Joel 2: 28 and it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out my spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophecy, your old man shall dream dreams, your young man shall see visions. And also on my menservants and my maid servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days.
The world changed the day the Holy Spirit fell on Jesus’s disciples in the upper room in Jerusalem. The Spirit of God, reserved in the Old Testament for a select few, had now been placed on anyone who sought and loved Jesus Christ. With that outpouring came the gifts of the Spirit. While once only a few could prophecy, suddenly everyone could.
We are going to study the practical elements of hearing God, of moving in the Spirit, of knowing God’s nature, and of representing his heart to someone else. We will learn how to be grounded in the love, grace, and rhythm of God.
Prophecy comes when we have a burden to encourage and bless the people around us. There is no magic formula to prophecy; it all depends on our love for God. When we love him fully, that love should overflow onto the people around us. Prophecy is simply encouraging, exhorting, and comforting people by tuning them into what God has for them. In every church in the world, there are people who need that life giving word from God. These aren’t just the individuals who are obviously struggling; some appear to have everything together. But God knows what’s really going on.
Everyone could benefit from a prophetic word, even those for whom everything is soaring. I love to prophesy over people who are doing really well. If we can target those people and increase their faith at a critical time, they can fly even higher in the things of the Spirit.
New Testament prophecy should be spoken through the context of the gospel of grace. Jesus has received the judgment of God for sin for all the people in the world, to enable them to find repentance through the goodness and kindness of God.
Prophecy is now in the context of a family; a company of called out people who are learning together to become the beloved of God; The bride of Christ. There is a new language in the Spirit to learn and the unity of the Spirit to maintain and enjoy, as a people together.
Of course, there are necessary tensions in all good relationships and prophecy is not the way to resolve conflicts. Clearly, we need wisdom for those situations.
I believe strongly that the more encouraging, exhorting, and comforting prophecy we have the better our churches will be. Blessing and encouragement stir up anointing. The more of this kind of prophecy we can have in church, the less we will need intensive, time-consuming pastoral care. People will be touched by God and come into the things of the Spirit themselves. Individuals will realize that, yes, they are loved personally by God. That kind of revelation will strengthen their faith in ways a counseling session never could.
I know I need that kind of encouragement every day from the Holy Spirit. We need to ask God to encourage us, and he will. He may not speak it out immediately, but he always will meet us at the point of our greatest need. That’s just who the Holy Spirit is, and what he loves to do.
First Corinthians 2: 9 I have not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him.
We will study the exercise of prophecy, the process of prophecy and the purpose of prophecy.
We will learn to develop confidence in God for our own journey.
Prophesying for the common good.
Developing self-control in your language.
The pursuit of love as a prime response to life.
To represent a new covenant in prophecy.
Judgment will be replaced by admonition and exhortation.
To be in tune with the heart of God.
Moving in the opposite spirit to what comes against us.
Becoming a model of grace and truth.
To be an ambassador for reconciliation.
Freedom as a core doctrine of the prophetic.
Developing your life message concerning the nature of God.
Cultivating a great perception of God.
Speaking of what could be.
Central themes of prophetic speech.
Only humility restores people. Judgment comes back on you.
How to perceive and use grace growers (those who are irritating to be around).
The objective of prophecy affects the delivery. How to be purposefully prophetic.
Hypocrisy is always disciplined.
The diagnosis (identification of the nature) and prognosis (predicting) of prophecy.
Prophesying the solution not the problem.
Treasure seeking in the Kingdom.
Discernment aids direction in proclaiming breakthrough.
The difference between a grace issue and a discipline issue.
Moving in the peace of God rather than the pressure of man.
Dealing with frustration.
Seeing in the spirit.
The difference between personal and private prophecy.
Working with building and blessing prophets.
Recording prophecy is vital.
What contributes maturity and immaturity in the practice of prophecy.
How did develop a partnership with leaders in this context.