behindthewillowtrees » Prophecy

Delivering a Prophetic Word

John Smith — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:58:50 +0000

Faithfully Delivering the Word

How do we know it is the right time to share what we have seen or heard from God? Though everyone is unique, and prophesy can vary with to circumstance, culture and temperament, some common themes emerge which may help us recognize the voice of the Spirit as we start to move in this gift.

1. A kind of ‘bubbling up" inside

The Hebrew word for prophesying in the Old Testament, nataph, means "to bubble up". It describes a kind of eruption inside, the point when divine activity is "coming to the boil" in the prophet’s spirit. It carries the idea of "to ooze", "distil gradually", and "to fall in drops",

2. A vision/picture or the vivid memory of a dream

God can speak through supernatural visions and dreams that linger and demand interpretation,

3. God may highlight a biblical text

In your own quiet time as you have been reading Scriptures, a verse will particularly stand out.

4. You may sense an impression or words

It may be no more than the beginning of a sentence; or it could be that information comes to you as if someone was whispering in your ear about a specific situation, and this simply will not go away.

5. You may have a "gut feeling

This is not to be mistaken for a suspicious or paranoid attitude!

6. There may be a persistent but quiet "still, small voice"

This phrase was used to mean a "gentle whisper" or the "sound of silence"; the gentle, hushed, intimate way God spoke to Elijah (1 Kings 19:12). God came to Ezekiel’s slain army of dry bones as the mighty wind of God’s resuscitating breath. God went before the wandering Israelites in the desert as a pillar of fire. God’s voice is often likened to thunder or earthquake. But Elijah, a true prophet of God, was used to looking and listening for the unusual, and not necessarily a repetition of what the Lord had done in the past. And so there came a "still, small voice", a "gentle whisper", a "silent, thin sound" (1 Kings 19:11-12).

God’s voice can sometimes a half a whisper: very quiet, almost imperceptible,

7. You may experience unusual physical sensations

You may pant or breathe deeply. You may shake or tremble — this is a frequently the case when the Holy Spirit is moving powerfully.

Some General Principles For Sharing a Prophetic Word

1. Engage with what you are receiving by asking questions

Revelation is somewhat out of our hands since this is God’s initiative alone; our responsibility is simply to make ourselves open to the Lord and receive from him. We should try to allow a prophetic word to incubate and mature. Try to get as much information about it as the Lord is prepared to give you. He may not tell you everything, but you should be sure you have heard all he has to tell you. Never be in such an hurry that you deliver a half-formed message.

God does not mind us asking questions: "What are you saying in this, Lord?", "What does this mean?", "There are some details about this picture I am unclear about", "Who is this for? Is it for the whole church? Is it for an individual within the church?" "Is there something more I need to know? Am I missing something?" "Is it for now or later? Do you simply want me to pray about this for the time being? Is it for me to tell straightaway or must I put it on hold for now?"

2. Wait for the peace of God

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. Philippians 4:7-9

Acting on this principle, be careful about speaking when you are hesitant or uneasy. We are not to feel afraid, nor coerced into producing a prophetic utterance. There is no pressure upon us to pass on prophecies, beyond the innately prophetic lifestyle of love, grace and the desire to serve God.

It is wise to remember that, speaking a word of prophecy is under your control. There is no irresistible compulsion to speak when the Holy Spirit is at work.

"The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of the prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:32).

This is in stark contrast to the activities of mediums or occultists when they testify to being "taken over" by a ghost or spirit. Control is a mark of unholy spirits or demons, not the Holy Spirit.

3. Try to calm down

We are to do all things decently and in order, so that we may lovingly edify people (1 Corinthians 14:33, 39-40). Simply focus on the task in hand and do not let distracting static or interference confuse your mind or divert you away from hearing from God.

Some Final Practical Issues

1. Speak with clarity

Let’s be sure we have clarity and not confusion, repetition, or rambling. The Holy Spirit is not a Spirit of confusion. Say what the Holy Spirit gives you, and then stop. Try not to talk nonsense.

2. Never sell your gift

The desire to impress people must be resisted or you and your ministry will spiritually weakened. Some seek popularity or notoriety through prophecy, like the court prophets in the pay of the apostate king in ancient Israel (1 Kings 22:4ff). Genuine prophets seek truth not popularity. They don’t do it for reward, but for God’s glory. Let God reward us if he wants to, but never pursue human favours.

3. Write things down if you need to

It will help you to get the message clear. Habakkuk was told: ‘Write down the revelation and make it plain on so that a herald may run with it" (Habakkuk 2:2). As we write it down, the prophetic flow may flow.

5. Be cheerfully submitted to the church’s leadership

People who are not prepared to do this, independently minded, the "mavericks" who "do their own thing" may eventually become proud, Their abilities and are prime targets for satanic deception:

"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:5-7

6. Wait for the right time

Because the "spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets" (1 Corinthians 14:32), we can afford to wait for the appropriate moment and leave the matter until the time is right. Prophecy is not only a question of "What?" but also of "How?" and "When?" If you’re not sure of "When?" or "How?", ask someone in authority who might be.

7. Behave normally and naturally

And there is certainly no need to use King James, 1611, Authorized Version English vocabulary and syntax to add a measure of authority to what we say:

"Thus sayeth the Lord: ‘Thou wentest out into the far country in prodigality, but I have regarded thy lost estate and am moved in my bowels to bestow mercy upon thee, though thou manifestly doth deservest it not’."

Just say,

"I sense you have been away from the Lord for a long time, but he has never changed his heart towards you and he is telling me that he is longing for you to come back home"?

10. Be especially careful with personal prophecies

Secrecy and furtiveness can be indicators of false prophecy. We are all human and subject to temptation. Be careful. Prophetic ministry places an extra responsibility upon a believer to be transparently honest, kind and compassionate, simple and humble.

Learning to Prophesy

John Smith — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 19:00:00 +0000

A. Stir up the Gift

1. Be humble (Jam 3:14-17; Rev 3:7)

2. Value the gift of prophecy (1 Cor 14:3)

3. Ask God for the gift of prophecy and then stir it up (1 Cor 14: 1, 39-40)

4. Determine to say whatever God gives you to say (Lk 16:9-10; 1 Thess 5:19)

5. Believe strongly that the Lord is with you (Jer 1:8; Jud 6:16; Hag 2:4)

6. Have hands laid on you to receive this gift (Rms 1:11; 2 Tim 1:6; 1 Tim 4:14)

7. Wait for God’s timing
When we begin to move in the prophetic, we have to resist the "urge to splurge".

Timing and true destination are very important matters. Some prophecies are to be announced now; others wait for intercession, and still others may even be for your ears alone. Some prophecies are to be put on file until God tells you when it is time to share them. Some must be written down, perhaps dated and shown to trusted leaders, helping to guard the gift against accusations of fraud when the events eventually transpire and you are accused of prophesying after it all happened!

Some prophecies are for a specific individual, others for the group. You have to know the timing of when to deliver them and, of course, specifically for whom they are intended.

It is also wise to have the humility to check what the Lord shows you, seeking the wise judgment of others you trust. You may have a prayer partner, or be part of a prayer triplet, whose wisdom can help you weigh the message, in prayer and with honest common sense, to test the inspiration that has come to you.

Prophetic words should agree with the tenor of Scripture and be passed on in an attitude of humble submission to the spiritual authority of church leaders, not least because prophetic ministry is very powerful and if it is not clearly submitted to the leadership and exercised within the ministry team of a church, it may appear to be pushing for a rival or independent authority over against them.

Trust in God, act in faith, but keep a wise personal discipline and respect the judgement of other anointed servants of God,

8. Know that you’ll have times of training and testing from the Lord (Heb 12:6; 1 Kn 17:2-6; Jon 1:17)
Prepare yourself for this. Ready yourself for more pain and more darkness than the average Christian will ever experience. Because God is interested in developing your character and your knowledge of him, the truth of Hebrews 12:6, "

Those whom the Lord loves he beats the hell out of" may be a description of yow life.

God may keep you hidden and your gift under wraps until the time for sudden disclosure arrives. Sometimes, you will experience the attacks of wicked people and demonic powers. Satan wants to snuff out your ministry before it can prove truly effective. The Lord therefore wants you safely contained for a while, until you are ready.

You will be sharpened by seasons of change and times of quietness when it seems like God has just forgotten about both you and your gifts and, try as you may, you can’t hear a thing from him and you conclude that people have forgotten that you ever existed. You receive nothing.

This can last for months and, in some cases, years. You begin to think and question: "Did I sin? Have I disobeyed the Lord? What’s gone wrong with me?" The answer is: "Nothing". It is all part of the training. All is well. You are God’s servant and you prayed for this ministry. No wonder God has taken you in hand for special training and preparation, including inevitable obstacles, hurdles and restraints.

Everything is part of God’s good gift as he calls you, equips you and opens the way for you. Just humble yourself and wait for God’s springtime to come again.

B. Know How God Will Speak Through You

1. The Lord can give you a prophetic “oracle”

2. You can give a prophetic exhortation

3. You can pray prophetically (Lk 1:67-79; Ez 9:6-15; Neh 9:6-37; Eph 6:18)

4. Sing prophetically (Rev 4 and 5; Job 38:7; Zep 3:17)

5. Read Scripture prophetically

6. Perform a prophetic action

Prophecy: Listening to God

John Smith — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:00:00 +0000

We learnt from our study of Habakkuk that listening is a key feature of a prophetic ministry. Without the speaker listening carefully, there is no word to share. Without the hearer listening carefully, there is no action on the word.

1. WHAT PROPHECY IS NOT

1. Not preaching (1 Tim 3; Tit 1; 1 Cor 11:5)
The Reformers and Puritans thought of "prophesying" as being Bible exposition. And there is some truth in this. The gift of prophecy often accompanies Spirit-filled preaching. But preaching and teaching are the explanation and and application of Scripture.

In prophecy, there is the always the element of "immediate, existential, revelation". God has shown the speaker something for "now"!, Preaching conveys the eternal truth, distilling from from careful study, research and reflection on the biblical text. Prophecy brings something that is true, relevant and of immediate concern to the life of the hearers but it may not be directly connected to Scripture. Good preaching will always have an element of relevant application. Good prophecy will be in tune with the Scriptures as we will see later. So it is not surprising that preaching and prophecy may and frequently do overlap.

But they are distinct gifts (Eph 4:11). So, for example, teaching is one of the listed and required qualification for church leaders (1 Tim 3). The ability to prophecy is not required for church leadership. It’s a different kind of gifting. Prophecy is to be receive and practises by all. Teaching is a different. Church leader can be expected to teach (although that may range from whole church preaching and one-to-one conversations depending on the leader).

2. Not mischievous public rebuke
"Prophecy" is not prophecy when we already know about situations and people by natural observation. Remember Habakkuk who went up higher to get God’s perspective. Prophecy deals with supernatural revelation disclosed by the Spirit of God and directly to us for an outcome of positive change.

3. Not the same as Scripture (2 Tim 3:16; Rev 22:18-19)
OT prophets spoke and wrote words of absolute divine authority: "Thus says the Lord". Their words were completely infallible and beyond question. Their words were recorded, preserved, and included in the Scriptures. They were relevant for all the people of God. In their own time and for all time. The same applies to the NT letters which were written to specific situations but become acknowledged as having lasting significance. We are to remember that the Scriptures are "God-breathed" (2 Tim 3:16). It is as if they are God’s own spoken Word. What Scripture says, God says.

Scripture is now a completed canon. We must not add to it (Rev 22:18-19). Today’s prophetic ministry simply cannot carry the same degree of inspiration as the prophetic and apostolic words of the Scriptures despite being, at its best, an authentic, relevant and helpful communication from God. Prophecy today is "inspired" only in a looser and less authoritative sense than within the Bible. The Holy Spirit still gives knowledge, information, ideas and truth, but these are to be tested by the higher authority of the content of Scripture.

As we will find many times there is a parallel with preaching. We would never dare regard a sermon as infallible wisdom that shares the same level of inspiration as Scripture. But we should say that within preaching the Holy Spirit takes the human words and uses them to breath life and fresh insight into the written Word.

2. WHAT PROPHECY IS

1. The agent for healing (1 Cor 12:4; Ps 107:20)

… That is radical and lasting (Is 55:11; Eph 4.11ff; Heb 12:25-29)

2. The truth which demolishes deception (1 Cor 14:24-25)

3. The power to penetrate (Heb 4:12)

… And break through the hardest places (Jer 23:29)

4. Makes Jesus known (Rev 19:10)

… and builds his church (Eph 4:12)

3. PROPHETS and PROPHECY

As we grow in the prophetic, we learn to speak and hear God’s word more clearly and filter out our own. Therefore, we will give and weigh the words accordingly.

Prophecy, like other gifts, can become more established in a individual as the person grows in their experience and others confirm the accuracy of their words. So we can say that someone exercising prophet gifts regularly and accurately may have a prophetic ministry or office. This also suggests an increasingly wider recognition than the local church. We do exactly this with pastors and evangelists.

4. LISTENING TO GOD: DISCERNING TRUTH

1. Prophecy is normal but not infallible (Acts 11:27-28; 13:1-2; 21:8-9; 1 Tim 1:18; 1 Thess 5:19-20)

2. Prophecy is to be tested (Matt 16:13-23)

Character of speaker (Matt 7:15-20)

World | Flesh | Devil

Content of word

Scriptural in content and drift (Is 8:19-20)
Glorify Christ (John 16:13-14)
Come by revelation (1 Cor 14:30)
Endorsed by church leaders (1 Cor 14:29)
Has it weight!

Conclusion of hearers (1 Cor 14:3)

A spirit of discernment is not the same as a spirit of suspicion or a critical spirit. We are not to treat prophecies with contempt (1 Thess 5:19-20). But we are to test prophecy with sincerity, love and grace. Testing with sincerity mean that we truly want to know if this is genuinely a word from God or not. It means that we already accept that God speaks today through prophecy! Haslam gives a very helpful list of "tests":

a) Did it "strengthen, encourage and comfort"? (1 Cor 14:3)

Some so-called prophecy has the effect of figuratively demolishing people. It only leaves us feeling condemned and hopeless. The Holy Spirit always seeks to build, even when the prophetic word exposes error or sin. He always holds out hope, pointing the way forward and out. "If my people …."

b) Do people feel condemned, controlled or manipulated — or convicted and challenged to change?

This is the flipside (a). It indicates the work of an unholy spirit in the speaker. An unholy spirit will leave us feeling oppressed and guilty, with little or no clue as to what the problem specifically is or what can best be done about it. What has been unmasked by the prophecy may be accurate and true, but an unholy spirit will offer no hope along with that exposure, so that we just feel abandoned by God.

Prophecies that are all "must" and "ought", and spoken in a legalistic or accusatory tone, may be the result of anger or deep malice on the part of the speaker, and even prove to be demonic in origin. Satan is called the "accuser of our brothers" (Revelation 12:10) and he is often the true source of much that is manipulative, critical, condemnatory and controlling in our lives.

c) Was it "in the flow" of the way the Lord had led the meeting so far?

Or did it have the "gear-crunching" effect. Did it jar. Did it leaving everybody asking, "Where did that come from?"

d) Do you feel loved by God as you listen to it? (1 Cor 13)

Even when God tells us things we don’t want to hear, uncovering secret sins, challenging character, signalling the need radical change in our lives, or revealing ways in which he is displeased, we will still aware that he is speaking lovingly to us. He is telling you the truth in love. That’s the love of God to guide us from danger and set up aright. So, when I hear a prophetic word I ask, "Do I feel loved?" is our guide here.

e) Does it provoke cynicism and criticism in otherwise positive people?

When cynicism is the first response from normally positive people there is something wrong. This may be a clue: its content, tone and spirit are off key.

f) If it was a predictive prophecy, did it come to pass?

If it does, then the speaker got it right! If a specific date was given and the event doesn’t happen, then the prophet needs to admit honestly, "I got it wrong", asking for everybody’s forgiveness – which should be readily granted!

g) Do you feel closer to God as a result of this?

Where the Spirit of prophecy is genuinely operating, the congregation (as individuals and as a corporate whole) senses the Lord’s presence drawing near and will move closer to the Lord in its walk with him, over time: "The blessing of the Lord brings wealth, and he adds no trouble to it" (Prov 10:22).

h) Does the prophecy "put a dampener" on the meeting?

A fog descends and a real "dampener" falls on the people. Heads hang low, nobody wants to sing any more, some sit down despondently and the leader cannot pick up the lost momentum. The reason may be that both the content of the prophecy and the person who said it were simply not right. The effects on the people bear witness to that. This should be publicly and clearly addressed by a leader and not ignored as if nothing happened. Learn to be real about such things. It brings release and security to the people.

i) Is there a witness in all of our spirits that we have heard the "burden of the word of the Lord"?

The same Holy Spirit is at work in both the speaker and hearers alike. They will know that God was in this. We all have an anointing of God’s Spirit to enable us to discern truth accurately (1 John 2:20).

Habakkuk: A Case Study

John Smith — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:00:00 +0000

1. THE PROPHET’S JOURNEY

1. He got up early (1:2)
He determined to pray and to “take counsel with his God” before he prophesied to his community. He began to call out to the Lord about the state of the nation.

2. He began to take careful note (1:3)
He got involved. He observed first-hand awefulness of the nation. But God did not seem to be answering Habakkuk’s prayers; in fact, it seemed God wasn’t even listening to him. Greg Haslam says:

I think that in large quarters of the church today, there is a gnawing suspicion that God is not listening to us or our prayers for mercy and revival either. Far from being able to come up with the keys to success and the faith to turn this situation around, some leaders and churches seem to have given up on spiritual warfare altogether. They have resigned themselves to inevitable defeat and the triumph of evil.

Habakkuk was sinking deeper and deeper into doubt and fear, and two negative views become focussed in his mind:
(i) prayer seems pointless and
(ii) God seems powerless.

3. He started get passionate (1:3-4)
His first complaint is: "How long, 0 Lord?" He cannot keep bringing the burden of a nation to God in this way, with no answer at all from him." The second complaint is "Why?..." He needed answers!

But God had not forgotten him. The Lord did speak to Habakkuk. There came, in the end, an answer to the prophet’s longing for a word. Hbakkuk was so shocked that God would use a godless people to punish his holy nation that he erupted immediately into his third complaint: "How could you?"

Habakkuk may have seriously complained, but he also listen carefully to God’s reply. Habakkuk was genuinely looking for divine help to strengthen his shaken faith.

The abiding value of the book of Habakkuk is that it presents a picture of a man who believes and yet questions." It is alright to question God. You may gain valuable insights from him that you would never have obtained in any other way.

To confront God directly in this way requires a good degree of spiritual maturity, insight and sensitivity. This is why we need to grow in the prophetic.

2. THE PROPHETIC TASK: WATCHING AND WAITING (Hab 2.1-4)

Watching and waiting are mandatory or anyone who wishes to be prophetic.

1. Watching needs faith to see something differently
Growing in the prophetic implies that you have faith that God will speak.

2. Watching is best done “higher up”
The primary calling of a prophet is to listen to God on behalf of others, and discover a higher divine perspective. So the prophet goes higher, standing on the ramparts above the clamour and cacophony of human voices. Prophetic people are more interested in what God has to say than they are about human guesswork, opinion or speculation.

3. Watching can be a solitary task
Prophetic listening is a private and intimate activity of solitude and silence. He is a God who speaks, and a God who surprises us.

Haslam, again,

Sometimes we are taken by surprise as a word from God arrives in our hearts. Prophetic people acquire the habit of always listening, always watching, keeping a detachment in their hearts whatever they are about, because God doesn’t always wait for the silence. Yet sometimes finding a place of silence and solitude is part of the preparation of our hearts. Just as God called Abraham his friend into the desert, Moses his prophet and Jesus his Son, so he calls us into wilderness silence and solitude, to wait, watch and listen for his revelation. Moving in the prophetic was never about instant fixes; it takes time, and it takes self-discipline. (My emphasis)

4. Watching means waiting
Habakkuk waited. Prophetic people must have the self-discipline to wait. We need to wait for the moment when God is ready to speak. God does nothing in a hurry. Daniel waited three full weeks before his answer came (Daniel 10). Jeremiah was put in a vaulted cell where he "remained a long time", before the word for King Zedekiah came to him (Jeremiah 37:16).

5. Watching and waiting is a very responsible task
The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim" (Hosea 9:8).

Prophetic people carry responsibility for the wellbeing, comfort and safety of many others. The watchman’s task is to be alert to spiritual reality – to look out for danger and deception as well as for God’s voice. Every congregation needs watchmen whose eyes and ears remain open, who can read the signs of the times and also listen to Word of God.

6. Watching and waiting require obedience
A prophet’s word must be trustworthy and honest; we have to know we can rely on prophetic people to see truly and report faithfully. When God speaks, the prophet’s task is to convey accurately what God said, resisting the temptation “to edit it, modify it, add to it, soften it, distort it or simply remain silent”.

3. THE PROPHETIC VOICE

1. Prophecy means seeing and sharing vision from God
God has access to our imagination. We have to learn to trust God, and open our visionary capacity to receive the Holy Spirit’s perspective upon how things can and should be. .

2. Prophecy needs to be written down
This preserves the details so that they are not forgotten or mislaid somewhere on the long journey from reception to fulfilment. It also prevents distortion in the retelling from one person to another. Recording prophecy helps us to build our faith because of what God has said to us over many years..

Prophecy should be so clear that he who runs may read it, and so memorable that he who reads may run with it.

3. Prophecy has a deadline
There may be only partial fulfilment, with much more still to come. One preacher expressed our frequent frustration in waiting for God like this: "The problem is, I’m in a hurry … and God is not!"

4. Prophecy requires faith from the hearer too
Prophecy requires both faith to receive it, and obedience to act on it. It drives us into action.

a) Faithfulness:True faith means perseverance in believing what God has said. God is looking for faithful people.

b) Life: Prophecy helps to keep the church faithful. Prophecy helps to keep the church alive. That’s why it’s worth all the watching and the waiting, and that’s why we need the prophetic.