Set Your Prophetic Gift Free 7 Barriers to Growth in your Gift of Prophecy and How to Overcome Them Helen Calde

 Set Your Prophetic Gift Free 7 Barriers to Growth in your Gift of Prophecy and How to Overcome Them Helen Calder 2 Set Your Prophetic Gift Free 7 Barriers to Growth in your Gift of Prophecy and How to Overcome Them By Helen Calder 1. SIGNS YOUR PROPHETIC GIFT IS BEING HELD BACK 4 2. GET PAST THE STARTING LINE 8 3. LEAP OVER THE FEAR BARRIER 14 4. PUSH THROUGH APATHY 23 5. BREAK FREE FROM HURTS 30 6. LIFT THE CEILING THROUGH ACCOUNTABILITY 39 7. OVERCOME LACK OF OPPORTUNITIES 47 8. MAXIMISE YOUR SEASON 59 3 Copyright  2014 Helen Calder Published by David McCracken Ministries, Narre Warren North, Victoria, Australia All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. NIV. Copyright  1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. All enquiries regarding this publication, further resources and ministry by Helen Calder should be directed to: David McCracken Ministries P O Box 816 Endeavour Hills, VIC, 3802 Australia Enliven Blog: www.EnlivenBlog.com Ministry: www.DavidMcCracken.org 4 1. Signs Your Prophetic Gift is Being Held Back The spiritual gift of prophecy is the Holy Spirit-empowered ability to receive and convey a message from God—to make known the Father’s mind, intention and purposes. If you are reading this eBook, you have a desire to become closer to God and to grow in your prophetic ability. Perhaps you feel that there is more—that God’s intention is for you to hear Him speak more clearly and frequently. And you would like to have more opportunities and liberty to share what He is saying with others. You may even have a clear call to prophetic ministry. But you are not sure what to do next. Identifying a Limitation is Good News I regularly come across prophetic people who tell me that they used to flow in the gift of prophecy but feel it has become blocked or closed down in comparison to how it used to be. 5 These Christians long for the ‘good old days,’ when they felt released in their gifts and saw miraculous things happen as a result. Others share with me that they believe they have a gift of prophecy, but are not sure how to begin developing it. Sometimes they express fear or embarrassment about stepping out with a prophetic insight, because they lack confidence. Identifying a potential barrier to the growth of your gift or ministry is good news—for it is the first step to empowering you to break free and enter into the ‘more’ that God has for you. In fact, in God’s Kingdom there is always more! And you can turn that seeming obstacle into a steppingstone to greater growth and fruitfulness. Signs that you are Being held back in Your Prophetic gift Here are eleven signs that there may be a limiting factor holding you back in your prophetic gift or ministry. See if you can identify with any of these: 6 1. You have a desire to prophesy but are hesitating to step out and have a go through fear or doubt about your ability. 2. You are wondering why your prophetic gift seems to be hidden and not recognised by other Christians or by leaders in the church. 3. It is a long time since you stepped out, took a faith risk, and did something new in the use of your prophetic gift. 4. You are drifting and have a lack of direction in your prophetic gift or ministry. 1 5. You feel barren and are wondering where the fruitfulness is that you were promised or initially experienced when you started out. 6. You recognise that difficulties in the use of your prophetic gift began with an event that occurred in your past. 7. You are not sure what to do to get to the next level of growth in your gift of prophecy. 1 By prophetic ministry, I do not mean a role or position. Prophetic ministry occurs when you use your prophetic gift to love and help people in a way that brings them closer to God and releases them into His purposes. As Paul says, ‘the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.’ (1 Cor 14:3) 7 8. You have been hurt or wounded in relation to your prophetic gift and haven’t gotten over it. 9. You are not receiving opportunities to use and bless others through your gift that you would like to have. 10. You are content with your current level of experience and do not have the motivation to press through for growth in your prophetic gift. 11. You do have opportunities to use the gift of prophecy, but it is not flowing as smoothly or as accurately as you would like, or have known in the past. Do you recognise any of these signs? Over the next few chapters we will be looking at how to overcome some barriers to growth in your gift. Many of these will also apply to other spiritual gifts in your life, not just prophecy. Some of the barriers we will look at include:  Not knowing where to start  The effect of past hurts  Fear  Apathy  Not being released or given opportunities 8 2. Get Past the Starting Line Do you find that you are holding back from stepping out in your spiritual gift or ability sometimes, and not sure of how to break through? You are not alone. There are many people today who want to grow in their prophetic gift or ability, but are not sure how to move forward. Some reasons may be:  They lack confidence in hearing from God  They desire accuracy in the prophetic gift so strongly that the possibility of not hearing or conveying a message clearly causes anxiety  They have concerns for how it will affect those being ministered to if they are not ‘spot on’  They do not want to let God down and desire to do their best for Him 9 When our thoughts, desires and beliefs about God and His gifts result in fear, doubt, or being held back—something is wrong. If you can relate to this, I want to encourage you today. It is time to take the pressure off, deal with any misconceptions that you have, and learn to enjoy the journey of living in the Spirit and growing in your spiritual gifts. Understand the Fatherhood of God in Relation to Your Gifts ‘…how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!’ (Matt 7:11b) Checklist:  You hear from God through your intimate relationship with Him  You relate to God as your Father It pleases your Heavenly Father when you want to express His heart and His gifts. Just as an earthly father enjoys the process of a child learning to walk, Father God delights in your expressions of learning and growing in the spiritual gifts and abilities He has given to you. As a Dad picks up his son or daughter who is learning to walk when he stumbles, God is waiting and ready to pick 10 you up when you falter. In love, He encourages you to try again. And this delight of His never changes or wavers as you continue to grow in Him and His gifts. Understanding the Fatherhood of God—that He is a good, kind and generous Father as well as a holy and just God—is vital to your prophetic ministry. Having a personal revelation of His Fatherhood will not only empower and release you in your gift—it will help you to more accurately reflect His nature through your gift to others. Are you Concerned about Accuracy? Checklist:  You are developing your gift in the context of a church community and have the protection of leadership, protocols and accountability in place  You keep the New Testament guidelines for prophecy, and adhere primarily to encouragement, exhortation and comfort. (1 Cor 14:3)2 2 The NT Biblical guideline for those who are beginning, or operating in the general gift of prophecy is: do not bring corrective, directive or commissioning words. If you sense something along these lines strongly, we recommend that you share it with a pastor/minister or leader rather than directly to a person or group (see next page). 11  You ensure that what you share is in line with what the Bible says, and with the loving nature of Father God What about if you do these things, but you are still not 100% sure that an insight you have is from God? Understand how God Speaks But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. (John 16:13) When we talk about ‘hearing God’s voice,’ we are using an earthly expression to describe a spiritual concept. You and I use words, speech and body language to communicate. However, the Holy Spirit has many creative ways that He can communicate with us. We hear God’s voice, not with our physical ears, but with our heart and our spirit. For example, here are some ways in For more information, especially about commissioning, see the article, ‘Is Personal Prophecy Biblical?’ http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2011/08/17/is-personal-prophecybiblical/ 12 which the Holy Spirit can speak to you in a prayer or devotional time:  You are reminded of a Bible verse or story—or one is highlighted to you when you are reading the Bible (Scripture is the primary way God speaks to us—and also the primary way we weigh up what we believe God is saying)  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 are through:  Leaders, e.g. preaching or personal instruction  Dreams  Waking visions (like a movie in your imagination)  The insight of another person  Circumstances In the book of Acts alone, we see God speaking through prophecies, dreams, visions, angels, leaders, signs, and the inner voice of the Holy Spirit. 13 The Holy Spirit most often speaks to us in light, spontaneous thoughts and pictures, scriptures and words coming into our minds. We often refer to this as His ‘still, small voice.’ (1 Kings 19:12) This is in contrast to the noisy world we live in. Learning to hear the voice of God is about trust. And it is a process of growing in our ability to listen and discern His voice. Then, prophecy is about faith—stepping out and having a go. (Rom 12:6b) These are all things that take time to develop. We need to be intentional about listening. Have you ever been speaking to someone and it is as though they have ‘zoned out’? It is not that they are out of hearing range, but they have momentarily been distracted, either internally or externally. We can zone in to God by having an expectant and listening attitude and being open to the many ways He can speak to us. God wants to communicate with you and takes joy in you learning to hear His voice. As you begin the journey of developing your spiritual gifts, you may only know as you step out—and see what happens as a result. You will know by the ‘fruit.’ ________________________________________ 14 3. Leap Over the Fear Barrier ‘For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.’ (2 Tim 1:6-7) Some signs that your gift of prophecy may be hindered by fear include:  Feeling that you are unworthy or not good enough to prophesy  Being anxious that you may get it wrong  Hesitating stepping out, because you are afraid of failure or appearing foolish  Being reluctant to step out of your comfort zone Why you Need to Overcome Fear There are powerful reasons why you should overcome fear. Fear is a thief and a tool of the enemy:  It robs you of fulfilment in your God-given gift and ministry calling  It robs others of benefitting from your ministry, both inside and outside of church life 15  It robs the church from being edified and built up by the use of your gift  It robs God of the glory He would receive from you stepping out to share a message from Him Above are four strong reasons why you should break the power of fear in relation to your gift! Remember Jesus’ parable about the talents? It says that one man hid his talent (bag of gold) in the ground because he was afraid. (Matt 25:25) You have a wonderful gift from God. Don’t allow fear to influence you and cause you to bury what God has given to you. Following are some specific areas of fear to deal with: 1. Being Intimidated by Others’ Gifts You do not need to be intimidated by someone else’s spiritual gift, or the way another person hears from God. God has uniquely wired and created you to hear from Him. He loves to hear from you and to speak to you in the way that you personally connect with Him. ‘My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.’ (John 10:27 NLT) 16 The first thing you need to do is settle the fact that God is speaking to you and wants you to hear Him. Some people think that they cannot hear God speak unless they have a strong prophetic gift, or some other spiritual gift or special ministry. However, this is a misconception. God wants to have a relationship with us! This is why Jesus paid the price of His life on the cross. Communicating with our Father is the basic right of sons and daughters and the joy of our God. So if you are still not completely certain that you have a spiritual gift of prophecy, remember that hearing from God and conveying what He is saying to others is a part of your relationship with Him. It is what you are created for! ‘For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.’ (Rom 8:14) 2. Fear of Unworthiness ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.’ (Rom 8:1-2) 17 Sometimes people allow shame, condemnation or a sense of unworthiness to make them feel as though they are separated from God—and therefore, unable to hear His voice or to prophesy. If you can relate to this, remember that for Christians the barrier of sin separating us from God has already been dealt with on the cross. Sin is not the problem – sin-consciousness is. This is our inheritance as Christian believers: to live conscious of our righteousness in Christ, rejoicing in the power of God’s grace and forgiveness, and to know the cleansing power of Jesus’ blood. (Heb 9:14, 10:19-22) Rather than view sin or temptation as a barrier between God and you, God wants you to take the very issue that is troubling you into that place with Him. (Heb 4:15-16) That is His grace and that is His joy. Sin loses its power when we bring it into the light. In James, we are instructed to ‘confess our sins to one another.’ (James 5:16) If an issue of sin, addiction or temptation is continually troubling you, in addition to prayer, find a safe place to share and be accountable—for example to a Christian mentor or leader. 18 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9) 3. Fear of Hearing from Something Other than God But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Heb 5:14) Some people are fearful that what they are hearing may not be from God. It’s true that there are many voices around our lives, and that we need to weigh up what we are hearing to ensure it is from God. Maturing in discernment is a process, so weighing up what you hear is important. Remember:  God’s voice will never contradict what the Bible says (2 Tim 3:16)  In church life, God’s word will build the church and promote unity (1 Cor 14:3) 19  What we are hearing from God will be in accordance with His nature – e.g. the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22- 23)  What you hear from God will withstand the accountability of oversight (1 Thess 5:19-22) The antidote to fear is a love relationship. (1 John 4:18) Think about when the phone rings and you pick it up. How different are your responses when the caller is:  A telemarketer  Someone you love You see it’s not about the fact that someone is speaking— but recognising the Person behind the Voice. As you grow in your love relationship with God, you will get to know His voice. You can trust that what He has to share with you is good, and from His Spirit. (Luke 11:11-13) Fear of Getting it Wrong: There are some practical ways that you can take the pressure off. Don’t be afraid to be real and honest. If you are not sure whether an insight is of God, say so. You can use expression such as, ‘As we were talking/ praying, this came to mind for you—it may be me, or it may be God.’ 20 In fact, do you really need to say that you have heard from God? Just share the encouragement or Scripture and see what happens. If you share something that is encouraging, Biblical, and general enough not to affect someone’s guidance, what is the worst thing that can take place? Is it that the person leaves encouraged by you? Here is something I have learned: Trust the Holy Spirit’s ability to redeem an insight that you share, but are not certain afterwards whether you heard accurately what God was saying. God is by Name and nature a Redeemer. He can take our faltering attempts at prophetic encouragement and use them for His good in someone’s life. He is amazing! The nature of the Holy Spirit is joyful, loving and patient. (Gal 5:22) If you are concerned after sharing an insight—and praying about it—that it was not of God, under what circumstances should you go back and say something? This is something that requires wisdom. 21 As a guideline, go back and say something to them if:  It is possible that the person or group you have shared with may use what you have shared for guidance or direction—or  It may result in them being discouraged or having an incorrect view of God or themselves Admit your mistake or your uncertainty. If you are not sure of the right course to take, check with a leader. The worst thing that can happen is that you are humbled, learn something from the experience, and grow in your gift as a result. Most importantly, don’t beat yourself up. God isn’t. He is smiling at you. Finally, if concerns about getting a prophetic insight ‘word perfect’ are tripping you up, take another look at the differences between Old Testament and New Testament prophetic ministry.3 And relax. 3 See http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2011/09/13/differencesbetween-old-and-new-testament-prophetic-ministry/ 22 23 4. Push Through Apathy The Drift of Indifference Apathy is a common barrier to growth in our spiritual gifts— and it is the one that we have the least motivation to overcome! We do not choose indifference—we drift towards it. (Heb 2:1) And as we do, it robs us of our hunger for God as well as our motivation to serve Him. It also robs other people of receiving a life-changing blessing from God through us. Some signs that apathy may be blocking growth in your gift of prophecy or other spiritual gift are:  You believe that you have gone as far as you can go in the development of your gift  You are comfortable with where you are, and not motivated to move forward in your ministry  You can remember a time when you were excited about your spiritual gift, but you’ve lost the passion  There is always a ready—and plausible—excuse as to why you should not step out and use your gift 24 There is one crucial ingredient that you must have, in order to overcome indifference and push forward in your gift of prophecy. That ingredient is desire. This also holds true for all spiritual gifts. This includes other revelatory gifts such as discernment, intercession and word of knowledge. The Apostle Paul said, Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. (1 Cor 14:1) Here are three kinds of desire that are vital to growth in our gifts: 1. Desire for God In any relationship, when we love someone, we want to spend time with him or her—and it is the same in our relationship with God. To crave spiritual gifts without the greatest desire being for God Himself is like marrying someone for his or her money. 25 In Acts 8, Simon the sorcerer offered money to the apostles so that he could have the same power that they did. Peter rebuked him strongly for the wickedness in his heart. Our love for God leads us to want to be close to Him, and out of that hunger for intimacy comes the longing also to hear what He is saying—to know His heart and priorities. And right there is the place where we receive revelation. Our prophetic ministry will not have depth, impact and anointing unless we foster intimacy with God. If you feel that you have lost that sharp edge of hunger for God and His Presence, now is the time to return to that place. (Rev 2:4-5) 2. Love for People and Desire to help them. The Apostle Paul made it clear in his lengthy discussion about spiritual gifts, that love is the vital prerequisite to the use of the gifts. (1 Cor 13) Jesus said the whole law is summed up by the commands to love God and to love our neighbour. (Luke 10:27-28) Loving people leads us to desire to help them and build Jesus’ church. 26 I encourage you to stop and do a check on how you are going in this area.  Is your motivation to prophesy, or utilise your gift based on a genuine desire to help people and lead them closer to Jesus?  How are you going in your desire to build the church—what about your own church? I’ve learned that my passion for my own local church is often a barometer of how I am going in this area. Of course, sometimes discouragement or hurt can get in the way of this—and I will discuss that in the next chapter. 3. Desire for the Spiritual Gift Itself In 1 Cor 14, we are told to ‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts4 , especially the gift of prophecy.’ This desire keeps us moving forward, not only to develop the gift, but also to use it to minister to others. 4 Wayne Grudem defines a spiritual gift as ‘any ability that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and used in any ministry of the church.’ (GRUDEM, W. Systematic Theology. 1994. Nottingham: Inter-Varsity. p1016) For examples of spiritual gifts see the following scriptures: 1 Cor 12:4-11, Rom 12:6-8 27 I have often heard it said that we should desire the Giver, not the gifts (and have sometimes said it myself!) But the Bible clearly says we should desire the gifts. We should desire the Giver and His gifts. I am challenged to have the desire that Elisha did, that caused him to pursue Elijah for his mantle. (2 Kings 2) That mantle was the outward representation of Elijah’s prophetic ministry and office of the prophet. We have all seen people who have an unhealthy focus on spiritual gifts or prophecy. Being concerned about this is a good sign. We need to be alert to the wrong kinds of desire. To check our motives, we can ask questions like: 5  Am I comparing myself to someone else and wanting an ability that they have?  Am I willing to wait, if this is not the right time to step out? 5 Excerpt from my book, ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts.’ See the resources page at the end of this book. 28  Am I willing to submit this longing for a gift or ministry to leaders in the church—and hold back if they do not see God has called me to this area?  Is this about loving people—or feeling fulfilled myself?  Does reaching for this gift free me to be more of who God has created me to be?  Is it clear—to others and to me—that it is God’s glory and His church that I want to bring attention to and not myself? Don’t Separate the Gifts and the Giver ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (Jer 33:3) We think of a gift in the human sense, that we give a gift that is separate to us. However, the gifts God gives us are the expression of His Holy Spirit living on the inside of us. We cannot separate the two. When we cease desiring the gift, we have not only forgotten the value of the gift itself, we have lost sight of the treasure that is the unique expression of the Holy Spirit impacting others through us. 29 In valuing your spiritual gift, you are valuing the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:7) When you long for the manifestation of a gift with a Godbreathed desire—a desire that is birthed in communion with Him—you are longing for God Himself. Keys to Reawakening Desire Some things you can do are:  Pray and ask God to stir a hunger up in you, so that you are not satisfied with anything less than God being first in your life  Specifically repent of apathy. Invite the Holy Spirit to move and breathe His life into your heart and gift  Stir up the desire by reminding yourself of the benefits of the use of your spiritual gift in helping people and bringing them closer to God 30 5. Break Free from Hurts Being hurt in relation to the spiritual gift of prophecy is, unfortunately, very common amongst prophetic people. (Note that these same points relate to wounds experienced in other spiritual gifts or ministries—you may also need to replace ‘gift of prophecy’ or ‘prophetic ministry’ with the name of your gift or ministry) An unhealed hurt or disappointment will not only affect your gift of prophecy, it will hold you back in other areas of your life, too. Some signs that your prophetic gift may be blocked due to sustaining a wound are:  You can trace a blockage in your prophetic ministry to a hurtful event that took place in your past  You hold back because you are afraid of being criticised, hurt or rejected  You may find it difficult to trust leaders or other people in the church to recognise or release you in your gift 31  You seem to go through cycles—you might move from one church or ministry to another and yet never get recognised or released to the degree you would like to be  The same pattern of stepping out in prophetic ministry and then getting hurt or disappointed seems to happen repeatedly. There are many ways that people can become hurt or wounded in relation to prophetic ministry. The two most common are criticism and disappointment. 1. Criticism There are several ways that criticism can occur:  We may have made a genuine mistake in the use of our gift, but leadership of the situation was handled badly. Perhaps we were publicly shamed. Perhaps we were not guided or restored, as we should have been.  The criticism may have been completely unwarranted—this adds a sting of injustice to the wound.  Criticism was aimed at our level of maturity in the gift. 32 We do not criticise or judge babies who are learning to crawl or walk—in fact we celebrate their efforts. And yet it is amazing how quickly we Christians judge one another when we are stumbling through learning stages in our spiritual gifts. Accusation and judgment are also related to criticism. I have known people who have been accused of being Jezebellic, for example. This kind of accusation can cause a deep wound in someone who has prophetic gifts.6 2.Disappointment Some ways in which we can experience disappointment include:  Our prophetic ministry has not been listened to, encouraged or appreciated  Leaders have not recognised our gift or they have not made room for us to exercise or grow in our prophetic ministry  Mentors or people dear to us in prophetic ministry let us down, are removed from our lives, or are themselves wounded in relation to their ministry 6 For more information about the Jezebellic or religious spirit in relation to prophetic ministry, read my e-book, ‘Prophetic People in a Changing Church.’ http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/e-books/prophetic-people-e-book/ 33  Ministry opportunities—for whatever reason—have been removed from us If you have experienced any of these types of wounds in your prophetic ministry, you are not alone. These are things that many of us can relate to in some form or another. In fact, you will see these types of hurtful things happen to people with prophetic callings in the Bible. Think of the rejection that Joseph went through with regard to his gift of prophetic dreams and interpretation. He was criticised, rejected, misunderstood and passed over for many years before God raised him up and released him in his call. Yet he kept his heart free from bitterness—and in that is a lesson for each of us. It seems that God allows us to go through these tests as part of our development and character growth. When we overcome, He can use us in greater ways and entrust us with His Word and His power. 34 Steps to Breaking Free from Blockages in your Prophetic Gift due to Hurt 1. Take Ownership A blockage takes place when we put up barriers, or walls of self-protection around us to prevent us from being wounded again. Even though others may have been the reason that we were shut down to start with, the ongoing issue is that we are reluctant to expose ourselves to further hurt. Our instinct is to hold back. So the very first thing we need to do, is to recognise our own part and responsibility in the blockage. We are the ones who, with God’s help, have the ability and the keys to break ourselves free. We do this by acknowledging this in prayer and repenting of allowing the walls to go up. God is sufficient. He is all the protection we need and He waits and longs for us to trust in Him. But often we use our own efforts to protect ourselves—and this is wrong. 35 Secondly, if we have been criticised, removed from ministry or held back in the past, there may be an aspect of truth in the reasons for the action that was taken. I know from experience that this is a tough area to acknowledge, but addressing it and being humble enough to make any necessary adjustments is vital to fulfilling God’s call on our life. 2. Release forgiveness to the person or group that has wounded you Jesus said, “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” (Mark 11:25) Unforgiveness and the desire to obtain justice can chain us to an event, preventing us from making progress in our prophetic gift. In prayer, speak out forgiveness and release the offenders from judgment, as well as from any debt that you believe they owe you. Sometimes, God might lead you to communicate with the person or group that has hurt you, but this is not always necessary. 36 Use discretion here, and look for some wise counsel. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice that we make. Also remember that forgiveness is not just a one-off decision; it is an ongoing process. This means continuing to choose forgiveness whenever you feel the hurt or the negative effects of the situation. 3. Find a Safe Person who can pray with you “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16) Some things that can be prayed through personally and with a prayer partner are:  Pray through the issues raised in points 1 and 2 above  Identify and renounce any wrong belief that you have taken onboard following the hurtful event— e.g. ‘I will never be good enough,’ ‘God has not called me to this ministry’  Pray and affirm the redemptive opposite of that lie, i.e. the truth about God’s love and affirmation of you as a person, as well as your gift  If criticism, accusation or judgment was involved, pray against the power or effects of the words spoken 37  Pray for healing of your heart and a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit This also reminds us of the fourth and most important aspect of breaking free from any blockage caused by a wound to your gift and that is: 4. Receive God’s Healing If we have believed a lie, we need a truth encounter. We need to know that God’s love for us, and His attitude towards us, is not reflected in the hurtful attitudes, words or actions of others—even when they are people in authority. Meditate on the Father’s love and acceptance as expressed in the Bible, especially in the New Testament in the life and ministry of Jesus. 5. Step Out in your Gift Again Finally, at the right time, we need to begin to step out again in our prophetic gift. Firstly, this means being accountable—and being under leadership. Sometimes, this means responding well to leaders who have hurt us in the past. 38 We know we are healed when we can receive feedback and be open to adjustment in the operation of our gift without reacting badly. Becoming activated in your gift of prophecy again will mean taking risks and being vulnerable. However, the fruit in your life and in the lives of others you minister to will be eternal. Sometimes hurts arise from a leader in the church—if this is familiar to you, I encourage you to consider my e-book, ‘Prophetic People in a Changing Church’ for more specific information on how to break free.7 7 See ‘Prophetic People in a Changing Church.’ http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/e-books/prophetic-people-ebook/ 39 6. Lift the Ceiling Through Accountability The Power Of Prophetic Accountability Does it feel as though there is a ceiling on your spiritual gift of prophecy? Are you aware that there is a greater level of clarity and authority in the operation of your gift, but you are wondering how to break through? A limitation may exist through fear, hurt or another of the barriers we have discussed. However, another very important way to lift a ceiling is through ensuring that we have healthy oversight and accountability in our gift of prophecy. Accountability is a vital key to develop a prophetic ministry with increasing accuracy, integrity, and wisdom. Submitting to oversight is not popular in our independenceloving culture. And yet true, Biblical accountability is designed and ordained by God. 40 Our Father’s intention is that we operate in our spiritual gifts and ministries in the context of community that includes oversight. (Eph 4, 1 Cor 12-14) What does Prophetic Accountability Mean? Let’s have a quick look at accountability in relation to prophecy. Genuine accountability is not just by name only, to be effective it must include: Answerability: (Gal 2:1-2)  We report to someone concerning our ministry, as well as revelation (prophetic insights) that we have received from God. Transparency: (Eph 4:25)  We are not holding back information that is relevant to the process. Teachability: (Acts 18:26)  We are willing to learn and change. Submission: (Heb 13:17)  There are times when we obey directives when we do not feel like it or necessarily agree with it. (Note: I 41 am referring to leadership decisions, not issues contrary to Biblical, legal or moral principles)8 Accountability is not solely to oversight; it can also be outward—for example, to our team. It can be voluntary, (we seek it out) or a set part of our ministry role. In Church life, accountability flows through the unique leadership structure of each local church and church movement. (Acts 20:28) Signs that we are not accountable include:  Operating in our gifts and ministries in isolation  Not being open to correction or adjustment, or  Believing we are only accountable directly to God (this is an Old Testament perspective).9 8 An example of submission in prophetic ministry is when our oversight instructs us not to share or act upon a prophetic insight we have received immediately, but to hold onto it and pray about it—and we carry out that request graciously. 9 For a helpful explanation of this see: Differences Between Old and New Testament Prophetic Ministry http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2011/09/13/differences-between-oldand-new-testament-prophetic-ministry/ 42 Following are 7 reasons why accountability is beneficial to your prophetic ministry: 1. It’s Biblical: You are Following the New Testament Precedent The themes of leadership and accountability run throughout the New Testament. Jesus demonstrated it in His discipleship process. The Apostle Paul wrote much concerning leadership. He also gave instruction concerning the practice of prophecy, which included accountability and guidelines. (1 Cor 14, 1 Thess 5) We see a great example of how prophetic accountability functions in the life of Paul himself. In a powerful open vision, God spoke to Paul about his future ministry to the Gentiles. However, he was only sent out from Antioch when the church leadership heard from God that it was time for him to be released into his Apostolic ministry. (Acts 13:1-3) Paul returned and reported back to his sending church. (Acts 14:26-28, 18:22) When Paul received the revelation of the Gospel—God’s grace to the Gentiles—God led him to submit the revelation to the church oversight in Jerusalem, even though he received the revelation directly from God. (See Galatians 2:1-2) 43 2. It Sharpens our Prophetic Ministry Prophetic ministry is not just about the revelation we receive. It also includes our interpretation of what the prophetic insight means, as well as where, when, how and to whom we communicate it. [3] Weighing up prophetic insights is a Biblical mandate. (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-21) Having an accountable relationship can help us to process our prophetic insights, gain wisdom, sharpen our prophetic gifts and increase our accuracy. As it has been said, ‘Feedback is the breakfast of champions.’10 3. It Fosters Genuine Humility ‘Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice.’ (Prov 13:10) Being accountable and teachable in our prophetic ministry is a great antidote to pride and strengthens us in the area of humility. (1 Peter 5:5b) 4. The Power of God is Released through Authority 10 This quote is by Ken Blanchard 44 Spiritual authority and the power of God flow through the lines of appointed authority. (See remarkable examples of this in Acts 6:8; Acts 8:5) Jesus commended a Roman Centurion for understanding this principle. (Luke 7:7-9) 5. It Empowers the Church to act as God Intends God’s plan for the Church is for interdependence, not independence. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” (1 Cor 12:21) Accountability is just one process that enables the Church community (body) to work together. Those who have prophetic gifts need to have alongside them, those with leadership gifts, as well as gifts of discernment and wisdom. (1 Cor 12) 6. Accountability Enables us to Grow in our Character “As iron sharpens iron, so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” (Prov 27:17, see also Eph 4:11-16, Prov 12:15) We all have ‘blind spots’. These may include character weaknesses, hurts, skewed perspectives, or judgments about others that we have made subconsciously. We will 45 only grow and change when we allow someone outside of ourselves to have input. We also grow in character as we have a teachable attitude. 7. Accountability gives us Protection (Eccl 4:9-12) Accountability acts as a safety net to protect us from pitfalls. One role of Christian leadership is to warn and admonish us when necessary. (1 Cor 4:14) We can also appeal to our oversight when we need authority or assistance in a given situation. Accountability needs to be to the Right People The appropriate person (or people) to be accountable to varies according to our situations and ministry. This may include someone who is a leader in our church or organisation, or a mentor.11 11 See my articles on prophetic mentoring: http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/tag/prophetic-mentoring/ Mentors should be in an accountability relationship themselves, spiritually healthy, and love and honour their church and leadership. 46 If our prophetic function is within the life of our local church, then we are accountable to our church leadership12 regarding the expression of our prophetic gift in the church. (1 Cor 14) If we are working for a Christian organisation, our ministry accountability may be outside of our local church. However, even if we are engaged in an itinerant ministry, our local church pastors and leaders can have valuable input into our lives. When we minister into our own or another local church, we are also accountable for that ministry to the oversight of that church. Accountability also includes honouring prophetic guidelines and protocols when they have been put into place. 12 Biblical leadership is not domineering or abusive, but strong ‘servant leadership’ as demonstrated by Jesus. (Matt 20:25-27, 1 Peter 5:3) 47 7. Overcome Lack of Opportunities Why are Leaders not Giving me Opportunities? I regularly come across gifted prophetic people who wonder why they are not being given opportunities to minister in the area of their spiritual gifts and passion. There are two contexts in which this can happen:  You may be aware that you have a gift of prophecy, or another spiritual gift. In fact, you may have exercised that gift or ministry in the past, and even seen great results as the Holy Spirit touched people through your ministry.  You may be newly emerging in your spiritual gift. You are aware that you have a gift and Spirit-given ability—so why is it that others do not see it? Maybe you can identify with the following questions: 48  ‘Why does it seem as though my gift is hidden?’  ‘Why am I not receiving opportunities to exercise my gift of prophecy?’  ‘Why don’t leaders in my church recognise my ministry?’  ‘Will I ever fulfil the prophetic call of God on my life?’ These are questions that I have asked myself at various times in the past. If you can relate to this today, I have some things that I would like to share with you on a personal level. Blaming Others will Disempower You It can be very easy to blame others when we are not being given opportunities to exercise our prophetic abilities in church life. We perceive that leaders especially, have the power to release or hold back possibilities for us to minister. It may seem that they are blocking the achievement of God’s call on our lives. But the reality is that as long as we are blaming others for our lack of ministry fulfilment—whether it is a spouse, pastor, ministry leader or anybody else—we are actually disempowering ourselves and limiting God. 49 Invariably, we will begin to voice our frustration and resentment, for as Jesus said, ‘Out of the abundance of our hearts our mouths speak.’ (Luke 6:43-46) Eventually, discouragement, disappointment and frustration pervade the atmosphere around our lives, creating a cycle of barrenness. But I have good news for you today: you can break free! Reasons why Your Gifts are not Being Used Firstly, you need to remember that God is sovereign. No human on the planet can hold back the fulfilment of His call on your life—except you. You are empowered. You do not need to look to someone else to release your ministry. To begin with, if your prophetic gift or ministry call seems to be hidden, here are some possible reasons why this might be happening, along with some suggestions to help you move forward: 1. You are Waiting for an Appointment Unnecessarily 50 Sometimes we wait for an invitation, role or position when Jesus just wants to love people through us. For example, if you have a gift of prophecy, you can use it at the basic level of encouragement in a small group and everyday life amongst family and friends. Remember, though, that if you have a word that goes beyond simple encouragement, the principles of accountability apply. If you want to be used in the area of healing, start offering to pray for people—and so on. The key is to stay within the appropriate context in the use of your gift.13 2. You Need to make your Desires and Dreams Known Sometimes we think that ministry leaders are aware of our gifts and calling and should open doors for us. They would— if only they knew what was on our hearts. I can remember one time in particular where I was frustrated because a ministry leader wasn’t giving me an opportunity. When I eventually broached the subject, he 13 Every church has unique protocols for the operation of spiritual gifts. See Prophetic Ministry In Church Life: Why Have Guidelines http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/2011/07/26/prophetic-ministry-inchurch-life-why-have-guidelines/ 51 asked me why I hadn’t mentioned it, and happily provided a pathway forward for me. Leaders aren’t mind readers. Sometimes we think that they are supermen and superwomen who should be listening to God about our personal gifts and situations. They may simply need the opportunity to hear from us firsthand. 3. You are Beginning and Need to Step out. Sometimes we wait too long for encouragement, when we should be stepping out of the boat ourselves. Understandably, when you are new in your prophetic gift, this can be a bit daunting. When a seedling emerges from the soil, there is a last push to break through the earth. When a butterfly is emerging from a chrysalis, there is a final wrestling to break free. This is the kind of motivation that the Apostle Paul talked about when he said, ‘Desire spiritual gifts.’ (1 Cor 14:1) Is your desire strong enough that you will seek tangible ways of moving forward in your gift? 52 4. The Delay is about God’s Timing Wilderness seasons are a Biblical theme—remember Moses, Joseph, David, John the Baptist and the Apostle Paul? [4] Some reasons that God ordains a time of hiddenness may include:  Timing as He brings circumstances and people together  Strengthening other gifts and skills in your life that will be needed in the long run  Preparation of our character or gift If God has ordained a season of waiting, He is faithful and will release you at the right time. 5. You may Benefit by Adjusting Something in Your Ministry Approach. This is a vital point. Many times I have seen people held back because there is something unsuitable in their approach to using their gifts—and yet they are completely unaware of it. Here are some checks we should do regularly in relation to our gifts and ministry: 53 Faithfulness  Am I willing to serve in small ways?  Am I present at meetings, even when my gift is not being called on?  Am I honouring my leaders in my conversation and actions?  Am I being self-centred, i.e. it’s about my gift and my ministry, or others-centred—“What can I do to help you?”  Culture and Style  Does the style of the way I use my gift fit with the culture of my church?  What about my language—terminology and expressions?  Do I use any methods or ‘formulas’ when I minister that my leaders do not use?  Do I use actions, gestures or manifestations, e.g. when I pray for people, which are not in keeping with the culture of my church? If a movement we have been brought up in, imparted to, or taught by, is different from that of our church, this is something that we need to especially consider. We need to be willing to lay these methods aside and align our ministry style with the culture of our church or ministry organisation. 54 Vision and Values  Do my values and vision for ministry differ from that of my church? A friend of mine observed that a church is like a train—led by God and our leadership with a definite destination in mind. We need to decide whether we are willing to get on board and to serve in the direction that our church is going. So long as we are nurturing our own desires for a different destination or culture of church life, our leaders will perceive this. They need to know we are pulling with them—not against them. Why not ask? You may benefit by approaching someone in leadership— perhaps sharing this article with him or her—and reviewing any possible reasons why you seem to be stuck in relation to your gift or ministry. This will only work if you take an open and humble approach and are willing to listen to suggestions without becoming hurt or offended. Often leaders do not address situations such as I’ve mentioned above because they know that their 55 observations will not be well received. If you initiate the conversation, and are willing to make adjustments, you may be surprised at the results. When Prophetic Leadership is Scarce I sometimes receive questions from readers who do not have church leaders or mentors who can help them grow in their prophetic gifts. Some reasons for this may include:  They are physically isolated in terms of location  Their church lacks expertise in the area of prophetic ministry (this can be due to size or emphasis)  The church is conservative and the leadership does not believe in—or make room for—prophetic ministry  A prophetic mentor or leader is not available  They feel hurt or misunderstood in church life in relation to their prophetic gifts Struggling Without Prophetic Leadership? These Tips may Help Being unable to find a mentor or leader to help you in your prophetic journey is common to a lot of people. Whilst you 56 continue to pray about and be open to receiving mentoring, feedback is important to helping you develop your gift. When you share a thought, scripture or prayer that is of God, people will say things like ‘that was meaningful…spot on…thank you, that really touched me…I feel encouraged, and so on.’ Don’t be afraid to ask if an insight, scripture or prayer you have shared is helpful. Even negative feedback will help sharpen your ability to hear accurately from God. When you share a prophetic insight, be aware of the fruit (outcome). A word that is from the Holy Spirit and shared in a timely way should bear good fruit that is consistent with the New Testament purpose of prophecy, to ‘lift up, build up, and cheer up.’ (1 Cor 14:3) There may be an occasional circumstance in which someone does not respond well to an insight from God, but if that is happening consistently, there is likely to be something in your approach that needs adjusting. Remember always to share your insights in a loving and natural way. When Prophecy isn’t Recognised If you are in a church where prophecy is not recognised, offer what you hear from God in the form of general encouragement, scriptures and prayer. Depending on the culture of your church, you may be able to share that you 57 have been praying and a certain thought or scripture came to mind, or that you believe God is saying something. The Holy Spirit is not limited by our terminology and it is not necessary to always use the term ‘prophecy.’ The key is to be sensitive and loving and to keep it simple. Honour and Accountability is Always Relevant Focus on your intimate relationship with God, but be wary of elevating revelation that you receive from the Holy Spirit above leadership, even when your leaders do not expressly support prophecy. Those in whom God has invested a gift of leadership have good instincts when it comes to His direction and timing. Remember, your church leader may not understand prophetic ministry, but still has the ability to hear from God. Honouring God-given leadership, regardless of the form it takes, is still the best way to grow our prophetic gifts. Sometimes it is our own pride that gets in the way of us receiving from a leader who does not have the same spiritual gift that we do. Exceptions—Yes of Course! 58 Every situation is different and while the above suggestions may be a general help, your gift, maturity, church and leadership will be unique to you. Online Resources Enliven Blog is a teaching resource designed to help and encourage Christians who are developing and operating in the gift of prophecy.14 There are many ministries on the Internet, but be very careful about who you learn from. Avoid those who make excessive promises to turn you into a ‘fivefold minister’ or who freely offer personal prophecy without accountability. 14 See http://www.enlivenpublishing.com/blog/ 59 8. Maximise Your Season Just as we experience different seasons physically, a move of the Holy Spirit can bring a change of spiritual season to our lives and ministries. Whilst we may enjoy a time of refreshing, other Biblical seasons do not appear so pleasant. (Heb 12:11) In His love and tender care, our Father also ordains seasons of pruning, testing, or wilderness times, to grow us in our call, gifts and character. Spiritual seasons apply to the overall call of God in our lives—and also to the development of individual spiritual gifts, such as prophecy. Seasons of Development in Your Prophetic Gift In my book, ‘Grow Your Prophetic and Prayer Gifts,’ I identify 6 stages of growth in the development of spiritual gifts. [1] These are: 60 1. The Beginning Stage Spiritual gifts are imparted to us at our new birth in Christ. (1 Peter 4:10) 2. The Desiring Stage We may experience a God-given hunger that leads us, either to an area of ministry where the gift of prophecy can be tested and used, or to further study or training in the use of the prophetic gift. (1 Cor 14:1) 3. The Emerging Stage There are visible signs that we have a spiritual gift of prophecy, and that God is anointing it. We are seeing fruit— results that honour God, help people, and build the church. Our spiritual oversight is now acknowledging our gift. (Acts 19:6) 4. The Developing Stage The growth of our prophetic gift is accelerated as we embrace opportunities such as prophetic training, mentoring, putting prophecy into practice and other forms of learning or study. (1 Tim 4:14-15) 5. The Testing Stage 61 We undergo a season of trial, or wilderness season, in the area of our giftedness. Our sense of confidence in ourselves is being stripped away but will be replaced by a new sense of dependency upon God. We gain wisdom and humility and are prepared for greater fruitfulness in prophetic ministry. (Acts 9:28-30) 6. The Maturing Stage Having grown in wisdom as well as our gift, we are experiencing fruitfulness in the use of our spiritual gift of prophecy and may have the opportunity to lead, encourage or invest (reproduce) in others who are growing in the same area of ministry. (1 Cor 14:20) Although I’ve portrayed these seasons sequentially, the reality is that you may go in and out of seasons more than once. For example, you may go through repeated periods of development and testing until you reach a maturing stage— and even then, you may go back through it again! 62 4 Benefits of Understanding the Growth Stage of Your Prophetic Gift Can you identify which of the above seasons you are in, in relation to growing your prophetic gift? Note that these seasons of development not only apply to the gift of prophecy. You will recognise a similar pathway of development in other spiritual gifts such as intercession, discernment, healing, and leadership. There are several advantages to being aware of which stage you are experiencing in your prophetic gift and ministry call: 1. You can make the most of Your Current Season For example, in a ‘desiring’ phase, we can overcome discouragement that a prophetic gift has not yet manifested or been acknowledged and continue to respond to the hunger that Holy Spirit has placed within us. 2. You can see the Bigger Picture We can appreciate God’s faithfulness as we can look back at the journey that we have been on. This can be especially encouraging if we are undergoing a ‘testing’ season. 63 3. You can Break through Barriers In a ‘testing’ season, for example, we realise that our response and the condition of our heart is of vital importance to the fulfilment of God’s call upon our lives— and can choose to respond well. We can also identify when the enemy’s strategy is to keep us stuck in a wilderness time and take steps to break free. In an ‘emerging’ season, we can be encouraged to steward the gift God has given to us by not taking it for granted— and investing in further training and development. 4. You can lift the Ceiling on Your Prophetic Gift Understanding the stages of growth in your gift of prophecy can help you grow even further, for each stage contains ongoing lessons. You can prayerfully identify which attributes of each season that you should revisit on an ongoing basis. For example, God may prompt you to:  Stir up desire for a gift or ministry (desiring stage),  Step out and try new things (emerging stage)  Continue to seek opportunities for training and development (developing stage), and 64  Continue to respond well to trials or hurts as they occur (testing stage) Where to from here: Throughout this book, I have discussed ways in which the progress of your prophetic gift and ministry can be hindered, and shared some keys to help you break free. A short book like this cannot cover every scenario and individual need, but I believe the Holy Spirit can use this information to help you find the first step to freedom. As we close, some further ways that you can make the most of this include:  Reflect prayerfully on the 7 barriers and identify which, if any, relate to you.  Pray about any points that particularly stand out.  Spend some time journaling and processing sections that the Holy Spirit has highlighted to you.  Find a Pastor, counsellor, mentor or leader to share your journey with and have them pray with you.  Make a note of the next action you should take in relation to growing in your gift of prophecy—and prayerfully but boldly, take that action. 65 In Closing—My Prayer for You Father I pray for Your son or daughter who is reading this book right now. We bring before You the particular challenges he or she is facing in relation to the prophetic gift and ministry. Holy Spirit, reveal any personal keys that relate to breakthrough. Let this simple book provide a starting point for pressing through to greater freedom in prophecy. Fear and intimidation must go, in Jesus’ Name! Replace it with the boldness of Your Spirit. Fill Your son, Your daughter, with Your love and a fresh revelation of Your Fatherhood. Father, release Your empowerment and wisdom relating to any practical actions that need to be taken. Reveal any hidden hurts, as well as Your pathway to freedom. Let forgiveness and grace flow. Thank You Lord that You have made the way easy through Jesus’ blood shed on the cross for us. Fill him or her afresh with Your Holy Spirit right now, may there be a new awareness of Your Presence and a greater clarity in hearing Your voice. 66 In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 67 Further Resources to Help Grow Your Prophetic Gift Grow Your Prophetic and Prayer Gifts - eBook Would you like to know what to do next to develop your prophetic or prayer gift? Are you feeling stuck, or have you undergone hardship in relation to your gift? Maybe you would simply like to be more effective in the use of your prophetic or prayer gift. If this sounds familiar, this book is for you. ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is filled with practical tips, inspiration and advice to assist you in developing your gifts of prophecy and prayer, including prophecy, intercession, miracles, word of knowledge, discernment, and healing. Have you ever dreamed that you could prophesy, or pray for the sick and see them healed? The desires of your heart 68 are the first clue to the gift and ministry calling that God has placed in your life. In ‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’, you will discover the six phases of development of prophetic and prayer gifts from desire and birth through to maturity. Learn how to:  Identify the season you are currently in for each of your gifts, including a season of wilderness and trial. Find out how to break through to the next level  Maximise opportunities in the current stage of growth in your spiritual gift  Navigate the challenges and joys unique to the growth of prophetic and prayer gifts Each chapter includes questions for personal reflection and group discussion. This book includes practical tools and the information you need to develop a plan for the next stage of growth in your spiritual gift. (124 pages. Available for download in either PDF or ePub formats) 69 To view and purchase this book, along with other valuable resources from David McCracken Ministries, visit our eStore: www.DavidMcCracken.org/estore/ To visit Enliven Blog: www.EnlivenBlog.com