God loves the initiative.
It is important to note that all our steps are ordered by the Lord, and he delights in seeing us-led by the Spirit-Psalm 37: 23. He takes great pleasure in planning our lives.
Jeremiah 29: 11-for I know the plans that I have towards you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for your Calamity, to give you a future and a hope.
The revealing of those plans can be relational through guidance or ministered through prophetic direction. It is important for a prophet to not only know the difference between guidance and direction, but also to empower people in the appropriate manner.
Guidance comes from the Lord through our ongoing relationship with him. The goal of the Holy Spirit is to teach everyone how to hear the voice of God for themselves. It is to teach people devotionally how to worship, pray, be still, meditate on the word, and wait on the Lord. In The joyful practice of these simple disciplines, we learn real sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. He is our indwelling presence that guides us into all the truth and discloses to us what is to come- John 16: 13. Guidance is an internal process; direction is an external revelation.
Direction comes from God through a third party. He takes the initiative. It’s a sovereign action by the Holy Spirit-not in response to our seeking out a prophet, but in reply to our prayers.
The Old Testament prophetic anointing made no distinction between guidance and direction. They were one and the same. This is because people did not have the indwelling nature of Christ and we’re not capable of being led by the Spirit. Their spirituality was ordained through the office of the prophet and priest who represented God to man and man to God. They stood in the gap between humanity and the almighty. People went to them for sacrificial absolution and prophetic input.
The world changed on the day of Pentecost. The Holy Spirit is now in people, not on them. In the Old Testament, the prophetic gift was concentrated on a few people. In the New Testament, thanks to Pentecost, the ability to hear God and to move in the gift of prophecy is now available to every Christian-1 Corinthians 14: 1, 5.
In the Old Covenant it was ok to go to a prophet to inquire the Lord. In the New Covenant, that would be deemed illegal behavior. We have the indwelling presence of God and therefore are capable of hearing his voice ourselves-John 10: 27.
The role of the New Testament prophet has now dramatically changed. The chief role of the prophet is primarily to teach people how to hear God themselves. They train people in how to discern and obey the will of God. They instruct, train, equip and release people in the prophetic gift, ministry and office of a prophet. In the process of that training directive, they also bring prophetic words to individuals and people groups.
In the Old Testament, the prophets gave now words and new words. Now words are about guidance. New words are concerned with direction.
Examples of those words are seen in 1 Samuel 9 when Saul asked the prophet the location of his donkeys (and he got more than he imagined). He wanted a now word (guide me to my livestock) and received a new word, about becoming king-1 Samuel 9: 3-10: 1. New words come out of nowhere. They are a complete surprise to us. It is the Lord charting our course and revealing his plans and purposes.
The role of the New Testament prophet is different than their Old Testament counterpart because another element is dropped into the mix. Now that people are set free to hear God themselves, the New Testament prophet not only gives now and new words, but also brings confirmation to people; that is, we confirmed through prophecy what the Lord has said to an individual or group is true and accurate.
In the modern church, many people go to prophetic conferences because they want a prophetic word, not because they want to learn to prophecy or hear God’s voice themselves.
Prophets are put under incredible pressure to prophecy. At every meeting people line up wanting to hear a prophetic word over their lives.
There are a number of issues to address when people come seeking prophecy, guidance and direction. My personal primary response is to only do what the father’s doing and only say what he is saying. There are times when I am asked to prophesy, but I sense the Holy Spirit immediately saying no. I’m happy then to move into prayer and perhaps some advice.
The gift of discerning of spirits enables us to discern what is God, what is man, and what is an evil spirit. If I hear the Lord saying no to Prophesying, I will often move into prayer for people. A lot of times I ask questions to enable them to perceive the next step for their life. What did you do with the last word you received? Why do you want another one? Are you fulfilling the conditions for that particular word to come to pass?
Guidance is a relational issue, not a prophetic one. If people are not walking with God properly, prophecy will not solve that problem. Prophets cannot come between people and God. We point the way back to God. We equip and empower people to have a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him-Ephesians 1: 17. When asked for guidance, a true prophet will first question the current status of people’s relationships with God.
If people are passive in their prayer life, lethargic in their worship, or apathetic in their morality, those issues need to be addressed. If we prophecy over these people, then we reinforce their poor behavior. Obviously, there are times when we receive grace and mercy to speak into such situations to bring a prophetic release. It is an exception, not the rule.
Some people are lazy. They do not seek the Lord themselves. They don’t ask in prayer. They do not knock on the door of relationship-Matthew 7: 7-8. There are some amazing relational guarantees that the father provides for us in our fellowship with him. The father gives us those assurances so that we will keep on seeking, asking and knocking until fulfillment arrives! Some people would rather seek a prophet than seek the Lord.
If their problem is caused by lack of fellowship in their relationship with God, we want to ensure that they do not remain in a backslidden state. Sometimes prophecy can jolt them out of it and move them back into fellowship by giving them a now word. Mostly I found that asking questions, instead of moving in the gift, is more productive.
If we do not stay in fellowship, life can get ahead of our intimacy, and we come under pressure through events, circumstances, and people. We all need Jesus much more than we need prophecy. Failure to upgrade our relationship with God is ultimately what makes us tired, weary, and open to oppression. When life increases, our fellowship must increase also. Prophesying over people in this context may bring temporary relief, but it may also establish a mindset that is out of order. Prophecy is not a shortcut into something; only a proper response to God is a sure thing.
The principle is this: we take care of the relationship and God takes care of the guidance. In itself, guidance is the byproduct of a right relationship with God. Direction is God’s responsibility, not ours.
When we accepted Christ, God took us out of the kingdom of darkness and put us into the kingdom of light. Scripture promises us that we will have the light for our whole lives. While there are many verses telling us to seek God, none tell us to seek guidance. God will communicate his will as we develop our relationship with him. Throughout scripture we read of many examples of the direction that comes when we seek first God’s face:
In your loving kindness you have led the people whom you have redeemed; in your strength you have guided them to your holy habitation-Exodus 15: 13.
For such is God, our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death-psalm 48: 14.
Nevertheless, I am continually with you; You have taken hold of my right hand. With your counsel you will guide me, and afterwards receive me to glory-Psalm 73: 23-24.
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you-Psalm 32: 8.
But He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock-Psalm 78:52.
So, he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart and guided them with his skillful hands-Psalm 78: 72.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight-Proverbs 3: 5-6.
Your ears will hear a word behind you, this is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right or the left-Isaiah 30: 21.
When I’m asked for a personal prophetic word, I steer the conversation back to the individual’s own relationship with God. How are you doing with the Lord? I might ask. What’s the state of your relationship with him? Guidance, after all, is the fruit of a good relationship with God. Those who follow him have light to guide their way. For me to prophecy into their circumstances isn’t going to be helpful for them, long term, because the message they will receive is that their problem is a product of their lack of direction.
My job as a prophetic minister is not to prophecy, but to instead pray for their relationship with God. Is there anything in their lives that they shouldn’t be doing? That’s the starting point to get back on track with the Lord. When they deal with the hindrances to relationship with him, they will receive his guidance. To prophecy in the Old Testament manner is to intermediate between God and man, and the New Testament forbids that by anyone except Christ Jesus.
In New Testament prophecy, we have to resist our urge to over prophesy, otherwise we will infringe on the deeper issue of their one-on-one relationship with God. That relationship is built on the revealed truth in scripture, not on outside prophetic revelation.
People come seeking prophecy because they don’t know God’s will and they want a shortcut to help find it. A prophecy cannot accomplish that; Instead we need to work to reestablish and restore the dignity of their relationship with God. Christians must learn to wait on God for relationship, not guidance. If we seek his face first, everything else will fall into place.