Last night I gave a presentation to people who are being trained in the Prophetic. It was a meeting of the Prophetic Company of Prophets at Crusaders on South Michigan Ave, Raising the Water Level of the Prophetic.
I offered up 17 things I know about the prophetic and the life of a prophet that they need to know. Here are some bullet points..
1. Most people don't believe people can hear from God. You are in the minority. They think you are weird. Get over it.
2. I didn't sign up for this. Never strove for it. People just began calling me prophet. I began to recognize that it is who I am, like being a man. I can't deny my maleness. I embraced the call. My call became my anchor.
3. Getting over the fear of man required me understanding I have a big God and man is little in comparison. Who am I gonna serve? I gotta serve someone, I choose God. Big God, Little Man.
4. I live in terror of God killing me if as a Prophet I take His name in vain. I know He won't, I get that, but the fear of God is powerful in helping me prophesy effectively..
5. I have had to fight allowing my sympathies and bias get in the way of what God wants to say. Like Jonah at Nineveh. OR when someone comes before me that is homeless, broke or in a world of hurt... my heart goes out.. I must take them to someone, but for me as a prophet I cannot get in the way of God providing or changing them. My mercy gift must submit to the prophetic.
6. After a while a prophet sees Jesus in everything. Movies, News, TV program, Music, Literature, the Opera (for me). Everything is filtered thru Jesus. He is constantly talking.. It's why the gift of Tongues is always the gateway to hearing from God. We need the filter.
7. Most prophecy that has to do with superficial issues are not prophetic. (you will write books, movies, open schools, fame, fortune, great wealth....) any of those are not seen in the Bible and are not real. Yes it is possible but rare and be careful in these areas. Don't say what God isn't saying.
8. Never say, "I see you ______________" WHO ARE YOU? Speak first person God. That's the only safe place. Say what he says. Say, I I I, call them My Daughter, My Son.. it's God speaking, not you.
9. Be sensitive to the issues of life and see what God would say about them. Most people that come to you are wondering about Money, Health, Destiny (Ministry), Relationships, Children. Look for a word in these areas. Speak it if you get something.
10. Nothing beats face to face in the Prophetic. Touch matters. I get phone calls and notes asking for a word. Very hard to do... Not really possible... unless a long term relationship exists... even then it's difficult.
11. Before you prophesy, ask yourself the 1 Corinthians 13 question: Do I love this person enough to do this? Hug them. Make contact. Look them in the eye. Never prophesy out of anger or frustration.
12. In a related vein, sometime you have to prophesy a hard word, not correction, bad news. Don't shy away.. some people need to know the truth.. and knowing makes them confident in the future. I have had to prophesy to someone that they would go to Jail or that they would die. In those kinds of cases, do it in love, but tell the truth. Truth is missing in the prophetic. It needs to come back
13. You are making a person's world better. There is much reward to the prophet in helping others see themselves as God sees them. It's why I write. Let that motivate you to do well and honor God in your call. You are changing lives. Preaching can't do this.. Prophecy does.
14. Don't mix deliverance and the Prophetic. They are linked in giftedness, but if you run across a person with a demon, deal with that outside of the prophetic. Jesus didn't prophesy to demons and neither should you.
15. I don't often seek the prophetic for myself. I will receive it from someone I respect. I am careful to whom I submit my spirit. I hear from God by listening carefully to him in silence, no music, no noise, quiet. Pad and pencil. Writing down what God says.. It is also what I do when I am asked to and accept the assignment of inquiring of the Lord for someone. I don't do it often, it's a big task, can take hours and sometimes days.
16. My prophetic is mostly to leaders. Those who are willing to hear what the Lord says are who God has called me to. I can't do much and neither can the Lord for those leaders who are intentionally deaf dumb and blind. Why waste your gift and time on them? Being a leader requires a lot of hearing from GOD... and if they won't.. you are casting pearls before those who won't value them. Also identifying emerging leaders in the Body of Christ is part of the task. Before anyone else, a Prophets should be anointing the future King Davids in the land. Sometimes they are also tasked with telling Jehu that he has to cast down Jezebel.
17. I recognize the power of God in bringing a word that God will honor even above His plan.. We must be careful, power of life and death is in the tongue.
In closing, we have been given great responsibility in the call of God on our lives. Be careful to only say what God says and say all the God says.. no more, no less.
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