Monthly Archives: September 2016

Sharing the gospel with my neighbour

Posted on by

Our next door neighbour died a fortnight ago. As far as we know, she had never made a personal commitment to accepting Jesus Christ into her life. The morning she was found dead in her hallway by her cleaner, I experienced some pangs of regret. I had never ever shared the gospel with her. I live a busy life being involved in a lot of ministry, but here was an 82 year old lady living next door to me whom I had never shared the gospel with. Would she go to heaven?

I reflected back on the last 9 years of her living behind us in a unit. When she first shifted in, her husband was alive and my children and I loved visiting her. We would have afternoon tea with her several times per week. My son loved her husband and his sense of humour. Unfortunately her husband died three years later after battling cancer. I had the opportunity to pray several times with him and he always loved those times and seemed at peace afterwards. He was a Jehovah Witness but was open to me praying with him and chatting about the gospel. He always seemed to appreciate our visits, chats about heaven and times of prayer, especially towards the end of his life.

Unfortunately my neighbour wasn’t. She grieved deeply after her husband died and became quite bitter and sought solace in alcohol, lots of alcohol. I asked her several times if I could pray with her but she always refused. Her grand daughter died of cancer and she refused all offers of prayer. She never liked talking about God, heaven, what happened after you died or Jesus Christ.

We tried to love her in action. We did a lot of things for her, always backed her car down the driveway for her, baked cookies and meals for her, checked numerous times at midnight that she was o’kay after her personal alarm was activated, bought her food, collected her mail, took out her garbage, trimmed her hedge, etc. She sunk deeper into despair and alcohol and my kids no longer liked to visit her. I was careful to never to visit after 3pm as she would tend to fall and hurt herself after getting up quickly to unlock the door and having drunk alcohol on an empty stomach.

During those years, we went overseas three times on mission trips but we had a person desperately needing Jesus in our own backyard. But a number of times she refused us. Earlier on, we prayed earnestly as a family for her to know Jesus Christ personally, but the prayers dwindled off as we saw no sign of hope.

Last week my daughter and I went to her funeral. We have been to a number of funerals and this one was extremely short and ‘empty’. There was no mention of God. There was encouragement to just think of her as the glamourous lady she was when she was a lot younger.

This has been a huge wake up call for me. It always seems to be easier to love those far off, to see the supernatural expressed with amazing miracles and healing. Our family love prophesying over people and praying for healing. I am involved in prayer ministry and praying for inner healing for several folk each week. Our whole family has undergone training numerous times in how to share the Gospel with unbelievers, especially prior to going on Beach Mission and mission trips, and we each have a 1 minute testimony prepared of how God has changed our life. But what about simple evangelism of loving your neighbour and sharing your faith? Who else may God have placed strategically around us to love and share Jesus Christ with?

Whom has God placed strategically close around you for you to be His witness to?

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)

1. Children / Families Activation: Encourage each person to ask God for a specific number. Once you have that number, ask God to show you what to draw or write for the person whose house number is that number you received. If the number doesn’t match a house number in your street, look in the next street etc. Try and write a prophetic word that doesn’t have christian jargon in it. When you have all finished, go on a walk as a family and post the picture/prophetic words in the letterbox corresponding to the number that person received.

2. Group Activation: For this activation, you will need enough chairs for everyone in the group. Have everyone standing and put the chairs in the middle in a circle. Basically this is musical chairs. Remove two chairs. Play the music and have everyone walk around the chairs. When the music stops, the 2 people who are left without a chair are out but they have a total of 2 minutes to get a prophetic word for each other and then deliver it. They then sit out and you remove 2 more chairs. Play the music and repeat etc until down to the last 2 people. They then prophesy over each other.

3. Beginner Activation: Ask God to highlight a family member to you. Then ask God to give you a bible verse for them that will be significant for them and convey God’s heart for them at the moment. Write it out, along with a prophetic word that will encourage and comfort that family member.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to highlight a neighbour to you who doesn’t yet know the Gospel. Spend some time with God, listening to Him and how He would have you best communicate the Gospel to this person. Then do what you hear God telling you.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God to show you a significant societal issue for your country at the moment (eg Safe Schools or homosexual marriage in Australia). Spend some time just listening to God and hearing His Heart on the issue. Ask Him what role He would want you to play in that issue and what He would want you to do. Then do it.

Praying before an Anaesthetic

Posted on by

My husband Gary had surgery on his neck last Friday – removal of the C6 disc, an artificial disc inserted and the bony spur shaved off down to the bone marrow. In an operation that was meant to take about 50 minutes, it ended up being 2 ½ hours as the 1mm metal tip of a probe broke off during the surgery and they had to find it and remove it by suctioning it out. Apart from that complication, he had an extremely amazing recovery. He has not had any pain or discomfit at all, even over the wound site or the site where the bone was shaved quite dramatically. He was given some Panadol in hospital by the nurses, basically because they had to after surgery. He also had no complications after surgery. The following morning when the nurse took down his wound dressing, I was totally amazed at the lack of swelling, inflammation, bruising and bleeding over the suture line. The suture line looked beautiful and honestly looked further healed than less than 24 hours post surgery. He came home that day as there was no pain and that is the major indicator for discharge in this surgery. The night of the surgery, the surgeon came to visit Gary to tell him about the surgery and the complication with the metal probe. The surgeon was amazed at the total lack of pain and also that the discomfit and tingling in his arm and hand had already gone, something that can take up to a week to resolve.

In preparation for hubby’s surgery, I googled “Arthur Burk prayer surgery”. I found a YouTube clip titled “Your spirit and surgery” https://vimeo.com/315889893 (Approx 21 minutes) In this video, Arthur Burk describes some tools you can use to prepare your spirit for the operating room so that the procedure and the recovery are positively impacted by the dominion God designed for your spirit.

I believe that these prayers and the way we prayed were a major help in the lack of pain and inflammation after the surgery. I must confess that we were running out of time, so I had scribbled the prayer on a slip of paper and, as I drove to the hospital with hubby in the car, I prayed the prayer then. Not the best environment, but wow – the result was amazing!!

Your spirit is designed to have an extraordinary impact on your physical body at all times, including when you are having surgery. Arthur Burk encourages you to speak over someone the following things into their spirit, preferably daily over the 3 days prior to surgery.

  1. Principle – we have complete spiritual authority wherever we go. Thus, declare that the Kingdom of God is portable with your spirit if your spirit is in alignment with God. No matter wherever you go, whether conscious or unconscious, what is happening, the Kingdom of God laws apply wherever you go. Therefore, call to attention the head demonic spirit over that particular hospital and say, “I want to alert you that I, a child of the most High God, who is in blood covenant relationship with Jesus Christ is coming to that hospital and when I come, you get the afternoon off. Everywhere I go is Kingdom turf, no intrusion. Kingdom laws reign supreme and all the defilement in the people, the building, the land is suspended during the time I am there.”
  2. Principle – The spirit is not subject to anaesthesia. The soul is dependent on the body and is neutralised under anaesthesia but the spirit is completely immune from all impact of anaesthesia. It is completely conscious. It has complete dominion and authority. However most of the time your spirit doesn’t exercise that authority because no-one has given it permission or released it to do that. Therefore, call your spirit to attention and instruct it – “In the name of Jesus Christ, I call the spirit of … (or my spirit) to attention and instruct it that it has the right and the ability to monitor everything that occurs during surgery to my body. Spirit you have the right to talk to any person in the room. Spirit of… you have permission to shout loudly enough to get the attention of everyone in the room. I authorise you and legitimise you and empower you, spirit of… to take charge of the process, to take charge of everyone in the room and to take charge of everything in the room and to shout as loud as you need to shout to get people’s attention.
  3. Principle – Psalm 139:16 says that “Every day ordained for me was written in your book before it came to be”. The 2 biggest problems after surgery are pain and swelling from the blood vessels being cut and therefore they can’t carry away the waste products. Somewhere in your spirit is all the skill set needed to repair the capillaries and nerves after surgery. It is totally appropriate for the human spirit to ask the Holy Spirit for this. Therefore say, “I instruct my spirit that as soon as the surgery is over, the spirit needs to vigorously accelerate the repair of the capillaries at the point of incision and the spirit needs to micromanage the process of scavenging the body for amino acids and other resources needed to accelerate the healing process and see to it that the capillaries are rebuilt extremely quickly so that the waste products can be taken out by the organs that need to process them so that there is minimal swelling. At the same time, I instruct my spirit to work with the nerves to calm the nerves that have all been severed and to begin the process of regrowing the nerves.”

I have also listed some other things that I included in the prayer pre and post surgery. I am sure there are other things to also pray about, and would love you to comment below if you know of any other specific prayer that is effective. Thanks.

Pre-surgery:

  1. Pray the above, calling your spirit to attention and legitimising and authorising your spirit to do the above.
  2. Pray for cleansing of all hospital rooms and beds you will be in, the operating room, recovery room etc and all the equipment and proper functioning and against any malfunctioning.
  3. Ask God to hand select the staff and to cleanse then and give them wisdom and direct their mind, hands, etc
  4. Pray for the Holy Spirit to protect the unconscious and subconscious mind from any negative input or attack by the enemy. Cover the mind with the blood of Jesus and seal off from any spirits of death or stress etc. Pray confusion into the enemy’s plans and that nothing would be hidden and no negligence or harm come upon you.
  5. Pray for perfect blood viscosity and that there will be no pooling in any body part.
  6. Specific prayer against common complications of that particular surgery

Post surgery:

  1. Re-emphasize the spirit repairing and rebuilding the capillaries and nerves.
  2. Anoint with oil and in the authority of Jesus Christ, break off any spirit of death, infirmity, sickness, weakness, disease, shock and trauma, etc and any unwelcome side effects from the anaesthesia and any harmful side effects of all drugs.
  3. Pray for infilling of the Holy Spirit, and spirit of peace, healing, strength, etc

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)

1. Children / Families Activation: Spend a few moments imagining the family at a swimming pool. Draw a picture and include where each family member would be in the picture and why God showed you that.

2. Group Activation: For this activation, you will need enough blindfolds for half the group members. Pair up and make 2 circles out of the pairs, one going in the inner circle, one in the outer circle but partners opposite each other. Blindfold everyone in the inner circle. Then have everyone in the outer circle move 4 people to the right. Those in the inner circle will prophesy over the person opposite them in the outer circle, except they will not know who it is they are prophesying over. Give everyone 2 minutes to hear from God and then prophesy for 1 minute. Let people feedback for 1 minute. Swap the blindfolds to the people in the outer circle. Have those in the inner circle move 5 people to the left. Repeat the process.

3. Beginner Activation: Ask God to show you someone who lives near to you, a neighbour. Spend some time listening to God for an encouraging word for them. Write it out anonymously without using any christianese (christian or church language). Put it in their letterbox anonymously, praying a blessing over them and their house.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to highlight a person whom you see most days but don’t really notice or speak to or have a relationship with. Ask God to prepare you with an encouraging word for them before you next see them and then speak it to them when you do.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God to show you someone having a rough time at the moment. Ask God how He would like you to encourage them and prophesy over them at the moment. Then follow-through on that.

Surgical intervention is not inferior healing

Posted on by

iStock_000003580930SmallThis blog post comes in the midst of a journey of healing that my hubby is going on and is written out of that experience.

At our church’s Healing Rooms last weekend, one of the team leaders came up to me and said, “You know Jane, surgical intervention is not an inferior healing to a supernatural spontaneous healing from God”. I knew that but now I really have grasped more of it.

A fortnight ago, hubby was experiencing tingling and extreme discomfit in his right hand and arm. This had persisted for several months. That Sunday morning when we were chatting in bed prior to getting up, I commented how hubby should book in to see our local Doctor. That afternoon, two medical specialists were at our home for pre-engagement counselling. Hubby commented how he wanted them both to pray for him as they have a supernatural healing ministry. They examined him, prayed for him, and strongly suggested he go to see the doctor and get an MRI.

The next day hubby rang the GP. The GP was fully booked out and was leaving in a couple of days for an operation herself and would be out of the office for several weeks. Hubby decided to ‘call in’ and see her at the end of her work and she saw him then. He then rang me at 7pm to say he needed to have an MRI but it usually takes about a week to get an appointment etc. I suggested offhandedly that he ring that night and see if he could leave a message. He rang and they told him that they had just had a cancellation for that night and could he come in immediately. Thus, another miracle.

The GP received the report of the MRI the following day and asked hubby to come in as it was quite serious and she wanted to refer him to a neurosurgeon. Again, was told there would be a delay in getting in and we are public patients and do not have private health insurance. For all this to be achieved before our GP went off for her operation was amazing.

He asked people to pray for supernatural healing of the C6 prolapsed disc and bony spur. He felt that there was enough faith in our home for healing but we also invited other members of the Healing Rooms to come and pray for healing. During this time, I saw a picture of bone being shaved away. Our 10 year old son heard God say that Gary would be totally healed. I had a dream where I saw Arthur Burk standing in front of me and he said, “Gary will be healed when he deals with his stuff”. Thus, Hubby was on bed rest and I just wanted him to ‘deal with his stuff’ and ask God what He wanted to show him during this time. Our faith for a supernatural healing was high.

The following Monday we were sitting in the neurosurgeon’s office. We had been warned that his bedside manner left a lot to be desired, but that didn’t concern us. His expertise was more what we were focussing on. During the appointment, this specialist shared about his heart of justice, his mother, his frustration with the health system and his patients. I silently released peace and God’s presence into that room. Hubby felt a spirit of fear leave him in that room, plus he also had an encounter with Father God sharing some stuff with him. The outcome was that no conservative treatment would be effective for his situation and hubby would need surgery but as we were public patients there would be a wait. The neurosurgeon organised tablets and a cortisone injection that may help whilst awaiting surgery.

We have a few friends who are doctors and physios so hubby got their opinion. He started physio but experienced no change. In fact, the symptoms were getting worse.

Just as the 10 day course of anti-inflammatories finished, I then received a phone call to say that hubby was booked in for surgery at a private hospital this Friday (tomorrow) at no expense to us. This is within a fortnight of seeing the surgeon.

Our response then was – does hubby go ahead with the operation, or does he wait for supernatural healing? Is God going to heal through surgery?

I rang my dad who said, “Jane – you yourself don’t believe in co-incidences. You always say that there are never co-incidences with God. It sounds like you just need to walk on through the open doors.” Another few friends then said that it was like the man in a flood standing on top of a roof crying out to God for help. A plane came, then a boat, and each time the man shooed them away and said he was waiting for God. The man then finally accused God of not helping and God replied, “I sent a boat and a plane. That was me reaching out to you.”

During this fortnight, we have also been on the team at our church’s Saturday morning Healing Rooms where the team members and the children prayed for healing. No change in symptoms. It was at this point that I received the word that surgical intervention is not an inferior healing.

Thus, we are going ahead and hubby is scheduled for the operation tomorrow. I would appreciate it if you were able to pray for him and the doctors operating and Gary’s recovery.

Another aspect is that Gary is self employed. We have a business doing garden clean-ups of which Gary cannot work at the moment and for at least another 3 months. We also do not have income insurance. Earlier in the year, I went on a journey of asking God if I should put the kids in school fulltime and go back to nursing to aid our income as we have had several very dry years. God clearly told me no in an audible voice with a ‘fear of God’ tone. Thus, finances are a concern for Gary, however he is learning to trust the Lord for this.

During this time, two people have very generously given us some cash and we can see that God has this in hand. We are totally trusting Him. If you would like to give financially or feel any prompting by God in that way, please feel free to use the paypal button on this website – www.unlockingthegold.com or contact us in anyway.

Thank you so much.

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)

1. Children / Families Activation: Ask if anyone would like prayer for healing or if they know anyone who is needing healing. Spend a few minutes asking God for a picture for that person and then each person draw what they see God saying or showing. Give that picture to the person and also declare what God showed them over that person.

2. Group Activation: Ask who in the room would like prayer for healing. Get everyone else to make two lines opposite each other and have a gap in the middle for anyone who requires healing to walk through the middle of the two lines. As the people walk through, those on the sides are to ask God for what particular words He would like them to declare over that person.

3. Beginner Activation: Ask God to show or tell you someone who is sick. Ask God what you are to pray and how you are to pray and prophesy over that person and their sickness, then do it.

4. Intermediate Activation: Throughout your day, ask God to help you see who is struggling with their health and whom you should stop and pray for. When God highlights a person, stop and ask them if you could pray for them and give them an encouraging word.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God to show or tell you a particular illness or disease and the key to the healing of that illness or disease for a particular person. Communicate lovingly what you see or hear to that person.