With our church’s “Prophetic Conference” coming up this weekend I find myself meditating on this question…
What is the point of Prophecy?
Now I’m sure a some of you are forming nice tea cup answers as we speak but let me explain before you even begin to think at all… : P Now Obviously this question is for those of you that believe in prophecy to begin with. So for those of you that don’t at all, if you don’t mind please hold your answers\thoughts for maybe a later post.
I am mainly talking about generic prophecies. That usually don’t bring about real solid fruit.
EXAMPLES:
Good – “Someone in here has a pain in there right hand right now and God wants to heal you. You went to the Doctor last Wednesday and he said it was Arthritis related.” They come up, they get healed… Uber Pwn.
Good – “There is a single mom in here named Beth who last night cried yourself to sleep wondering if the Lord was going to help you get a better job. God says Someone will call you next Thursday with an awesome job. He also says He thinks your amazing and cool.”
These type of prophecies produce instant fruit and encourage the listener in the Lord in some way.
Bad\Unknown – “John I have a word for you… The Lord says he is bringing you into a new season this year and you will experience Him in new ways.”
Bad\Unknown – “You there brother with the Red shirt and blue jeans. Yes, you. Here’s what the Lord would say. I have loved you with an everlasting love and I am bringing you out of the miry clay and I am setting your feet upon the solid rock. I am establishing you in my name and I will etc etc….”
As for the first prophecy…let’s say John does go into somewhat of a new season job change, new home, gets married, whatever. Then he looks back on that prophecy and says hey I’m so glad I knew about that in advanced… err I guess?
Now for certain people these particular prophecies may be right on for that person, so you can’t just listen to something generic and judge whether or not it’s from God because you don’t usually know the receiver’s situation. But for ME, these general prophecies have NEVER brought forth fruit in my life. Being one who feels a strong prophetic pull in my life, I am really just not wanting to rant at people to make myself feel like I am hearing something from God. Is it God telling us these things? Or is it possible that you can point out 9/10 people in a church congregation and say “New Season Coming Soon” and that will be true…? I rarely EVER hear ABSOLUTE, UNDENIABLE, SPECIFIC, Truth Prophecies today bring about Change and fruit.
meh I dunno….
I will say this EVERYONE of you will go through at least four season changes this year!! WOW! how’s that for prophecy!
Thoughts?
I knew this guy who used to go up to people, grab them in a super long hug, and say real generic things like “God is going to fill you to overflowing this year with love.” <—- Such a generic word wouldn't have been so offensive if he hadn't used emotional manipulation while hugging the people. Why not just say, 2 + 2 = 4 and while hugging people.
Great question!!! My answer is from my own experience. Prophecy has been used in my life to either warn me to turn away from a sinful situation or temptation, or has been used to encourage me. The encouraging word usually comes after I have received direction from the Holy Spirit, but have not seen the fruit yet and I might be thinking I was listening accurately, and I am giving up on the promise. My true example is from about 10 years ago. I had been praying for years for the prayer language of the Holy Spirit – but had only experienced it during a dream, of which I woke from and was given interpretation as well. But, try as I might, the language would never come during my prayer time. Then about 10 years ago I met a Catholic priest at a new church I was attending. It was our first meeting so he did not know one single thing about me, other than that I had just attended the Mass of which he was the celebrant. I introduced myself to him, and almost immediately he asked me if I was praying in the Holy Spirit, with the prayer language of the Holy Spirit. I told him, no, that I had been seeking the prayer language for years but other than the dream, it had not come to me. He said very matter of factly “Kathleen, you already have the gift and you will be using it very soon. Within a few months later, while at a silent retreat, while all alone with the Lord, laying on a bench under the trees in a lovely park setting – I received it, and have prayed this way often since, but only when I am alone, and have only recently been pressed by the Holy Spirit to pray in this way in the presence of others, while praying for them. I am very thankful that he gave me encouragement in the prophetic message he had for me.
The other ways I am familiar with prophecy is usually information that the Lord will share with me in dreams, that is most often concerning my adult children. It is usually given for a warning and the one and only time that I did not follow up in giving the warning to my child, the enemy almost destroyed the entire family. So, I take this as a great gift from the Lord and protect the prophetic message He gives me very carefully.
Also about 8 years ago I had a “prophetess” speak a word over me – I am still waiting to see if the things she claimed will come to bear in my life – they have not yet.
Josh – I pray that the Lord will bless you beyond measure during your conference – and trust that you will share some of what you learn with us.
Blessings!!!
Kathleen
This is a huge topic for me. Here are some things that I currently hold to:
1: Everybody can prophesy. In I Corinthians 14:31 it states that “all may prophesy”. I think all brothers and sisters have the ability to prophesy to one another. I personal think it interesting that when Paul starts talking about prophecy, he also talks a lot about “order” in the congregation. My point is that with the possibility that all can prophesy (and even if the spirit of prophets are subject to the prophet) there is potential that there will be a lot of people that act in immaturity concerning prophecy. There are several rebukes and warnings for prophets in this chapter. My opinion is that most of what people see in a lot of churches concerning prophecy is this immaturity unless there is an established office of prophet to administrate needed order. Prophecy has developed a bad taste in many Christians mouths over time.
2: There is also an “office of prophet”. Sure everyone can prophesy, but there are certain people that hold as an office one of the five fold ministries of being a prophet. These guys are established to be so.
3: Most churches don’t work in an official prophetic ministry even though I think they should. As a result prophecy to me seems to have become more segregated, especially in America. We now have prophetic groups like the Kansas City prophets and Morning Star Prophets that seem to make up surrogate prophetic movements in various American churches. The only problem with this is that segregation brings a lack of specific revelation to individual churches. And with increased vagueness in prophecy, a lack of power develops.
4: People are afraid of prophecy. It can be likened unto Voodoo or Witchcraft and with good reason. Any spirit that takes the place of the Holy Spirit (as far as I’m concerned) is a spirit of witchcraft. People are indeed sheep and prophecy can be a dangerous tool if not properly weighed. In my opinion, most of our awesome dictators and cult leaders were able to work in a quazi-prophetic annointing.
5: Prophecy is crucial. An awe striking ability of an omnicient God is the ability to know the future. This is more so important for validation. If the Bible did not have so many accurate prophecies actually have taken place and come to be, than the Bible would lose validation as the word of God. This validation can also take place in today’s church for what God is doing and will do. Validation was so important and the gift of the prophet so important, that a prophet whose prophecy did not come to pass was stoned for being false. Kings ruled the land, but kinds were annointed to be king by prophets.
6. There are a lot of different kinds of prophecy and a lot of different levels of prophecy. For example, often praise and worship leaders will bust out into “prophetic song” by singing the heart of god at that time, yet it is rarely recognized as prophetic. Often times a brother will feel led to give another brother a scripture from the Bible that he knows in his spirit is what God is trying to say, yet it is rarely viewed as prophetic. Etc..
Peace,
Drew