Have we misunderstood the purpose of prophecy, and at what cost?
I was recently involved in leading an evening about hearing God’s voice - “all ages, all levels of experience, come along to an evening about prophecy…Everyone is welcome!”
Lots of people came. And lots of people left…surprised. It was NOT what some had expected.
“My initial understanding was that prophetic words were supposed to make you feel ‘good’.”
During the course of the night, we had shared several key prophetic words that we, as a prophetic team, had weighed and felt were from God and were relevant for the Church right now. They were very sobering words; words that described a time that was coming of the darkest dark alongside the brightest light. Words that included ‘a great shaking’ ‘deep, long recession’, ‘war’, ‘famine’, but along with ‘many salvations’, ‘incredible miracles’ and ‘breathtaking healings’. In many ways, what we shared was similar to the kind of prophetic warnings and promises you would find throughout the prophetic writings of the Old Testament.
…So why were some surprised by the content?
Have we misunderstood the purpose of prophecy?
Is a prophetic word only meant to make us feel 'warm and fuzzy'…?
I don’t know about you, but when I was first taught about prophecy the teachers would often quote 1 Corinthians 14:3 - “But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort.” They would go on to state that the golden rule of prophecy was therefore that it must be edifying, encouraging and comforting for the person receiving a prophetic word.
My initial (mis)understanding of the golden rule was therefore that prophetic words were supposed to ‘make you feel good’. If someone shared a word with you, and it was from God, then it should leave you feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside in a soft, marshmallow sort of way as you realised just how incredibly special you were. That’s what it meant to be encouraged, comforted and edified… right? What I hadn’t understood correctly was context. And context is everything.
Encouragement comes in many forms
Imagine being enrolled in an army about to take on the fiercest of enemies in the darkest depths of an unknown jungle. You arrive at your destination and your Commanding Officer gives this speech:
“This will be the hardest thing that you will ever go through. You will have sleepless nights, you will sacrifice all your comforts, you will be shot at, bitten and experience great suffering. You will be challenged mentally, physically and emotionally in ways that you have never encountered before, and some days you will despair and want to run away from it all.
“But know this: I will never leave you, you can always trust me. I will look after you. I know all the plans of the enemy and all his weaknesses. If you listen well and obey me, you will remain in the safest place that you can possibly be. You may feel fear, and that’s okay - just keep by my side and I’ll show you what to do, step-by-step. It will be hard, but it will also be worth it. So don’t give up, stay with me and we’ll get through this. Victory is ours.” [Footnote 1]
They’re hard words to hear. But they’re also encouraging, comforting and edifying, and necessary for that specific context - one of warfare.
Ephesians 6:12 says this, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
We are in a spiritual battle every moment of every day. And that impacts the kinds of prophetic words we give and receive.
A weapon - not a blanket
“After our prophetic evening, one father said, ‘My son came to the meeting as a boy but he left as a man.’ This is the power of prophetic encouragement.”
The gift of prophecy is not supposed to be a personal, verbal ego massage. Like all other spiritual gifts, it’s a powerful weapon given to God’s people, who are actively engaged in a spiritual battle against an aggressive enemy. God’s words are like a sword [2] that we need to use to slice through the enemy’s lies. They’re like fire that we use to incinerate strongholds. [3] They’re like a bright light that guides us in the pitch black. [4]
After our prophetic evening, one father shared this feedback with me. He said, “My son came to the meeting as a boy but he left as a man.” This is what prophetic encouragement does.
So can I leave you with the comforting and edifying words found in Isaiah 60? “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.”
Church, now is the time to shine. Be encouraged, and fight boldly with the weapons God has gifted you.
Footnotes
See Joshua 1:9 and Isaiah 41:10 for similar words of encouragement.
'“...the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” (Ephesians 6:17)
“Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:29)
“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” (Psalm 119:105)
Anna Goodman
Born in Honduras, watered in Nepal, Belgium and Barbados and rooted (for now) in Cambridge, Anna’s heart is to sow, grow and mow wherever God takes her. Married to Daniel and discipling two young warriors, Anna’s aim is to intentionally live as though Jesus is coming back tomorrow.