"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy."  1 Corinthians 14:1

The Apostle Paul encourages us to desire spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. Interestingly, the word "desire" means "aggressively chase, like a hunter pursuing a catch (prize)." This is a very powerful word. The question has to be asked: why is this so important? Today, I will talk about this.

What do people need?

I believe there are seven things that all people need.

1. They need to know they are loved and accepted by God and man.
2. They need to know there is a purpose for their lives, and God guides that purpose.
3. They need to know they can have a personal, intimate relationship with God, that He wants to have that type of relationship with them, and that He sent His son Jesus to make that relationship possible.
4. They need to be healed in their heart and be free from fear and anxiety. 
5. They need to be free from pain and be physically healed.
6. They need peace in their heart.
7. They need to experience joy.

The Lord offers all solutions to all these needs. These solutions are called the good news.

How Jesus shared the good news

Jesus always started conversations by communicating acceptance. Consider the story of Matthew, the tax collector in Matthew 9:9-13. Matthew was hated and rejected by all his neighbours because he was a tax collector for the Romans. Yet Jesus starts His conversation by acknowledging Him and says, "Follow Me." Matthew responded and held a great banquet for Jesus at His house. Matthew felt accepted, and Jesus gave Him attention. Jesus asked him to follow Him, but he wanted a relationship with Him first. He ate with Him, talked with Him, and sat with Matthew's friends, who were all sinners and tax collectors. Jesus communicated acceptance to all of them as well.

Consider the time Peter denied Jesus in Matthew 26 and Jesus's response to Peter in John 21:1-19. Jesus had just made breakfast for Peter and the other disciples who were with him. He had blessed their fishing efforts with 153 fish, and as He sat with Peter, He said Simon, do you love more than these? Peter responds, "You know that I love you." Three times, Jesus asks Him this question, and each time, Jesus restores him by commissioning Him with words like, "Feed my Lambs, Take care of my sheep, Feed my Sheep." Jesus put a high priority on restoring that relationship, ensuring that Peter feels accepted, forgiven, and commissioned. He never speaks condemnation. He spoke out the treasure and plans He had for him. Those plans included Peter dying as a martyr, but Jesus still said, "Follow Me." Jesus focused on restoring Peter, breaking the shame, and raising him to a place where he could stand in front of thousands of people on the day of Pentecost and lead 3000 people to come into the Kingdom. Jesus married acceptance with the prophetic voice to restore Him and communicate acceptance, forgiveness, purpose, and plans for the future.

Consider the story of the women at the well in John 4:5-30. This woman was rejected and discarded by her whole town. Even the women in the town would not come with her to get water. She came alone. I believe Jesus knew she was coming and waited for her. He had sent His disciples away into the town so He could be alone with her. The first thing He did was ask her for a drink of water. This simple request was an act of acceptance since Jews did not interact with Samaritans. He then started a conversation about living water. He also talks to her about true worship. In the middle of this conversation, He says to her, "Call your husband," and she replies, "I have no husband." Jesus then received a word of knowledge and said, "You have answered correctly. You have had five husbands, and the man you live with is not your husband." This word provided supernatural evidence that God was in this interaction, for she says I perceive you are a prophet. 

It is clear that Jesus continues this discussion and facilitates some heart-healing ministry with this woman, but for the sake of her privacy and respect, it is not recorded in the Bible. This absence of information speaks of the Lord's desire to protect a person's privacy and that He does not expose our sins for all to see. 

True Prophecy

Some think that the prophetic is calling out a person's sins and shaming a person biblically. It is not. I Cor 14:3 states, "One who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging, and comfort."

A true prophetic word builds up, encourages, comforts, and declares God's plan, purpose, and hope for an individual's life. 

Regarding the woman at the well, we know that this transformation happened and that heart healing occurred based on how she responded to her town later. When she went back to her town, where she was rejected, she boldly declared, "Come and see the man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Christ"

The Jews rejected the Samaritans, yet our Heavenly Father directed Jesus to talk with Her. The Father planned this interaction to occur because Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing. 

True evangelism

I believe that the way Jesus ministered to the woman the well is the best way to facilitate the responsibility of evangelism. Being critical or self-righteous is not the right way. It will not be accepted. I believe it starts with acceptance and grows into a relationship and trust. It focuses on speaking forth our Heavenly Father's heart to a person and His desire to have a relationship with them. It finishes with an invitation to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. 

How to evangelize using the prophetic

1. Each day, start your day by asking your heavenly Father for times of interaction with people He wants you to meet.
2. Ask the Lord for prophetic words and words of knowledge for this person.
3. Ask the Lord to grant you favor with this person.
4. Expect the Lord to lead you to that person; do not be anxious about it. The Lord will do this; you will not do this.
5. Don't be surprised if the person doesn't look like a person who will receive your message. Be open to all people groups. He loves everyone. 

Everyone needs to know these six truths.

1. They are accepted and loved by God just as they are
2. He wants a relationship with them.
3. He wants to forgive them and heal their hearts.
4. He wants them to know the plans and purposes He has for them.
5. He wants them to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord.
6. He wants to be involved in every day of their lives, talk with them, listen to them, counsel them, and care for them.

Our job is to tell the world these truths in a way that people will receive them.

Close

Ps 24:1 states," The earth is the Lord's and everything in it the world and all who lives in it." 

Every person in the world belongs to the Lord. They need to know the good news. They need to know their heavenly Father wants to have a deep, intimate relationship with them. Our job is to tell them and demonstrate the relevance of having Him in our lives every day. Being prophetic and speaking forth the words He wants you to say is one of the most effective ways we can do it.

Learning to prophesy starts by learning to hear God. If you do not consistently hear God, I encourage you to download "How to Hear God," which will teach you how to hear the voice of God. I also encourage you to watch Mark Virkler's "How to Hear God videos" produced by Communion with God Ministries.  

I encourage you to desire to prophesy because You are the light of the world.