Prophecy Again

Continuation of the Series 'Unpacking the Gifts.   All scripture is NLT unless otherwise stated.

​“The prophetic gift changes hearts and brings Kingdom to earth.  It brings restoration.”
I know this may not make a lot of sense now, but it will. 
The whole reason I wanted to teach on the gifts is to demystify them.  Too many people think some of these gifts either aren’t for today or they are for others, and not for them.  These are for us ALL.
Paul tells us,
Ephesians 5:8-10
For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light!
For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.
Carefully determine what pleases the Lord.
 
There is a level of the prophetic in all of us…the “Light” of revelation he refers to.  We must use this to help us ‘determine what pleases the Lord.’
 
Revelation 19:10
For the testimony (the witness, the evidence, the proof) of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
 
When we use this gift, it is literally testifying to the existence of Jesus.
Last month, we looked at 3 different areas of prophetic. 

1. For All
2. The Mature
3. The Office of a Prophet

Remember, Paul placed this gift, and all of the others, around the Love chapter (Chapter 13) in 1st Corinthians.  Whatever we do…Love must be the purpose, the complete motivation. 
In the book, The Prophet, by James Goll, he says

“FOR THE MANY, NOT THE FEW”
I am firmly convinced that the current prophetic empowering is intended for the many, for the rank and file “ordinary” members of the Body of Christ, not just the few, the prophetic “superstars.”
Successive waves of God’s Spirit will continue to unfold until Christ’s Church has been saturated with the spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.

Ephesians 1:15-23
Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God.
I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance.
I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God’s power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God’s right hand in the heavenly realms.
Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come.
God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church.
And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.
 
Today, we are only focusing on #1, FOR ALL!
First of all, there are dual purposes for this gift.  It is for us, in our lives and for others. 
 
FOR US
I recently saw an interview with a guy named Josh Giles.  He and his little family were struggling financially, and I believe he was a physical trainer.  He prayed and began studying Proverbs 8.  We are to ask God for Wisdom and God will give us Wisdom we need to take care of ourselves and our family.
Proverbs 8:2-11 tells us
Listen as Wisdom calls out!
Hear as understanding raises her voice!
On the hilltop along the road,
she takes her stand at the crossroads.
By the gates at the entrance to the town,
on the road leading in, she cries aloud,
“I call to you, to all of you!
I raise my voice to all people.
You simple people, use good judgment.
You foolish people, show some understanding.
Listen to me! For I have important things to tell you.
Everything I say is right,
for I speak the truth
and detest every kind of deception.
My advice is wholesome.
There is nothing devious or crooked in it.
My words are plain to anyone with understanding,
clear to those with knowledge.
Choose my instruction rather than silver,
and knowledge rather than pure gold.
For wisdom is far more valuable than rubies.
Nothing you desire can compare with it.
 
God gives us this gift for us to use in our lives for direction, for instruction, everything we need.  We must learn how to seek His revelation in our own lives in order to fulfill all He has for us.
 
FOR OTHERS!
I asked my friend, Connie Coleman to take this part. 
I have two things I want to express to you.
1. Do not discount what you do not know or have not sought out from the Lord. If the  prophetic is foreign to you, that’s ok…for now…but when you make up your mind you want all the Lord has for you, or has to show you, you will seek out places, people and avenues to be exposed to others operating in that gifting.
2. Do not forget that this gift, and every gift, is about submission and surrender to the Lord. This gift, and most all gifts of the Spirit, are to strengthen and encourage others, ot for your own good or edification. It’s not about anything other than that, or making a name or platform for ourselves. It is submitting and surrendering to the Lord’s use. Period.
Walking in the prophetic is not a topic that was discussed in my church background. I was part of a denomination that did not acknowledge the works of Holy Spirit much past the point of salvation, and if so, was a weakened and mysterious topic.  
Kind of like the prayers of “Lord, if it be Thy will…” regarding things He has already told us in His Word were His will. So in not addressing the gifts of tongues, except to explain it away, or prophecy, really much at all unless addressed as “insight” or “discernment”, there most assuredly was not an  atmosphere of maturing people in those gifts. Hospitality? Sure. Administration? Fine. Prophecy, Tongues,
Healing, etc, not so much.
So, when the Lord began pushing me to seek them out, the whole counsel of scripture on gifts, anointing, calling and the work of Holy Spirit in my life, I began to have conflicting points of view, and questioned much of why it was ignored or explained away. I don’t remember my church ever making the claim such gifts do not exist anymore, but they may as well have as they were not acknowledged, taught, preached, or discipled.
I do not claim to be prophetic, or walk in the office of a prophet, but I do know the Lord has worked in my life in these areas and have made the firm decision that if it is of the Holy Spirit, I want it. No holds, no boxes of safety, no reservation. If the Lord has it as a part of the Christian walk, offered to His disciples, and used in or through us to benefit and build up others, then I want it. More than my comfortable safe zone, more than pleasing the others around me who balked, more than acceptance with the “in” group, I wanted everything the Lord had for me.
Period.
One of the first ways the gift of the prophetic began to work in my life was just knowing things. I would know that I should not be involved in an area or situation. Even if it made me feel like a heel, or uncaring, I just knew that some things were not for me to step into. Every time I listened to that, and in some of the circumstances I didn’t, Holy Spirit would reveal in major ways that it had been Him guiding and speaking. For one instance there was a close personal relationship who needed help with a bad situation, but somehow, I knew I could not step in. I felt horrible.
But I listened. It turned out that all that had been said was false and this person had actually lied, manufactured, and presented false allegation on their side of the story.   Had I stepped in as my flesh wanted, and my heart and mind felt like I should have, I would have been coming alongside a lie. Another time, a lady attended a conference with a friend that I was putting on and keynoting. Her friend had to leave, and the lady who had come with her wanted to stay.
Turns out, she was in a very bad situation, had an abusive husband, and so much other going on. She came to me and asked if I could stay in her room with her that she was afraid and thought maybe if I stayed with her, she might be able to sleep. As we went to turn out the lights, out of my mouth poured, “go to sleep, I will stay awake and pray over you so you can rest.”
As soon as I said it, I knew I had to do it. It was a very long night. I was so tired and had so much ahead of me the next day, but I knew somehow that it was imperative that I stay awake. So the Lord helped me. I knew she stirred one time in the night, but quickly went back to sleep. She left before the full end of the conference the next day, so I actually assumed that the enemy had won and drew her back into the web of abuse. It wasn’t until a few years later I learned the full story.
God had given me the urgency to stay with her, given me the words to commit to watching through the night, and let’s be honest, kept me awake, for greater purpose than I could have imagined.  Almost a year later, I found out that my presence and prayers that night, brought her back to life. 
Many other situations like these, that I am sure you could also look on and resonate with.
Then I began operating in other circles. OK, I became Bapticostal. I started hearing and seeing powerful prayer times. Worship nights with messages and times of
encouragement.
One conference a lady named LouJeanne was praying over people and had an encounter when she got to me. She fell in the spirit when laying hands on me. I was confused and never understood…til later.
Prophetic prayers seemed to fascinate me… I wanted to operate that way, but wasn’t exposed to it much, and certainly never had practice operating in that realm. But the Lord would have me reach out to someone, with a word or a scripture that I felt like He had put on my heart for them, and when delivered they would then relate to me how the Lord’s timing and His word to them was an “on-time” word that they desperately needed.
It seems so small. Just being faithful to send a text or make a call when the Lord lays it on your heart…but that is the beginning of surrender to His direction and willingness to express it to others.
You see operating in the prophetic has two real hinderances.  First, that we will not empty ourselves to hear what the Lord has to say, and second, that we will back away from sharing what He gives us.
Fast forward to last year, I got an opportunity to serve in the prayer room at a prolife conference for an couple of shifts. These prayer rooms at the annual conference are some peoples lifeblood in this work. The Lord shows up, the people pray over these pregnancy center help workers, and they are strengthened for the work. It’s beautiful. I was so honored to serve in that capacity, even just for an hour or two a couple of days. It started off kind of strange because I had not been on the praying side like this and was fully aware of my need for Him to show up.
Show up He did! He had told me that week my job was to “Love people and serve people, and trust Him with the rest.” And He was faithful.
This year, just a few weeks ago, I got to attend the conference again as a part of this amazing ministry that serves the attendees in the prayer room. About 5-6 hours a day, 4 days straight, praying for people prophetically. I can never fully relate the experience.
The quiet awaiting His voice, or His picture became such a treasure. The times when what I was getting and what the person I was partnered with got seemingly opposite things, and yet the Lord would show me how they fit together perfectly, and the people would confirm. The times He spoke directly to their situations in ways that I never could have known. The times He emphatically gave me words, or made me  feel something, I knew He wanted me to ask about, or address, that I was terrified to even bring up with someone. Deep things like gut wrenching crying I could feel and hear, the word “barren” and “infertile” jumping off the page of my Bible, that you never want to cause pain in someone by bringing up, but the Lord so lovingly meets them right where they are, and by doing so, applies His healing hand and loving heart and brings healing to their lives.
We saw healing, burdens lifted, clarity, excitement, countenances lifted, and even salvation.  We were praying with one when another bursts in the door in crisis, and she was part of praying over them in comfort.
So many instances.
So many ways He expressed Himself.
Such a beautiful and treasured experience.
But it isn’t confined to that room, or to me. We all can see the Lord do these things in our everyday lives. We all need to begin recognizing Him at work in us, around us, and through us instead of trying to explain it away.
Trust Him.
Trust His ways.
He is not weird. He will not make you be weird. He will not embarrass you.
Just begin to trust Him.
As I wrap this up, I will restate the 2 objectives as positives…
1. Seek Him out while He may be found. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you in ALL the ways He has for you!
2. Surrender to Him. Submit. Set aside preconceived ideas of how it has to happen, the box He needs to remain in, or how you heard somewhere it has to happen. Don’t surrender to a program or a formula, read the Word of God, watch the Son of God, and listen to the leading of the Spirit of God.
That really is the extent of our obligation. The rest is His. He works in and through willing vessels.
(End Connie Coleman’s teaching)
At the beginning of this teaching I said
“The prophetic gift changes hearts and brings Kingdom to earth.  It brings restoration.”
Now you see how operating in the prophetic in your life and speaking prophetically to others, it brings Kingdom, changes hearts, and brings restoration.