Should we seek to prophecy?

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VW

Banned
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
9
0
#1
Are there any benefits to seeking and gaining the gift of prophecy? What are the dangers if any, of having this gift of the Spirit? And even more important, what is the cost to the body of Christ, if there are none who prophecy? Should all Christians prophecy?

First, we should understand just what prophecy is, and is not. There are some similarities with prophecy in the days of the prophets who were sent to the nation of Israel, but there are many differences also. So called new testament prophecy is unique in many ways, all which make it highly desirable for all Christians. Bit not all will become prophets, although all may prophecy.

Prophecy is the gift where the Holy Spirit speaks His words into the heart of the one hearing, with the purpose of sharing His thoughts with others. Many times these thoughts are for the comforting of another. Sometimes they are to bring conviction on one trapped in sin. And then there is the words which convict an unbeliever that Jesus is alive and that He died for them. There are many other things the Spirit can and does speak to, bit these are the most common, along with expounding on scripture. All of these things are profitable to the body.

It is written that the testimony of the children of God is the spirit of prophecy. This is another exams of a profitable use of prophecy. When we testify of how we were saved by Jesus, how we experienced His grace, the Spirit empowers our words for those hearing. He opens their ears to hear, and makes our words carry weight and convi film which is not from ourselves. In this all Christians should prophecy.

But the main benefit I have gained from prophecy is the growing ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. From the above, it is not hard to figure out why this is so.

I pray that more of His children are called to receive this gift to walk in it. If enough do, it will change the world, and add to the body of Christ abundantly.
 
L

Lifelike

Guest
#2
Are there any benefits to seeking and gaining the gift of prophecy? What are the dangers if any, of having this gift of the Spirit? And even more important, what is the cost to the body of Christ, if there are none who prophecy? Should all Christians prophecy?

First, we should understand just what prophecy is, and is not. There are some similarities with prophecy in the days of the prophets who were sent to the nation of Israel, but there are many differences also. So called new testament prophecy is unique in many ways, all which make it highly desirable for all Christians. Bit not all will become prophets, although all may prophecy.

Prophecy is the gift where the Holy Spirit speaks His words into the heart of the one hearing, with the purpose of sharing His thoughts with others. Many times these thoughts are for the comforting of another. Sometimes they are to bring conviction on one trapped in sin. And then there is the words which convict an unbeliever that Jesus is alive and that He died for them. There are many other things the Spirit can and does speak to, bit these are the most common, along with expounding on scripture. All of these things are profitable to the body.

It is written that the testimony of the children of God is the spirit of prophecy. This is another exams of a profitable use of prophecy. When we testify of how we were saved by Jesus, how we experienced His grace, the Spirit empowers our words for those hearing. He opens their ears to hear, and makes our words carry weight and convi film which is not from ourselves. In this all Christians should prophecy.

But the main benefit I have gained from prophecy is the growing ability to be led by the Holy Spirit. From the above, it is not hard to figure out why this is so.

I pray that more of His children are called to receive this gift to walk in it. If enough do, it will change the world, and add to the body of Christ abundantly.
Many benefits my friend. Earnestly desire the gifts but especially that you may prophecy. Prophesy is for the building up and the edification of the church, and so is vitally important. With so much discouragement and depression in the times we live in, it is vitally important to not only lift each other up by the truth of Gods word, but to convey His heart to each other, singing to each other in psalms and spiritual songs, directly from the heart of God through the gift of prophecy. Even with a word or thought from God's heart people can be COMPLETELY changed, and find new direction in life. God is good! The dangers in operating in the gift of prophecy can be not being accountable to anyone, and having people exposing peoples issues etc, in front of other people, which is not biblical, and not practical. Really it all falls to peoples motives, and there is proticols that can make the gift of prophecy safe, and we can avoid abuses. If u are really interested in seeking out the gift I would strongly advise that you seek out training in proticol and ethic in prophecy, and there is a lot of good teaching available. The school we do is awesome, but it is not available on line at the moment I dont think - our leader travels extensively and holds prophetic school but I think she only does it in one location in the USA at present.

We are encouraged to desire the gift of prophecy, but character issues and attitudes, and ethics all affect how we will handle the gift. I can see by your post that you have a genuine heart VW and most of this will be pretty common sense to you but, with anything we are not experienced in, we need to learn to navigate and its so invaluable to be able to learn from someone that is mature in the gift, to avios making the same mistakes that they have made and learnt from.

I believe that all christians sould be prophetic, but its not necessarily essential that all prophecy. Although 1 Cor 14:31 says "All may prophesy, one by one, that all may learn and all may be established" some will operate in the gift more powerfully than others, and some may use it very little, where others may operate in it very frequently.

I have a great resource - "Equiping a prophetic people" By Lynne Hamilton. Its an awesome manual on this subject, and is the manual she uses when teaching her school.

The Bible is the mind of God in written form
The Holy Spirit is the Word of God in quickened form
Prophecy is the mind of God in verbal form.

God bless.
 

VW

Banned
Dec 22, 2009
4,579
9
0
#3
I did not have anyone to teach me, so I had to learn from the Spirit. I learned first by writing what I was hearing. Sometimes when I post here I am writing what I hear. The lead to this thread was written hearing His voice.

That the gift has been abused is without argument. Those who have done so have one they will answer to. But it is also important to realize that there is so much to gain, in so many ways. Most churches would not accept this, because mainly they could not know what will be spoken, and so cannot control things. Also, prophecy makes many people very uncomfortable. And it should, if they have things hidden in their hearts, things which need revealed. (I wish there had been someone to correct me when I became deceived.)

I have seen testimonies given in the Spirit, and testimonies given from the heart. They always moved people. On the other hand, I have seen testimonies that moved no one at all. I have seen a passage read from the bible in the Spirit that moved the people who heard it in the love of God. (I cannot count the sermons I have sat through that moved me not at all.)

I believe it is time for prophecy to begin to hold sway in the body. Why? Because it is time for the gospel of the kingdom of Jesus Christ to be preached, and that will happen only by and in the Spirit.

In Christ,
Vic
 

zone

Senior Member
Jun 13, 2010
27,214
164
63
#4
UGH. more of the same.

It is written that the testimony of the children of God is the spirit of prophecy.
chapter & verse on that one? is it improvised?

you do need it to justify your "anointing" and office.

but is it true?

here's a passage i found that is remarkably similar - with a notable exception:

Revelation 19:10
At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "Do not do it! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."
 
A

Abiding

Guest
#5
For now i will hold off my responce to this and put it in the new gnostic thread.Ill just say in short that i believe we all should be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks us why we have hope in Jesus with respect, and yes I believe in His providence He gives grace to both the teller and the listenner.
But to infer we need to seek supernationals for the world to change i tend to think that infers the impotance of God and the importance of man.

Actually most of what i hear for the reason of the necessity of such gifts .....are accomplished by the power of God through the gospel as Christ leads His church and by the Holyspirit with or without the use of men.