Category: We the Prophets

1 Cor. 14:39a (NIV)
39 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be eager to prophesy…

When we look in the New Testament, this gift of prophecy was instrumental in the way the early church made decisions. They received from the Spirit: direction for missions and evangelism, insights to expose hidden sins, received counsel, and encouragement to move forward in times of deep discouragement. For example, through the Spirit, Peter was shown the hidden sins of Ananias and Saphira in Acts 5:1–11. He also received the prophetic vision that welcomed gentiles into salvation in Acts 10:9-20. The prophetic call by the Holy Spirit set apart Paul and Barnabas for missions in Acts 13:1–3. Agabus prophetically revealed to the church there would be an incoming famine in Acts 21:7–14. Paul prophetically saw that a paralyzed man had faith to be healed in Acts 14:8–10. Prophetic counsel was given to Paul by disciples at Tyre in Acts 21:4.

According to Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 12 and 14, it is both normal and necessary to exercise the prophetic gift in the church (along with all the other gifts.)

May we be open, willing, and available to even more flow in the expanse and purposes of the Spirit’s revelation and prophetic work in our churches. Let us ask for God’s grace to operate more in the prophetic. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, holy is your name. May your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Fill us afresh with your Spirit, so we may live in this truth and reality. May you receive all honor, praise, and glory in our churches! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship and sing to All Things New by Hillsong Worship (click here).

-AS

2 Peter 1:20-21 (NLT)
20 Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, 21 or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.

1 Cor. 2:10-11 (NIV)
10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

“…Prophecy, therefore, is not based on a hunch, a supposition, an inference, an educated guess, or even on sanctified wisdom. Prophecy is not based on personal insight, intuition, or illumination. Prophecy is the human report of a divine revelation… Prophecy is always based on a spontaneous revelation. The foundation or basis of all prophetic ministry is the revelatory work of the Spirit. In other words, prophecy is always the communication of something the Holy Spirit has ‘revealed’ or disclosed to a person.”
[Sam Storm, Understanding Spirit Gifts: A Comprehensive Guide.]

“God’s Spirit, then, is the agent of communication from God’s mind, with God’s word, through God’s prophets, to God’s people.”
[Christopher Wright, Knowing the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament.]

Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill us and move us by your Spirit. May we receive prophetic words that are from you. Help us to receive prophetic prayers, actions, and words to build up your people. May you receive the glory from your churches. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship and sing to Fall Like Rain by Passion ft. Kari Jobe, Rachel Halbach (click here). 

-AS

Let us read aloud these verses:

Psalm 119:138,142,160 (NLT)
138 Your laws are perfect
    and completely trustworthy.
142 Your justice is eternal,
    and your instructions are perfectly true.
160 The very essence of your words is truth;
    all your just regulations will stand forever.

John 17:17 (NIV)
17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.

John 16:13a (NIV)
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth.

“As truth, the word of God in the Scriptures is trustworthy and is given in order to form the foundation of all our thinking, believing and behaving… First of all, are you building your whole life, in all its dimensions, on the truth of the Word of God? Is your worldview shaped by the Bible? Is the Bible not merely the object, but the subject, of your thinking? That is to say, the Bible should be not only something we think about, but something we think with. It is to provide the foundations for how we think about everything else and is to be the guide to how we act in all circumstances.” [Christopher Wright, Knowing the Holy Spirit through the Old Testament.]

Prophets don’t exercise the prophetic ministry apart from scripture (God’s word,) but use the foundation of scripture in prophetic ministry. Prophetic ministry is established on the truth of God’s word. To grow in prophetic ministry, we the prophets must know and be sanctified by scripture. With God’s Word, the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, fill your prophets with the Spirit today. May the Spirit guide us into all truth based on your word. We ask for a greater and more effective prophetic ministry in your churches. May you receive all the glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship and sing to Follow by Passion ft. Melodie Malone (click here).

-AS

1 Timothy 1:18-19a (NLT)
18 Timothy, my son, here are my instructions for you, based on the prophetic words spoken about you earlier. May they help you fight well in the Lord’s battles. 19 Cling to your faith in Christ, and keep your conscience clear.

“Consider what Paul said in 1 Timothy 1:18–19. There we discover that prophecy is one of the most powerful and reassuring tools God has given us by which we are to wage war in our ongoing battle with the world, the flesh, and the devil….But Paul couldn’t have said it with any greater clarity: The way you hold to the foundational truths of the Christian faith and resist the temptation to abandon them, the way you maintain a good conscience before God, is by thinking about and reflecting on and drawing strength from the prophetic words given to you by the Spirit!… It is incredibly reassuring to recall tangible, empirically verifiable evidence of God’s existence and power and presence communicated through a prophetic utterance.” [Sam Storms. Understanding Spiritual Gifts: A Comprehensive Guide.]

Remember the prophetic words you received recently or from years ago. The Spirit gave words to God’s people to touch and transform you. Let’s recall and reflect on these prophetic words in our prayers so we may be strengthened, encouraged, and comforted. May they help us to fight the good fight, build up our faith, and keep a good conscience before God. 

Prayer: Heavenly Father, as we remember the prophecies we’ve received from the Spirit through the church, fill us with the Holy Spirit today. May we be empowered to live in your truth, love, and faithfulness for us today. May we give you glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship and sing to Nothing But the Blood by Charity Gayle (click here).

-AS

Act 2:17-18 (NIV)
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
    I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your young men will see visions,
    your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
    I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
    and they will prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:1,3 (NIV)
1 Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.

3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.

As Apostle Peter declared when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost, we’re in the “last days.” Pentecost was the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise (in Joel 2:28-29) that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on all God’s people. The “last days” began on the day of Pentecost and continues until Jesus returns. During the “last days,” we are to exercise the Spirit’s gift of prophecy to love others for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort. Let us eagerly desire to prophesy in this truth and reality today.

Prayer: Father God, thank you for giving us your presence through the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, fill and empower us today to prophesy, to see visions, and to dream dreams for the benefit of others. May we love others by speaking words received from you for their strengthening, encouragement, and comfort. May you receive the glory. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Let’s worship and sing to I Speak Jesus by Charity Gayle ft. Steven Musso (click here).

-AS