Prophecy is a gift from God. Thankfully, we can ask for this gift and the Father is a generous giver. Once we have received it, how can we grow in it?

Most prophecies start off more general in nature such as, “God loves you” or “God knows and sees you”. So, how do we move on from there to share prophetic words that are more detailed and accurate? Here are some ways to grow your prophetic gift:

SPEND TIME IN GOD’S PRESENCE

If we want to get to know someone and learn what they think, then we have to spend time with them. It’s the same with getting to know God and hearing what He has to say. We need to spend time with Him to learn to hear His voice.

GROW IN DISCERNING GOD’S VOICE

As we spend time in His word and in His presence, we learn to hear His voice and begin to grow in confidence that we are hearing God and not our own thoughts or ideas.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He says in John 10:3-5 that we are His and we hear His voice. He leads us, He goes before us and we follow Him. It also says that as we recognise Him we will discern and not follow the voice of a stranger.

As we grow in recognising God’s voice we naturally come to learn and discern the difference between His voice, our own mind and that of the world.

THE POWER OF OBEDIENCE

As we grow in our relationship with the Father and recognise His voice, we learn how to respond to Him in the moment.

Jesus heard and saw what His Father was doing and He obeyed Him. In Luke 5 we see this with Jesus’ disciple, Simon Peter, who had been fishing all night without catching anything. He obeys Jesus and puts his net out again and sees a miracle catch of fish! As we are obedient to God we will also see miracles happen around us.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH PROPHETIC PEOPLE

Carrying prophetic words can sometimes feel lonely as others may not be aware of what you are feeling or might not understand.

One of the best ways to grow is by being with other prophetic people and with those who are also growing in their prophetic gift. In these spaces you can share your experiences and ask each other questions, giving each other feedback and a place to be accountable.

ASK GOD FOR MORE

Be faithful and obedient with what He entrusts to you and ask for more, He is a Good Father and loves it when we are hungry for more.

Ask Him to teach you in more detail and to train you in obedience. Ask Him to speak to you in unexpected places and times. And ask Him for courage and boldness to take risks with your gift and seek out opportunities to develop your growth.

What step can you take to grow in your relationship with Jesus and the gift He has given you?

Much love,
Charlene Frammingham and the eFocus team

“Prayer is more than thoughts and feelings expressed in words.
It is the opening of mind and heart — our whole being to God our Abba Father.”
Richard J. Foster

As I reflect on my life of faith, I used to say that I was a professional Christian. I knew the truths of scripture, I was trying to apply them to my life and I was leading others in the same journey but, if I’m honest, it was all very exhausting. I was burnt out on religion. Don’t get me wrong, living in obedience to God and His word is good. However, for me it was more an intellectual exercise than a raw, authentic life lived from the overflow of a transformed heart. I’d had a complicated history of fathering and didn’t understand the potential fullness offered.

No matter your story, going deeper in relationship with the Father can only lead to greater intimacy in prayer, deeper security in self and fuller blessing of the world around.

There is a Sioux Indian saying that, The longest journey you will make in your life is from your head to your heart. This feels especially true when transferring our knowledge of God in our heads to a lived experience of God’s love in our hearts. This is not a one-off exercise but a lifelong pursuit. In a fast paced world, it can be difficult to go slow enough to sit and reflect; to pause over scripture, to avoid skim reading over our emotions and the responses we may have, to notice moments in our day pointing us deeper in God.

Jesus teaches us that God is our father when He calls us to pray in Matthew 6:9 to ‘our Father in heaven’. The apostles teach us that we are children of God in Galatians 3:26. 2 Corinthians 6:18 says, “And I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.” The Father has lovingly called us into His intimate embrace as His children and we will spend eternity expanding our understanding and experience of this reality.

Let’s pause today over six simple scriptures pointing to our Father God:

He is Compassionate and Merciful (not harsh and unforgiving)

Psalm 103:13 – Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion…

2 Corinthians 1:3 – Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.

He is Generous (not stingy or lacking)

Matthew 7:11 – So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts…

Ephesians 1:3 – All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms …

He is Releasing (not controlling)

Galatians 4:5-7 – God sent Him to buy freedom for us who were slaves … so that He could adopt us as His very own children. And because we are His children, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child.

Romans 8:14-17 – For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His own children. Now we call Him, “Abba, Father.”

Create space in the rhythm of your life to meditate on these truths, and allow your view of the Father to expand and your heart to connect deeper.

Much love,
Sue and the eFocus team

For further resources on this journey

Songs to meditate to:
No Longer Slaves by Jonathan & Melissa Helser
Run to the Father by Cody Carnes

Books to read:
Spiritual Slavery to Spiritual Sonship by Jack Frost
Now I Become Myself by Ken Shigamatsu

Our monthly prayer theme for April is Health and Healing, and this eFocus we want to dive deeper into what we believe the Bible says about Healing.

Our foundational posture towards healing should be grounded in the belief that God is a Good Father who wants to give good gifts. On our own, we will never be qualified to heal people; healing is always about God’s grace. It’s equally important to point to the Giver and not the gift — it’s about relationship, not a transaction.

Let’s take a look at these six key insights about Healing:

1. He is the God who Heals
“…for I am the God, who heals you.” Exodus 15:26

Healing is in the very nature of God, it’s His covenant name. It’s not just an add-on, it is who He is. Come boldly before God, He loves to heal — we’re not coming to a reluctant God!

2. Standing on His Promises
“…who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.” Psalm 103:3

When we come before God, it’s not on the basis of our good behaviour but on the basis of His promises! Not from an orphan heart, but as His child saying, ‘Dad, you said…’

3. Following the Model of Jesus
“..He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil.” Acts 10:38

“…He sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.” Luke 9:2

Jesus is the exact representation of the Father and He models God’s attitude towards healing. We are to walk in His footsteps and fulfil our mandate to “heal the sick”. No amount of learning will replace obedience.

4. Sickness as a Consequence of our Fallen World
When sin entered our world through Adam and Eve, “…creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.” Romans 8:20-21

Humanity collectively bears responsibility for the state of the world, where sickness thrives due to the spiritual toxicity caused by sin — sickness doesn’t necessarily imply personal sin. Of course, God can use our sickness for good, but just because He can make good out of a bad situation doesn’t mean that He desires the sickness. Let’s pray for increasing liberation from bondage to sin and sickness.

5. Healing in the Kingdom Context
“Yet He was the one who carried our sicknesses and endured the torment of our sufferings.” Isaiah 53:4

The gospel is not just about the forgiveness of sins, though that is a key element. Healing is central to the gospel. Christ’s body was broken for our complete healing: physical, emotional and spiritual.

6. Embracing the Mystery
“Our Father who is in Heaven, hallowed be your Name, Your kingdom come and Your will be done as it is in Heaven…” Matthew 6:9-10

“There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Jesus told us that the kingdom has come, will come and is coming. This kingdom includes healing. We may not see everyone healed on this side of His advancing kingdom, however, the more we press in and claim Jesus’ victory on the cross, the more we will see!

As we conclude, the topic of Healing is complex and there are many theologians who have written extensively about how to engage with it, which we cannot fully cover in this email. If you’d like to dig deeper, Phil Moore has written this insightful article summarising different theological viewpoints.

We will forever be learning about praying for healing. As we live out our commission to heal the sick, let’s continue to steward testimonies and stay humble enough to live in the mystery.

We long for the day when sickness is finally no more and all will be healed, until then we will keep contending!

Much love,
Katy and the eFocus team

As a community we prioritise singing together, but why do we do this? Wouldn’t it be fine to just sing some songs at home on our own and call it a day? The Bible is clear that there is power when the people of God come together and worship Him as one. As Bob Kauflin puts it, “A worshipping community recognises that passionate times of singing God’s praise flow from and lead to passionate lives lived for the glory of Jesus Christ.”

Here are a few reasons (and there are many more than this!) why we should come together as God’s people to praise Him for who He is, what He’s done and to seek His face:

He desires for us to come and worship Him TOGETHER
“It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise!” Psalm 100:3

The Bible repeatedly beckons God’s people to come together and sing to God. When we are commanded to do something, I think it’s worth noting, as it communicates God’s heart desires. Simply put, God loves to hear His people sing together! It seems to be one of His ‘love languages’. So when we gather and sing, we delight God as we are being obedient to what He commanded us to do. It is a reminder that we are primarily gathered to minister to Him and bless His heart.

JOY is released when we minister to God together
“O Come let us sing joyfully to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.” Psalm 95:1

As we worship our God together, He releases His joy amongst us, as Psalm 16:11 says, “in Your presence there is fullness of joy.”

We experience God’s MANIFEST PRESENCE when we are together
“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

Jesus said that as we meet together that He is there amongst us. Our God is omnipresent but when we obey His command to gather together in His name, His promise is that we would know His presence in a different way, in a manifest way. The manifest presence of God is the earmark of the church, it’s what distinguishes us as a community.

We are reminded that we are His people UNITED in Christ
“How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Psalm 133:1

As Bob Sorge puts it, “When you pray and praise with someone, your heart is joined to that person. When we hear someone next to us expressing the depths of their hearts to God in worship and prayer, we discover the rapport we have with them. Our hearts leap within us. This is my brother! This is my sister! These are worshippers indeed! They’re after the same thing I’m after. They long for Jesus like I do.”

We UPHOLD each other as we sing over each other
“When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up — one on one side, one on the other — so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.” Exodus 17:12-13

In Exodus 17 there’s a battle going on between Israel and the Amalekites with Moses surveying the battle from the top of a hill. As long as Moses’ hands are raised, the battle goes in Israelite’s favour, however when he lowers his arms the Israeli army start to falter. ed, the battle goes in Israelite’s favour, however when he lowers his arms they start to falter. As Moses tires, Aaron and Hur come alongside him and hold his arms up until the battle is won. This is a picture of what happens when we worship together. When we sing over our tired and battle-weary brothers and sisters — of His faithfulness, His kindness, His strength —it is as if we are helping hold up their arms in the midst of their trials.

Isn’t it such a privilege and honour that we are able to bring joy and delight to the God who holds the entire universe in His hands! As we pour our hearts out to Him, He sings songs over us too! “For the LORD your God is living among you. He is a mighty saviour. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17

Oh, how He loves us!

With love,
Josh John and the eFocus Team