Is prophesying one of your spiritual gifts? When we begin operating in our spiritual gifts, it requires a great deal of learning and stretching. That doesn’t just happen—it takes effort on our part.
As I have sought to learn more about my gift and serve more faithfully in it, I have seen God increase it in many ways. I want to encourage you to take the same approach. Faithfulness means partnering with the Holy Spirit and carrying your end of the commitment. Let me share some of the most important principles I have discovered while growing in the prophetic gift.
1. Don’t be afraid. The first principle—don’t fear—is the one that looms largest for me. I have found that the key to confronting fear is to acknowledge it, then say no, and move on with what God tells you to do.
2. Sift the stirring. When I feel the stirring to speak to someone, I don’t run over to that person right away, I wait to see if the stirring continues, because I want to be absolutely sure it is God directing me. While waiting, I examine myself to make sure I am in right standing with God and that I don’t have wrong motives in my heart concerning what I am about to do (2 Cor. 13:5).
3. Establish boundaries. I encourage you: go to great lengths to protect your marriage and family relationships. Set boundaries further out than they need to be so everyone knows you are serious about having integrity and protecting the most important relationships in your life. We go the extra mile to protect our marriage and ministry from even a hint of scandal.
4. Don’t chase prophecy. Some people rely on prophecy too much. They like the “rush” of hearing from God. They want a “fresh word” every day. That is not the way God designed us to live. The Bible says we walk by faith, not by sight (2 Cor. 5:7). Prophetic words can give us something to hold on to, but they are not our daily bread. If you are relying on a prophet, pastor, elder, deacon, counselor or anyone else to give you regular supernatural direction, you are probably in an unhealthy situation.
5. Let it unfold. Many prophecies give general directions but not as much detail as we would like. I believe this is because God wants to give us just enough hope to keep us moving in the right direction. Prophecy helps us to stay alert, excited and engaged in the work while we wait for things to come to pass.
6. Go with the flow. As you move in the gifts and surrender yourself to God, He may use your time in ways that make no sense to you. My advice: Deal with it. Give up your schedule. God is the author of time and is trustworthy to plan your calendar. His daily agenda should be your only agenda—no more, no less. You might need to change your paradigm, because life is not about how to fit God into our day but about allowing God to fill and order our days.
7. Stay clean by forgiving. It’s amazing how long we carry some scars. That’s a principle for each of us: Keep your heart clean. Let God heal those areas of bitterness and brokenness over time. Don’t let them become hindrances to His present work in and through your life.
8. Get a mentor. Having a mentor has done wonders for my growth in prophetic ministry. I have someone to answer my questions, give counsel, offer encouragement and just plain enjoy friendship with. If you have a prophetic call on your life, pray for God to give you a mentor to whom you can be accountable, someone who can help you understand your gift and how to use it.
9. Let your ministry grow and be unique. I believe each person’s spiritual gifts manifest uniquely through his or her personality, strengths and calling in Christ. There are general principles, but no cookie-cutter approach to our gifts. I encourage you to grow in your unique way. Don’t be afraid if God does things differently with you than with others. His expression of love through your personality and relationships and gifts and talents will be distinct and wonderful. Embrace the differences; learn from them. Grow in the adventure of discovering who God has made you to be.
Adapted from The Tales of a Wandering Prophet by Hubie Synn, copyright 2015, published by Charisma House. This book will show you how God has destined you for extraordinary things, no matter where you come from. Sharing his remarkable adventures the author shows you how to hear from God and demonstrates how God can use anyone for His glory. To order your copy click here.
Prayer Power for the Week of March 12, 2017
This week, ask the Lord to help you be faithful in partnering with the Holy Spirit and make a commitment to develop and exercise your spiritual gifts. Ask Him to order and fill your days, and remind you of anything that may interfere with you ministering out of a pure heart. Continue to pray for worldwide revival, our national and local leaders, our pastors and all those in authority over us. Pray that God’s purposes would be fulfilled in Israel and remember the persecuted church (2 Cor. 5:7; 2 Cor. 13:5).
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