A prophet is one who knows the mind of God. His job is to declare God’s opinion to people and to guide and move them in His will.
One gift that God desires for all His people to receive is the gift of prophecy. Even from the Old Testament, God has been quick to pour out this gift on all available people.
Moses who spoke to God face to face, once said in Numbers 11:29 (NLT) “[…] I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit upon them all!”
Paul encourages in I Corinthians 14:1 (ESV) “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”
Here are seven things that a child of God must pursue in the prophetic mantle:
1. Pursue God
As a little boy, much younger than a seven year old, I had no clue of what prophet or prophecies meant. But all that my mother would teach me was that I had to pursue God above everything else.
What began as an innocent pursuit of God overflowed into a ministry I never knew I had access to. I prophesied, saw visions and dreams, all of it with no training but with constant reminders of pursuit of God from my dear mother.
It is no different today. If only we would spend time seeking and soaking in God will we function in His power that overflows from the intimacy with God. The more you soak in God, the more you will be full of Him. And out of that fullness would overflow His presence and power!
2. Pursue Truth & Justice
Prophets speak God’s mind without the fear of pleasing man. Their passion for truth is that Jesus Himself is the truth.
Their passion to speak only what they hear from God eliminates the need to prophesy under pressure of man. They fear and love God and His righteousness.
3. Prophets Make Way
The prophetic gift and the prophets’ office in the Bible is constantly working towards edification and the establishment of the Body of Christ.
Even though it might seem like the prophet is always alone, his ministry is totally geared to uniting what is of God and weeding out the unwanted.
1 Corinthians 14:24-25 says, ‘But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.’
The prophetic ministry especially makes way for the evangelistic ministry and the pastoral ministry. And as we see in the function of John the Baptist, it makes way for the King of Kings.
It is therefore important to see that your gift is making way for much fruit. Has it?
4. Prophets Must Pursue Clarity
New Testament encourages all of us to pursue this gift of prophecy. This makes room also for more error and learning simultaneously. However the lack of prophetic accuracy is in the lack of hearing clearly, coming from the lack of total pursuit of God. [ClickToTweet]
Don’t worry about where you went wrong yesterday. Weep before God for clarity, accuracy and especially, for clearer details for His glory.
Always remember you can never have a prophecy above what the Scripture says. If you do, you have heard it wrong. Base everything on God’s Word.
5. Pursue Boldness
Two chapters after the greatest outpouring of the Pentecost, the disciples came back asking for more. They asked God for boldness to deliver what they already had in them.
That boldness is nothing but a crazy level of faith in the One who sends you. Seek God for the spirit of faith today and watch your ministry go to the next level.
6. Pursue the Next Dimension
The two dimensions of the prophetic ministry are:
A. Saying what you hear.
B. Making sure what you said comes to pass. (Remember Elijah on his knees praying seven times till the rain clouds appeared?)
The prophetic gift and the office of a prophet are two different levels. Everyone can exercise the prophetic gift but not all have the office of a prophet.
Notice Elijah say to Ahab in 1 Kings 17:1 (ESV) “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor rain these years, except by my word.”
Did you notice the use of “My word?”
Not only does a prophet speak the mind of God, what He speaks becomes the mind of God. As Elijah said to Elisha while seeking the double portion, this level may sound difficult but certainly not impossible to those who pursue God.
Be shut in God till your heart and mind become synchronized with the heart and mind of God. [ClickToTweet] It was the continual communion and the standing before God that caused Elijah’s words to be like God’s mind.
Are you ready for the next dimension this year?
7. Prophets Stay Hidden
Prophets don’t seek the lime light. They live with God. Mostly alone not because they do not like people but because it is not easy to find people that are completely consumed by God.
Before ministry and after ministry and especially during the ministry they are locked in continual communion with God. They pursue the secret place in God as if there was no tomorrow. In that secret place they become the friends of God; from him God hides nothing He is about to do.
Finally my generation
If you read this post all the way till here, I am excited for you. I am excited that God is drawing you close to Him. This generation needs genuine prophets that speak both the heart and mind of God.
It is my honour to seek, soak and love God alongside you. Let’s make God proud. Dear Lord, let thy Kingdom come as it is in heaven, so be it on earth, in Jesus name!
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