The Year of Prophetic Practice

Our Theme this year is The Year of Prophetic Practice. This has come about because I believe God wants us to speak and receive personal prophecies with greater intentionality this year. Those of us so gifted also need to make public prophecies as God inspires and leads us. Both these, and other  forms of prophetic ministry are vital to the believer's life and even the life of our nation and all people therein. Look at the following scripture...particularly the underlined words.

1 Cor. 14:1-3 "Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit,especially prophecy. 2 For anyone who speaks in a tongue (in tongues) does not speak to people but to God. Indeed, no one understands them; they utter mysteries by the Spirit. 3 But the one who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouraging and comfort." NIV with my emphases

And the various forms of personal and public prophecy include: sharing prophetic words, praying prophetic prayer, leading prophetic worship and doing prophetic actions among others.

Now it is important to know how this type of ministry (prophetic ministry) comes about and it is equally important to know how this ministry is to be dispensed. Jesus gives the answer when He said in John 6:63 " It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life."

That forms our Sub theme for the year 'Speak words that are Spirit and Life!' 

1) To speak prophetically you and I need to call on the Power of The Holy Spirit. That's what 'speaking words that are Spirit' means. This answers the question 'how does this type of ministry (prophetic ministry) come about?'

2) Also to minister these words properly to others, we need to remember that whatever Jesus said to people always had (and still does) the intention of bringing renewed Life to them . Similarly, when we share prophetically it must have the tone and the intention that Jesus' words had; the intention of being Life-giving. That is what 'speaking words that are Life' means. This answers the question  'how  is this type of ministry to be dispensed?'

Also in our normal, day-to-day living as believers in Christ, everything we do to and for others around us must carry the same 'Spirit and Life' principle. That is:-

1) We should ask God to empower us by His Holy Spirit to do to and for others what He wants us to.  And... 

2) We must ensure that whatever we do is done in a Life-giving manner and not in a way that is destructive to others.