CHARISMATIC LOOKS
If you’ve followed my ministry for very long then it’s likely you know Dan McCollam
. Why do I presume that? Because he and I founded a 4.5 day global equipping school called the School of the Prophets
, and have equipped thousands of people in both the office of the prophet and the gift of prophecy. He’s contributed to my blog and podcast numerous times because no one carries perspective on prophecy quite like Dano (as those who know him like to call him).
This week I’ve asked him to share with us all: Why Prophecy?
This is an important question because often the heart of the prophetic gift
is misunderstood by many. Those who diligently pursue the gift have at times been labeled as a charismatic kook when in fact, many who walk in it healthily are some of the most sound-minded and open hearted people on the planet; they understand that the gift of prophecy is one of the most powerful and restorative gifts that’s been bestowed upon us. Don’t believe me? Maybe you’ll take Dano’s word for it. Enjoy!
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WHY PROPHECY...
It seems like a lot of believers are talking about prophecy and prophetic words these days. Is all this prophetic talk just the chatter of bored believers and revival-thrill seekers following some charismatic fad, or is there something else going on? It may not be surprising for you to hear me say this, but the gift of prophecy is not a hyped-up fad; rather, it’s a gift that gives us powerful insight into God’s heart. With that being said, you may still be wondering why we really need it? Besides the fact that the bible says, “Do not quench the spirit and do not despise prophetic utterances” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-20), what does prophecy practically do?
Let me share four reasons why I believe prophecy is so very important to every believer’s journey of faith:
1. PURPOSE:
First of all, the bible says that the foundation of the church is built upon apostles and prophets with Jesus Christ as the chief cornerstone. (Ephesians 2:20) We need prophets and prophecy because it is how God chose to build his church
. Though today’s religious system has primarily built churches on the three important offices the modern believers are more comfortable with---pastors, teachers, and evangelists; as powerful as that is, this is not the foundation Christ established. Why? One reason can be found in a simple definition of the word apostle and prophet. The word apostle relates to a mission or sent one, and the word prophet relates to some type of vision. Basically, God wanted every human being to be armed and equipped with a mission and a vision.
“Why am I on this earth?” is one of the great questions of life, and an apostolic and prophetic foundation is God’s answer to satisfy this deep longing of humanity for vision and purpose.
2. IDENTITY:
Secondly, prophecy is about identity. Salvation is more than a belief system, moral code, or philosophy; it is an entirely new creation. That’s why Jesus said to a sincere priest, “you must be born again!” You haven’t been merely forgiven and then sent out to give holy living another noble try; you have been reborn into the very nature of God’s family DNA
. As a matter of fact, this new birth is so entirely new and different that you don’t even know who you are or what you are truly capable of. We all know our earthly selves to a degree, but do you know the heavenly man that is seated together with Christ?
Prophecy is like seeing and hearing how the hosts of heaven already view the new you. Just ask Gideon who was hiding out in a winepress when the angel of the LORD showed up and called him a mighty warrior who would deliver his nation. Ask David who wasn’t even invited to the coronation party, but was anointed to be the next and arguably one of the greatest kings of Israel. The same is true for you! Your new creation in Christ Jesus is so wonderful and glorious that you are now capable of unimaginable good. Prophecy reveals this treasure of who you are now as a new creation in Christ Jesus.
3. DIGNITY
: We also need prophecy to restore our dignity.
The fallen nature kept us hidden and separated from the glory of God, clothed in guilt and shame while hiding in the weeds. But nothing gives a person more dignity than to know that they can hear God for themselves. The ability to recognize and respond to the voice of God robes you in regal favor and authority. Hearing and seeing God pulls you up out of the mire of mere mortal possibilities and turbo blasts you with resurrection power into a place where anything is truly possible.
4. DESTINY
: The final reason we need prophecy is revealed in the overlay between the Old and New Testament. Every time someone in the Old Testament was about to take hold of an earth -shaking destiny---like moving into the promised land or becoming the leader of a nation---God required three things, “Be strong, be of good courage for the LORD your God is with you.” Those are the same three virtues now imparted through the grace of New Testament prophecy. We see this in the fourteen chapter of Second Corinthians where it says that prophecy is to “Encourage, strengthen, and comfort the believer.” (1 Corinthians 14:3) What had to be stirred up by a select few in the Old Covenant is freely poured out on all through New Testament prophecy---that is, the ability to be strong and courageous through the comfort that God is with us. The ability to strengthen, encourage, and comfort one another with the treasure of heavenly identity and destiny is so much more than a bless me club
; it is propelling people with divine grace and virtue into earth-shaking destinies.
There are many people out there who are discerning the dirt, and echoing the troubles of our heavy-laden society, but who will rise up in regal authority and dignity to be a solutionary? We need prophets and prophecy like never before
. When God described the last days through the prophet Joel, He didn’t start with some dark saying of doom and gloom. He said, “In the last days, I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh and your sons and daughters will prophesy.” (Joel 2:28) God’s plan all along was a generation of sons and daughters that could hear his voice, see like he sees, feel his heart, and know what to do.
God has made it possible through the love of God, the sacrifice of Christ, and the outpouring of Holy Spirit to empower every human being to know and see this treasure so that they can share in fulfilling the prayer of Christ that it might be on earth as it is in heaven. That is why scripture says that prophecy is a greater gift that we should pursue.
In closing, I pray that you never forget the price of His outpouring or the heavenly blessing and benefits it confers. You need the purpose, identity, dignity and destiny that comes from prophecy... and this generation needs you to prophesy!
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If you’re curious to learn more about healthily operating in prophetic ministry, I want to invite you to download my new FREE resource — the Prophetic Protocol Guidebook.
It will not only help you develop your own prophetic gifting but it will also help you facilitate a strong prophetic community. It answers questions like: What do you do when you get a “judgement word”? When is the right time to give a word and when is the wrong time? Most importantly, it teaches you how to give the right word in the right season. Download your FREE Prophetic Protocol Guidebook
now
and start revealing to the world just how wonderful God’s plans are for them.
