas is betraying. But Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. Pilate’s struggling. The council is conspiring. The crowd is vilifying. They don’t even know that Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. The disciples are running like sheep without a shepherd. Mary’s crying. Peter is denying. But they don’t know that Sunday’s a comin’.

It’s Friday. The Romans beat my Jesus. They robe him in scarlet. They crown him with thorns. But they don’t know that Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. See Jesus walking to Calvary. His blood dripping. His body stumbling. And his spirit’s burdened. But you see, it’s only Friday. Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. The world’s winning. People are sinning. And evil’s grinning.

It’s Friday. The soldiers nail my Saviour’s hands to the cross. They nail my Saviour’s feet to the cross. And then they raise him up next to criminals.

It’s Friday. But let me tell you something, Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. The disciples are questioning. What has happened to their King? And the Pharisees are celebrating that their scheming has been achieved. But they don’t know it’s only Friday. Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. He’s hanging on the cross. Feeling forsaken by His Father. Left alone and dying.
Can nobody save him? Ooooh it’s Friday. But Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday. The earth trembles. The sky grows dark. My King yields His spirit. It’s Friday.
Hope is lost. Death has won. Sin has conquered. and Satan’s just a laughin’.

It’s Friday. Jesus is buried. A soldier stands guard. And a rock is rolled into place.

But it’s Friday. It is only Friday. Sunday is a comin’!”

 

This is powerful. It is full of hope. Yes, the world may look like it is Friday, but Sunday is coming. We may feel overcome, dejected, at a complete loss, but Sunday is coming. We may be hearing reports of doom and gloom, but Sunday is coming. Jesus triumphed on Sunday and defeated evil. Please folks, don’t give up before the end!!

We are called to be carriers of hope. Transmitters of hope, peace and joy.

Folks, it is time to return to our purpose. To what we are called to focus on, not on what the world is trying to get our attention with. Let us not become distracted. Let’s lead the way and be the prophetic people we are called to be.

 

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation:  Buy some Easter eggs and write/draw letters of encouragement for people from God. Go for a walk and ask God which people’s doorsteps to leave them on.

2. Group Activation: As a group brainstorm creative ways of sharing hope and joy from God with front line workers during this time of Easter preparation and COVID-19. Choose an action from the list and ask God how you are to implement it.

3. Beginner Activation: Read the Easter story and meditate on it. Ask God to show you where you would have been in the story. Spend time with God hearing His heart for you in regards to this. Ask Him if there is an action He would have you do.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to show you a way of prophetically encouraging your politicians and policy decision-makers this Easter. Then put that into action.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time hearing God’s heart on transformation for people’s mindsets at this time. Ask God what part you have to play. Craft a declaration that you can decree that speaks life. Ask God what else He would like you to release at this time.

Living a Prophetic life (amid Coronavirus)

Posted on by

Put yourself at the moment in this photo. Where is your focus? Looking at life or death or focussed on the fine line in the middle?

Whilst we are in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, there is no greater time to be the true representatives of Christ here on earth. Throughout these past few weeks, my mind has often gone to the place of “if Jesus was living as a human at this time here on earth, what would He be doing and saying and thinking?”

Would Jesus go to the place of fear or joy? Binge-watch tv or use my time wisely? Wallow in thinking about how lonely I am or stretching myself by phoning a friend living on her own?

 

What does it mean to live a prophetic life?

I believe that it means that we are both bringing heaven to earth but also out the front of society guiding and developing the way ahead. Setting the atmosphere. Setting the pace. Demonstrating kingdom values.

 

How can I live a prophetic life?

  1. Operate from a place of rest.

Inner rest and reliance on God. Not striving or pushing for changes but operating from inner peace. When I lose my inner peace, to stop and ask myself, “What’s happened to cause this loss?” “How do I get it back?” (To delve into this deeper, check out my blog post on rest.)

  1. Be full of joy.

Joy is an assurance and confidence that God is in complete control of all the details of my life, and my choice to respond by praising God in all circumstances. The world cannot give you joy. Temporary things can bring happiness but only God and focussing on Him can help me to live full of joy. (More details on being full of joy can be found here.)

  • It is choosing to turn your focus on what God is doing and not of the things of this world or of Satan. To focus on the good, not the bad.
  • It is living a lifestyle of gratitude.
  • To count our blessings, rather than our burdens.
  • To let our faith, not our feelings, dictate our joy.
  • To focus on Christ, not on circumstances.
  1. Full of faith.

Hebrews 11 is a great chapter of faith and people of faith. Verse 1 says “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” There is such a huge opportunity right now to be people of faith. To not partner with the fear that is so prevalent in our world that is magnified right now with the coronavirus. Ester 4:14b says “And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Folks, perhaps right now, at this time in history in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, we are alive for such a time as this!!

Meditating on Isaiah 43 during the week, I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment about fear. Isaiah 43, verses 1-5 sum it up so well. God created me, and you, and commands us to not fear. Since He created me, He knows me and my inner workings. He knows what pushes my buttons and what stretches me, what brings joy to me and what I struggle with. Here He says, “I created you and am commanding you to not fear. I have called you by name. You are mine. Whatever adverse circumstances you are going through, I am with you. Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” We know that where God is Satan cannot be. Wherever God is, fear cannot be. Fear is from the devil. John 10:10 says “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.” Fear steals, kills and destroys. Fear does not bring life. Wherever fear is, God cannot be there so when I go to that place of fear, I need to stop and recentre and reconnect with God.

  1. Being prophetic

Spending time with God seeking what is on His heart for this time and then asking Him what He wants you to do about it. What practical action does He want you to take eg showing love to your neighbours by going to the shops for them so they can continue to self-isolate, writing encouragements on the footpath, ringing folk to check how they are going, checking in on people living alone or elderly, amusing young children over the internet to give a young mum a break, cooking meals for health care workers, praying for the government and wise decision making etc. Asking God what He would have you say, write, or create to give to someone to encourage and comfort them during this time.

Our family wrote a note for the 60 neighbours in our street to let them know we are willing to shop for them etc. At least 20 households responded. Our neighbours were totally amazed that we would be so ‘selfless’ and help others in this way. The mental health in our street shifted significantly as this hugely impacted everyone in a positive manner. The hour of our time it took to do this communicated God’s love in more ways than we could imagine. Now is the time, folks, to be asking God how we can encourage, strengthen and comfort people (1 Corinthians 14:3) ie prophesying to others.

  1. Changing the atmosphere.

We are each responsible for our attitude and the atmosphere we carry. We need to also recognise that we can very simply change the atmosphere around us. (Check out my blog post about how I discovered this here.) When I encounter someone negative, I quietly say, “Spirit of negativity I see you and I choose not to partner with you. Instead, I release a spirit of joy.”  Almost immediately I sense a shift in atmosphere and negativity flee. We are spiritual beings and the spirit within us has the power to change the atmosphere where we are. Whenever you notice an atmosphere that isn’t of God, use this method to change it. It may even be your own children being grumpy, dishonest, defiant etc. You have spiritual authority over the situation, so just quietly say, “I see you spirit of…. and I choose not to partner with you and instead I release the spirit of…..(the opposite)”. See what happens.

  1. Renewing my mind

Whatever you focus on, grows. Whatever we feed our thoughts and watch and listen to will also reap fruit. Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is not the time to have the media broadcasting into your life 24/7. Yes, we need to keep up with the latest government requirements, but we do not need to be watching and listening to news broadcasts all the time, especially not our children. Have you thought about a media fast during this time and focussing on God’s Word instead? Perhaps meditating on Scripture and filling your home with Christian music. Focussing on what the answers are for now and for the future. Looking for the good. Looking for where God is working. (Here is a great blog on renewing your mind.)

  1. The power of our words.

Life or death can be in the tongue. The words we say are powerful. Whenever we speak, we are releasing the potential for positive or negative effect into the atmosphere. Our words have the power to create, to form and fashion something out of nothing and to change outcomes. In Genesis 1, God spoke and the world was created. He has given us the same creative power that by the words we speak, we create outcomes, good or bad. Do you speak life or death? God’s Word does not return empty and our words don’t either.

  • Isaiah 55:11 “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”
  • Proverbs 18:21 “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
  • Romans 4:17 “the God who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that were not.”

Now is the time to be speaking the outcomes we desire for our life, our family, our country, the world. This is an amazing weapon. I find that a massively effective way of praying is to decree & declare that what is in heaven is done. Eg “I decree and declare that your back will be completely healed”. I find that this carries a lot more authority than praying, “God, can you please heal this person?” (Check out my blog on the power of your words here.)

Perhaps there are some things that you still desire for your family to come to fruition. I encourage you to write it down in the form of a declaration and begin to declare it. Start to use this time to change anything in your family/household that perhaps has fallen short of what you desired. Use this time to begin that change.

I would love to hear how you are finding this time and how you are managing to live a prophetic lifestyle at the moment. Please feel free to comment below.

 

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation: Get some chalk or water-paints and write encouraging words on your footpath. Write and draw pictures of encouragement and tape to your front fence where people walking past can see them and be encouraged. Ask God if there is anything else He would like you as a family to do for your neighbours at this time.

2. Group Activation: Have a group member write group member’s names on slips of paper and put into a hat. Pull out one name at a time. The first name pulled out is to send a prophetic word to the second name pulled out. The second person, in turn, sends a prophetic word to the next name (third-person) pulled out etc. Before doing this, please ask everyone’s permission to participate in this plus for their email address to be shared with the person sending them a prophetic word.

3. Beginner Activation: Ask God to bring to mind all the people you know who live alone or are lonely or fearful at this time. Ask God to show you specific things that you can share with these people to encourage them. Spend time writing emails or ringing these people and sharing that which God shows and tells you for them.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to show or tell you how you can prophesy into and encourage a health care worker at the moment. Then do it.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God, asking Him to show you what you can pray and prophecy for the leaders and decision-makers of your state and country. Then spend time doing that. Ask God if you are to share it with them and, if so, then find a way to let them know.

Prayer about Coronavirus

Posted on by

Earlier this week, I felt to write a crafted prayer for the use of our Stairway Healing Room Team Members in regard to the Coronavirus. This morning I feel to share it with you.

 

Prayer in regard to the Coronavirus

Heavenly Father, thank you that You are all-powerful, all-knowing and present everywhere.

Thank you, Father God, that You are love and that the Holy Spirit did not bring a spirit of fear but power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

Father God, I decree and declare that I will not partner with fear and hysteria.

Father God, I decree and declare that I will look to You, listen to You, and trust You as the source of all wisdom and knowledge. I declare that I will have the mind of Christ and clarity of thought in regard to the Coronavirus. (1 Corinthians 2:15-16)

Father God, I partner with You and decree and declare that the COVID-19 virus and all similar viruses and strains become impotent now; that they all cease to exist now in Jesus name. I decree and decree in the name of Jesus Christ and through the power of the blood of Jesus Christ that all transmissions of the virus be halted now.

Father God, I decree and declare that news of Your love, power, kindness, goodness and miracles fill the media and sound waves from this point on.

I partner with You, Holy Spirit, and decree and declare that I will live in a healthy manner and keep my body healthy in all areas and in improving my immune system.

In the name of Jesus Christ, I call my spirit to attention and bless it with micromanaging within my body the immune response to all foreign viruses.

Thank you, Father God, for the promises in Your Word, especially Psalm 91, that as I dwell in the shelter and Shadow of You, I will be shielded from all harm and that Your faithfulness will be my shield.

Thank you, Heavenly Father, that You know the plans for me, plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Heavenly Father, I ask now that Your peace, presence, mercy and healing will come upon all those currently affected with the Coronavirus. For all those living in isolation or fear, that Your presence and peace and kindness will surround them.

I partner with You, Holy Spirit, and decree that I will look out for my neighbours, the elderly and those suffering from the effects of the Coronavirus and the fear surrounding it.

I decree and declare now that I will appropriately share the Good News of Jesus Christ with everyone I am able to and that many will turn to You, Father God, during this time.

Thank you, Jesus, that You came to bring life and to bring it abundantly. (John 10:10).

In Jesus’ name. Amen.

 

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation: Spend time with your children, explaining at an appropriate level to your children about the Coronavirus and reading a couple of key verses from the Bible (2 Timothy 1:7, Jeremiah 29:11, and Psalm 91). Have paper and pencils/crayons/textas and each draw a picture for your family in regards to what you feel God is showing, telling or giving you in regards to the Coronavirus. Maybe even have playdough available for each person to make something to show how they are feeling about the Coronavirus.

2. Group Activation: Spend some time seeking God in regards to a prophetic act  (something you do in the physical that has spiritual implications) that you can do as a group in regards to the Coronavirus situation. Finish by spending time hearing from God and prophesying what you hear, sense and see from God about the outcomes of the destruction that has occurred (ie prophesy into being the opposite of the negatives that have occurred).

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with Father God, meditating on His love. Look up Scriptures on overcoming fear. Ask God to show you someone who is struggling with fear in relation to Coronavirus. Write a prophetic declaration for them from what you hear, sense and see God revealing to you through Himself and Scripture.

4. Intermediate Activation: Spend time with Father God, lifting your nation’s leaders up to Him. Ask God to show you what to pray at this time for your leaders and your nation. Turn your prayer into a prophecy and declare it.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God asking Him His perspective of the Coronavirus and the impact and future of it. Ask God to show you the outcome and key to the end of the coronavirus. Prophesy to the coronavirus.

Creating your own Prayer Closet

Posted on by

For the first twenty years of my marriage, I strongly disliked ironing. I now love ironing. What caused the 180° turnaround?

Prayer.

Not prayer that I would love ironing.

Prayer whilst I was ironing.

When the kids were younger, ironing was the one place I was never disturbed. I found that I finally had a few minutes of peace – mental and physical. I then began to use that time to pray for friends and start interceding for them. I then realised that some friends were consistently asking for prayer and there were so many issues popping up in people’s lives that I was spending more time praying for them than my own husband and kids.

I made a change to pray for my family to begin with whilst ironing. Now, I can’t believe how quickly the time seems to go when I’m ironing a basket of clothes. (Whilst writing this blog post, I have just realised that when I am in the laundry, I look at a blank wall. After googling ‘prayer closet’, I have now received inspiration to put some artwork and Bible verses and encouraging pictures on that wall for inspiration when praying.)

I also have found that since I use that time in the laundry to pray, it has created an atmosphere of prayer in there. I can sense it when I go in there.

Concerted prayer in the one place changes the atmosphere over that tiny piece of earth. Where I stand whilst ironing has a ‘grace’ upon it for answered prayer. Whilst ironing, I often find myself asking God questions about various issues. Almost immediately I will sense the answer. It is like so much connection and relationship between God and I have occurred on that very piece of my floor, that God answers immediately. The atmosphere is rich with grace and mercy.

Much the same as our shower. When I have a shower, I often pray for friends. Now I have quick showers as I was brought up on a farm and on tank-water, we were only allowed one-minute showers. Thus, as soon as I jump in the shower, I ask God what He wants me to pray for a certain friend. Tuesdays I pray for my friend Katharine who does prison ministry that day. Almost immediately God will download to me what to decree and declare for her. So, I immediately do it. All up, 30 to sixty seconds maximum. Due to daily spending time in that place, the atmosphere has become rich in there so that I can hear God immediately. Like a ‘thin place’ between heaven and earth.

A thin place is a location where we can sense the divine more easily and readily. A place where the space between heaven and earth grows thin and the Sacred and the secular seem to meet.

A ‘thin place’ comes from the mystical world of Celtic spirituality. The Celtic Christians were known for believing, and practicing, that the most ordinary elements of everyday life are infused deeply with God’s presence.

Do you have the one or two places you love to spend time praying in? If not, I encourage you to find a place where you feel comfortable, where you are alone with God, where you won’t necessarily be disturbed and begin to build up the prayer ground in that place.

For inspiration, the movie “The War Room” inspired many people to build a prayer closet in their house. If you google ‘prayer closet’, there are oodles of photos for inspiration. For me, I prefer a portable prayer closet, in the shower or laundry or with my journal in a favourite chair. You may prefer out in nature, on the beach, during a walk in the park. It doesn’t matter where. What matters is that you have somewhere you feel comfortable spending time investing in your relationship with God.

 

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation: Ask God to show, tell or give you a picture of how He sees your teacher. Share with the rest of the family or group. Draw a picture of this to give to your teacher. Share with your parents and maybe even make or buy something that resembles how God sees them.

2. Group Activation: Explain to the group that you will ask them to get up and move around the room. You will have some music playing and at short intervals, you will stop the music. As soon as the music stops, they are to find a partner. Then they have one minute to ask God for a book of the Bible for their partner and why that book relates to them. Allow a few minutes for people to share with their partner, but keep it short and snappy. Then repeat the process, with people finding new partners when the music next stops. At the end, debrief and see how many people received the same book of the Bible or if they received different ones but they were all applicable.

3. Beginner Activation: Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Spend time seeking God’s heart for yourself. Then write a letter to yourself from God.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to show you a person in a leadership position who desperately needs encouragement. Seek God how you can most effectively give them a prophetic word that will encourage them.

5. Advanced Activation: Address the latest issue that has become a worldwide fear eg Coronavirus that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Ask God for His heart and His perspective on this and what He would have your role to be. Then do what He shows or tells you.

When the same person keeps asking for a Prophetic Word

Posted on by

Like clockwork, every few months, the same person would approach me for a prophetic word. They would start by explaining how they were wanting a prophetic word from me so that they had something to hang on to in their time of struggle.

Immediately this raises a red flag with me.

Firstly, they need God to hang on to in this time. God needs to be their source of comfort, inspiration, and wisdom during their time of struggle (in fact all the time) rather than me hearing from God for them.

Secondly, they have had numerous prophetic words in the past. Prophetic words are especially for such a time as this. Just because they are going through a new season of struggle, doesn’t mean that their ‘old’ prophetic word is no longer viable. Prophetic words can be for the ‘here and now’ but they usually seem to be for a few steps time. Prophetic words are meant to be ‘encouraging, comforting and strengthening’ (1 Corinthians 14:3). Thus, they are great to get out in times of hardship and work through and see what God wants to be for you during this time.

Prophetic words usually address identity and destiny. Who you are and who God wants to be for you during this time are what identity words are all about.

Hubby also has had similar situations where a certain single lady would, on a regular monthly occasion, ask him for a prophetic word. He addresses this issue by saying that he won’t give a person another prophetic word, when they keep asking, until they have worked through their last prophetic word.

Usually when people are asking for a new prophetic word and they have been given numerous prophetic words in the last year or so, it becomes a discipleship issue. The person need to be taught that they need to go to God Himself. To put in the time and relationship with Father God, Holy Spirit and Jesus.

Please never become a substitute for a person seeking God for themselves. Jesus was, and is, the only ‘go-between’ in our relationship with God.

If a person is having trouble hearing from God for themselves, you will have a far greater impact if you help them to hear or receive from God for themselves.

Start with helping them look at how much time they are setting aside to spend with God. Do they prioritise Him each day? Are they reading the Bible? Are they looking to God for their answers?

Then, you may help them to have an encounter with God or give them tools to spice up their relationship with God.

Some of these tools may be to:

  1. Try spending time with God in a different setting eg in nature, at the beach, outside, in a different chair, etc.
  2. Try setting aside a different time of the day to specifically focus on God.
  3. Try reading the Bible a different way eg using an audio version or a new app or a different version or a DVD version. The IF:Gathering app has numerous amazing four week Bible study series on it which I have found extremely helpful.
  4. Try writing out verses from the Bible each day.
  5. Ask God to show you pictures or images of yourself or your day.
  6. Put worship music on and rest with worship filling your head.
  7. Find new ways of being in awe of God and thanking Him.We are not in the business of making people reliant on us. We are not their Saviour. We need to be pointing them to God Himself.

We are not in the business of making people reliant on us. We are not their Saviour. We need to be pointing them to God Himself.

 

Leading people through an encounter with God is effective for the here and now but it also gives them a tool for when they are stuck again.

Leading people into an encounter with God can be very simple.

  1. Ask the person to get into a comfortable position and close their eyes to help minimise any distractions.
  2. Ask the person to imagine that they are in a favourite place for them. Ask them to share with you what it looks like, smells like, feels like.
  3. Ask them to then imagine Jesus coming into that scene. Imagine that they see Jesus walking up to them and sitting, standing, just being next to them or in front of them. What is He doing? What does He say?
  4. Imagine that He has a present He wants to give to them. What does that present look like? What shape is it? How is it wrapped and what colour is the wrapping?
  5. Unwrap the present. What is it? What does that mean to them?
  6. How do they want to respond to Jesus?

Variety is the spice of life. Just how you sometimes need to vary stuff in your relationship with your partner or children or friends, it is also helpful to vary things in your relationship with God.

I would love to hear of different methods you have used when someone keeps coming to you for a prophetic word and how you have helped them refocus back on to their relationship with God.

 

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every week I list 5 prophetic activations/exercises under children/family, group, beginner, intermediate and advanced. The purpose of these exercises is to practice to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and see and sense God and His way of communicating with us. This enables us to grow in our relationship with God and also to impart to others what God tells us for them. Feel free to use as many of these activations each week as you can. The more you practice, the sharper you become at hearing God’s voice. Enjoy! Remember that whenever you give another person a prophetic word or picture etc, please make sure that it is encouraging, edifying (strengthening) and comforting (1 Corinthians 14:3) and that it comes from a place of love.

1. Children / Families Activation: Lead children into an encounter like the one above, imagining that Jesus has a present for them. Ask them questions to find out what the special present Jesus has for each one of them.

2. Group Activation: Buy an assortment of small chocolate bars that have different names eg Cadbury favourites. Place them in a bag deep enough so that you can’t see what you are selecting. Have each person put their hand in the bag and bring out a chocolate. The person then asks God for a prophetic word about the name of the chocolate bar for a person in the group. Hand the chocolate bar to the person as you share the prophetic word with them. If it is a large group, perhaps split into several smaller group, each group having their own chocolate assortment in a bag.

3. Beginner Activation: Open your calendar/diary before God. Ask Him to show or tell you something significant that you need to realise and what you need to do in response.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to highlight a family to you. Spend time with God hearing or seeing what is on His heart for this family as a group and for the members individually. Draw or write the encouraging response and then ask God how you are meant to communicate it to this family.

5. Advanced Activation: Dream with God for one thing to change in the world this year and what the change could look like. Ask God to highlight to you your part in bringing about that change. Then ask God to show, tell or give you a strategy for your part.