We are living in the closing days of this dispensation. If any ministry is important in these climactic days, it is the prophetic ministry.
There is a tremendous need to hear clearly from God in these days. The Word of God created the heavens and the earth, and the entire universe is held together by the power of this word today. We need to hear what God is saying to the church today.
Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.
Not all are called to be prophets, but we all should know how to move in the prophetic anointing. You need to begin to flow in the prophetic anointing.
Prophecy is God speaking through a person using that persons voice. It has the meaning from the Greek “to speak for another”.
It is listed as one of the nine gifts of the Spirit by the Apostle Paul.
I Corinthians 12:8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another different kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.
The Gifts Can Be Divided Into Three Categories
1- GIFTS OF INSPIRATION Tongues Interpretation of Tongues Prophecy
2- GIFTS OF POWER Faith Working of Miracles Gifts of Healing.
3- GIFTS OF REVELATION The Word of Knowledge The Word of wisdom Discerning of Spirits.
Prophecy has An End Time Emphasis
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to pass afterward, [that] I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
Acts 2:17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
I Corinthians 14:39Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
I Corinthians 14:1 Follow after charity, and desire spiritual [gifts], but rather that ye may prophesy.
Prophecy brings a supernatural element into a service or situation. It is a channel for a supernatural flow within the body. Prophecy is Jesus speaking to the church by the Holy Spirit.
You are Christ’s ambassador in this world, and you must learn how to yield to the prophetic anointing and become a channel for the Lord to use and speak through.
ANOINTING in the Greek means “To rub in”
One of the manifestations of the End Time outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the Prophetic Anointing.
We are told to covet to prophesy
The church in these End Times is to become a prophetic community. We all must learn to be prophetic.
You can and must all learn to prophesy.
The anointing means to smear with oil. Oil is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
THE ANOINTING IS: An impartation of God’s ability to the believer.
Three Types of Anointing
1- The Believers Anointing
I John 2:27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
THIS ANOINTING IS INTERNAL
This anointing is an inner anointing that acts as a monitor. It gives you the ability to know when something is right or wrong. It acts as a witness of the spirit.
This anointing checks all external anointing.
2-The Corporate Anointing
This is an anointing upon an entire congregation or a team of people.
1Samual 10:10 When they came to the hill there, behold, a group of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him mightily, so that he prophesied among them. 11 It came about, when all who knew him previously saw that he prophesied now with the prophets, that the people said to one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets.
1 Corthians 14:31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; 32 and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets
The Ministerial Anointing
This anointing is to do the work of the Lord. It operates for the Gifts of the Spirit, or for any form of ministry.
The anointing of the Holy Spirit is needed to operate in the gifts of the Spirit. Therefore to prophesy you need to be anointed.
The anointing is real and tangible and can be felt. Each gift operates in a different way and the anointing is different with each gift.
I Corinthians 12:1 Now concerning spiritual [gifts], brethren, I would not have you ignorant.
I Corinthians 12:4 Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord. 6 And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all.
If we were to paraphrase the above scriptures it would read like this.
Jeremiah 5:14 Wherefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make my words in thy mouth fire,
Jeremiah 20: 9 But if I say, “I will not mention his woror speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.
Now there are different kinds of gifts. But the same Spirit. We have different roles, but the same Lord. A different affect is produced but it is all by God.
You must learn what the anointing to prophesy feels like.
Learn to recognize the anointing. It is a tangible, feelable, and recognizable.
It is a supernatural feeling. When the anointing is upon you, you are being touched by the power of the age to come.
Hebrews 6:5and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Daniel 10:10 And, behold, an hand touched me, (The affect of this produced a trembling) vll.
II Samuel 23:2 The spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word [was] in my tongue.
Psalms 45:1 My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue [is] the pen of a ready writer.
How does The Gift of Prophecy work… It is a skill to be learned.
I Corinthians 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
One of the problems we face is this. We are told to covet to prophesy, but we are not told how it works, how to prophesy.
So we must rely on the Holy Spirit to teach us and on the experience of others.
When you are learning to prophesy, usually the anointing is strong or pronounced.
There is a Feeling of the Anointing
A Quickening of the heart beat, a conscious awareness of the Holy Spirit. A physical feeling of power
Usually the Holy Spirit will give you a line of thought, which then requires you to begin to speak it out. When you do this a flow of words will come. You are now prophesying. Quite often the Holy Spirit will give you a visual image, you then begin to use that image as a prompt, and begin to describe what you see. As you do this , again a flow will come. You begin to think the thoughts of God and speak them out. Sometimes it comes in the form of a knowing certain things, again you go with that and speak it out.
Faith is needed to learn how to prophesy
Romans 12:6 since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith
In learning to prophesy you have as it were to “walk on water”.
Start small, let your experience grow. Beginners always speak a mixture, that is ok; you are learning.
PROPHECY IS AN EXERCISE OF: Your will, faith and the anointing.
Priming The Pump
Worship will activate the prophetic anointing, music can activate it.
II Kings 3:15 But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.
Practical Guidelines IN PROPHECY
Keep within the bounds of God’s intentions. Don’t run against the stream. Keep in the flow of what God is saying.
Wait for the appropriate time. Don’t cut across the worship, wait until it dies down. Don’t prophesy when someone else is talking. Don’t
It operates by an anointing and by faith.
Once you have received a gift and have learned to move in it, you become a steward of that gift. You have now a responsibility to activate it and move in it. See: 1 Tim 4:14.
1 timothy 4:14 Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.
Do not get uptight if there is not an opportunity for you, it will not alter history!
Safeguards And Boundaries in prophecy – Two Categories
General Anyone can prophesy a general prophecy within the boundaries of I Cor 14:3.
I Corinthians 14:3 But he thatprophesieth speaketh unto men [to] edification, and exhortation, and comfort.
Edification in the Greek means To Build Up. The Opposite to destroy or tear down. Exhortation in the Greek means to call aside and encourage. Comfort in the Greek means Kindness and Tenderness.
The scope of general prophecy is within these boundaries. It operates within the framework of general blessing and revealing the mind of Jesus.
Personal Propehcy
This level of prophesy is different to general prophecy, simply because it is not general, it is personal. This level and operation of the prophetic gift is not for the novice. There are certain safeguards that need to be in place for personal prophecy.
1) The person prophesying generally speaking must be seasoned and mature in the prophetic gift. 2) The person prophesying must be a recognized and experienced prophetic ministry. 3) This level of prophecy can go beyond the boundaries of 1Cor 14:4. It can be directive and include warning.
Judging Prophecy
Does it line up with God’s word, or the principles of God’s word. Does it produce liberty and release or bondage and heaviness. Does it manifest the nature of Jesus.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ 14 That we [henceforth] be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, [and] cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
There is a difference between the gift of prophecy and the ministry of a prophet.
You all may prophesy but you are not all prophets.
I Corinthians 14:31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.
I Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. 29 [Are] all apostles? [are] all prophets? [are] all teachers? [are] all workers of miracles? (The inference is no)
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY The word Gift in the Greek is Charisma. A free gift.
THE GIFT OF THE PROPHET. The word gift that is used for a Prophet. Pastor, Teacher, Apostle, Evangelist, in Eph 4: 11. Is a different Greek word.
Ephesians 4:8 wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
Ephesians 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
The word is: Doma. In this case the person is the gift. In other words the Prophet is a gift to the church. The man or the woman is the gift.
Hebrews 1:1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,
Hebrews 1:2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
Deuteronomy 18:14 For these nations, which thou shalt possess, hearkened unto observers of times, and unto diviners: but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so [to do].15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him
We must make a distinction between a person between a person who prophesises and a person who is a prophet.
The ministry of the prophet is a high calling in God.
Deuteronomy 18: 16 This is according to all that you asked of the Lord your God in Horeb on the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, let me not see this great fire anymore, or I will die.17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well [spoken that] which they have spoken.18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him.
Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, two disciples were walking the road to Emmaus when Jesus met them. When Jesus asked them what had happened they said this.
Luke 24:19 And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people:
They recognized that Jesus was a mighty prophet. However he was not just a prophet, he was the prophet of whom the Old Testament prophets had prophesied.
The prophetic office in the New Testament receives its calling, its anointing and its purpose from Jesus. The prophet Jesus seated on the right hand of the Father in heaven, gives this ministry gift to the prophets here on earth.
Jesus operated in all of the five ministry gifts. He was an Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher and Evangelist.
The nine gifts of the spirit are gifts of the Holy Spirit. The five ministry gifts are gifts (manifestations) of Jesus to the church today.
I Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gift of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
The ministry of a prophet is far more encompassing than that of the simple gift of prophecy. The prophet’s ministry includes, Creating, Foretelling, Judgement, Rebuke, Laying proper foundations, Warnings.
Ephesians 2:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God. 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner [stone];
In the book of Ezra we read about the restoration of the temple following the Babylonian captivity.
Ezra 6:14 And the elders of the Jews were successful in building through the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo. And they finished building according to the command of the God of Israel and the decree of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes king of Persia.
Jesus continues to be an Apostle, Prophet, Pastor, Teacher, Evangelist, in the earth today, through the ministry gifts he has given to the church.
God said He would raise up a prophet like Moses. This was a prophecey about Jesus. The greatest prophet of all time.
We see then that the prophet is a high calling, a gift to the Church.
The Church is built upon the foundation of the Apostles and prophets.
Ezra 6:15 And this house was finished on the third day of the month Adar, which was in the sixth year of the reign of Darius the king.16 And the children of Israel, the priests, and the Levites and the rest of the children of the captivity, kept the dedication of this house of God with joy,
The bible says that the temple was successfully completed through the prophesying of two prophets. This is how God builds the church. Success comes when the Holy Spirit speaks directly to the church and says, “build in this manner. This is the right direction! do it in this way”. When we know that God has spoken, we need to receive it and act upon it. The church is built through the Apostles and Prophets.
God builds the church on the foundational teaching of the apostles and prophets. Once the foundation is laid, then the church can be built.
Many churches today have wrong foundations. They were started wrong and continue wrong.
God’s will cannot be fulfilled unless His servants the prophets are given free reign in the church today. We must understand that: GOD BUILDS, USING THE PROPHETIC WORD.
More than anything else the prophet is God’s index finger. His preaching is not always methodical and can seem often disjointed and unsystematic.He operates under a prophetic anointing when he preaches.
The prophet sees the hearts and motives of people. He is often able to foresee future events. He points out the direction God wants to move in and, together with the apostle, he lays the foundation of the church. He is sharper and more precise than the other offices.
The Prophet Activates, Gifts and Ministry
The prophet often has the ability to see God’s gifts and callings over people’s lives. Both the apostle and the prophet possess this ability.
The prophet’s task is in laying foundations,to train and encourage. He has the ability to see your gift and bring it forth, and in the spirit , train you and send you forth.
Seeing The Motives
The prophet has the ability to know the intents and motives of men’s hearts more than anyone else. That’s why a prophet can be somewhat intimidating. There is something about a prophet that can make you nervous; prophets can give the impression that they can see right through you.
Proverbs 26:24 He that hateth dissembleth with his lips, and layeth up deceit within him 25 When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for [there are] seven abominations in his heart. 26 [Whose] hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the [whole] congregation.
We are going to see apostles and prophets emerge like never before. We are going to see prophetic churches full of great numbers of prophets and apostles. The impact of this on the church at large will be enormous.
When the apostles and prophets are given freedom to move in thier ministry, the enemy cannot stop what God desires to build. Consequently the ministry of the prophet is very important.
However, a prophet sees nothing unless God reveals it to them. God does not reveal everything about everyone all the time.
Hatred, deceit, guile, falsehood and wickedness can be concealed in the church and in people’s lives, until, that is, they are revealed. The prophetic ministry operates powerfully in this kind of revelation. No one else is able to see the hearts of people like the prophet and prophetic intercessors.
Peter operated in a powerful prophetic anointing when he exposed the deceit of Ananias and Sapphira. Acts 5:1-11. Peter was an apostle operating at that time in the office of the prophet.
Watchmen (women) On The Walls
Pastors can be very naive. They tend to welcome everyone into their churches. Just as God leads people to join a church, so the devil would also like certain people to join the church.He very much likes people who serve his purposes, to disrupt and tear down all that God is working to build up.
When a pastor receives people into the church he is normally very accepting and says of course brother so and so can join the church”.
The prophets or the prophetic intercessor is not always that welcoming. They see motives and why people want to come in. This is very important for the churches of this coming decade. Pastors would save themselves much heartache if they listened to their prophetic ministries.
Opposition to the Prophetic Office
One of the first things we notice about the prophetic ministry, is the unequalled opposition shown toward this ministry. The prophet and apostle meet with greater resistance than any other ministry gift.
The prophet and the apostle have a unique ability to break through in the spirit realm.Because of this the apostle and the prophet must count on opposition. It will come and be a part of their ministry.
No other ministry is dependant upon an intimate relationship with God as the prophetic ministry. The prophet and the prophetic intercessor is in desperate need of God’s help and protection.
Jeremiah 1:18 For, behold, I have made thee this day a defenced city, and an iron pillar, and brasen walls against the whole land, against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.19 And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee; for I [am] with thee, saith the LORD, to deliver thee.
When God uses His prophets, He very clearly says, “do not touch them, they are my mouthpieces. I use them and if you touch them I will touch you”. His servants are so closely identified with the message of God that is not just them talking; it is God Himself speaking through them.So by attacking them, one is really attacking God.
Psalms 105:12 When they were [but] a few men in number: yea, very few, and strangers in it.13 When they went from one nation to another, from [one] kingdom to another people; 14 He suffered no man to do them wrong: yea, he reproved kings for their sakes 15 [Saying], Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
The Prophets Weakness
ISOLATION
Because of the nature of the prophetic ministry it is easy become isolated, indeed want isolation. The prophet carries a message that is highly unconventional. They see further and more clearly that others. This is often the reason for so much attack against them. Jealousy and resentment is often directed at them. Often pastors become threatened when a prophetic intercessor sees further and more clearly than they do, and instead of honouring them they seek to discredit them. This has to stop, we are workers together with God.
The prophets can respond to this by isolating themselves. A prophet needs solitude and must have much time alone with God. However a prophet also needs meaningful relationship with other ministries, especially other prophets and apostles.
EXCLUSIVITY
There is a danger, because of the nature of the prophetic office, for a attitude of exclusivity to creep in.. The anointing of a prophet will tend to foster exclusivity.
They see things that others do not see. While others have the impression that all is well, they may be seeing areas that are seriously wrong, this tends to isolate them.
If you stand in a prophetic ministry you have to be careful not to develop exclusive attitudes. You need to be around the right people who respect you and will protect you.
It is important that prophets live normal lives, fellowship with ordinary people and do something creative that is not “spiritual”.
PERFECTIONISM
Exaggerated perfectionism can be a problem that sometimes creeps into the prophet.
The prophetic ministry is very much needed in the church today. We need prophets to speak into churches, over nations, and into situation of national import. God is raising up today Apostolic and Prophetic ministry. These ministries will revolutionize the church and greatly assist in preparing for, and maintaining the great harvest that is scheduled for us in these end times. Let us accept and honor these ministries.
The prophet is subject to numerous attacks, mainly because he is more sensitive than others, and to what is taking place in the spirit realm. He perceives things which others do not. They have to learn to live with the gift of discerning of spirits. This gift can become too much for them to bear. It is easy then, to become unduly critical and negative. Everything is never one hundred precent right in a church, and it is very difficult for a prophet not to seek to address everything he sees. The prophet has to learn to speak only when God permits him to do so.
There are certain gifts that the prophet will move in constantly
The word of Knowledge Discerning of spirits Prophecy The gift of faith
THE APOSTLE: Has the ability to see the overall picture and implement it, bring it together.
There are twenty four apostles mentioned in the New Testament and upon their ministry along with the prophet the foundations were laid in the early church.
The making of an apostle is a long hard road. An apostle as to learn to function in all of the ministries. Paul was a teacher before he became an apostle.
Acts 13:1 Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Notice: Paul here is not called an apostle. No one is called an apostle in this scripture, yet Paul was among them and listed. Neither Paul or Barnabas were apostles to begin with. Later they became apostles
Signs Of An Apostle
II Corinthians 12:12 Truly the signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.
Here we have some of the signs that are a part of the apostle’s ministry. However the more greater signs are that of a “Master builder”.
Prophetic ministries need apostolic ministries alongside them to keep them balanced. The apostle sees the overall picture and can implement it. The prophet tends to focus narrowly upon one aspect at a time. He can see the future but does not usually bring it
I Corinthians 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
The apostle has been placed at the very front of God’s plow as it were. The apostle can be likened to a general practitioner. He has the ability to operate in all the ministry offices.
The apostle can enter a town and work as an evangelist, preaching the gospel and seeing many saved.When this is done he becomes a pastor. He starts a church and becomes a pastor to the newly saved. Then he becomes also a teacher, teaching the foundational principles. He may prophesy to them eventually establishing elders in the church to oversee it.
The apostle is a highly qualified regional and national general practitioner. He has the ability and anointing to do a wide variety of tasks. There are different types of apostles, some remain stationary others are highly mobile travelling constantly.
The Apostle a Wise Master Builder
I Corinthians 3:10 According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.
The apostle attracts, like the prophet, great opposition to his ministry, and pays a very high price in his ministry. The devil hates true apostles because they have a real ability to break through in the realm of the spirit.
A teacher may go into an area or church to teach and has an anointing for it. But when an apostle teaches it has a greater impact, the ripples go much further and it shakes him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Remember God wants you to be prophetic. The church should be a prophetic community. You must learn to prophesy. You may not be called to be a prophet, but you must learn to prophesy.
Revelation 19:10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
The testimony of Jesus is in the spirit of prophesy. In sharing Jesus with others we need to learn to flow in the prophetic anointing. This brings a supernatural element into it and exposes the person you are sharing with to the Spirit of God. This is very powerful and always has an impact.