I remember being on the receiving end of many laughing sessions in high school. One day in particular stands out; it had been a long and hot summer’s day. When the last school bell sounded, I couldn’t wait to escape. Taking my usual path to leave the school grounds, I reached the part where all the students converged to then take a small embankment leading to a narrow passage to freedom. Shifting my heavy bookbag into place, I paced myself with the flow of my fellow students and started walking down the embarkment like so many times before.
Two steps in, I felt an all-too-familiar tweak come from my right ankle … Oh no! Not now! Before I knew it, my bookbag hit me in the back of my head, and I went tumbling down the embankment. All I could hear, as I was coming to my senses, was the laughing from the stream of students around me (with an occasional, “Are you OK?”).
You know, the laughing was not what I remembered but rather the fear it formed in me: At any time, this could happen again. I found myself continually bracing or looking for objects I could grab onto in case of an emergency. I thank the Lord that my weak ankles were only part of my growing phase. Till today, I appreciate having equally strong ankles to keep me solid in my everyday exploits.
In one of our recent podcasts, Colette and I spoke about how important it is for a prophet to be solid in who they are in their calling. If there is any weakness (like my ankles), you will find yourself tripping when you cannot afford it.
So today I want to give you the three-step process to help you overcome your spiritual weak ankles. After following these three steps, you can know without a doubt whether you qualify to wear the title “prophet.”
1. Are You Called?
Has the Lord Jesus Himself told you that He has called you? If so, you’ve stepped into a new level of maturity. You can hear the Lord for yourself. When the Lord told me I was a prophet, it didn’t matter if no one else heard it; I knew what my Jesus had told me. It also gave me the strength to push through when the training got tough. There was a goal to keep my eyes on and Jesus’ tender voice helped me along the way.
If you have this, you have one strong ankle to lean on. But don’t go out there thinking you’ve arrived! You aren’t complete yet. You have just started the process. Don’t jump the gun!
2. Are You Confirmed?
Has anyone confirmed what the Lord told you? You might ask, “Why do I need others to confirm my call when Jesus already did?” Knowing that what you heard was of the Lord will give you peace of mind. Your revelation wasn’t just something you made up. This wasn’t just a strong hope you were going on.
Paul is a good example of this. I don’t think anyone had a more dramatic call than Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9). Paul had been called but was literally still blind to the new path he was called to. It took Ananias to come to him and confirm he was called of God. Ananias gave Paul eyes to see.
With these two processes achieved, Paul was ready to take on the next step of his process. If this happened to you, then you are too.
3. Are You Commissioned?
The last step in the process is what gels the previous two together. Have you been commissioned? The Lord Jesus called you and took you on a journey. Then others saw the calling on you and confirmed it, giving you the confidence knowing both God and man see you.
But what is it all for, unless you can use your calling to bless the church? What use is having all that potential and training to then sit at home and do nothing? That is why this next step is vital. It is your launching pad into ministry.
All you have gone through was not in vain. Your process has formed you to be the vessel you are, for this is your commission to bless the body of Christ. Now it’s your time to shine for Jesus! After having been called and commissioned, there was no doubt Paul was a changed man. However, it was only after the elders in Jerusalem sent him out that his ministry took off.
The placement by a leader over you is the next step in the evolution of your process. It’s your covenant vow in a fellowship of witnesses. Being commissioned means that you commit to something that you don’t take lightly.
All too often, Colette and I work with prophets who have skipped one of the steps above. The result? They have an insecurity and continually try to prove themselves. Like me and my ankles, they know something isn’t right and try so hard to compensate for it. The Lord didn’t call you to live like this. You were called to walk in victory and be a gift to His bride!
Checking off these three points will bring you peace. Then you can stand securely in who you are under covering. You can feel secure in calling yourself a prophet before God and man. {eoa}
Apostle Craig Toach is the co-leader of the #NextGenProphets team and of Toach Ministries International. His passion is to bring heaven to earth in prayer and decree! He is most known among those close to him as a father and friend and covets his role as a spiritual father to many in the body of Christ. He leads alongside his wife, Apostle Colette Toach, making this power duo a pillar of fire in the hands of the Father! Receive daily prophetic words from Apostle Craig Toach and the #NextGenProphets Team.
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