Category Archives: Hearing God

The ‘Hearing God’ Podcast is back

Posted on by

The ‘Hearing God’ Podcast is back!! The first episode (number 66) for season 3 of the ‘Hearing God’ Podcast is published and ready to listen to. (You can listen to it here, or here, or on your favourite podcast listening app.) It gives a life update from Gary & me over the last three months and addresses the issue, “When things don’t turn out quite as we hope or expect, what do we do?”

In this episode, I also unpack how I hear a word/phrase from God for the year and each month.

This season, we will be addressing questions people ask about hearing God. The next few episodes cover the topics of ‘What is the best way to hear God?”, “What if I’m not sure I heard God right?” and “Can I hear God through ChatGPT?”. Please feel free to send any questions you have about hearing God to us at [email protected], and we will endeavour to address them in an episode this season.

Bonhoeffer, the movie

Gary & I went to see the movie ‘Bonhoeffer’ at the cinema on Saturday. It is powerful, confronting, and challenging. I encourage you to watch it.

Some of the quotes I managed to write down while watching it:

1. Our silence in the face of evil is itself evil. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.

2. It takes courage to face the dark.

3. What we need is Christ without religion.

4. When the Nazis came for the Socialists, I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Socialist. When they came for the Trade Unionists, I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I wasn’t a Jew, so I didn’t speak out. When they come for me, who will be left to speak up for me?

5. I suppose sometimes, to defeat the father of all lies is to lie better than he does.

6. When Bonhoeffer was challenged with the question, ‘What has become of the church when a Pastor turns into an assassin?’, he replied, ‘When a bus driver runs over children, it is up to everyone to stop him killing them’.

7. We are not to simply bandage the wounds of the victims beneath the wheels of injustice. We are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.

8. Every act of courage carries a cost.

Below are our outline/show notes for this week’s ‘Hearing God’ episode on our life update.

Episode Notes:

Life update over the last three months.

  • Highlights and SUFM (Beach mission).
  • Word/phrase for the year and each month.
  • Jane reinjured her knee, bringing up the issue of when things don’t turn out as we hope or expect, what do we do?

First Principle: Our attitude is important.

  • What were you expecting? Were they false expectations?
  • Remaining open to God. Don’t close the door of relationship or allow it to impact negatively.
  • Paul in the Bible – reading Acts in the Bible (Acts 16:6-10) – a considerable number of things that went wrong. Imprisoned, shipwrecked, etc.
  • Paul ended up being put in prison in Macedonia. I’m sure that wasn’t his expectation. But he steadfastly sought God and chased after him.

Second Principle:  Be careful who you listen to.

  • Look at Job in the Bible. A lot of people ready and eager to give him advice on what he should do.
  • Are we cultivating intimacy with Jesus?
  • How do you cultivate intimacy with Father God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit? Do you ‘treat’/relate to each of them differently?

Third Principle: Look at the big picture.

  • In the Bible, if you just looked at the crucifixion, you would miss the whole purpose, that of relationship, as well as sin, salvation, and the resurrection.

Summary:

  • 1. Our attitude is important.
  • 2. Be careful who you listen to.
  • 3. Look at the big picture.

Prophetic activation:

Turn your heart and thoughts to Father God and ask Him –

  • “Father God, is there a phrase or a word You would like me to hang on to this next month, or a phrase/word that will describe my month ahead?”
  • You might like to ask God for a word/phrase for each month for the rest of the year or a word/phrase for the whole year, sort of like an umbrella over the entire year.

Resources / Links Mentioned:

When I can’t hear from God for myself.

Posted on by

Have you ever tried to hear from God and couldn’t?

Have you ever wished that God would write on your bedroom wall what you should do next (like in Daniel 5 for King Belshazzar)? I remember when I had just finished my nursing training in Tasmania and was trying to figure out what I should do next. I had an incredible opportunity with nursing, but I sensed God wanted me to shift interstate to pursue ministry training. I tossed and turned during the night, pondering God’s will for me. Even after 36 years, I can remember that overwhelming desire to have God write it on the wall or make it plain. I remember I even asked Him to write it on my bedroom wall so I would know what to do next.

I was young and had no real idea how to seek Godly wisdom. I had no way of recognising how God was speaking to me. I had minimal knowledge of the various ways God speaks to us.

This week’s podcast on our ‘Hearing God’ podcast covers that very issue – what to do when I can’t seem to hear from God for myself. (Next week’s podcast addresses what to do when our mind goes blank when we are trying to hear from God for others!)

The link for this week’s ‘Hearing God’ podcast is: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2196128/13276030 (You can listen to it on any podcast listening app.)

First Principle: Ask a Different Question

I will never forget the first time I decided to ask God a different question. I was driving home from an Anzac Day Service where I had watched my son march with his Air Force Cadet Squadron. Tears had flowed down my face. (When I am unexpectedly emotional, I have learnt to ask God what that is about.) I was processing this with God and asking why I had responded that way. “God – what was underneath that?” Nothing. I heard, felt, and saw nothing from God. I remember thinking, “well Jane, why don’t you ask God a different question then?” I changed the question to “God, was my response appropriate?” Bam!! The answer flowed.

Other suggestions when you are struggling to hear God for yourself:

  • Change things up – walk on the beach, different worship music, fast,
  • Read a different version of the Bible.
  • Devour God’s Word the Bible Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
  • Turn your heart and affections to God. Praise shifts the atmosphere. Psalm 100:4 “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise.”

Some questions to ask yourself when you are feeling stuck and can’t seem to hear God for yourself:

  • Am I enjoying my relationship with God?
  • Am I treating God like Santa Claus? Am I wanting to hear a specific answer, thus not hearing God because I’m not getting what I want?

Second Principle: Check obedience.

If there is an area of my life in which God has asked something of me and I haven’t obeyed, I find it is much harder to hear God about another issue.

Ten years ago, I asked God to show me my future in nursing. I had a very specific dream that night, and the interpretation clearly outlined the step I needed to take. Fast forward five years, and I hadn’t obeyed. The outcome of the dream came true.

The Bible is full of amazing and often frustrating stories. Moses in Exodus 3 & 4 is one such example. Moses was going about his business, saw an unusual sight so went over to check it out (there was a bush on fire, but it didn’t burn up). God caught his attention with this unusual sight and showed up with a miraculous sign, then an audible voice telling him to go and address Pharoah. Moses refused five times with excuses that fed into his low self-worth. If you refuse, God can easily use someone else or limit your effectiveness.

Check:

  • If there is somewhere you haven’t yet obeyed God.
  • For sin, fear, ignorance.
  • Any unbelief in hearing God or needing more assurance or a sign.
  • For any preconceived idea of what God would sound like or say.
  • To see if you are realising your identity as a son/daughter of God or not realising the magnitude and greatness of God.

If you are struggling on an ongoing basis, it would be worth considering prayer ministry / inner healing. After my first time of having a SOZO, I left the building, and all my senses were electrified. Birds were singing. The sun was shining with a gentle breeze ruffling the leaves. God seemed extra close. I felt I could ask God anything and hear Him clearly. The prayer ministry session had ‘cleared’ my connection with God of any junk and it felt like an express highway of communication between God and me.

Prayer Ministry is valuable in clearing blockages and times when we may sense a wall between us and God or even when we may feel ‘frozen’ in relation to God and unable to hear Him.

Questions to ponder to begin the process may include:

  • God, is there a wall between you and me?
  • What does that wall look like?
  • Is there something you want to give me to help demolish that wall?
  • Is there an action I need to take?
  • If my emotions are frozen, when did that first occur?

Third Principle – God may appear silent, or the answer may look different.

My husband Gary recently gave a prophetic word to a young lady about three doors open before her. This young adult was gobsmacked as she had three research opportunities but wanted God to show her which option was from God. God was showing her that He would be pleased with whichever she chose, as He was giving her the choice, and all three pleased Him.

The book of Jeremiah in the Bible has much wisdom and many promises.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

The promise from Jeremiah 33:3 “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable (or hidden) things you do not know.”

If you are unsure, here are some things to consider:

  • Am I devouring God’s Word? Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
  • Have I tried fasting?
  • What has God already given or shown me?
  • What has He promised me?
  • Speak life over my situation. 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.”

Alternatively, have you ever asked God:

  • What are you NOT saying?
  • God, what is your perspective of where I am right now?

I would love to hear the strategies you employ when you are having trouble hearing God for yourself. Feel free to comment below.

Prophetic Activations / Exercises to incorporate into your week:

Every blog post, I list five 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 Lego or building apparatus and enjoy creating what God is saying about you.

2. Group Activation: Get into pairs. Ask God to reveal to you which area of your life He wants to speak into. Then ask God which area of your partner’s life He wants to speak into. Ask God to show, tell, or give you something for that area of your partner’s life. Then share it with them. When your partner shares with you, see if it matches up with the area you sensed God wanted to highlight for you.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with God, asking Him to reveal to you something in the Bible that speaks to you today.

4. Intermediate Activation: Spend time with God, asking Him to highlight His desire for your next season, any preparation required and anything you may need to let go of.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God hearing His heart for your nation and a current issue that is devisive. Ask God what He would love your response to be.

Which lens are you looking through?

Posted on by

This morning while watering the vegetable garden, I asked God many questions. Questions like “How do you want me to pray for my kids at the moment?”, “What should my involvement in Healing Rooms look like in 2023?”, “What about church?” etc. All big and important questions. I was expectant. Expecting God to download the answer to me immediately.

Simple.

Except I was not getting any answers. I change my question when I don’t get an answer or find it hard to hear God.

I changed my questions as I simultaneously placed the hose nozzle in the watering can on full bore. Loud noise filled the air. I said aloud, “I can’t hear God clearly in this din.”

Since I wanted to finish watering my plants and needed to fill the watering can for the final stretch, I kept the hose inside it, the din continuing. Meanwhile, another thought filled my mind. When I have junk in my life or stuff that’s not yet healed, I see and hear God through the lens of that unhealed ‘junk’. I took a few moments to ask God what lens or junk I was looking through at Him and trying to hear Him.

Sometimes we have placed walls up, walls of protection.

Other times, we may have withdrawn.

We may have had disappointments. Disappointment in God. In others. In ourselves.

Sometimes we still need a revelation of God’s love in a particular area of our life.

Sometimes we may be holding on to something tightly and not ready to surrender that to God fully.

An hour later, I was at a Doctor’s appointment. The Doctor shared with me how he and his wife wanted to do medical mission work overseas but didn’t want to go until their children were adults. They didn’t want their children to be laden with any serious medical issues from the parasites of third-world countries. I challenged him. “Did he have the faith to trust God to care for his children?”.

Today my friends, you have an opportunity to examine if you are perhaps looking at God through a particular lens.

The lens may be clear, cloudy, scratched, or coloured.

Usually, our lens being cloudy, scratched, or coloured means we have incorporated a faulty belief into our thinking.

Below are some prompts to ask God to hear His perspective on your current lens.

  1. “Father God, is there an area I still need to surrender to you?”
  2. “God, what do you say about …..?”
  3. “Lord, can you please show me any areas in my life or thoughts that are not in agreement with you, Lord?”
  4. “God, is there a lie I am believing about you?” If you hear, sense, or think of anything here, then deal with it with God. Repent. Then ask God, “what is the truth you want me to know?”
  5. “Holy Spirit, is there anyone I still need to forgive?” (If a person immediately comes to mind, please take that as a sign that forgiveness is still required).
  6. “Father God, is there a bitter root I’ve allowed to develop in my life from past hurts?”
  7. “Father God, what walls of protection have I built in my life?”

To help you unpack this further, take a few moments to spend time with God and ask:

  • Father God, is there any lie or faulty belief I am believing?
  • Grab the first thought through your head and explore that.
  • Ask God to show or tell you why you believe that.
  • Ask God if there is anyone you need to forgive. If anyone comes to mind, forgive that person. Bless them. Do you need to forgive yourself?
  • Ask Father God to show, tell, or give you the truth.

God loves questions. Feel free to explore any of the above questions with Him.

God is also in the business of miracles, as nothing is too hard for Him. Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us.”

You may even appreciate and benefit from having some prayer ministry by a trusted, experienced person. Reach out to someone for help if you need to. Intimacy with Father God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus is so important, and often, we may not realize that past hurts are clouding our relationship.

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 pencils, crayons and paper. Ask everyone to draw what God would love their teacher to know at the moment. Pass the papers on to the appropriate teacher.

2. Group Activation: Buy coloured jellybeans or smarties and place in a bowl. Get into small groups of 5-6 people with a bowl of jellybeans/smarties in each group. Ask everyone to take one and to take note of the colour they selected. If their lolly was yellow/orange – give a prophetic word to the person on their left. Red/pink – to the person opposite them. Blue/white – a person who serves well. Green – the quietest person in the group. Black/purple/brown – to the person they know the least.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time focusing on God. Ask Him to show you what type of light you are and why.

4. Intermediate Activation: Spend time with God asking Him for a prophetic word for your member of Parliament. Ask God if you are to share it with them and how, or if it is for you to pray.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God asking Him to show you His heart for the people in Turkey/Syria with the earthquake devastation. Ask God what He would like your response to be. Craft a prophetic word for you to declare about the outcome for these countries.

Tread Your God-Ordained Path

Posted on by

A young mum and her toddler caught my attention today. This toddler was exploring and tottering along the footpath, obviously only recently begun walking. I loved how the mum kept pace with the toddler and allowed her to explore and walk her path. In the busyness of this Christmas season, the mum may have been tempted to pick the toddler up and carry her, as it would be much quicker. But no, she allowed her daughter to wander, explore, and gain strength in her ability to walk.

It reminded me of how the Holy Spirit walks with us, allowing us to explore, try new things, and become bolder.

Several weeks ago, I felt to write this blog post titled “Tread your own path”. As I have mused on this post since then before releasing it, the strong conviction that we are not to be self-centred has permeated my thoughts. Instead, we are to tread our path, which is the path that God has ordained for us.

I am not advocating that there is only one path we are meant to be on and that we are out of God’s will if we make a decision that deviates from God’s single path for us. Instead, I am encouraging everyone to be constantly communing with God and sensing His wisdom and thoughts about our next steps.

This requires devouring His Word – both the written and the spoken. Psalm 119:105 “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” This requires us to know our Bible and what the Bible says.

It requires us to be courageous to walk our God-ordained paths. To not follow the crowd. To allow Romans 12:2 to infiltrate every part of our life. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

I sense some readers need to make bold decisions and not follow the path of other Christians. Not that the path is wrong, per se. It’s just not what you are called to do in this next season. It may be as simple as the people you usually listen to live at a different pace than you, and you feel pressure to conform. Let’s return Jesus’ voice to the dominant guide in our life.

I sense 2023 is heralding in a new season. Yes, the world has changed as we once knew it. We are living a new normal. I feel there are many opportunities for us as Christians to take possession of ‘land’, however that looks, but it will require the sacrifice of going against the crowd and the usual way you have been ‘doing life’.

I strongly sense that we will see people begin living their true identity and calling. Knowing your identity can be as simple as asking Father God, “Who do you say I am?” or “What am I known as in Heaven?”

What are you praying and declaring over yourself, your family, your creative ability, your relationships this coming year? How BIG are those prayers and declarations? Are you declaring words you believe are from God that only He can bring about through miraculous means?

I have been reflecting on the miraculous provisions our family has experienced this year. God showed up in mind-blowing ways. I believe a key in this was when I began listening to God and asking Him His view on certain situations and then declaring that aloud into the atmosphere. We saw miracle after miracle. We saw God changing circumstances that were seemingly unchangeable. If you would like more information on this, I have a pdf download ‘Speak Life’ on my website.

As I was reading Deuteronomy 1, verse 8 struck me. “See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land the Lord swore he would give to your fathers—to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and to their descendants after them.”

What has God already given you?

What has He promised you?

What have your prophetic words said that is yet to come to fruition?

Are you going (moving forward) towards this?

Are you taking (fighting) for your inheritance, your ‘land’?

Are you working with your prophetic words to see them come to fruition? We can’t wait for them to occur, but we have a responsibility to partner with them to see them come true.

How do we do this? Unpack your prophetic words to discover your identity, destiny, and who God wants to be personally for you.

Next February, I hope to have an e-course available that can help you unpack your prophetic words and implement actions in your life to see them come to fruition. Stay tuned for further details!!

I also sense there is a repositioning in the Spirit. Several months ago, before the Victorian state election, I released a word on social media highlighting this. Here is the transcript:

“This last week, I sensed many people are experiencing (or are about to experience) a repositioning. Slight movements for some. Major movements for others. What may feel like a sideways movement is, in fact, protection. Do not despise those small movements. They are in preparation for the next promotion.

On a larger scale, there is also repositioning occurring. Where I live, it is currently blowing a gale. No rain. Purely fierce winds. Battling the wind whilst walking, I sensed God was confirming the winds are related to the repositioning. The physical winds are blowing the crud out and shifting things in the physical. It is exposing the undergrowth and allowing everyone to see the mess. I sense this is also occurring in the spiritual, especially in Victoria (Australia), as we are gearing up for the state election. As we keep our eyes and hearts focused on God, I see Him blowing the evil out of our government and exposing the enemy’s lies.

There are pockets of revival occurring here in Victoria. I was reminded that true revival brings societal change. Crime rates will decrease. Relationships restored. Righteousness will reign. Right minds and clarity for those troubled. Homeless housed. Hungry fed.

Keeping our hearts and minds focused on Father God, Holy Spirit, and Jesus as we move forward both in the spirit and physically.”

I encourage you over the next few weeks in what is traditionally a time of reflection over the past twelve months and the setting of goals for the new year, to allow Father God to show you if there are any areas of ‘crud’ in your life, any lies you are believing about your future, and if there is a repositioning Father God would love you to manoeuvre. Jeremiah 33:3 is such an encouragement – “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

I encourage you to reassess your accountability and running partners during this time. Those people who spur you on, who encourage and challenge you to be all whom God has called you to be. People who walk beside you in one or more areas of your life. Usually, this may be a plethora of people instead of a single person trying to fulfil the whole gamut.

I am updating the ‘Align 2022‘ pdf on my website for the 2023 year. This fantastic resource helps you reflect on the year and plan for the coming year. There are new sections covering emotional discipline, dream killers, handling fear, identifying the people I need to surround myself with in various areas, skills to learn/upgrade, etc. There will also be a section where you can prophesy over yourself for each month of 2023. Last week, I recorded a prophecy for myself for each month of 2023 whilst driving my son to and from Air Force Cadets. In thirty minutes, I recorded a prophecy for most months of 2023, along with a significant date and event within each month. I will write these out, put them in my calendar, and check how accurate my prophesying was. My prophetic ability will grow as a result, plus it encourages me to continue to seek God for myself rather than someone else.

As you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and all that means, may you experience renewed joy, peace, love, and freedom.

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 paper and pencils and spend time asking God what picture of encouragement He would have family members draw for the postman or garbage collector.

2. Group Activation: Distribute twelve sheets of paper to everyone. Ask them to write their name and a different month of the year at the top of every sheet eg first sheet – January, second sheet February etc. Collect the sheets and redistribute to group members so each person has a variety of people’s names. Ask Group members to take thirty minutes to ask God what to write on each sheet of paper ie prophesy what will happen for that person in that month next year. Ask God if there is a special date within the month or an event that may occur and write that on the paper. Collect the paper and give to the named people. Remember to revisit this activity mid next year to see the accuracy of these prophetic words.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with God. Ask Him what He would love you to know about Christmas for you and about Christmas for Him. Explore this further by asking God more questions.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to highlight a person and a Christmas ornament that you could buy for them that signifies something God would love them to know.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God hearing His heart for your area for this coming year. Ask Him what He would love you to do about the information you receive.

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.

I can’t hear God for Myself

Posted on by

I can’t hear God for myself. What do I do?

Have you ever had trouble hearing God for yourself? I have.

Twenty-three years ago, hubby and I asked God where we should church plant. There were so many options. We visited places. Prayed over locations. Tried to break through the fuzz. Made up spreadsheets. Fasted. Prayed. Waited. Waited. Waited.

Ten years ago, as we flew to Queensland for a family holiday, I asked God to reveal to me on the holiday what I should do with nursing. I was nursing in a Coronary Care Unit one to two days a fortnight on weekends whilst home-schooling the kids. Sensing the time for finishing was near, I asked God to confirm it. The dream that first night on holiday was a clincher – give up or it will be taken from you. I hung on, not willing to take the plunge to leave nursing as the money was great and provided for our holidays. Interesting outcome. Not bad. Just a change in the boss several years later meant twenty-five of the best nurses left within seven days.

With big decisions now, I check immediately if God has already asked me to do something, and I haven’t obeyed.

Often, I can find it hard to hear God for myself when I have a significant decision. I can start doubting my ability to hear and sense God.

Sometimes God may appear silent because the options we have given God are all good. My husband was giving prophetic words at a worship gathering on Tuesday evening. A young woman was asking for direction in her life. She couldn’t seem to hear from God. Gary sensed that three doors were opening and each of the three were a good fit. He sensed God saying, “You choose what you want.” The young woman gasped as she had just been presented with three research positions. She had been asking God to show her which one she was meant to take whereas God was saying they are all a great fit – you choose.

I have tried several things to help me when I struggle to hear from God. Usually, I will try an ‘encounter’ with God, as explained in the last two blog posts, to imagine myself positioned with God. Other times, I have attempted to ask God a different question.

I will never forget the first time I decided to ask God a different question. I was driving home from an Anzac Day Service where I had watched my son march with his Air Force Cadet Squadron. Whilst watching the march, I began crying. Not sobbing but crying enough that my response shocked me. Why was I crying? When anything unexpected occurs, I try to ask God:

  • “What did that trigger in me?” or
  • “Why did I respond like that?” or
  • “What’s underneath that emotion?”

Nothing came. My mind was spinning with a thousand thoughts – was it because our son wanted to join the Defence Force, and he may be fighting in a war one day? Was it because…. Numerous what if’s came to mind. But God seemed to be deathly silent.

I sat with it a bit longer, and it suddenly struck me – I think I was asking the wrong question. The more suitable question was, “Was it appropriate the emotion I expressed?” Immediately I heard God’s voice – “Yes. You are extremely grateful for those who served and fought to save this country and your future.”

Try changing the question.

Thus, when people comment that they find it hard to hear God for themselves, my first response is to suggest they ask God a different question.

Have you ever asked God:

  • “What are you NOT saying?”
  • “Why is that God? Please show me more of the background.”
  • “What is your perspective God of where I am right now?”
  • “Why …..?” or “How ….. ?”

We can do several things to clear the communication lines when trying to receive communication from God for ourselves.

Suggestions to implement when you feel a blockage in hearing God for yourself:

  1. The first thing I do is turn my heart and affections to Jesus. I silently worship God. Praise shifts the atmosphere. Psalm 100:4 says, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise”. If you want to enter His presence, see what He is seeing, and hear what He is saying, praise and thanks will do that.
  2. What are you asking God? Can you reframe your question? Are you asking God the wrong question? Are you wanting to hear a specific answer, i.e. treating God like Santa Claus, thus not hearing God because you’re not hearing what you’re desiring?
  3. Change things up a bit. Do something different. Perhaps put on other worship music. Change position or posture. Try spending time with God in nature or a different place. I love going to the beach on a stormy day and ‘feeling’ God in the storm.
  4. Have you been obedient in doing what God has asked of you? If you haven’t been obedient in following through on what God has already asked you to do, how can you expect Him to tell you the next step?
  5. Is there any sin in your life? Sin has a disastrous way of blocking the relationship between God and yourself.
  6. Facilitate an encounter with God. I explained this in the last two blog posts – encountering God part 1 and encountering God part 2. A helpful encounter to try is to imagine yourself under a waterfall. Look around and feel, hear, smell, and see what it is like under that waterfall. Imagine next that that waterfall is God pouring out good stuff over you. What is He pouring over you? Revel in what is flowing over you. Enjoy. Splash around in it. When you finish imagining this, try spending some time just enjoying God for who He is.
  7. Are you prepared to lean into God over a more extended period – fast, meditate, pray, enjoy being with God, spend time listening?
  8. Ask God if there is a lie you are believing. If you perceive there is a lie, ask God to show you the truth.

If there is an issue you are struggling with or are finding it hard to hear God on an ongoing basis, regular prayer ministry enables blockages to be quickly erased.

The key is a vibrant, life-giving relationship with God the Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus.

Next blog post I will explore several suggestions if your mind goes blank when prophesying.

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: Play prophetic ‘duck, duck, goose’. People sit in a circle with their eyes closed. Walk around the outside of the group and tap one person on the shoulder. That person is receiving the prophetic word. Ask everyone else to ask God what He would like to say to this (unknown) person with the scribe taking notes. After 5-6 people have shared, ask the receiver to raise their hand. Pass the written notes to that person for encouragement. Ask them to feed back to the group how accurate the words were, how they made them feel etc. Then repeat the process taping someone else on the head/shoulder.

2. Group Activation: Find a creative way of getting into pairs. Once in pairs, each person asks God for a book title for their partner. It may be an actual book title or a made up title that God wants to give to that person to highlight something about them. Remind people to capture the first thought that goes through their mind and go with that, as long as it is encouraging, strengthening, comforting. Keep asking God questions about the book – fact or fiction, children or adult, what the title means, what you would find in the book etc. Ask them to share with their partners. Set a time limit of three to five minutes total to help people be precise and hear/sense quickly.

3. Beginner Activation: Quieten your heart and focus on God. Then imagine a plane flying overhead with a banner trailing behind it. Look at the banner – what has God written on it just for you? Why? Spend a few moments asking God more questions about the wording and what it means for you. Then ask God to show your imagination the plane flying overhead again with a different banner. This time the banner is for someone else. Ask God who it is for and why. Is there anything else God wants to share with you about this? Ask God if you are meant to share this with the person and when.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to highlight someone to you who politically votes completely differently to you. This activation is not about conflict and trying to change people’s opinions. It is about asking God for a love for this person and for God to show you His heart for the person. Ask God how you are to communicate to the person what He has shown you for them.

5. Advanced Activation: Spend time with God hearing His heart for Australia and her future as the election is tomorrow. Prophecy aloud that which you sense is Australia’s future. Ask God if there is anything else He would have you do eg a prophetic act.

Encountering God part 2

Posted on by

Often I come across people desperate for a prophetic word. These people chase after prophetic people and hang off every word uttered. When challenged, they say they can’t hear God for themselves, or have a decision to make and desperately need to have a prophetic word.

Unfortunately, these folks are cheating themselves.

They are cheating themselves out of a vibrant relationship with the Living Almighty God. It is almost like they are taking second best. Please hear me. I am not saying it is wrong to get a prophetic word. Prophetic words are invaluable. What I am saying is don’t go chasing a prophetic word from someone. Chase God instead. Going to someone inferior to God for a word from God with that word filtered through that person’s experience. 1 Corinthians 13:9 tells us that a prophetic word is not the complete picture from God – “For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.”

Why encounter God for yourself?

The purpose of an encounter with God is intimacy with God. Pure intimacy. The outcome will be change within you and the presence of Kingdom values – peace, joy, freedom, healing, truth, etc.

Not going with feelings is crucial. If we have felt nothing, it doesn’t mean that we haven’t had an encounter with God. Be careful not to judge something based solely on your feelings. Sometimes we may not even realize we have changed, but others can testify that we seem more at peace, more kind, etc.

When we encounter God for ourselves, we experience a personal revelation from Him. We become aware of Him through our senses. We can see, hear, sense, feel, smell or taste God or the things of God.

Encountering God for ourselves is vital, as it is a method we hear from God for ourselves and others. Sometimes we can fall into the trap of hearing from God for other people, but we can struggle to hear Him when hearing for ourselves. We need to explore ways we can hear God for ourselves during all seasons.

Last blog post, we explored how there will always be good fruit from an encounter with Jesus.

What an encounter can look like:

Sometimes the language we use can be off-putting. The term ‘encounter’ is very Pentecostal. Initially, I struggled with the word because I falsely believed that I had to manifest physically by speaking in tongues, shaking, falling to the ground, groaning, etc. An encounter with the Heavenly Father is purely being aware of His Presence, His Power, His Person, His delight in us. It is a transaction of intimacy.

An encounter will be different for everyone. Some people may have a physical experience, others a quiet reflection. Others may sit quietly but feel that they have travelled spiritually to heaven or a place where they are with Jesus.

God is a personal God. Thus, everyone will have an individual experience. Don’t imitate anyone else.

One of the first times I allowed myself to imagine I was with Jesus was a time when we ended up (in my mind) on a wooden pier – laying down and peering through the holes in the slats at my life here on earth. I can remember asking Jesus about an issue I struggled with, and His answer was perfect. Many times since then, I have quietened myself and imagined Jesus and me lying on that wooden pier peering through the slats at issues in my life.

How do I have an encounter with Jesus?

Great question. Everyone is different, so what works for you may not work for me.

I find it easier for me if I quieten my heart first or if I am worshipping God. Thanking God and coming into His Presence. I then allow my cleansed imagination to join with my Heavenly Father or Jesus and let my thoughts flow.

There are several places in my home that I have stewarded to create ‘thin’ places. These places feel like there is no discernable difference between heaven and earth. They are places usually of beauty, refuge, safety, and sacredness. It is typically a location or moment treated with reverence and awe.

Spending time with God can steward a thin place. You may find a favourite comfy chair where you love reading the Bible or praying becomes a place where you hear God’s voice clearly. It may be a place you steward silence and reflection. Because I love praying to God regularly in the shower and when ironing, I find I hear God’s voice immediately as soon as I go to those places. The same as the beach. I love walking along the beach, especially in rough weather, as I hear and sense God. My husband loves the bush and finds it easy to encounter God there.

I encourage you to posture yourself, to steward a thin place for yourself.

Encountering God demands obedience

Last week, I covered several times in the Bible where people changed after an encounter with God.

In Genesis 32, we see Jacob wrestling all night with God. Jacob gained a new identity and confidence. Our identity comes from who we are in God, so whenever we encounter God or spend time with Him, we become more attuned to our true identity.

In Genesis 6, God encountered Noah and revealed His plans to Noah. The outcome was Noah’s obedience. Noah trusted God despite the culture and everyone else’s opinions and fulfilled what God has asked him to do.

In 1 Samuel 3, the young boy Samuel heard the voice of God four times. Eli discounted the first two. The third time, Eli realized a transaction was occurring. Our response is to believe and be quick to obey.

Types of encounters:

1. The waterfall

A common encounter people seem to love, but one which I find harder to experience God is the waterfall. Close your eyes. Quieten your heart and focus on God. Imagine yourself walking under a waterfall. Imagine yourself feeling the water washing over you, washing away your cares and concerns and everything that’s not from God. Imagine the water filling you up like the Holy Spirit. Take deep breaths of His infilling Presence. Enjoy a time of transaction with the Holy Spirit. When you are ready, imagine stepping out of the waterfall, carrying that which has filled you up.

2. Memory stones / triggers

Intentionally place something that will remind you of God and a particular time or a miracle in a specific spot. Use that memory stone to remind you to pause, thank God and focus on Him for today. (I rarely use the word trigger as it can have negative connotations but several friends use the term to trigger them to pray and connect with the Father’s heart.)

3. Left and right hand

Stand up and close your eyes. Quieten your heart towards God. Think of an issue you need answers for. Imagine placing the issue in your left hand. Hold your left hand out, palm up. Allow space to be quiet and transact with God. Now, put your right hand up in the air. Ask God to show you the answer to the issue in your left hand. Ask God to put the answer in your right hand. Pull the answer down from heaven into your reality.

4. Other ways

Some people love journaling and writing out their prayers to God and listening to Him for His answers as they write. Others may find meditating on a single Bible verse, repeating the verse a several times and reflecting on the words a valuable method of encountering God. Worship, speaking in tongues, creative prayer, drawing, painting, and dancing to worship music are beneficial.

It is vital that you discover ways where you can hear God for yourself and have an encounter with Him and His goodness, His mercy, His love and freedom, peace and joy.

Next blog post, I will explore some methods we can use when finding it hard to hear God or encounter God.

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 warm, fuzzy material or favourite blankets and give a piece of material/blanket to each person. Ask them to get in a comfortable position, whether sitting or lying, and wrap that material around them, imagining God’s arms around them giving them a hug. Have music playing softly and encourage them to ask God questions and listen to His response. Have paper and drawing materials available for children to draw/write their experiences.

2. Group Activation: Take the group outside and ask them to look for something that is unusual or captures their attention or a unique sound or smell. Partner up and prophesy over their partner using the object that caught their attention as the starting point.

3. Beginner Activation: Try one of the encounters explained above.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask Jesus to highlight to you a person who is desperate for an encounter with Him. Ask Jesus what He would love you to do about this and your part to play in this person receiving a touch from Jesus.

5. Advanced Activation: Carve out some time this week to go to a ‘thin’ place where you can spend extended time with God. Ask Him for a prophetic word for the US Supreme Court in relation to the Roe verse Wade ruling being deliberated. Decree and declare the response aloud. Ask God if there is anything further He would have you do.

Encountering God part 1

Posted on by

The first time someone asked me to lead a class in an encounter with God, I was terrified. I was teaching at our church’s college on the prophetic (hearing God), and the Co-Ordinator began each session with a time of encountering God. I was okay with experiencing God for myself, but had never led others to encounter Him apart from when I led people to commit to Christ. The Co-Ordinator had always manifested physically, e.g. by shaking or a physical reaction etc when encountering God, and I wasn’t into physical manifestations. I felt out of my depth.

I encouraged my assistant to lead the encounter instead.

Later, as I reflected on leading others to encounter God, various truths replaced the lies in my mind. One truth was that we don’t need to have a physical manifestation to prove that we have encountered God.

God is amazing. He is so unique. So present. So everywhere. God is so concerned with the individual.

God is not a cookie-cutter, releasing the same experience to everyone.

God is never short on time, so He never takes shortcuts and gives the same stuff to everyone in a hurry.

God loves everyone. He desires intimacy and a relationship with us all. God will do virtually anything for us to experience Him.

God is a God of many and the individual.

Thus, it may differ completely from how others encounter God when we encounter God. There is no right or wrong. In saying that, you will know it is not God if it doesn’t meet the character qualities of God. E.g. Satan can masquerade as the angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), so if we see an angel of light that is unkind and unjust or deceiving, that is not God.

How do we know if we have encountered God?

How do we know if we have encountered God–we will be changed. There will always be fruit from the encounter. You may experience peace or joy, or healing. Maybe you feel calmer or have received an answer to a decision. You may feel closer to Jesus. A truth may have ‘popped’ into your head. You may be more aware of God’s presence, power, person, and delight. You may have heard, seen, sensed, or felt God.

Encountering God means you experience God’s Kingdom values–e.g. peace instead of fear. Joy instead of blandness or lack. In an encounter with God, you can often experience movement, whether there is a movement in the grass background or you and Jesus moving, e.g. running together, dancing together. I often experience Jesus leading the way and showing me things. Light and colour will predominately fill the encounter, as they belong to God’s Kingdom.

There will always be good fruit from an encounter with Jesus.

Where can we encounter God?

Anywhere. Wherever God is, there is an opportunity and availability to encounter Him. Encounters are not limited to a church service. I often encounter God walking on the beach or around our neighbourhood. Often, we can experience God unexpectedly, amid pain and suffering, despair, joy and laughter, with friends, or alone. Most times I am showering, or when ironing, I encounter God. I turn my affection to God, my thoughts to God, and imagine myself with Him. He always responds to an invitation to be close to us.

Some examples from the Bible:

The Bible is full of people who encountered God. Saul was an enemy of God with a fierce determination to kill as many Christians as possible. God met him unexpectedly on the road to Damascus in Acts 9 with a blinding light, resulting in Saul becoming blind until Ananias prayed for him and Saul was healed.

In Isaiah 6, Isaiah wrote how He encountered God in the year of King Uzziah’s death. He saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on the throne. Above Him were seraphim, each with six wings.

In Numbers 22, the angel of the Lord stood in the middle of the road and stopped the donkey. The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, but Balaam didn’t. Thus, not only people encountered God.

In Acts 2, many people experienced a sound like the blowing of a violent wind from heaven. Tongues of fire rested on them. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. It was a time when many people encountered God.

Many people have asked me how they can encounter God regularly as an experience, not just in the initial experience of deciding to follow Jesus. Thus, I will write a series of blog posts outlining simple ways you can encounter God wherever you are.

An encounter experience for you to try:

A simple encounter you may enjoy is meditating on God. I find it easy to do this if I am somewhere comfortable and have music playing softly in the background. I turn my thoughts and affections to God. I imagine myself in a favourite place with Jesus beside me. I then ask Jesus a question and wait for Him to reply. I chat with Jesus about any concerns or queries I have or spend time restfully in His presence.

Many people call this ‘soaking’. A great video that explains this further is a free resource from Beth Kennedy if you sign up for her blog. You can find it here: https://godisgoodstories.com/

In the next blog post, I will unpack encountering God further along with a different experience for you to try. The five prophetic activations listed below will also contain different ways of encountering God.

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 paper and drawing supplies. Ask everyone to imagine they are at a park with God. Ask them to draw the scene ie what they are doing and where God is and what He is doing etc. Instead of drawing, you may actually want to go to a park and briefly ask these questions when you arrive. Ask everyone to look to see where God is and what He is doing. Encourage everyone to share.

2. Group Activation: Get into pairs. Each person asks God to show or tell them a weapon He wants to give to their partner and why. Spend a few minutes asking God more questions about the weapon, then share with their partner.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend a few minutes with God, asking Him what game He would love to play with you. Go with the first thought through your mind and ask further questions of God to understand more fully what game God wants to play with you and why.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to bring to your mind someone who is currently fearful. Ask God to show you His heart towards that person and how God would love you to respond to that person.

5. Advanced Activation: Ask God to show you His heart for the people of Ukraine and/or Russia. Spend time asking God further questions about His desires for these countries. Speak aloud a declaration or a prophetic word from your time with God.

Dream Interpretation Part 2

Posted on by

Last week, I blogged about the importance of dreams. I covered dreams in the Bible and some amazing dreams that people have had and how these dreams have helped influence society with their inventions, scientific discoveries, movies, books etc.

This week I am covering how to prepare for a dream and then how to document the dream. It is one thing to have a dream, but if you can’t remember it and don’t take the time to document it and uncover what the dream means, then you lose the full impact of the dream.

If you make an effort to prepare and expect to have a dream, it shows God that you are serious and that you expect and want to hear from Him. Since God is a good God, I am sure He will not let you down. In 1 Samuel 3: 1-10, we read about the boy Samuel hearing from the Lord. Eli ends up in verse 9 advising Samuel to respond with “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.” Imagine if our response to God every night as we lay in bed was: “Speak Lord, for your servant is listening and wanting to hear from you.”

Dreams are important as they help us understand more about God, His character and what He wants to say to us and why. Basically, it helps us grow in our relationship with God. When we catch this principle, we can look forward to dreaming at night, hearing from God and going deeper with Him. I liken it to giving me more wisdom in my life as it is a time when God speaks to me bypassing my rational mind. God often gives me ideas and solutions that help in situations and issues within the next day or so. Who doesn’t want that!!

Preparing for a Dream:

  1. Limit alcohol, drugs/chemicals and prescription drugs (eg sleeping tablets). The more alert your brain is, the clearer you can hear and see from God.
  2. Be careful what you watch and read before bed. If you fill your mind with scary movies or stories before sleep, then expect that that may influence what your thoughts consist of whilst you are asleep. Pray and cleanse your imagination.
  3. Sleeping atmosphere – quiet, relaxing, peaceful environment contributes towards calmer sleep, thoughts, and hearing from God whilst you are asleep.
  4. Have a device by your bed to document your dream. I use a journal and pen. Other people use a recording device (but I don’t want to wake hubby).
  5. Look at your attitude towards dreams. Be intentional and expectant. Show God that you want to hear from Him during your sleep. Confess any inner vow you have made re not wanting any dreams. This may not be applicable to you, but certain children I know have told God that they don’t want any dreams, as they had a few dreams that unsettled them. God will respect that, therefore they can’t expect at some later stage to have dreams if they haven’t let God know. In Luke 11:9, Jesus says: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” If we chase after God and all He has for us, God will reveal Himself to us. You will start to find that you have more dreams and you are more likely to remember them. It is not unusual to already be having dreams, but you are just unaware that you are dreaming. Once you intentionally try to remember and record them, you may well be surprised at how many dreams you actually have.

Recording Dreams:

  1. Record your dream as soon as possible after waking. I find that if I don’t write it down immediately, I forget the details. Often, I have woken up overnight, and as I lie in bed, I repeat the dream to myself so that, hopefully, I will remember it in the morning to write it down. Trust me, that is not very effective. I hardly ever remember them. I need to get out of bed, grab my dream journal and pen and go to the dining room and write it down immediately.
  2. You may find a recording device eg phone, recorder etc where you can quietly talk into it is helpful as you can stay snuggled up in bed. I can’t do that as it would wake my husband.
  3. You could try using a penlight etc and have that and your book/paper handy beside your bed.
  4. You may prefer to draw a picture that represents the elements of the dream.
  5. I start a new page for every dream. I write it down on the right-hand side and on the facing page I leave room for the interpretation. I always put the date at the top. I also give my dream a title. This helps me to remember it better.
  6. Record the dream sequence. Answer the questions who, what, when, where and why. In other words, list:
    • the main focus,
    • the plot,
    • any people and their names,
    • whether you are in the dream or an observer,
    • where it took place and the setting,
    • the time period,
    • key actions,
    • symbols/colours/numbers/animals/objects/images,
    • any dialogue.
    • Plus write down the overall emotion you felt during the dream and immediately on waking.

Dreams are an invitation from God to draw closer to Him and to come to know Him at a greater level. Dreams open up the mysteries of God. The word for ‘dream’ in ancient Hebrew is chalowm. Chalowm is represented by four different pictures. Water representing the mystery or the Holy Spirit. A tent peg representing binding/holding/joining something together. A staff representing authority or bringing something to you. A wall is also represented meaning that something is hidden or separated from you. Thus, a fuller understanding of the word ‘dream’ is that of the mystery that is hidden from you is being brought to you and revealed.

My next blog post will start to unpack how you interpret your dreams and how God uses metaphors so that you can have a fuller understanding of that which God is trying to reveal to you.

Remember Proverbs 25:2 “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings.”

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:  Over a family meal, share a story from the Bible about someone dreaming and the relevance of it. Then share a dream you have had. Ask the rest of the family if they have ever had any dreams. If so, ask them if they can remember any. If not, ask them if they would like God to speak to them that way. Buy a journal for those who would like one for them to record their dreams.

2. Group Activation: In preparation, ask people to bring to the group a dream they have had and any interpretation they have made. Ask various people to share their dream and interpretation. Spend some time in pairs praying over each other for their dream life – that they would dream more and be able to understand their dreams.

3. Beginner Activation: Spend time with God asking Him to reveal more wisdom to you during your dreams. Get a book and pen ready to record your dreams. Ask God to show you if there has been any time in the past when you have not wanted to dream and chat about this with God. Look at anything else you can do so that you can increase your dream life and hear from God during your sleep.

4. Intermediate Activation: Ask God to show you a business in your town that is suffering from the impact of COVID-19. Ask God to reveal to you what you could prophesy and pray over that business and the owner.

5. Advanced Activation: Find out the name of the person who owns a major media outlet (eg newspaper, television station, movie production studio) in your country. Seek God as to what He would have you prophesy and pray over this person and the media outlet.

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.