You All Can

Do you have prophetic friends? To have friends who say, “I’ll pray for you,” is a rare blessing.  To have friends who say, “I’ve been praying for you,” is a special blessing.  To have friends who say, “Let’s pray right now,” is a supreme blessing.

But, do you have friends who prophesy to you?

Are you in a church where there is always a chance someone will prophesy to you?  To be in a church that teaches about prophesy and the gifts of the Spirit is a rare blessing.  To be in a church that demonstrates prophecy is a special blessing.  To be in a church where people prophesy to one another is a supreme blessing.

But, do you have friends who prophesy to you?

You can all prophesy

~ I Corinthians 14:31

Prophecy has been in the news recently and for all the wrong reasons. You may have seen that Shawn Bolz and Chris Reed, who both built entire careers around prophesying to strangers, have been charged with cheating.

I will never forget flying across the country with my boys to attend the Azusa Now event at the L.A. Coliseum in 2016.  With his phone in hand from the platform, Bolz called out names, addresses, birthdays, and dreams with uncanny accuracy.  

He was later caught having “data-mined” the information online using the registration list.

More recently, I can never forget being in a church service with Chris Reed.  With his phone in hand from the platform, Reed called out names, addresses, birthdays, and dreams with uncanny accuracy.

He was later caught having “data-mined” the information online using church lists.

These instances of fraud are disgraceful on their face, but I shudder at the brazenness of a human heart that would dare play Rich Little with the voice of God.  It makes me think of the Apostle Peter’s words to Ananias when he caught him in a public lie in the Book of Acts:

 ‘How have you thought up this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men, but to God.’ And as he heard these words, Ananias fell down and breathed his last. 

~ Acts 5:4-5

I won’t speak for you, but as for me and my house, I choose to abstain from thinking I can lie to the omniscient King of the Universe. I can only conclude one of two things for jesters like Ananias, Reed, and Bolz.  They either presume wrongly upon His fathomless forgiveness or don’t believe there is a King or a throne. Yet, this still has little to do with my original question.

Do you have friends who prophesy to you?

Pursue love and be eager for the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

~ Paul’s First Letter to Corinth, 14:1

According to Derek Prince’s definition, prophecy is the ability given by the Holy Spirit to speak words inspired by and given by The Holy Spirit.  Note both the ability to hear the words and the content of the words are from The Lord. While these prophetic words are sometimes predictive, corrective, or cautionary, they are most often for encouragement, strengthening, and consolation. (I Corinthians 14:3)

Encouraging

In October 2020, I was leading worship in a prayer meeting.  About 50 of us were there, and a pastor with a seasoned gift of prophecy was visiting.  Over two hours into the meeting, I was wearily planning an escape route with the least path of disruption when this pastor interrupted his message, scoped me around the music stand, and said, “I see writing all over you.  I know you’re the music guy, but you won’t be writing songs.  This will be something entirely different.”

At that point, I was not even keeping a journal, let alone The Wine Patch. Over these past four years, that word has sustained me through the endless cycles of asking myself why I do this. The next time you want to leave a meeting early, it is best to check with The Lord first.

Last year, my close friend and prayer room leader gave me a handwritten prophetic word.  I’ve watched him accurately prophesy over hundreds of people over the years, but this one was different.  I can still see him, in tears, reading it to me.  Every week since, as I struggle to understand why my business failed and why I can’t yet see the way forward, I read that word, and it bolsters my faith and chases my doubts.

Strengthening

A few months ago, I found myself once again overwhelmed with despair, particularly about finances.  I asked the Lord for a sign. My phone lit up with a text from an unknown number saying they appreciated my work and were praying for me.  I ignored it as spam, but a few days later another message arrived.  I reservedly asked who it was.

It turns out it was from a young man of miraculous faith and holy fire who was with us on my mission trip to India in 2018.  He now lives in the States, is married with a child, and asked if we could talk on the phone. As excited as I was to hear from him, I expected a fund-raising ministry pitch to follow.

I could not have been more wrong.  This young man told me he had followed my writing and prayed for me. Still, I jadedly thought:  How much money will you need? But no, he told me he had a word from The Lord for me and began to prophesy.  As I type this, I can still feel the power of those sacredly phrased truth bombs bursting in my heart.  

Consoling

Just a few weeks ago, a few of us were sitting around the kitchen table after a presence-filled prayer meeting.  We call these post-gatherings The After Glow.  We had barely sat down when my friend and pastor, who lives half the country away, grabbed my arm and started to prophesy.  He teared up, yet with resolve, he spoke directly of the price I’ve paid for the battles I’ve waged — Against culture, politics, and the church.

I dislike giving the enemy too much air time because misplaced focus can yield unintended consequences. However, his words landed in my heart and mind with profound, insightful comfort. I’ve been praying through them ever since.

Though I am withholding details of the content, these are three examples of pretty recent gifts God has given to me through friends who dare to prophesy.  And while some may think these are simply instances of positive affirmation, each of these friends has evident, intimate, and devoted faith in God, is firmly rooted in the scriptures, and knows the difference between giving a compliment or a prophecy. 

Our magnificent wiring is incredibly conductive to the current of The Creator’s voice.  In other words, when a word is from the Lord, we know it.

With regard to the spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be ignorant.

~ I Corinthians 12:1

Paul does not want us to be unaware of the power made available through resurrection.

I know very few churches that practice the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, teach the gifts of the Spirit, or allow time in their gatherings for the Holy Spirit to speak.  I surmise that subconsciously, or better said, sub-spiritually, church leaders are well aware there is a paucity of power in their gatherings, so clunky compensations are implemented to give the appearance of power — Compensations like mood-evoking lighting, over-caffeinated messages, piped-in glory smoke, and excessive decibel distribution.

Others believe that because we have the canonized scriptures, The Lord has said everything He wants to say. Yes, we cherish the Bible, God's living and active eternal Word. However, we can become scripture scholars yet still not recognize His voice.

Paul also clearly distinguishes between the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet.  All can prophesy, but not all are prophets.

Scripture requires that all prophecies should be tested.  I have had many prophetic words given to me over the years which have not yet happened.  While some may still come to pass, in most cases, it is safe to say the person giving me those words had confused their thoughts for The Lord’s.  

I’ve been in more than a few meetings where one person shared a struggle or a need, and suddenly, we started playing Pin the Tail on the Donkey with our best attempts at placing a meaningful word on the person. Like blindfolded kids stumbling to land their best effort, the poor subject ends up covered in tails, with even a few left dangling from the ceiling.

But when that one pinned word of precision finds its mark, it can change a person’s life. Even cleaning up the rogue tails can be a vital learning process for everyone.

The one who prophesies builds up the church.

I Corinthians 14:4

Many church leaders will say that I Corinthians 14 is prescriptive for small group meetings, not Sunday morning gatherings. Here are a few thoughts.

First, when this letter was written, the church primarily met house to house.  Second, why should we expect a Tuesday night small group to excel and flourish in the fullness of the gifts of the Spirit when it is never taught, modeled, or demonstrated on Sunday mornings? In my experience, it is rare for a small group to exceed the freedom the Sunday leaders permit.

Third, Paul tells us that prophecy builds up the church.  My aim is not to be preachy nor to be critical because my heart longs for the people of God to take full ownership of the gifts Jesus rose to give us.  In that exchange, we are molded more into the image of Christ, and our gatherings grow in the same power that transformed the world through the first-century church. 

Are you worried about repelling a seeker or offending a visitor?  Paul tells us what can happen to them when prophecy is released in the gathering:

The secrets of his heart are disclosed, and in this way he will fall down with his face to the ground and worship God, declaring, 'God is really among you.'

~ Verse 25

And you'll want to turn up the lights when this starts happening.

Photo Credit: An image from Papyrus 46. One page of Paul’s letter to the Church at Corinth. Roughly AD 200.