Anyone who knows me knows I have a strong conviction concerning the prophetic. I have always said that no matter where life takes me, I will always know there is a God because of what I have experienced, what I have seen, and what I have encountered by the power of the prophetic word.
Additionally, God’s prophets have been a vital part of everything God has ever done on planet Earth. Amos 3:7 (KJV) says, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secrets unto his servants the prophets.” Prophets were at work in the book of Genesis. In fact, one of the very first humans, Abel, was a prophet (See Luke 11:50-51). And prophets continued to do their work throughout every single book of the Scriptures. All 66 books of the Bible testify to the activity of prophets, the presence of prophets, the ministry of prophets and the words of prophets. Prophets are a vital part of God’s plan. It has always been this way!
Yet people called to the office of prophet are under assault today, either by bad doctrine, rebellion, character flaws, perversion or environments that don’t welcome them. They settle into ministries that ignore, overlook or even worse, convince them that modern-day prophets do not exist.
My book, The Prophetic Responsibility, gives ammunition and courage to people who have a true prophetic calling but who have been muzzled and held back in that calling. It gives strength to those who have been called to be used in the prophetic and who have been criticized and ridiculed because of it. If that describes you, I want to motivate you to come out of hiding and become one with your calling. We need you!
At this juncture in our world and in our spiritual history, we know that prophets are born. Please read this carefully: You cannot decide to become a prophet. You cannot wake up one day and decide you are going to call yourself “Prophet So-and-So.” So many people change their titles based on trends. But that is not how the prophetic ministry works.
It is vital that you understand that prophets are born. They are born, and they are just as needed in the body of Christ and in the world as pastors, teachers and evangelists. Yet somehow in our approach to Christianity, we have come to believe that pastors, teachers and evangelists are healthier or more needful ministries to the body. Unfortunately, that is a massive deception that has been masterfully woven into many segments of Christianity.
Neglecting the ministry of the prophet is dangerous. If we do not welcome or have a place for the prophets among us, we willingly give the powers of hell our future. Yes, I said that!
We are in need of prophets. We are in need of men and women who know they’ve been called to be prophets, who have been educated in their prophetic career, and who have submitted to the office of the prophetic and have conformed their entire lives to God’s prophetic objectives. We need people who don’t make up their own prophetic agenda but would rather fulfill the mission and mandate their biblical predecessors carried out in Scripture.
Yet for those who are called to the prophetic, that is a challenging thing to do. And that is because many churches don’t have educational academies or tangible responsibilities for prophets. This cause those who are prophets to end up becoming rebels or ruining structures, even when they are trying to help. The prophets need a space to learn, grow and operate in their calling!
We need more men and women of God who are less interested in being pretty and marketable and more interested in being credible, accurate and professional in their prophetic service. If men and women who are committed to the call of the prophetic do not rise up, we are going to lose a whole generation to the perverse agenda that is aggressively at America. We need prophets, and we need prophets to behave as such!
Adapted from The Prophetic Responsibility by Matthew L. Stephenson III, copyright 2019, published by Charisma House. This book reiterates the fact that God has used His prophetic people to speak His mind in the midst of crisis throughout generations. It is still true today. Those called to the prophetic have a responsibility to be His mouthpiece and speak His mind and agenda to this dark generation. This book will teach, encourage and help you move into that responsibility. To order your copy, click on this link.
Prayer Power for the Week of Oct. 13, 2019
This week, continue to pray for worldwide revival, beginning with our own nation. Ask the Lord for daily wisdom and direction for yourself and for our nation’s leaders. Thank Him that He has promised to provide that and He is faithful to keep His promises. Continue to pray for our allies, our military and first responders and their families, and those in spiritual leadership over us. Read 2 Chronicles 7:14, Amos 3:7, Luke 11:50-51 and James 1:5. {eoa}
To learn more about the prophetic, listen to the podcasts included with this article.
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