Recently I attended an Encounter Night at ZION where time was set aside for us to gather in small groups and prophecy over each other. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to be the prophetic church, and I was blessed to be part of it.
On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 1 Corinthians 14:3 (ESV)
How incredible is it that we have the opportunity to not only speak to people with words of encouragement and consolation but that when we do we get to speak words from God given to us through the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21)
Prophetic words are a gift from God, and according to 2 Timothy 3:16 they are useful for teaching, reproof, correction and training in righteousness, not only encouragement and consolation. It seems to me that essentially prophecy is a tool for growth.
In this season of my life, now that I have a little more experience in navigating difficult times and how God uses those experiences for His glorification and my edification. Now that I see how things get better after a little refining, the purpose of prophecy is a little easier to swallow, but there was a time when the idea of prophecy terrified me.
Not long ago, the thought of someone prophesying over me made me tense, anxious, and manufactured a deep desire to escape. I was terrified that if someone spoke over me they would suddenly realise how truly awful I am and then announce it to the known world. I was scared of rejection.
Despite knowing that God loves me (John 3:16), that He has chosen me (1 Peter 2:9), I didn’t really believe it, and so out of fear I rejected the gift He was offering me, unable to give or receive prophecy because I was believing a lie.
Whether I was aware of it or not, there was a part of me that believed that God was not good and that He would use prophecy to hurt me, shame me, and condemn me. Now I only know one person whose aim is to do that, only one who wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10), and it is not God.
Thankfully I have been given space to grow my relationship with prophecy, including wise counsel, getting to know God and His character, and opportunities to witness the positive effects of prophecy in the lives of church family.
God has driven out fear and now I get to both give and receive prophecy, knowing that whatever is said to me will be used to grow me into who I need to be for the next season.
I also trust that any word I have given in prophecy can and should be tested to ensure that it aligns with God, and that He and Holy Spirit can be trusted.
After having the opportunity to experience prophecy, it is my prayer that we, ZION, and the church as a whole, can be the prophetic church. That our words to others be sent to us from God through the Holy Spirit, so that we can each be part of seeding joy, growing maturity, and developing good fruit in the lives of the people around us.
Karla