In the old testament we read that whenever someone inquired of the Lord, He answered them through dreams, or Urim or prophets. – (Numbers 27:21, 1 Samuel 28:6) The Lord still speaks today through dreams and visions or by his Spirit or through his prophets. The Church still needs the service of the prophets and they cannot be disregarded! However, the office of the prophet is different from the gift of prophecy! Paul asked, “Are all prophets?” – (1 Corinthians 13:29) but then he wrote: ‘I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have ( every one of ) you prophesy.’ – ( 14:5) How can that be? “For the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy.” – (Revelation 19:10) ‘Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart’ – (1 John 5:10), ‘which God has given about his Son’ – (Vs 9). Since every believer has within him or her the ‘Spirit of prophecy’ who testifies about Jesus, they have what it takes to prophesy! How do we prophesy?
1. Be filled with the word: Prophecy has the Word of God as its content. “Son of man, eat this scroll and fill your stomach with it .” So I ate it and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. He said to me, “Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and speak my words to them.” – (Ezekiel 2:1-4) “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey. I took the scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. Then he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.” – (Revelation 10:9-11) We must have a sound understanding of Scriptures because true prophecy never contradicts Scriptures!
2. Be filled with the Spirit: The word alone is not enough but it takes the infilling in the Spirit, to prophesy. “I will pour out my Spirit in those days and they will prophesy.” – (Acts 2:18) Believers prophesied as they were filled with the Spirit. ‘When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.’ – (Acts 19:6) ‘Be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.’ – (Ephesians 5:18-20) That amounts to prophecy because it edifies! Moreover, prophesying can transforms us! ‘The Spirit of the Lord will come upon you in power and you will prophesy … and you will be changed into a different person.” – (1 Samuel 10:6)
3. Speak the word by the Spirit: ‘Logos’ or the ‘written word’ becomes ‘Rhema’ or the ‘spoken word’, when uttered by the Spirit and it has the power to change our dead situation. For instance, Ezekiel was told, ‘”Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!'” … So I prophesied as he commanded me and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet – a vast army.’ – (Ezekiel 37:4-10) In another instance, the Prophet Zechariah prophesied: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might not by power, but by my Spirit’ … O mighty mountain, before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.” – (Zechariah 4:6-7) Prophesying by the Spirit can change our situation, no matter how threatening and looming (seemingly about to happen) it may seem! Amen.
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