Spirit Of Prophecy
“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:10 (KJV)
The first thing we need to know about prophecy is that it originates from God. Prophecy is the very breath of God that brings glory and honor to the Son. Prophecy always gives witness to Jesus. No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:3).
Prophecy should always lead us to the place of worship. Even here when the angel was declaring the Word of the Lord to John, he brought correction to his posture. Every messenger of God, whether man or angel, should lead us to the place called worship. Here, the angel told John, “Worship God.” This is the ultimate purpose of the prophetic. Worship! No matter how powerful the word; no matter how well-known the messenger; no matter how detailed, vivid, and well-presented the vision is, worship God!
Another wonderful way to look at this is that every time you testify Jesus to someone, you are prophesying to them. Every time you declare that He is a healer you are prophesying that their healing has come. Every time you give witness of the miracles He has done for you, you are prophesying that He has a miracle for them. This should encourage you to witness more and to testify more of who Jesus is and what He has done. You don’t have to tell someone their address and phone number to be prophetic. Just give witness of Jesus, who He is in your life and what He has done, and the power of prophecy will begin to be released.
What Is Prophecy?
It is the ability to see, speak, and move out of Divine Influence.
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 1 Peter 1:21 (KJV)
We see that prophecy didn’t come by the will of man but by the movement of the Holy Spirit. This movement implies the act of carrying someone away with a mighty wind. We see that true prophecy comes by the breath of God. The mighty rushing wind. When we, or someone else, are prophesying, there should be evidence of the movement of the Spirit of God. There should be heavenly movement.
We don’t prophesy out of our own hearts and feelings. The Bible tells us that deception comes when men prophesy out of their hearts (Jer. 23:26). True prophecy is out of the heart of God. We must yield our hearts to what God is saying to our spirit (1 Cor. 14:32).
What Is Prophecy For?
“But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” 1 Corinthians 14:3
We see and hear that new testament prophecy should do these three things:
Edify—to build up; the prophetic word should always build up the body. God is in the business of strengthening His body. Words of accusation and condemnation are not from the Lord. The enemy comes to kill, steal, and destroy, but Christ has come so that we may have life and life more abundantly.
Exhortation—to encourage; to urge us and stir us to action, to remove sluggishness (Tragheit). The prophetic word should be like an electric charger jump starting us into what God has already promised. In the very DNA of the prophetic word is the dunamis, the supernatural power of God. The prophetic contains the explosive power of God to knock down walls and hindrances in your heart and to release the God-potential inside of you.
Comfort—to console; the prophetic word has the ability to remove sadness and restore hope in a person. The Bible says in Isaiah 42:3, “A bruised reed he will not break nor will he put out a dimly burning wick.” God wants all of His children to be strong in Him. The messengers should carry not only the message of God but also the heart of God.