Renewing the Prophetic

by Sara Maynard

Photo credit: dailywildlifephoto.nathab.com

The Purpose of the Prophetic: 
"The primary purpose of spiritual gifts (including prophecy) is
to cause the Church to flourish --
because the Church is the hope of the world.​​"
​~Jeff Schroeder

The Plumbline of the Prophetic: 
The testimony of Jesus is the spirit (the essence) of prophecy (Rev 19:10). This is not testimonies about Jesus but the testimony of Jesus — which is the gospel. So if in our prophesying we’ve succumbed to the pressure to be like Christian fortune-tellers bringing forth predictions, but who don’t point people to Jesus, His cross and the power of His resurrection— we’ve missed the mark. 

Prophecy is for strengthening, encouragement and comfort (1 Cor 14:3). This is what the gospel, (the Good News) does in our lives, but as it does, it doesn't enable our dysfunction and immaturity, rather, it calls us to freedom in holiness, surrender, and carrying the cross. If our prophesying is omitting the challenges of the gospel, and has become only affirmations with predictions of promotion, wealth and favour, we are prophesying amiss. We likely have been swayed by the fear of man, or a desire to be liked, which are fatal flaws for a prophetic person. 

The Renewing of the Prophetic
Many years ago I had a vision of an old-school filing cabinet which was full of prophetic words people had received and saved. The wind of God came and the papers flew out of the cabinet, with the light ones flying away and the weighty ones, the ones that had the true substance of the word of God in them, remained. It was an image of separating of wheat and chaff. This sifting was to help us to believe what God had spoken, and to let go of that which had come from man’s hopes and good intentions for us.  

We are in a time where God is breathing in a fresh way on the promises He’s given us. Let’s not be afraid to let go of the words that were presented as “prophetic words’’, but which were actually from a human source and which stroked our egos and coddled our flesh. At the same time let’s revisit the words we have saved that have great weight on them, that are full of the gospel, that have truly come from God. These are the words that call us to love and trust and joyfully surrender to our wonderful Jesus more; they are full of a future and a hope for us personally and for the Church of Canada. 

Let’s revisit them, pray over them and let’s believe again.