"Prophesy in its truest form, should embolden, strengthen, comfort, affirm, encourage, console the body - not divide and destroy it."
A team of us have been running prophetic activation nights. We help people learn how to hear God’s voice by playing games, interacting with others, and having fun. Experience is our best teacher. Through the activities and interactions one discerns if it was Holy Spirit speaking and if they were listening accurately - when it is confirmed the joy, and ecstatic relief, is amazing. And it happens All. The. Time.
As the evening progresses, we watch strangers become friends, different ministries meld, introverts boldly interacting with others, we witness the quiet become loud. We watch walls crumble, internally and between people, and we see complacency and boredom ushered out and joy and purpose invited in.
My hearts cry is everyone would feel the blessing of knowing and hearing God for themselves. Yes, we can learn in isolation, by ourselves, many have… but God is one for interaction and fellowship - he likes social learning, family learning, group learning. He loves co-laboring and unity. In my opinion, prophesy is best learned in this environment - feedback is instant and numerous, we are all practicing so there is a low risk threshold, and everyone is trying - and God loves it when we try!
Unfortunately, prophesy is under attack. The Hebrew Calendar has us in the decade of the 80’s (5484 started September 15, 2023), the decade of the “Pey” - the mouth. Isn’t it interesting that the decade of the mouth is marked by an attack of prophets and prophesy? At one point our mouths were completely covered by material - mandated to be concealed, cloaked, and capped.
Then the 2020 US election happened and well known, Big P Office of the Prophet Prophets, stated prophetic declarations that remain unrealized. Several retracted, apologized, for their predictions. Several did not. Many on social media and news outlets called for the modern day equivalent of stoning for these perceived false prophets.
Prophesy has taken a huge hit in the last five years.
This hurts my heart.
Prophesy is a GIFT. A gift to ourselves and to the body. A gift meant to be opened and shared. A gift for EVERY believer - yes, there are Office of the Prophet Prophets God has raised up to speak into our generation. But 90% of us are not Big P Prophets! The rest of us are called to prophesy, to engage others through love - disguised as encouragement, exhortation, comfort, strengthening, and affirmation. I Corinthians 14:3 says “But when someone prophesies, he speaks to encourage people, to build them up, and to bring them comfort.” (TPT)
Paul starts by saying “ “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” (14:1 NIV) and keeps writing “…I desire even more that you impart prophetic revelation to others. Greater gain comes through the one who prophesies than the one who speaks in tongues, unless there is interpretation so that it builds up the entire church.”
(14:5 TPT)
We are to “become even more passionate about the things that strengthen the entire church.” (14:12 TPT) so that “an unbeliever or one without the gift enters your meeting, he will be convicted by all that he hears and will be called to account, for the intimate secrets of his heart will be brought to light. He will be mystified and fall facedown in worship and say, “God is truly among you!”” (14:24-25 TPT)
It is my belief that the Gift of Prophesy is under attack because it is POWERFUL. Our mouths have been silenced because Words have Weight. If you attended one of our evenings you may come in tired, overwhelmed and overcome by the world but you leave energized, and feeling light and free. Prophesy reminds us WHO we are and WHOSE we are. It puts the world into perspective.
Prophesy in its truest form, should embolden, strengthen, comfort, affirm, encourage, console the body - not divide and destroy it.