by Pastor Tom Lane
As you pursue a deeper, more intimate relationship with God you will undoubtedly come to a place where you need to hear from Him.
He speaks
in a variety of ways, whether it be from His Word as you read it, directly to
you as you communicate with Him, or prophetically through another person.
When it comes to hearing a prophetic word from God in a
corporate setting, I have found that most people feel like I did initially
... fearful.
Although there is nothing more wonderful than to know God
knows me, loves me, and actually wants to talk with me like He would a friend,
many of us have the impression God is always frustrated and angry with
us. .
We feel like if He were to talk with us, He
would be harsh, corrective, and impatient. That’s certainly the way I believed,
and most prophetic words I had heard in church up until that point only served
to reinforce my belief.
When I was in my 20s, I was involved in a church whose
senior pastor had a prophetic gift. He would speak a prophetic word over every
person joining the church as he welcomed them into membership.
Although his
prophetic words were never harsh or personally embarrassing to anyone,
I just knew I’d be the first to
experience harsh correction or personal embarrassment in front of the whole
congregation. As a result, I waited several years to join the church.
Finally, the day came when I decided I wanted to formalize
my membership with the church. I knew that meant receiving a prophetic word
from my pastor.
As I wrestled with my decision, I determined if joining the
church meant I was to be corrected and embarrassed, then so be it.
I was one of about 15 people receiving their membership. My
pastor made his way through the line of people and then he came to me. He
paused for a moment looking intently into my eyes.
His look was penetrating. I
knew he was seeing deep into my soul and was about to dredge up all my ugliness
for everyone to see.
I was not living sinfully and my heart was turned to God,
but I was not sure that would matter. I knew I was not good enough, and I felt
God was barely tolerating me.
I was convinced that this event was going to draw
His ire because it was focusing His attention on me. So I braced myself for a
portion of His wrath.
After what seemed like an eternity, my pastor said, “The
Lord is not giving me anything for you,” and then he moved on to the next
person. There was a mixture of relief and frustration. I waited three years
for this?!
Every one of my fellow new members received a prophetic
word that day except for me. They were encouraged, affirmed, and loved as our
pastor shared words from God’s heart to each person ... except me. In fact, no
one had ever not been given a word in
all the years I had attended the church! I was the first!
That afternoon, I received a call from my pastor. He
comforted me and told me he had not felt any sense of sin or God’s displeasure
over my life. He said he had not sensed there was anything that might prevent
God from speaking to me through a prophetic word. He went on to say he was
quite puzzled and really could not explain why he was not given a word for me
that morning. But deep down inside I knew why.
While my pastor shared his thoughts with me, the Lord began
to quietly speak to my heart: I will never embarrass you. If you don’t want Me to speak to
you, I won’t.
God was gently correcting a misperception I had of Him as
He revealed His loving nature to me. .
That day, I learned He is not out to hurt or embarrass me. He deals with His children in a loving and private manner.
When I began to understand that God would not embarrass me
by outing my sins, something happened in my heart that deepened my relationship
with Him. I felt more loved by Him that day than I ever had in my whole life.
Over the years as God has allowed me to minister to people
through prophetic words, I have never forgotten this experience. I’m always
aware of the fear I felt in anticipation of receiving a word from God. All
ministry for God should accurately reflect His loving care to the people it
impacts.
The reality is that people inside and outside the church
need a loving encounter with God.
Imagine if we were to give someone a life-giving word from
God at Walmart or the grocery store or the gym.
Imagine if we were to give our children or a close family
member a word that expressed God’s love or brought hope to a troubling
situation or even provided direction, an affirmation, and encouragement from
God’s heart to theirs.
That afternoon, I received a call from my pastor. He
comforted me and told me he had not felt any sense of sin or God’s displeasure
over my life. He said he had not sensed there was anything that might prevent
God from speaking to me through a prophetic word. He went on to say he was
quite puzzled and really could not explain why he was not given a word for me
that morning. But deep down inside I knew why.
When the Apostle Paul was talking to the
men of Athens, he said, “Yet He is actually not far from each one of
us, for ‘in Him we live and move and have our being’” (Acts 17:27–28, ESV).
The Bible is the foundation for all of God’s
revelation to us. No word or revelation from God will ever be
inconsistent with the principles and precepts of the Bible.
There are many daily life decisions that are not
specifically addressed in the Bible—where to live, what car to buy, the answer
to a family or business dilemma —all these life situations, and many others,
require God’s wisdom and direction.
Everyone needs a word from God! They need to know He cares for them and is aware
of the needs and situations in their lives.
You can be God’s delivery agent of a message of
encouragement and love to someone He cares for deeply.
As you allow God to use
you in this way to minister His love to people, my prayer is you’ll be
challenged and encouraged to step out in faith.
And as you do, the Holy Spirit will fill you and use you as
His “ministry agent” to help people. Also, it’s my prayer you’ll realize
prophetic ministry can be “weird free” when done in an orderly and life-giving
manner.
Finally, my hope is you’ll gain the perspective that while
the prophetic is most often practiced and developed within the context of a
church and its ministries, it can also be practiced within the daily context of
our lives to encourage, help, and comfort people wherever we
meet them.
God never calls us to do something for Him that He does not
empower us to do if we are willing to do the work and time. Please, take the
time to get to know God in an intimate way.
As your relationship with Him grows, you move up in rank
and are assigned harder missions. Your purpose on earth is to shine God’s love
to a lost, dying world.
Your mission, if you should choose to accept it, is waiting
for you!
Open your ears and your heart to the Lord and be excited
about your new future serving Him in truth and spirit.
Can God change your life?
God has made it possible for you to know Him and experience
an amazing change in your own life.
Serve Him..
And expect … for He is able to do much much more than you
can ask or imagine.
Settle that sin issue ...
“Father God, I
confess I am a sinner and my sins have separated me from You.
I am truly sorry. I now want to turn away from my past
sinful life and live a new life pleasing to You.
Please forgive me, and help me avoid
sinning again.
I believe that Your Son, Jesus Christ died
for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer.
I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my
life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Thank You that
according to Your Word, I am now born again.
Please send Your Holy Spirit to help me
obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. I promise to study Your
Word – the Bible.
Use me for Your
glory.
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.”
.
.RELATED POSTS:
The Holy
Spirit’s
‘Still Small Voice’
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Who is
the Holy Spirit?
Does God Speak To Us Through Dreams and
Visions?
“Sitting at the Feet of Jesus”
Author: J. H.
lyrics
1 Sitting at the
feet of Jesus,
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.
2 Sitting at the
feet of Jesus,
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows,
And, when weary, find sweet rest;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray;
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows,
And, when weary, find sweet rest;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray;
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
3 Bless me, O my
Savior, bless me,
As *I sit low at Thy feet; [*I’m waiting]
Oh, look down in love upon me,
Let me see Thy face so sweet;
Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus,
Keep me holy as He is;
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.
As *I sit low at Thy feet; [*I’m waiting]
Oh, look down in love upon me,
Let me see Thy face so sweet;
Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus,
Keep me holy as He is;
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.
Adapted from He
Still Speaks: Embracing the Prophetic Today,
by Tom Lane and Wayne Drain, available at the Gateway Bookstore.Gateway’s
Presbytery will be on August 14–16 at all campuses. Come prepared to receive a
word from God!
http://gatewaypeople.com/ministries/life/story/2016/08/05/he-still-speaks-why-everyone-needs-a-word-from-god
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