C'mon, this anointed prophet is in town. You needn't be confused anymore when you come to life’s crossroads. Don’t miss the opportunity. Get a personal prophetic word direct from heaven’s throne.
Not many of us can resist this kind of invitation. After all, who wouldn’t want quick answers to perplexing life issues such as finding God’s will?
In a world of quick fixes, what with 3-in-1 coffee and microwave TV dinners, getting instant answers on personal guidance seem quite logical.
But when prophets are treated like psychics and soothsayers, offering instant solutions on guidance, then something is seriously wrong with our faith.
Didn’t Jesus, the chief Shepherd, say in John 10:27:
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” It follows that, if we are His sheep, we will be able to recognise His voice when He calls us.
Undoubtedly, prophecy is one of the five important ‘offices’ in the church. And some have been endowed with prophetic gifts to build up the body of believers so that they attain maturity (Ephesians 4:11). Also, God does nothing without revealing His secrets to His servants, the prophets (Amos 3:7).
That said, we should not allow a prophetic word to replace (or take precedence over) times of deep intimacy with God when we seek to discern His will. He has promised that He will reveal His plans to us if we earnestly seek Him:
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 19: 11-13).
We should not treat God like a vending machine — press a button, and viola, out comes the personal prophecy we need. Merely running after prophets will make our “spiritual muscles” become more and more flabby.
God desires to show us His will and reveal His secrets to us because we are His friends (John 15:15b). So let us boldly approach Him (Hebrews 4:16) and let His Holy Spirit reveal His plans and purposes to us (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit endows us with spiritual discernment; we are able to judge all things as we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:14-16).
A personal prophetic word should confirm what we already know in our hearts, not replace the ‘inner witness’ God has placed in our hearts as to the direction He wants us to take in life — His will or calling. It should merely undergird and confirm — not replace — what God speaks to us in a “still small voice” (1 Kings 19:12).
When the Word, inner witness and peace, circumstances and prophetic word all line up in a straight line — like the runway lights that help a plane land safely at the airport — then we know that God has said, “This is the path I would like you to take.”
I still remember, about two years ago, a lady prophet gave me a personal word which was accurate right up to the dot. She gave me a ‘word of knowledge’ which confirmed what I already knew — just like what Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well.
I have no doubts concerning the significant role of personal prophecy in the lives of believers. But we also need to work out our faith — study the word, seek Him in prayer, worship and meditation and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us directly.
Let us not forget His promise to lead and guide us:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.
Do not be like the horse or the mule,
which have no understanding
but must be controlled by bit and bridle
or they will not come to you (Psalm 32:8-9).
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).
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