Ways to Encourage People Prophetically this Christmas

In this wonderful season of Advent (lead up to Christmas), we have an amazing opportunity to speak into the lives of many people. Christmas is a time when many words (verbal and written) and gifts are exchanged. What better time to redeem all of this for Jesus. It is a perfect time to speak, write and give words of life to everyone around you.

Two things I encourage you in first though.

  • Go deeper with God first. This is a perfect opportunity to get into the Bible and spend time being with God listening to Him, being intimate with Him.
  • Make time in your schedule. If you are adding something to your day/week, then it is advisable to also look at what you’ll give up or delete from your schedule.

People to prophetically encourage:

  • Family (immediate and extended)
  • Neighbours
  • Workmates
  • Friends
  • Team/group/sport members
  • Church – Pastors, leaders, new people, anyone
  • Your child’s friends and their families
  • Your child’s leaders / teachers
  • Your child’s mentors
  • Your mentors
  • Shop assistants
  • Someone who has helped you this year
  • Postman/garbage collector
  • Service industry people eg fireman, policeman, cleaners, local government authority, etc
  • Someone who cannot repay you – anonymous person, homeless person, etc
  • Someone who frustrates you
  • Someone whom God highlights to you

Ways to prophetically encourage people:

  • Write Christmas cards and write a prophetic encouraging word in it for the recipient using non-christian language,
  • Presents – buy a gift for them that is prophetic for them and their situation
  • The way you wrap the present – ask God to highlight a prophetic way to do that
  • Actions – ask God what you could do that communicates prophetically something to your neighbour, the shop assistant, your family etc
  • Christmas ornaments / decorations – every year I try to buy a Christmas ornament / decoration for each of our children that is prophetic eg my son has many words over him about having a Pastor’s heart so one year I bought a Christmas decoration of a shepherd carrying a sheep. My daughter has prophecies over her about a healing gift so that year I bought her a Christmas decoration of a woman in a white doctor’s coat.
  • Acts of kindness – ask God to show you who needs encouragement and also keep a look out for the lonely or unloved. Ask God how you can prophetically encourage them.
  • Make space and time in your diary for spending time with someone whom God highlights that you wouldn’t normally spend time with. Ask God to show you what to do and say prophetically.
  • Think and plan ahead to any activities over this season when you will be with people who irritate or frustrate you. Ask God to show you what He thinks of them and how you can speak life into them.

An ideal Group Game for a Prophetic Team: Every Christmas, I make up some parcels for the game ‘Pass the Parcel’ for the Prophetic Team I am part of. This is an ideal game for people to develop their prophetic skills in. If you have any more than about 6-8 people, it is ideal to make up more than one parcel. I have found that about 10 layers in total with a small object in each layer is a great size for the game time wise and interest wise. I normally buy the objects from the $2 shop or the supermarket, buying what God highlights to me as I walk around. You play the game the same as the children’s game of ‘Pass the Parcel’ (Sit in a circle and start playing some music. Hand the parcel around the circle until the music is stopped. The person who is holding the parcel when the music stops, opens the parcel, looks at the object in that layer and has 30 seconds to ask God whom should they give the object to in the circle and why ie prophetic word of how that object relates to them. It is easier with several parcels at once as then people get a tad longer to hear from God as the other person is giving their prophetic word to someone.) I don’t have the unspoken rules of everyone needs to get a turn and everyone needs to get an object. I specifically say that it is dependent on who we feel the Holy Spirit is saying to give the object to when the music stops.

Items I have previously wrapped in the pass the parcel: (sample ideas only)

  • Beef stock cubes
  • Chewing Gum
  • USB Cable
  • Protect it surface savers
  • Can of Sardines in Tomato Sauce
  • Rolled oats
  • Balloon
  • Party Blower
  • Little Miss Chatterbox Air Freshener
  • Tape Measure
  • Matches
  • Pancake Mixture
  • Fake Pearls
  • Food Colouring
  • 10 Cup hooks
  • Jelly
  • Highlighter
  • Ice cube Bags
  • Needles
  • Soap
  • Spaghetti
  • Yo-yo
  • Chicken Spice
  • Candle
  • Blank sheet of paper
  • Princess tiara
  • Parachute man toy
  • Toy soldier
  • Teabags
  • Bar of chocolate
  • Gold foil wrapped chocolate coins
  • Pen

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

The purpose of these exercises is to help us hear God’s voice in a clearer manner. They sharpen our senses to hear and recognise God’s voice 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: Grab a selection of Christmas tags. Sit down and brainstorm one encouraging word for every person whom you need to write a Christmas tag for eg cousins, etc. Write that word on the card – ‘Thank you for being so…..’

2. Group Activation: Play prophetic pass the parcel. Before your group meeting, wrap up a layered parcel with small inexpensive objects between every layer.  Sit in a circle and when the music plays, pass the parcel from person to person. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel unwraps a layer and asks God whom the object in that layer is for within the circle and why (ie a prophetic word to go along with that object). Depending on the size of your group, you may need several parcels being handed around at once.

3. Beginner Activation: Write a Christmas card for your garbage collector. Thank them for what they do even though it is part of their paid job. Ask God for a prophetic word for them that will encourage them. Write that in the card using non Christian language. Try to give it to the garbage collector next time they pick up your garbage. If that is always when you are not at home, try doing one for the postman instead and leave it on your postbox with a sign saying ‘for the postman’.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to highlight someone to you whom often gets overlooked. Ask God to then show or tell you something about them prophetically. Then buy a Christmas ornament for them that represents what you received prophetically for them.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God to highlight to you someone who desperately needs words of life spoken into them. Write out a card for them with these words in it but also speak the words out aloud over this person. Perhaps even buy them a present that represents those life giving words.