The last blog I wrote was about prophecy in my community. Some of you might be wondering exactly how my last blog could be taken as specific prophecy, since it seemed that I was only calling out encouragement and particular traits I see in people with whom I live in extremely close quarters. If I couldn’t call out the fact that Anthony is compassionate, Brandy is a servant, Ashlee is a warrior, Kendra is a prophet, Katie is merciful, or Don is a shepherd, you’d probably be wondering, “Does she seriously live with these people 24 hours a day, seven days a week?”
That’s one of the amazing things about prophecy. Observation is key, and God gives us His eyes to be able to see the deep gifts in each other. When we ask to see things the way that He sees them, He is more than willing to give us the ability to call out talents, gifts, and traits that might not be completely clear to the person we are prophesying over.
An example of this came early in the race for me. Anyone who knows me well knows that I have a tremendous heart to worship God. I could stay in worship for hours and hours and never think about leaving or have the desire to go somewhere else. I’ve sang in many different venues over the years, but a few years ago, some thoughtless words that were said here and there made me extremely self-conscious about my singing and songwriting. I decided then that I didn’t have enough training, enough knowledge of music theory, enough talent in songwriting or vocals to be able to effective at all. I started singing in church less and less, stopped songwriting, and didn’t audition for the worship band at Ole Miss, even though I really wanted to do it.
In cutting back on music, I noticed that the command I once had over my voice began to wane, and the skills that I had to play piano and guitar had suffered to the point that I was almost reluctant to tell anyone that I used to lead worship. In my heart, I longed to express my worship to God, but I allowed Satan to rob me of that for many years.
Needless to say, I was stunned. Especially when, later that day, Dan came back to me and told me he had seen a vision of me. He said he was praying, and as he was finishing, he saw an image of me with wings like an angel. He said I was glowing, and it was because I was singing to God.
The very next day, we had a prophecy exercise after worship. I was in a group with Dan and my teammate, Ashlee. We listened for what God wanted us to tell each other, then spoke it out. When Ashlee spoke over me, she said, “When we were worshipping, I looked up and saw you, glowing. I thought it was my eyes playing tricks on me, so I looked down and up again, and you were still glowing, and your voice was absolutely beautiful. You were just like an angel, glowing and singing.”
Dan looked at me, smiling, thinking I had told Ashlee about what he had said. When I told him I hadn’t told anyone about his prophecy over me, he almost fell out. We were all completely blown away by God.
The amazing thing about this was that I hadn’t told anyone about the prophecies and vision Dan had spoken over me, and Ashlee reiterated it, almost word for word. Almost as amazing was the fact that Ashlee, Dan, and I were in a group together (Since there were over 100 people in the room). Ashlee had no idea what Dan had said over me, and Dan was there when Ashlee prophesied. The prophecy, though meant for me, edified Dan and Ashlee both, knowing that their words were truly from the Lord.
These are only a few instances of what has been spoken over me. I’ve received the same word of musical leadership and worship over my life at least a hundred times from just about everyone on my squad. It got to the point where it stopped being about me, and I said, “God, you really want me to do this, don’t you?” Since then, I have made it a point to worship God, regardless of how I think I sound or what I think I lack. I made a simple prayer I have been praying over myself every day, “God, I know you want me to sing, so anoint my voice for ministry and worship. Not so that people would praise me, but so that people will praise you.”
Since we’ve been in Bulgaria, we’ve had access to an honest-to-goodness piano, and I have a book of worship songs I can play. We’ve had a few worship sessions, and it’s the first time I’ve been able to lead worship for a group of people since being on the race.
And can I just tell you that last week, I sat down at that piano, laid my fingers on the keys, and opened my mouth, and I had no recognition of the voice coming out of my head? That words and crescendoes and chords flowed in such a way, that I honestly, in my mind, said, “Thank you, God, for answering my prayers.”
My teammates have each told me how God is using this in my life, and each one of them used the word “anointed” to describe my worship leading, which is the exact word I used in my prayers every night.
There have been other things, just as important, that have been prophesied over me, but I’ll have to save those for another day. The point here is that when we earnestly listen to God, expecting His voice, He will speak. It’s not some far-off, hard-to-understand concept. It’s not that He always speaks audibly (Although I’ve audibly heard His voice), and it’s not that you have to decipher a code. If we maneuver ourselves into positions of surrender, we will hear His voice when He speaks. If we ask, expecting that we will hear, we will.
Tell me, how could Dan have seen a vision so specific, and how could Ashlee have seen the same thing, and how could they have both articulated it to me, if it wasn’t from God? What would be the percentage level of coincidence on that? Even if you could write it off as coincidence, I’ve seen this type of event happen in my life daily, as well as in the lives of my teammates and squadmates. When we get out from under the umbrella of daily distractions, you wouldn’t even believe how clearly you can hear God’s voice.
To summarize, prophecy is an observation of a person’s gifts through God’s eyes. When you identify that gift in someone, speak it out to them. In putting words to these observations birthed from God, it is as if you are telling a person, verbally, EXACTLY WHAT GOD SEES IN THEM.
We forget what power we have in words. It was in words that God created the physical world. Prophecy is used to SPEAK LIFE. By receiving prophecies of anointed singing, beauty, and worth, I have felt like the old bones in Ezekiel that came to life as he preached over them. Suddenly, flesh grows, sight returns, and animation begins. I have truly come to life through these daily exhortations, by these words I know God is speaking to me through my brothers and sisters. I’m beginning to think of how I can use worship to impact the Kingdom of God, as a life direction, when the old me was thinking I was a washed-up has been.
And here is the most exciting part: God wants to use YOU, as Ezekiel, to speak life into these dry bones. To take people from a dead Christianity and plant such direction in their hearts that they dance and sing and clearly identify their Kingdom purpose.
What could be more exciting than that? Maybe the fact that as you give prophecy, you will receive. I find so many times that as I seek someone out to prophesy life into them, they come back to me later and say, “As I was thinking about you, God laid this on my heart for you…”
As you give out, you will receive.
It may seem a little intimidating if you have never done it before, but it is the most natural thing there is. If you ask God for His eyes, His words, they will come.
Do you remember my last blog about prophecy? I was merely using God’s words to call out gifts I saw in my teammates. I told them I had written a blog about them and that they should read it. Later in the day, my teammate, Kendra, grabbed me and said, “You said in your blog that I was like a person who climbed a tower and shouted out to those below what was coming!” A little bewildered, I said, “Yeah, I did?”
She looked at me intensely and said, “When we were at Training Camp, Selena (our coach) prophesied the same thing over me, almost in the exact words you used.”
So, I tell you, listen for God’s voice, and He’ll put all the pieces together.
Today, pray for the person in your life that God wants to edify through you. Then, as Ezekiel, speak flesh and animation on someone’s dry bones.
