No matter what the game is, it begins with the leader explaining the game, set a tone of fun, light, expectation. We usually start with a very basic run-down (even if for review) of how to hear God's voice. A very straightforward explanation is found in the materials of Mark Virkler "How to Hear God's Voice" - basically detailing that there are three voices in your head: your thoughts (which are logical, and lead from one to another even if bizarrely). The rest of the thoughts are spontaneous thoughts, ones that seemingly originate out of no-where with no segue, and these are supernatural.
These are divided in two categories: the enemy's thoughts which are (shame, guilt, hatred, judgment, anxiety, fear...etc. - which sometimes is confusing, because they thought it was God shaming them and guilting them all those years - in other words, negative thoughts), and God's thoughts (blessing, love, hope, joy, peace, comfort, encouragement, edification, etc. - positive thoughts).
So we tell people, that we're only going to share positive thoughts. We'll ask God to tell us something for the person, and then we'll catch the first thoughts that pop into our heads that are positive or at least neutral, and then ask the Lord what those mean. We trust that having asked God to speak, that He will, because if our child asks to hear us, and we hear him or her, we will respond to them. Do we really think we're better parents than God? :) Anyway...that's just the basics.
These are divided in two categories: the enemy's thoughts which are (shame, guilt, hatred, judgment, anxiety, fear...etc. - which sometimes is confusing, because they thought it was God shaming them and guilting them all those years - in other words, negative thoughts), and God's thoughts (blessing, love, hope, joy, peace, comfort, encouragement, edification, etc. - positive thoughts).
So we tell people, that we're only going to share positive thoughts. We'll ask God to tell us something for the person, and then we'll catch the first thoughts that pop into our heads that are positive or at least neutral, and then ask the Lord what those mean. We trust that having asked God to speak, that He will, because if our child asks to hear us, and we hear him or her, we will respond to them. Do we really think we're better parents than God? :) Anyway...that's just the basics.
Duck, Duck, Goose or The Lottery
Number of People: 10-20
What’s Good About It: it allows people to participate or not and observe long enough to see that this is a safe environment to risk.
Requires: you need some (3-4) people who are have some experience in the prophetic though to set the tone.
Then we jump in and everyone closes their eyes and the leader goes around the back of the group (that's hopefully in a circle) and chooses someone with a tap on the shoulder. I usually make a big game of it and everybody feels kind of silly like back in kindergarten, making noises and such, and so putting people at ease.
While doing this, I tell the person I’m going to choose to have a poker face and not let on that they’ve been chosen. I even encourage them to prophesy over themselves, not just for distracting, but sometimes they're amazed about what they can hear for themselves in that environment! And then when I've chosen someone, I just say, "I've chosen the person." At this people usually open their eyes, which is good to demystify the process. And then with open eyes, I say, "God, please show us how you care for this person or think about this person." And let them go at it.
We usually have a transcriber, someone who is typing or writing down all the words as they come in. I try to have people keep it relatively simple so everyone can get a chance and so someone doesn't start preaching! And then when everybody's had a chance. I give the computer or sheet to the person who was receiving the words, and I ask the person to evaluate each of the words, saying whether it meant anything to them or not, going through each word, and I ask them to be specific. It has been so amazing as we've seen people who've never dared to give a word, are blown away by the fact that they described the exact situation of another person they didn't know!
We then have the person who received the word, chose the next person secretly and on we go. Then at the end of the night we email everyone the words! Everybody gets so excited. It almost gives it a lottery type feel.
Then we jump in and everyone closes their eyes and the leader goes around the back of the group (that's hopefully in a circle) and chooses someone with a tap on the shoulder. I usually make a big game of it and everybody feels kind of silly like back in kindergarten, making noises and such, and so putting people at ease.
While doing this, I tell the person I’m going to choose to have a poker face and not let on that they’ve been chosen. I even encourage them to prophesy over themselves, not just for distracting, but sometimes they're amazed about what they can hear for themselves in that environment! And then when I've chosen someone, I just say, "I've chosen the person." At this people usually open their eyes, which is good to demystify the process. And then with open eyes, I say, "God, please show us how you care for this person or think about this person." And let them go at it.
We usually have a transcriber, someone who is typing or writing down all the words as they come in. I try to have people keep it relatively simple so everyone can get a chance and so someone doesn't start preaching! And then when everybody's had a chance. I give the computer or sheet to the person who was receiving the words, and I ask the person to evaluate each of the words, saying whether it meant anything to them or not, going through each word, and I ask them to be specific. It has been so amazing as we've seen people who've never dared to give a word, are blown away by the fact that they described the exact situation of another person they didn't know!
We then have the person who received the word, chose the next person secretly and on we go. Then at the end of the night we email everyone the words! Everybody gets so excited. It almost gives it a lottery type feel.
Find Your Partner
Number of Participants: 8-30 (though less is better for people sharing their experiences)
What’s Good About It: Everybody plays and gets a chance to risk in a “safe” (1-on-1) setting
Required: Uno Cards, Category Cards (see the bottom of the page for a list of possible categories)
Again you create two decks of Uno cards but instead of being identical they're complementary. Again, if there are 30 people are I have a deck of 0-9 of Blue and 0-4 of Yellow and then another deck of 0-9 Green and 0-4 Red. (If there is an odd number the leader sits out and helps out if people need it.) Then I take my deck of cards (or I could think up something myself), and say I draw the card, "Vehicles." I say, "Okay ,ask God, for a type of vehicle, any kind, it doesn't matter, and then ask God what does that vehicle have to do with God’s heart for the who is holding the matching card." Having pairing blue with green and yellow with red) I give them maybe 15 seconds, max 30, and then I tell them to go find their match and it turns into a game of Pit, with people yelling out, "Who's got yellow 7?" It's awesome because its chaos for a few seconds and that really seems to take the tension out of it.
Then I give them only like 3 minutes and keep telling them, "Keep it short!" and "give the other person a chance!" and "only 30 seconds left" and then they have to end and I bring them back in and they share testimonies. I'll usually start out with asking, "Who here got something, anything? Yeah, that's awesome! Way to risk! Okay, who here received a word that was at least partly on target? Awesome! Did anyone receive something that was really on? Do you want to share?" Then I gather up the cards and distribute them again. As they get better and better, I'll throw in things like after you get the word, ask God who your person is. Then...who it got right? (These kind of words of knowledge, tend to start out really low (like zero!), but then get better and better. It's just like riding a bicycle!
Variations: As you’ll see in the category card list, you can throw in some extras by using cards and pieces from various games:
Pictionary Cards: Use the five (seemingly) unrelated words and ask God how those words are connected to His heart toward that person. Please note that when you tell them to use all 5 words, everyone groans, but be prepared to be amazed at how many people do just that and give amazing words!
- The Country itself
- The Shape of the country (Scandanavia looked like George Washington’s wig to one person and this led to an accurate word about leadership)
- The symbols on the cards: In this case the cannon was highlighted
- The color of the country: In one case Afghanistan was colored green (though the person thought the country is anything but green) which led to a word about green and a very important decision and the person was pursuing a “Green Card”!
- An Acronym: one time a person got the card “Ural” and immediately saw an acronym – You (U) Are (R) a (A) Lover
Sample Categories for Cards:
- A Famous Person
- Something from History
- Something from Current Events
- A Toy
- TV Show (or a line from a TV show)
- A Book (or a line from a Book)
- A Nursery Rhyme (or a kids’ song)
- A Single Phrase or Saying
- A Famous Christian
- Fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control – Gal. 5:22-23)
- A Manifestation of the Spirit (gift – word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, gifts of healing, effecting of miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, various kinds of tongues, interpretation of tongues – Rom. 12:7-10)
- Birth Month
- A Random Reference from the Bible (for example Isaiah 11:11)
- Who has my Number?
- Body Part (or organ)
- Scrabble (multiples)
- Pictionary (multiples)
- Risk (multiples)
- Scrabble (multiples)
- Blank (multiples - go with whatever God gives you!)
- Something from your day today
- Magazine covers or table of contents (tear off covers or table of contents from Magazines and distribute them.)
