APRIL 19, 2016

PROPHECY

Memory Verse: Joel 2:28 “ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”

The purpose of the simple gift of prophecy is for edification, exhortation and comfort. Prophecy builds up the church with the revelation of God’s word via inspired utterance. In the Old Testament, there were select people who were given to prophecy by the Spirit. It was either the king, the priest or the prophet but in the New Testament, the gift of prophecy is available for all who are born again. Through this gift, many in the body of Christ can be made to see what God sees about them, they are able to hear what God says about them under the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

The gift of prophecy helps build unity in the body as it helps everyone in the assembly get their vision aligned with the prophetic plan of God for that time and season. Now there is a difference between the simple gift of prophecy that edifies, exhorts, comforts and prophesy that shows the future. One is forth telling while the other is fore telling. We must not confuse the two. When many hear prophecy, they immediately think of a prediction of the future or a fore telling of impending doom. Predicting the future is not the primary purpose of prophecy. The simple gift of prophecy does not reveal future events neither does it predict it.

In fact, to prophecy actually means to speak or preach by inspiration. It is important for us to add that speaking in tongues when interpreted is equal to a prophecy. Tongues is utterance inspired by the Spirit in an unknown language to the hearer whereas prophecy is a message inspired by the Spirit in a known language by the hearer.

So how can you begin to prophecy? The first thing you need to understand is the ability to prophecy is already in you because the Spirit of God is already in you if you are a Christian. You now have to learn how to yield to the Spirit to give a word of prophecy. This and more we will examine tomorrow.

CONFESSION: I have the Spirit of God on my inside, I am a person of prophecy given to prophecy, I declare I speak under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit; I have in me an unending flowing stream of the prophetic. Amen

Further Bible Reading: 1 Corinthians 14, Proverbs 8

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