Raising Up A New Generation Of Prophets

  (Ministering in Budapest with our Prophetic Ministry Team)

Raising Up A New Generation of Prophets

"When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy." 1 Samuel 10:10

But when they arrived and saw Samuel leading a group of prophets who were prophesying, the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s men, and they also began to prophesy. 1 Samuel 19:20

            

              In First Samuel chapter three, the account of God raising up Samuel to become a prophet is told. Because of Eli and his son's poor leadership in Israel, it was uncommon for people to hear God's voice or see visions (1 Sam. 3:1). However, it was God's desire to raise up not just one prophet, but entire groups of prophets so that people could hear God's voice.  When God raises up a prophet, he intends not only to raise up one single individual, but groups of prophets that regularly prophesy and activate others to do the same.  

            This we see taking place in 1 Samuel 10:10-11:  When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah, they saw a group of prophets coming toward them. Then the Spirit of God came powerfully upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy. When those who knew Saul heard about it, they exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet? How did the son of Kish become a prophet?”      

            It is not God's will for just one or two "special" people to be able to prophesy, but that all may prophesy.

           

            “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons       and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy." Acts 2:17-18

 (In Barcelona with a prophetic ministry team)

  

Here we see that the promise is for all people - males, females, young, old, poor, rich, etc. - everyone upon whom God pours out his Spirit on.

            I was twelve-years-old when I started prophesying at a house group. My father, who was also the pastor, full of good intentions, shut me down because he felt that I was too young to prophesy. Even though we grew up in a Pentecostal church that believed in the gifts of the Holy Spirit and prophecy, it was still seen as a mystery and possibly even dangerous.

            Much of this attitude had to do with a lack of knowledge and practical experience in ministering prophetically. Paul in First Corinthians 14:1 says that we should "follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially that we may prophesy." Our attitude should be of eagerly desiring spiritual gifts, especially prophecy.

            Another source of misunderstanding is that people confuse Old Testament prophecy with New Testament prophecy. In the Old Testament, prophet's often declared judgement and if he or she made a mistake, then they received the death penalty (Deut. 18:20-22). Fortunately, in the New Testament, he who prophesies does it to strengthen, encourage, and comfort others (1 Cor. 14:3). Now, we test every word and we hold onto what is good and avoid every kind of evil (1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:19-22).

            Prophecy is not just foretelling the future, but more importantly communicating God's heart which can be about the present, past or future. There are different levels of prophetic ministry, and though not every believer is a prophet, every believer can learn to hear the voice of God. Every believer can witness about Jesus which is the spirit or essence of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).

            Another reason why people don't prophesy is because they think they have to feel or sense something before they can share a word from God. One leader of a large denomination told me that he could only prophesy at the end of meetings. This is when he could feel the anointing and his faith was high. Yet the bible says that we operate by faith, and not by what we see or feel (2 Cor. 5:7).  All the gifts of God including salvation, deliverance, healing, speaking in tongues, and prophecy are activated by faith, not feeling.

            Romans 12:6 in the Living Bible explains it so: "...if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then prophesy whenever you can -- as often as your faith is strong enough to receive a message from God."

            I love to prophesy whenever I can and as often as possible.  I love to receive a word or picture from the Lord for my life and for the lives of others. I love to do this not only for myself, but just as Samuel did, I love to train up schools or groups of believers who can prophesy.

           

(Selfie with my mentor,  Prophet Bruce Foster)

             

 In 2010, I led my first School of Prophets in southern Oklahoma together with my mentor, Prophet Bruce Foster. I was amazed to see how large groups of people of all ages began boldly, accurately and scripturally prophesying. Since that first School of Prophets, I have led similar schools in places such as: Amsterdam, Budapest, Barcelona, Oklahoma, New England, Turkey, Czech Republic, Madrid, etc. I have seen hundreds of people activated and growing in prophetic ministry.

            The gift of prophecy, like every other skill, is something we grow in by practicing. Whoever wants to prophesy regularly though, must have a lifestyle of holiness, humility, transparency and boldness where spiritual disciplines (prayer, fasting, bible study, giving, confession of sin, etc.) are regularly practiced. They must be rooted and grounded in the gospel and be strong in reading God's word because it is from the overflow of one's heart that a person speaks. They must be also open and willing to help out others grow in hearing God's voice.           

(All ministry, but especially prophetic ministry, is best done not alone.)

            

I now have an ever-growing whatsapp group on my telephone called Profeten (Prophets in Dutch). This is a group of over twenty-five individuals in Holland who all have a strong prophetic gifting. If I need a traveling ministry team or prophetic ministry myself, I can ask them to help.  Prophets are not called to be hidden alone in caves, but to work and serve each other in groups. This is a Biblical model which can ensure that a new generation of prophetic believers can be raised up who can take the voice of God to the four corners of the earth.