We’ll teach you everything about the gift of prophecy. It is a unique, supernatural, divine, and extraordinary gift from God. That’s why Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:1 says that we should pursue love which is the greatest, deeply desire and crave for Spiritual Gifts, especially that to prophesy. We must say here that this gift is a blessing to the whole church. And it should not be despised talk less of quenching. This is backed-up by Apostle Paul who wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:20 that we should not restrain the Holy Spirit in God’s church neither should we despise inspired messages. Rather, we advised to test every teaching, message, and action using the teachings and actions of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ who is the True teacher.
Scriptural support of the Gift of Prophecy
“There are different kinds of gifts but the same Spirit. In addition, there are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each the manifestation of the spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another message of knowledge by means of the same spirit, to another faith by the same spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one spirit, another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” (1 Corinthians 12:11)
Whose teachings should we follow concerning the gift of prophecy
As Christians, we all have only one teacher who is Jesus Christ. He is the only truth, life, and way that leads to God the Father. He is the only reference point of all true teachings that God wants. That’s why we should not hurry up to despise or condemn the works of the Holy Spirit just because our spiritual leaders have asked us to do so. Every christian must read his/her Bible to make sure that what is being said by his spiritual leader is in line with the true teachings of Jesus Christ. That’s why we’ll advice you to have a look at your Bible on what it says about the gift of prophecy before following the instructions of your spiritual leaders to reject it.
It is in this same spirit that the Scriptures call on everyone to test each word, and action being executed in the name of the Lord before despising or accepting it. Remember that on the day of judgement, you’ll have to answer for your sins all alone without the help of your spiritual leader. He/she will also be called to answer theirs. We are lucky enough these days to have the Bible with us, let’s carefully learn what God wants us to know about Him and His Kingdom. We believe that if you have the desire to learn and know the truth, God will guide you through the Holy Spirit in to the truth just as Jesus Christ promised.
Today’s Gift of Prophecy Vs Old Testament Prophets
Those who have the gift of prophecy these days are by far different from the Old Testament Prophets. The Old Testament Prophets spoke what we call the authoritative word of God. Their words had much power and significance that they were registered as Holy Scriptures directly inspired by God. That’s why we hear them say “Thus says the Lord your God” at the beginning of their inspired messages. But this is not the case with those having the spirit o prophecy in the new testament. That’s why Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:29-33, and 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 that inspired messages coming from those having the gift of prophecy as from the new testament must be tested.
Apostle John also calls on everyone to test all teachings, actions, and revelations coming from those who claim to have the Gift of Prophesy before believing their message (1 John 4:1-3). This clearly tells us that God is still saying something through the Holy Spirit. It’s left for us to pray that he leads us to those with this genuine gift in order to get cancelling, comfort, and encouragement. It is without doubt that the New Testament Apostles took over the role of Scriptural Proclamation from the Old Testament Prophets. Note here that we made mention of the New Testament Apostles and not the New Testament Prophets.
Gift of prophecy meaning
Prophecy comes from the Greek word “Propheteia” which can literally be perceived as the ability to receive a divinely inspired message for one or more members in the church. It can also be perceived as the reception and delivery of a divinely inspired message to the whole church. These messages can take the form of correction, comfort, exhortation, disclosure of secrets, prediction of future events, and words to build the body of Christ in one way or the other. The gift of prophesy is manifested from the human mind through human words and that’s why it must be tested against the scriptures (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21). What ever the case, we must not forget that the scriptures say that we have the mind of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit when we are born again. This makes the process of being Prophetic today very easy.
Why the gift of prophecy
The Holy Spirit freely gives this gift to some believers in order to make God’s heart known to men and women. Just as Apostle Paul says, it is also given to edify, comfort, and exhort the church of Christ. It is a supernatural gift that benefits both believers and unbelievers as it reassures them that God is in their presence (1 Corinthians 14:22-25). People who are carrying this spiritual gift are highly sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the needs of the whole church. Those carrying the gift of prophesy are called upon to remain humble, loving, and respectful before men and God. They are to regularly study the word of God in a continuous manner so as to better test all what they receive to see if it comes from God before speaking it out.
What is the Gift of Prophecy?
“In the Church, God has put all in place: in the first places Apostles, in the second places Prophets, and in the third places teachers; then those who perform miracles, followed by those who are given the power to heal or to help others or to direct them or to speak in strange tongues“- 1 Corinthians 12:28 Through this verse, Apostle Paul clearly shows us the importance and order of spiritual gifts in God’s New church through Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, we are gradually moving from this Holy doctrine to one which has been installed by men. That’s sad to hear but it is the truth. May God have mercy on us and bring us back to His Holy Path of truth.
This gift is the ability to speak forth the Holy message of God. We generally perceive a prophet as a Spokesman for God. He/she is has a duty of listening and receiving messages from God through direct revelations and passing it to others. Prophetic utterances can deal with individuals as well as the church in whole. We can get an example of the New testament prophet speaking in Acts 11:27-28 “About that time some prophets went from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up an by the power of the Holy Spirit predicted that a severe famine was about to come over all the earth. (It came when Claudius was emperor.)“It should be noted that both men and women can exercise in the gift of prophecy.
Did the gift of prophecy end with John the Baptist?
The Holy Bible clearly gives an answer to this question. We can read from Ephesians 4:11 “It was He who “gave gifts”; He appointed some to be Apostles, others to be Prophets, others to be Evangelists, others to be Pastors and teachers” When we read the whole of chapter 4, we are clearly told by Apostle Paul that when Jesus Christ rose from death, He shared gifts to the rest of mankind including you and me. And the gifts have been listed. It’s all up to you to call on God to reveal yours so that you can develop in it and assist the body of Christ.
We can still read from Acts 15:32 “Judas and Silas who were themselves prophets, spoke a long time with them, giving them courage and strength.” This clearly shows that even after John the Baptist, the line of prophets continued. But this time around with a difference because the Holy Spirit was released from above to overshadow men and women through Jesus Christ.
The Complete Beginner’s guide to understanding and developing the Spirit of Prophecy
Unbelief restrains the power of the Holy Spirit. It prevents the power of God from being felt through wonders and great miracles (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20). Unbelief prevents you from hearing what God is saying. It creates a boundary between you and God. It prevents you from taking possession and excelling in your spiritual gift. However, if you believe that God is still saying something, we’ll help you through the Process of knowing his will. Before continuing, we must say here that this is a gift which is freely received from the Holy Spirit. It is not our good deeds or righteousness that brings this gift in our lives. Rather we receive it by the grace of God in our lives. This is to say that we receive this gift through the unmerited favor of God in our lives.
However, the Bible says that not everyone receives it. You can check this out by reading 1 Corinthians 12:29 “They are not all Apostles or Prophets or Teachers. Not everyone has the power to work miracles.” With this in mind, we can only desire and pray that God blesses us with this gifts. Above all, we must ask for His perfect will to be done in our lives. That is to say, Let Him bless us with those gifts he finds best for us and those that we will use to highly bring glory to his name. Although not everyone is called to operate in the office of a Prophet, all who desire to prophesy can do so by the help of the Holy Spirit as we are told by Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:1. So let’s get into what it takes to receive the gift of prophecy.
Prayer
Before you can operate in this gift, you’ll first have to call on Jesus Christ to have mercy on you and come into your life. It is recommended to get baptized with water as an outward sign to show that you have changed inwardly. And just as John the Baptist baptized with water as a way to prepare people for the Baptism of Fire and the Holy Ghost by Jesus Christ, you’ll be made ready to receive this gift. In this same light we recommend that you read our article on How to receive the Holy Spirit and How to be filled with the Holy Spirit. You should only pray what you have first believed in your heart and God who knows your heart will grant answers to your prayers. Deeply desire this gift and get close to God in prayers to ask him to bless you with it.
Jesus Christ said in John 16:13 that once, we receive the Holy Spirit, it will lead us to all truths. That’s why you should first seek to receive the Holy Spirit which will eventually guide you to knowing your spiritual gift. It will also lead you to prophesy when necessary. God being our father will eventually give us the Holy spirit without measure if we ask Him. Ask God in prayer to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Eliminate doubts. Jesus Christ calls upon us to believe that we have received each time we pray. So believe fully that you have already received what you asked for and it will certainly be granted to you. Always remember to ask through Jesus Christ.
Preparation
God will not give you what he knows is more than you. He will give you only what he knows you can properly manage and use to bring glory to his name. And that’s why at times we pray and God takes time to prepare us before answering or giving what we are requesting from him. For sure, if you carry a gun without knowing how to use it, you are putting your own life at risk. That’s why we must first yield to God’s preparation time be learning and carefully studying his ways. It’s not only about learning his ways but also putting them into practice. Carefully study what the New Testament teaches about prophecy and the prophets.
You know there is nothing that we can hide from God. He knows everything. And that’s why you’ve got to recheck the motives behind your request for the gift of prophecy. The gift of prophecy is meant to build, strengthen, correct, comfort, and exhort the body of Christ. And above all, it is aimed at reflecting God’s lovely heart to men and women. That’s why you should withdraw if your motives are different from these. God wants you to make the people feel that He is with them and that He loves them and desires that they follow His ways. The gift of prophecy is not for you to make a name for yourself but rather bring glory to God through Jesus Christ. So start by learning how to be humble and faithful to God.
Practice
This might sound strange but it is worth doing. Yes it is Biblical. You can join us in reading 2 Timothy 1:6 “For this reason I remind you to keep alive the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you”. This is a clear message that we are responsible for stirring and growing God’s gift in our lives. If you ask and believe that it has been give to you, you’ll have to step out in faith as one who has received. Always pray and call on God to guide all your actions through the Holy Spirit.
Can a New Testament Prophet make mistakes
We’ll love to have you answer this question all alone. But we must pour some light about it. Apostle Paul makes it clear that inspired messages from New Testament Prophets must be tested by one or two elders who will base themselves on the infallible teachings of the Old Testament Prophets and those of Jesus Christ. If he said so, it is because New Testament Prophets are not infallible as those of the Old Testament. This is to say that a prophet can make mistakes in interpreting what they see, or perceiving what the spirit is showing them. This does not eventually make them false, it is rather a call for them to come closer to God and grow the more. We recommend that you read our article on Prophets today.
A false prophet is identified from his heart motives before God. Balaalm was a prophet from God, but the moment he led his heart derailed by evil motives of cursing Israelite for money, he was perceived as a false prophet (Numbers 22). Whatever the case, it is not our duty to dwell on the mistakes an faults of Prophets. Rather we should pray and call on God to help them and use them in greater dimensions for the comfort of His people. In this same line of thinking, we recommend that you read our article on Activating faith to move the impossible, How to put your faith to work, and Having a taste of the Epikaizo power of God.
