Something I’ve been learning about on the World Race is the gift of prophesy. It’s not something I’ve ever really been exposed to before. Usually when you think “Prophet” you think of someone set apart by God whose specific role is giving prophesies. However, I’ve been learning that prophesy is a gift given to those that follow Christ, just as any gift…as long as we ask.
“I assure you: Anything you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. Until now you have asked for nothing in My name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be complete.”
-John 16:23b-24
I’ve never been told to ask for the gift of prophesy and never really thought to ask for it. I just assumed that when God said things like, “And He personally gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers…“(Eph. 4:11) that meant that I could have one of those, but not all. However, if I continue in this scripture, it says, “until we ALL reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of God’s Son, growing into a mature man with a stature measured by God’s fullness.” (vs. 13.) Therefore, God assures us that we will ALL gain these traits as we grow in Him. However, we must ASK of Him!
So….I’ve been asking. God give me visions, give me words, not to selfishly display that I have talents in You, but so that I may spur others along, that I may encourage others with words that surpass my own. We’ve done fun activities to spur us along in this. At training camp, we prayed over a random person in front of us, told them the vision and the words in our minds – with our eyes closed, not knowing who was in front of us. God moved in me that time when I was dead on for the person standing in front of me…I might actually have the gift of prophesy…
This last month in Romania pushed me forward in this as well. Our team leaders did an activity where one would silently pray a name and the other would pray for a word or vision from God. Everything that came out was obviously sent from God for each particular person. I’ve struggled with self worth and one word they got for me was a song that goes “I was MADE for intimacy.” I’ve also struggled a lot with purity and feeling pure as a daughter of Christ, one night during feedback a pack member said to me, “I don’t know why, but when I was praying for you, God told me to tell you that you are pure, white as snow.” I was taken aback, she had no idea!
God has been giving me visions and words to share with my team members, and the more I ask, the more I receive. I would encourage you, if you’ve never asked God for this before, it’s a gift we are meant to ask. I CHALLENGE you, sit down with God, pray, read His word, ask Him for a vision for someone, for a word for someone. Shoot if you can’t think of anyone else, ask Him for words for me and tell me in a comment here.
“Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, and above all that you may PROPHESY… but the person who PROPHESIES speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation…the person who PROPHESIES builds up the church.”
1 Corinthians 14:1, 3, 4b
