Prophecy Gift

I've had a stirring to jot down some things about prophecy for many, many months. I cannot claim to "know" anything, but I do have a passion for the prophetic. The more I learn about it, the more intrigued I become. I had a dream a few months ago like I have never had before. In it I was instructing others on prophecy and also giving words to four ladies. What is cool is that I really believe the four ladies represented me so I was really speaking to myself. (I love dreams. The stranger the better.) Other than the Bible and some dream-interpretation books, I have actually never read a book about prophecy, however recently I have purchased some I am excited to read.

I have had some Teachers that I admire in this area and want to share about them.

First, Mary Dorian. I cannot say enough good things about her. She is the real deal, and I am so honored to call her friend. She is the first person I ever saw minister to others with the prophetic gift. She is always kind and full of love. She is someone that Wayne and I trust to speak into our lives regularly. She is a safe place. Love her. Love her. Love her.

Second, Ryan Rufus. He is a great teacher and is the associate pastor for City Church Hong Kong. When I needed some spiritual advice, he responded. I was astounded at his accuracy and insight. He's got some great teachings on prophecy on their website: http://ccihk.com/

Third is Isi De Gersigny. She is a recent acquaintance, and I'm in total love with the God that shines through her. I could listen to her all day speak on the prophetic. She is kind and gentle and gorgeous. She pastors Jubilee International Church in Sydney Australia with her husband Fini. http://www.jubilee.org.au/ Pretty much every message she preaches has some sort of prophetic teaching.

Finally, Melissa Flores. I haven't ever had any personal contact with her, but I enjoy her blog called, "Defining Words." http://definingwords.com/ Most things are over my head, but some things have really changed my perspective in regard to the supernatural.

So here are some "things" I've learned...

1. There are no rules. People who teach their are rules about prophecy do not know what they are talking about in my experience. The way they describe their gift may be accurate for them, but not you. It is inappropriate to box God in.

2. Having said that, here is rule number one....A word from God will ALWAYS be lovely because he is love. If there is even a hint of judgmental, condemnation, accusatory crap, it is NOT from God PERIOD.

3. Having said that, it doesn't mean that every word from the Lord will be sunshine and rainbows. There have been a few and I mean like two or three words tops that I have ever gotten for other people that felt harsh. Really, I only judge them to be harsh out of my own personality. God knows what they need to hear. One in particular was a very strong warning about the person's behavior and where their life would end up if they continued. I just meditated on that word for over a month before I felt comfortable to tell the person just because I wanted to be extra sure that it was from God. I didn't want to even speak anything out like that unless I was sure. So I finally gave the person the word in private. Even though I thought the word had a negative slant to it, she felt so honored that God in heaven would warn her because he cared about her. She was truly touched and truly changed. It is the goodness of God that brings people to a place to change. She felt loved by him. God knew what he was doing even thought I didn't. Giving that word taught me loads about his love for people because apparently I don't know much.

4. The instruction on how to deliver it comes with the word. Sometimes you get a word and might feel like you can post it on facebook. Sometimes you tell in front of a small group. Sometimes you tell in front of large group. Sometimes you tell in private. Sometimes you tell in front of their parents. Sometimes you write it in a letter. Sometimes it doesn't matter how you deliver it. When in doubt, just wait. Sometimes all God wants you to do is pray about it for the person. Maybe they never need to know.

5. Prophecy looks like a lot of different things. Sometimes it is a verbal word. Sometimes a song. Sometimes a vision. Sometimes a painting. Sometimes a dream. Sometimes a dance. Sometimes a trance. Sometimes for yourself. Sometimes for a friend. Sometimes for the world. Maybe you see angels or hear them. Sometimes you just know what to pray. Maybe you smell a scent from heaven. Just as it is inappropriate to box in God, the same goes for prophecy.

6. The way I think of the prophetic is that you see or experience the supernatural. I believe that the Bible tells us to desire prophecy because we speak out Father's heart into the earth. Wow!

7. The difference between a gift of prophecy and a prophet. Um....I've heard teachings on this that I do not agree with. I have to go out on a limb here and say there is no difference. It's the same thing. This is my meager analogy. My sister is an expert cake baker. She has made wedding cakes, all my boys birthday cakes, etc. She makes cakes because she enjoys it. She has a passion for it. She does it for love. If you asked her what she does for a living, she would tell you that she is a high school teacher. But there are many wonderful cake decorators who actually have a full time job baking and selling cakes. Does that mean that because they get paid for what they do that their cakes look better and taste yummier? Nope. Both are just as wonderful.

This is why I think there is no difference. Any gift from the Lord is an act of love. A thirteen year old girl gave me a word from God once with tears streaking down her face that was five English words long. It has been a big source of hope for me and I still cling to it. Then you have these people who prophecy about major world events. Both are cool. Both are powerful. Both are demonstrations of love. One is not "harder" than the other because nothing is hard for God. If both are from God, and both are acts of love, how can we say one is greater? Do we really think we can categorize love? Love is love is love. Categorizing anything from God, in my opinion, sows lack into the people who God says lacks nothing. Don't do that. Don't sow lack. Sow love. Someone who hears an angel sing, or smells fragrance from heaven, or has a vivid dream is experiencing just as much God as someone who falls into a trance for forty days and wakes up with lots to tell. Love is love. There are no levels in love.

8. Interpreting prophecy.... Don't add to what God says. It's fine to not know the answer. I've heard before that "people shouldn't give a word if they don't have the interpretation." FALSE! God will tell you all you need to know. I like it when I see a vision and God gives me the interpretation because I also get to share in their word, but sometimes the interpretation is absolutely none of my business. Just share what you know. Many, many, many times I got a vision for someone without the interpretation. You know what? They know the interpretation. God knows what they need. One time I had a word for someone, but God told me the person who would interpret it. So I gave the gentleman the word, and told him who would interpret it. That's exactly what happened too, and the interpretation was amazing. Team work!

9. If someone keeps popping up into your mind, that is a big clue to slow down and either pray for them or see what the Lord wants you to do. The same with songs, or clips from movies, or scenes from your own past. Ask the Lord why you keep thinking on those things.

10. Stay open for anything. I heard Isi give a powerful word once that the Lord showed her through street signs as she traveled down the road. He's just cool like that. He's a super fun God. He just wants to talk to us because he loves us. He'll use all kinds of fun methods.

11. Prophetic words will be confirmation. If it doesn't bear witness, simply disregard it. I almost always tell a person that what God says in them or shows them means more than what I say. If it doesn't confirm or bear witness, then just disregard it. I especially say that when I am helping someone with their dream.

I have personally gotten words that were good words, but I did not want to hear. (This was back in the days I thought it was appropriate to be judgmental.) Mary told me a word that I felt offensive about because in my mind, "that person doesn't deserve that." or whatever bull crapola I was thinking. (I'm so thankful I am not that person anymore. I actually thought I was free! DISGUST!) Anyway, I think she could feel my obstinacy to the word she spoke out. I've felt the same obstinacy from others before. But that word WAS from the Lord and it planted something in my heart that made my heart start softening up toward the person. It has come to pass. Wow! Thank God for his word.

12. Be faithful over what he shows you. It's not your word, it's the Lords. If they reject it, it is not you they are rejecting. Don't ever think you did something wrong if someone starts accusing you. If your heart has good intentions, God will cover you. It's impossible to fail with a pure heart.

13. If you don't know what to do, you are in a perfect place. It is actually really easy. You hear what he tells you or shows you, and then you do it. The hardest part for me was getting over myself.

14. Also, I once had a lot of pressure on me to "perform" using the gift. God told me not to. His instruction for me was to not do anything. He said that he was sowing into me like a dammed river lake. One day he would open the flood gates. It took away the pressure. I knew what my Father had said, so when the pressure from others came, I didn't care what they thought. I think I didn't give any words for about six months. Then one day Wayne and I were driving to minister somewhere and God told me that I would be ministering to them with the gift of prophecy. Whoa! It was so much fun. Best fun ever. The dam gates were opened and it just gushed out in an atmosphere of freedom. God works with us as individuals. There is no formula. Formula equals magic. God is love, not magic.

15. How do you know if you have the gift of prophecy? Then answer this question....Do you want it? Then you have that gift of prophecy. God's given us all of him. We lack nothing. Love people first. Everything else will fall into place. We love people because we know God loves us. That's it. Easy Greasy.

16. When I first started realizing I had this gift, I would get physical sensations. Like sometimes I would sort of ache in a part of my body and know that someone was hurting there and God wanted to heal them. Or often I felt like I wanted to throw up or just start shaking. I think this happened for training purposes. It was sort of an outward cue that I could associate with the voice of my Father to share the gift. Now that my confidence has grown in his voice, I don't have those symptoms any more. The more confident that we hear his voice and know him apart from ourselves, the easier and sweeter it becomes because we rest and trust him more and more. I do not doubt his voice any more, but I used to. Even in doubting, you can't go wrong with a message of loveliness and a pure heart. Jesus covers us. Love covers us.

17. Sharing the gift strengthens us and the receiver simultaneously. so cool. I love heavenly mathematics. The more you give away, the bigger it gets.

18. You don't need any person to teach you. You have the Holy Spirit who is our teacher. What you might need is a little encouraging that you do indeed hear your father's voice. It's your right to hear him as a child of God.

19. One very cool thing about prophecy is how it can wipe out a voice of accusation. Accusation, judgment, condemnation and guilt can keep a person smashed down in a pit of despair. One word and I mean only one, can jerk them up out of that pit and onto the mountain top. It's happened to me a lot. sometimes it could be as simple as a hug.