Prophesying (the gift of communicating revealed truth) comes from the Greek word προφητεία prophéteia i.e. prophecy.
Prophesying is not so much predicting the future, but more so the expression of the mind of God (as dictated by the Bible or the Holy Spirit) at a given moment.
1 Corinthians 14:1 says, follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy. Especially prophecy ... How in the world can we make that practical today?
Prophesying is a spiritual gift which enables the believer to share a word of revelation from God (who is in Heaven) thereto urged by the Holy Spirit (who dwells in us). That word, therefore, is not a sermon prepared at home or a predicting of the future. Prophecy is the proclamation of God's will and the calling and encouraging of believers towards justice, loyalty and perseverance.
Some interesting facts:
- Uttering prophetic words is now something every believer can and should do (Acts 2:17).
- The gift of prophecy is distributed as the Holy Spirit decides (1 Corinthians 12:10-11), but we must pursue it (1 Corinthians 14:1).
- The appointment of a prophet for the edification of the church is done by Christ Himself (Ephesians 4:11).
- Nowadays, prophetic words are no longer infallible (as opposed to the OT), therefore, such words must always be weighed and tested (1 Corinthians 14:29 and 1 Thessalonians 5: 20-21).
- Prophesy is a matter of using our mind. Actually, it is one of the few times (maybe the only time) that the Bible says we must submit the spirit (1 Corinthians 14:32).
How do we strive to prophesy? I strongly believe by asking the Lord for it in prayer and by studying what the Bible says about it. God has always desired and still desires to speak through people like you and me. He wants to speak through His written Word ... but also LIVE!
I agree, Marja. Based on your exhortation here, I believe I need to seek this gift more in my life. Thanks for encouraging us!
ReplyDeleteJen
You're welcome Jen, For the last year or so I have been studying this and I can see why we need this gift in our lives and in the church. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteHi Marja! I used to think that prophets told the future. I suppose in a way they do, but really it's about spreading the Word. I agree that not all prophetic words are infallible. We have to use our gift of discernment, that's for sure.
ReplyDeleteGreat to be here, and return from my blog break!
Blessings,
Ceil
Hi Ceil, glad you're back from your blog break and thanks for taking time to leave your thoughts on this topic, I appreciate it.
DeleteHi Marja - Excellent, concise post.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comment Susan, it is an encouragement to me.
DeleteThank you, Marja, for sharing your thoughts with us. I was taught that prophecy was forTH telling, explaining a message from God's Word. Blessings to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteThank you Cecelia, for taking time to stop and comment, there is much more to say on this topic, but I wanted to keep it short and simple and (most of all) practical:)
DeleteAn excellent reminder! Thanks so much for outlining this, Marja. My husband and I were talking about this and other gifts just recently. I need to go over these scriptures and be more prayerful about it. So timely, thanks again! :)
ReplyDeleteHi Karen, it is amazing how clear certain scriptures are on this topic. I really felt the need myself as well to check the Word and see how this can be made practical for our lives and the church today. Thanks for commenting, I appreciate it.
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