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I                                                                BELIEVE

IN THE                                                                 PROPHETIC

GOD DOES NOTHING WITHOUT THE PROPHETIC

“ And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your  young men shall see visions:”

Joel 2:28

The dispensation that the body of Christ is experiencing now has the fullness of the Holy Spirit. One thing to know is that the Holy Spirit was not living with the people in the Old Testament. The spirit came upon them when He had a mission. The spirit never lived with Sampson, but rather rested on him whenever it was necessary.

This dispensation is more favored because the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, is living with us and in us. The Holy Spirit has not been dropped but rather, has been poured on men, women, the youth, the old.

According to Joel, when the spirit comes on the individual, he/she prophesies. The ability to prophesy does not come by going to the school of prophets, neither does it come by admiring it from afar, but rather, it comes by the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I love the prophetic because almost everything that happened in the bible, from Genesis to Revelation was written out of prophecies. God created the world by using prophetic utterances.

“And God said, Let there be light and there was light.”

Genesis 1:3

This was a prophetic word that God spoke to bring something into being or existence.

Jesus Christ, our Savior, was born through the prophetic utterance of Isaiah, the prophet.

“And he said, Hear ye now, O house of David, Is it a small thing for you to weary my God also?  Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:13-14

Everything was planned prophetically for the virgin Mary to conceive the Messiah.

“And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus.”

Luke 1:30-31

God never does anything on earth without first speaking about it, through His word or through man. All that Jesus Christ came to do on earth were said before they happened. Jesus was noted for His healing anointing but this anointing had already been prophesied by the prophet Malachi.

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”

Malachi 4:2

This anointing that was prophesied several years before Christ was born carried Him throughout the ministry. Through this prophetic anointing, we will encounter certain miracles that Christ did.

Christ’s crucifixion was prophesied even before He was born. The number of disciples, what will happen to them after He was captured and the resurrection, were detailed through prophecies from God. God will never do anything on this earth, unless He had already spoken it.

With these few truths, I strongly believe in the prophetic ministry. As a prophet, I have had certain encounters that have made me know that Jesus is still in the miracle business. He is in fact, the Miracle working Jesus.

THE PROPHETIC OFFICE

“And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers;”

Ephesians 4:11

There are five main offices in the ministry that we need to know of. All are not called to become apostles; likewise, all are not called to be prophets. Like the human body, it is not only the eyes that make the body, neither the head. The body is made up of various parts, also the body of Christ is made up of five main offices. An office is a distinct unit in the body of Christ. In the secular world, offices are places where businesses are transacted. There are ranks in the offices and workers are needed in the offices. Likewise, the prophetic office is a place in the body of Christ where present, past and future events about to happen, have happened or is happening is worked upon.

The prophetic office is an office that God instituted to perfect the saints for the work of the ministry for the edifying of the body of Christ. The saints are perfected by the prophetic. The work of the ministry needs people in the prophetic office. People are edified as they receive prophecies. This is something instituted by God for the body of Christ. Without the prophetic, the body of Christ will be in want. Necessity is therefore laid on prophets, because that room had been ordained by God to be filled by people He has chosen.

There is a clear cut difference between the prophetic gift and the office. There are differences, even, between identical twins.

This is a distinct calling where a person, operating in that office functions as the headmaster. The office of a prophet indicates that the person’s main calling in life is to become a prophet. Kenneth Hagin, at a point in time interchanged his calling. During a service, God needed to break his arm because he said he was a teacher and prophet, instead of a prophet and teacher. This might sound nonsense but one thing that you must know is that, when you make the first thing in your life second, that thing loses its significance. That thing is not respected again and the value or importance is lost. In the bible, there are two kinds of prophets in the office, the oral prophets and the literal prophets. The oral prophets were those who left no writings bearing their names, such as Elijah and Elisha. Others include Nathan, Gad, and Ahijah. The literal prophets were those who wrote books bearing their names. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel are examples of these literal prophets.

As I said earlier that there are ranks at the secular offices, likewise there are ranks in the prophetic office. That is how come the bible is even divided into major prophets and minor prophets. These were people who were in the offices of the prophet in the bible. This classification was based on the length of the books. The major prophets include the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel. The minor prophets are those twelve books from Hosea to Malachi.

The prophetic office is a distinct call upon the life of the individual.

“And God has set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets…”

1 Corinthians 12:28

These people have been placed or set there by God Himself for a purpose.

The role of the apostle is to establish churches, see to the administration of the church and the apostle oversees the works that have been done. The role of the evangelist is to preach to convert souls for the kingdom. Likewise, the role of the prophet is to prophesy.

The prophet in his office does not struggle to prophesy. In the prophetic office, one can prophesy even when he is woken up from sleep. You have the ability to even decide when to prophesy and when to stop as you are in the prophetic office. You are able to master every prophecy and the channels through which they come.

You might be called into the prophetic office, but you need training and discipline in order to mature in the office.

THE PROPHETIC GIFT

“Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy.”

1 Corinthians 14:1

The gift of prophesy is one of the gifts of the spirit mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:8-10.

“… to another prophecy…”

1 Corinthians 12:10

Let me explain this first, even unbelievers have the gift of prophecy because they have a tongue. God has instituted power in our mouths and this power is used to construct our lives. God gave man this authority that He has, the power for creation, that makes what every man says come to pass. When He said, let there be light and there was, it indicated the power of words.

“Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.”

Psalm 8:2

God has ordained strength that means power, in your mouth but it depends on how you will use it.

When a mother usually calls her son a thief that child eventually grows to be one. The mother reaps the prophecies she proclaims into the sons life. A person who usually sees himself never to do well in life never does well. When I was in the secondary school (high school) I used to have malaria almost every promotion term, getting to examination. I knew that and I started telling my friends that I fall sick during those seasons. I was not born again at that time but my confessions were coming to pass.

We all know Job in the bible to be an upright man, whom God even recommended to the devil. Are you upright to the extent that God can recommend, to even your supervisor? Job was, but the confessions that Job made came to pass, though they were negative. Job said, what I feared has now come upon me. This means that Job was afraid that one day he might lose all his possessions. The devil therefore based on that revelation of the power of words and thoughts to strike Job.

Whether you are born again or not, your words are powerful, because you have the power of creation and destruction in you, as you are created in the image and likeness of God. Confessions like,

“I will not be able to marry, I cannot give birth, I am sick, I am poor, I am a failure, etc are negative prophecies that you speak into your life. Remember that you will reap whatever you sow. Nobody plants orange trees and harvest mangoes. You must be a joker to think that you will do well if you continually prophesy into your life that you will forever be a failure.

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”                                                                                       Proverbs 18:21

The prophetic is a vocal gift, meaning a gift that comes through a voice. This gift is given to everybody, and born again Christians benefit a lot from it. With faith, you can prophesy into your life. You can speak things that you cannot see but believe to have them, and you shall have it. That means even the prophetic gift operates in alignment with the measure of faith of the individual. When you have not seen the healing, but believe that you are healed, you have ministered healing prophetically into your body and it will be done.

The prophetic gift is given by the Holy Spirit. With this gift, you can tell events yet to happen or speak into your life what you want to happen. Speaking into your life is different from speaking about events yet to happen. The former depends on the faith level of the individual whiles the latter comes through revelation, by the same Spirit. There were many people in the bible who were not prophets but prophesied. They were not in the office of a prophet, yet they had the prophetic gift. Joshua spoke prophetically about the building of the walls of Jericho.

“And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the LORD, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho: he shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it.”

Joshua 6:26

About 600 years later, Hiel, not reading history tried building the walls of Jericho. Because of the prophetic declaration that was still standing over 600 years, every detail was accomplished.

“In his days did Hiel the Bethelite build Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua the son of Nun.”

1 Kings 16:34

Prophecies never lose their powers or authorities. Ignorance is not an excuse at all for a prophecy to be hindered. It is possible that Hiel was ignorant; he never searched to know the history about the building of Jericho. May be, he only wanted to get fame. If something that has been destroyed for more than 600 years has not been attended to, why don’t you ask of the reason, before you venture? This is arrogance, that is even in the church of today. Hiel was not around during the destruction of Jericho. He never met Joshua because Joshua’s bones were more than rotten. I keep asking myself, that how come he suffered from words by a man he never met?

That is why you are still under that bondage in your family, established by your great, great, great grandfather. Though you were not around that time, you never met him, you don’t even know his name, yet you are under that curse. Ignorant is never an excuse. These trans-generational curses pass across the family members because it was a prophetic declaration made by someone.

This might be a curse on the marriages of ladies in the family. Every lady who marries in the family at the expanse of three years must divorce. You can see it happened to your grandmother, it also happened to your mother. Why are you laughing that it won’t happen to you?

I once met a lady who was a friend to my assistant when I was a church leader on campus. The Holy Spirit made me know things about her relationship and marriage and immediately, the Spirit made me ask her about her father. Her father was dead. Immediately, I had an insight that there was a curse in the family affecting marriages that brought pain into the marriage. She immediately told me that her aunt’s husband too was dead and her cousin who got married within the duration of two years is now a widow. What a shock to know that this lady is under that curse. She was surprised and she told me that she had never thought about that, never in her life. The Holy Spirit therefore made her know the task ahead of her, in order to break those curses.

This was a covenant that was made 230 years ago by the people who formed the family. They sold the husbands of the ladies in the family to the god in order to be rich. This lady was not there when this was happening, her mother was not there, but the curse is still holding.

My brother, my sister, learn history about your family to know the curses at hand, may be it is the curse of poverty, barrenness, disgrace, extra marital affairs etc. Break it now by prayers and fasting.

“Howbeit, this kind goeth not out but by prayers and fasting.”

Matthew 17:21

Joshua spoke with faith and after 600 years, the power in those words was still alive.

The greatest prophet or prophetess in your life, that you will encounter, is not me, but yourself. Likewise, the greatest enemy in your life is yourself. Start speaking prophetically into your life and your generations to come will forever enjoy of it.

Every believer has the prophetic gift and even those who were not prophets in the bible spoke prophetically when the Holy Spirit came upon them. That was why King Saul was able to prophesy and the entire Israelites were amazed and asked,

“is Saul too amongst the prophets?”

This is the gift of prophecy that you have in you. Use it to build your family, marriage, future, job, and everything.

WHO A PROPHET IS

Naba is a Hebrew word, meaning to foretell events. It also means to pray and make supplications. Nabi, meaning prophet, came out of this Hebrew word. That means that prophets are people who foretell events, before they happen and also lift up prayers and supplications for the people. The prophet in the Old Testament was not only a declarer of events but also someone who preached the righteousness of God for his day. The Israelites for example were people who had strong hearts. Though they were the nation founded by God, they still lived unrighteous lives. The prophets were raised by God to cry against their deeds. They not only predicted the future but rather, spoke against their sins and rebellion.

All the prophets that lived after Moses preached about the laws of Moses, since these were the laws guiding righteousness. They were under the law and because of that they were judged by the law.

‘’ I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and used similitudes, by the ministry of the prophet.”

Hosea 12:10

“…whom the heavens must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.”

Acts 3:21

Everything about the Messiah was foretold by the prophets of the Old Testament. The birth, sufferings, death and resurrection were told before hand. These especially never came through the prophetic gift but through people who were in that office.

“Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow. Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.”

1 Peter 1:10-12

Prophets also serve as instruments that God use to warn people of events to come in the view of the attitude of the people concerning the will of God. This is how come Moses was regarded as a prophet. He warned the Israelites of their stubbornness, unrighteous living and sinful behaviors. He rebuked the Israelites and warned them about the consequences of their actions. This is the role of a prophet. He did not just see future events and hence predicted them, but rather, he was also used as a mouthpiece to warn the Israelites. Whenever the Israelites went astray from the will of God, God spelt out the punishments to them. He made them know the reasons for their punishments but still spelt out the recovery plan. These were clearly spelt out in the book of Leviticus.

There are two types of prophecies, the conditional and unconditional prophecies. The conditional prophecies are those that are stated in conditional terms, that is, they can be altered as one obeys or disobeys the prophecies. The unconditional prophecies are the fixed plans of God concerning necessary events to bring the earth into complete submission to Himself again and to deal away with sin, rebellion and enemies so His eternal program could finally be realized.

“…Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.”

Isaiah 7:14

“ Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. For he has put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him. And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.”

1 Corinthians 15:24-28

These are unconditional prophecies that were spoken of. As the former happened without any alterations, the latter too is still in the process of being fulfilled.

The conditional ones were, however, flexible and they were based upon the obedience or disobedience to God.

“Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.”

Revelation 2:5

With this, it is up to the person to either obey or disobey the prophecy. Your obedience will lead to your reward whiles your disobedience will lead to your punishment.

Prophets are servants of God who, therefore, speak conditional and unconditional prophecies.

In ancient times, prophets were called seers, which is ra’ah, in Hebrew; meaning a seeing person. He is one who perceives mentally the purpose of God.

“(Beforetime in Israel, when a man went to enquire of God, thus he spake, Come, and let us go to the seer: for he that is now called a Prophet was beforetime called a Seer.)

1 Samuel 9:9

Roeh is the Hebrew for a seer of visions. All seers were prophets but not all prophets were seers. A seer saw in visions and predicted what the mind of God was but a prophet would sometimes speak as the Holy Spirit moved him, without seeing anything.

A prophet was therefore someone who spoke when He was inspired, as in the case of the Prophet Nathan. Nathan was not a seer, but a prophet. Samuel and Gad were seers and prophets, so all seers are prophets but not all prophets are seers. Seers were able to also prophesy under inspiration by the Holy Spirit.

“Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer.”

1 Chronicles 29:29

Chozeh is another Hebrew name for a prophet, meaning, a beholder; one who has visions or supernatural revelations.

Prophets are people who are quick tempered, if I should put it that way. This quick temper is a holy temper that abhors sin and wickedness. Another Hebrew for a prophet is charah, that means to blaze up in anger or zeal, burn, wax hot or be incensed.

When Jesus Christ entered the temple and saw that people were trading and gambling there, the charah was demonstrated. This is the greatest prophet ever to have lived on the earth. He became furious because of His charah nature.

“ And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves and the changers of money sitting; And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple; and the sheep and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my father’s house an house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.”

John 2:14-17

A prophet abhors sin, speaks against it with all his heart and acts to prevent it. If you therefore call yourself a prophet and you still encourage sin, by not speaking against it, please, check your calling. A prophet has certain zeal that people at times think he is abnormal. Yes, it is true, for prophets must behave ABOVE NORMAL in relation to the issues of sin. That was how come Elijah could act abnormally, by calling fire from heaven to destroy the wicked.

“And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, if I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.”

2 Kings 1:10

Why didn’t Elijah go with them in peace? He was a prophet with the charah. A pastor will shepherd you, console and teach you how to be able to overcome that sin, but that is not the prophet. The prophet will say it as it is; will not understand you, because he does not see as you see. You might say then that prophets don’t have heart. I believe you to a certain extent, but then, why didn’t Jesus Christ talk to those in the temple nicely? The prophet does not have the heart of the shepherd when it comes to dealing with sin. He taps directly from the judgment seat of God and shows the mood of God in relation to situations.

“So the spirit lifted me up, and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.”

Ezekiel 3:14

A prophet is a friend of God. He is God’s beloved, in fact God’s intimate friend. Abraham was considered a friend of God. God will never do anything on this earth, unless He reveals it to His prophets.

“Surely, the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Amos 3:7

When God wanted to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, He discussed it with His prophet, Abraham.

“And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;…And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous; I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.”

Genesis 18:17, 20-21

When God wanted to deliver the Israelites from the treacherous hands of Pharaoh, He revealed it to Moses.

“And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of the taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;”

Exodus 3:7

A prophet is a messenger of God. A prophet runs errands for God and do all the activities that God wants to do personally on the earth.

“Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”

Exodus 3:10

“Also I heard the voice of the LORD, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me. And he said, Go, and tell this people…”

Isaiah 6:8-9

“And it came to pass after many days, that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, Go, shew thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth.”

1 Kings 18:1

There are two things involved in everything on this earth. It is either you are a boy or a girl, a royal or a servant, bond or free, believer or unbeliever, for Christ or against Christ, worshipper of the Messiah or worshipper of the devil. There is no intermediary in this. Likewise, it is either you are a true prophet or a false prophet. Everything in the scripture is true. Therefore, as Jesus Christ prophesied about the coming of false prophets, it is true. Whatever thing that is genuine surely can have a counterfeit. As there is one dollar note, there is also one dollar note counterfeit, but there can never be a three dollar note counterfeit, because there is nothing like three dollar note.

Beware of false prophets because Christ spoke about their coming.

FALSE PROPHETS

“And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many.”

Matthew 24:11

False prophets are dangerous to the body of Christ, but thank God He gave His Bride signs that will unveil them. There are two instances within which a prophet can become a false one.

The first one I want us to look at is when the person was being used by God during his initial stages; and then he allows the devil to take over. This is very common under the sun. Most people who are now considered as false prophets had relationships with God for sometime, and then they allowed familiar spirits to take charge. Remember, it was God that anointed Saul to be king over Israel. Saul started walking with God, obeying every instruction that God told him through the prophet Samuel. A time came however, when Saul departed from God and instead of the Holy Spirit to fill Saul, an evil spirit took charge.

“And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.”

1 Samuel 9:2

“Then Samuel took a vial of oil, and poured it upon his head, and kissed him, and said, Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over his inheritance?”

1 Samuel 10:1

“And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and he prophesied among them.”

1 Samuel 10:10

There is a depiction and exhibition of the spirit of God on Saul as he was anointed. God then started using him to rule Israel.

As a result of disobedience, Saul was rejected by God as a king. The Holy Spirit was replaced by an evil spirit, because Saul gave the entry for that spirit.

“But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.”

1 Samuel 16:14

Another example is the sons of the prophet Eli. The sons of Prophet Eli, I believe, walked in the ordinances of God from their infancy. They obeyed the calling upon their lives and God was using them for greater things. I believe they performed miracles, signs and wonders filled their ministries. But something went wrong and God took His Spirit from them. They were then turned into false prophets.

“Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”

1 Samuel 2:22

The sins of the sons of Eli drifted them away from God. They were turned into false prophets. They used their position to lure women into fornication. They took the glory meant for God and were blinded by the gifts that were brought to the house of God.

There are other people in this generation who were used by God, to heal diseases, cause signs and wonders to happen, bring deliverance to the poor and a whole lot in their ministries. Immediately these people gave their lives to money, pride and the cares of the world, they deviated from their main calling and worshipped money.

It is amazing to know that the Holy Spirit did not even compare the devil to God, but He compared money rather.

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and MONEY.”

Matthew 6:24

Money is very good, because God created money but the love of it leads to its worship.

“…money is a defence…”

Ecclesiastes 7:12

“…but money answereth all things.”

Ecclesiastes 10:19

“For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

1 Timothy 6:10

People who were originally called as prophets and now following money are blinded by money. They therefore prophesy in favour of what they will get. Money is now being used as a bait to catch prophets in the ministry. Money is a god, and when you start following it, you worship it and you become a servant of money, not of God. Most prophets who are now false allowed the demon of pride to come into their ministries. As God was using them greatly and they gained fame, they started lifting themselves up. Being on top is very risky than being at the bottom of a mountain. The more you walk with God, the more you get closer.  The more you get to the top, the more you are not safe.

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

1 Corinthians 10:12

Other kind of false prophets are those who intentionally accept to be used by the devil to prophesy. These people gain powers from the queen of the coast and agents of the satanic kingdom; they worship the devil and prophesy to draw people who are blinded to him.

The prophets of Baal were using all kinds of charms to prophesy falsely, though their prophecies were not true. Yet, they gained followers who worshipped Baal. There is only one name that we must follow and that is Jesus Christ. A clear indication of a false prophet is when the person does not profess Jesus Christ and his prophecy too does not draw one to Christ.

“…for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelation 19:10

“Then the LORD said unto me, The prophets prophesy lies in my name: I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spake unto them: they prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought, and the deceit of their heart.”

Jeremiah 14:14

False prophets are not sent from God. It is either they have sent themselves or they have been sent by the devil. False prophets speak out of their own presumptions. They are inspired through their own imaginations. They use psychology to outwit people.

False prophets sent by the devil are also able to perform signs and wonders. Their main intention is to deceive others, if possible believers.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”

Matthew 24:24

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

1 John 4:1

False prophets also prophesy what the people want to hear. They prophesy to their own benefit and to please people. They are instruments being used by the devil to cause people divert from the right path.

“Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:”

Isaiah 30:10

THE MARK OF A TRUE PROPHET

There is no three dollar note counterfeit because there is not a genuine one in the system. Any time there is a counterfeit, it is an indication that there is an original in the system. Everybody wants to be original and I believe in being original because God Himself believes in original things. That is why God never created a duplicate of any man, for every man is created uniquely with unique gifts and features.

“And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and some, evangelists; and some pastors and teachers;”

Ephesians 4:11

This clearly spells out that God really doesn’t want man to be duplicated in any sense that is why He even shared the callings based on His interests. God also made Adam and Eve uniquely. One was male and the other female so when man wants to marry a man, it is out of the unique nature of God and that is a sin before Him.

A lot of people think that the prophetic is all about predicting events, saying that “ I see this and I see that” but the prophetic is far beyond the seeing and the predictions. Fetish priests prophesy but that doesn’t make them prophets. They can see into a person’s life and even move to the extent of telling events but that doesn’t make them prophets. A rich man has money, that makes him rich but the fact that you have some money in your pocket does not make you rich.

The mark of a true prophet however lies in the person’s knowledge in the word of God.

“The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”

Jeremiah 23:28-29

You can clearly see from this scripture that there are two types of prophets, those that rely on only what they see and those that rely on the WORD of God. True prophets too have dreams and visions but they do everything, even explains them based on the WORD of God. Don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that those that God also speak to in dreams aren’t true prophets. Preference is always given to those who have the word of God. These people are really loaded with the Word and they do everything based on the Word.

God clearly distinguishes the two, look at the sentence clearly,

“What is the chaff to the wheat…?”

The chaff is part of the wheat that covers the actual food, the wheat. So those that have dreams are part of the seers in the body of Christ but you must have the Word in you so that you will be the wheat. Who will choose to eat the chaff whiles there is wheat around? Everybody wants to have the best in his/her life. It is only somebody who is not wise or even has a problem somewhere in his/her faculties that will choose the bad things in life.

The Word of God is like fire. We know that fire is a destructive thing when not controlled. Fire consumes or destroys that is why our God is considered as a consuming fire.

“For our God is a consuming fire.”

Hebrews 12:29

Whenever I have a dream about you and I tell you, it is the Word of God that will really explain the dream to you and even encourage you if it happens to be a bad one. You must also know that the devil also can cause one to dream. These dreams are wombs within which fear is conceived. I don’t stake my life to dreams at all because dreams come through a lot of means. However, I take dreams into serious consideration when they are of God.

“For a dream cometh through the multitude of business;…”

Ecclesiastes 5:3

Why should I rely strongly on a dream someone has had about me when I don’t even know the source of the dream? Don’t get me wrong, for I know that God also speaks through dreams. God spoke to Pharaoh in a dream that he could not understand. God also spoke to Nebuchadnezzar in a dream. Joseph was spoken to in a dream concerning his future, so I believe in dreams that come from God.

“…your old men shall dream dreams…”

Joel 2:28

God has spoken to me on countless occasions in dreams and I really believe in them. I am however careful to know the source of the dream that I am told by another person. As we are ordered to test or try all spirits, I don’t need to rely solely on dreams.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.”

1 John 4:1

Dreams don’t solve the problems in your life but the Word does. The power to shatter the rocks in your life into pieces does not rely in the dreams but rather the Word. Though Pharaoh had the dream, it was not the dream that saved Egypt but the Word that came forth through the Word of wisdom. The dream carries a message that can only be broken down by the Word. A dream without the Word is like a person reading a newspaper in a foreign language. If there is even a plot against that person, he will never know. The greatest true prophet in the Bible is Jesus Christ. Christ was full of the Word in His ministry. We don’t overcome by dreams but rather, by the Word.

“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the Word of their testimony…”

Revelation 12:11

The Word of God is the basis for life. Every true prophet uses the Word of God as a guide in anything that he does.

DEVELOPING THE PROPHETIC

The more you exercise, the stronger you become. Likewise, the more you play football the more you become skillful. The amateur and the professional are classified based on experience, though they are in the same profession.

Irrespective of your prophetic calling, you ought to develop it. There are younger prophets and older or senior prophets. The name comes about as a result of the number of years each was called and have been of service.

‘’Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel…”

1 Kings 13:11

This scripture makes us know that this old prophet was qualified as such because of the number of years he had served, though he was in his backslidden state.

Maturity comes as one develops his prophetic. Whenever the prophetic is developed, that personality develops his senses of receptions, to receive messages from God and also enhances the ability to decode any message given him by the Spirit.

“But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Hebrews 5:14

The prophetic can be developed through,

PRAYER

Prayer is the channel through which communication transpires between God and the prophet. The prophet is the spokesman of God to the people so he must be in constant communication. This will enable him know the mindset of God any time.

“Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.”

Amos 3:7

How can you receive what God is doing if you do not communicate to Him? Prayers keep you in shape and keep your faith charged and elevated.

“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.”

Jude 1:20

Prayer fights and eradicates unbelief. This makes you prophesy without doubts, fully believing in what you are seeing or hearing from God.

Throughout the Bible, it is clearly observed that all the prophets called by God were men of prayer. They understood the concept of communicating to God concerning every aspect of their lives. Moses, the prophet, never did anything unless he consulted God through prayer. Elijah always prayed for God to show him what to do. Elisha was a man of prayer.

It is prayer that God looks up to in a prophet’s life to intervene on man’s behalf. If you want signs and wonders to be seen in your prophetic ministry, you have to be a man of prayer.

“Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.”

James 5:17

Prayer delivers people from bondages and causes their liberation.

The prophet, Daniel, was a man of prayer. He prayed for God to intervene in the captivity of the Israelites in Babylon. This prayer brought about their freedom. God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through the prayers of Daniel.

“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:

And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments.”

Daniel 9:2-4

Without prayer the prophet will always make mistakes in drastic decisions.

When the people of Israel wanted a king, Samuel could have used his office as a prophet to make any choice, but he understood the importance of prayer in the prophetic ministry.

“But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.”

1 Samuel 8:6

Samuel was dealing with a national issue here. The future of the entire nation of Israel depended on his choice. He therefore consulted his maker, the God of Israel, before he was directed to the perfect choice.

“And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people.”

1 Samuel 9:17

When the going gets tough in the ministry, you need only to rely on God through prayer. The prophet, Nehemiah, prayed upon hearing that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken and the people were afflicted.

“And they said unto me, The remnant that are left of the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach: the wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. And it came to pass, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days, and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven,”

Nehemiah 1:3-4

The prophetic ministry is a ministry of intercession. When you are called as a prophet, it means you have a responsibility of prayer to play in the lives of people, nations, continents and the whole world as a whole.

This was what Jeremiah, the prophet, did throughout his book. He interceded and prayed for Israel anytime they rebelled against God. Jeremiah was always pleading on the behalf of Israel. No wonder he is referred to as the weeping prophet.

“O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do thou it for thy name's sake: for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against thee. O the hope of Israel, the saviour thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name; leave us not.”

Jeremiah 14:7-9

The prophetic ministry attracts a lot of enemies. Most of the enemies will come from the powers of the nation you dwell in. Others may come from your supposed friends who are also pastors and prophets. However, it is only prayer that can deliver you from the traps set for you. Prayer is your surest security.

Daniel had enemies because he was loved by the king, as a result of the anointing of God on his life. These people plotted against him and upon knowing it, he consulted the only one who can deliver him from those plots.

“Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Daniel 6:10

Be prepared to pray if you believe you have been called into the prophetic ministry. Your gift will expose you, but your prayer will sustain you.

FASTING

Fasting is a sure way of developing the prophetic gift. Fasting is when you deny yourself food for the sake of waiting on God. At times people move ahead and even deny themselves water or drink.

Fasting is a spiritual exercise, where you deny your flesh of its basic needs, like food and water, and you concentrate on God by seeking His face. Fasting is a very effective way of building your spirit in the prophetic ministry.

If you cannot sacrifice your food for a day, then I am afraid you cannot sacrifice anything for God.

Remember, fasting is most effective when directed by the Spirit. Always fast when the Holy Spirit tells you to. Your spirit within you will receive the message when you are to fast. This comes as a feeling.

There are some barriers in ministry that cannot be removed only by prayer. There are some curses in the lives of individuals that prayer alone cannot eradicate. Certain heights in ministry cannot be achieved through only prayer.

The combination of prayer and fasting is perfect for your desired breakthrough. This combination has brought solutions in my life and I know it will also do the same to you.

“Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 17:21

There is a certain kind of problem that only fasting and prayer can solve. There are situations that only prayer and fasting can cause the turn around. If you want to develop your prophetic ministry, you need to be a man of fasting.

When you are married too, you must deny yourself sex during the period of fasting.

“Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.”

1 Corinthians 7:5

Jesus Christ is the role model in our Christian faith. The creator of the heavens and the earth even fasted when He came onto the earth. So who are you to say that fasting is not necessary in your life? Who are you to delete fasting from your ministry?

“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.”

Matthew 4:2

The prophets in the bible fasted in times they needed God to change things.

Moses fasted for forty days and forty nights without food or water.

“And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.”

Exodus 34:28

Fasting is another means of serving God in the prophetic ministry.

The prophetess Anna served God through fasting.

“And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

Luke 2:36-37

My dear prophet, you do not have to always fancy food in your life. A time comes where you ought to deny yourself food, water and sex to appear before God. The Israelites in the Old Testament wore sack clothes and put ashes on them when they were afflicted. This was a sign of total surrender to God.

Do not be diplomatic in the ministry. Do not say that fasting is for a particular sect. the prophetic ministry requires more periods of fasting and prayer. You can develop this gift by fasting. The office of the prophet is the office of fasting. Never let go of fasting in your prophetic ministry. Fast whenever you are directed by the Spirit for God has a reason in doing everything.

EXERCISING THE PROPHETIC GIFT

A footballer attains tremendous skills when he exercises every time. Likewise, the wrestler builds up his strength upon exercise. Even, thieves exercise their skills and build up on it.

The prophetic gift is developed through regular exercise. You build on your prophetic ministry whenever you exercise your gifting.

Growing in the prophetic on University of Ghana campus, I always enjoyed exercising the gifts.

Whenever I saw someone as I walked the streets of the campus, I asked the Holy Spirit,

“What is happening in this person’s life?”

It was amazing how I was fed with information on that particular person. At times I saw an angel opening a scroll on which the person’s profile was. At other times I heard everything about that person.

I continued with this art of exercising the prophetic everyday and I really saw improvements in my accuracy when prophesying.

As I grew in the prophetic, I did not have the need of asking the Spirit information about a person. It just appeared whenever I saw the person. As a result of this, I am able to prophesy to an entire auditorium without missing a key.

You move through stages in the prophetic. You cannot get to maturity without being a baby. A baby needs milk to grow, not bones.

“As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.”

1 Peter 2:2

However, through exercise, the baby gets to grow gradually. He then becomes skilful as a result of exercise.

“For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”

Hebrews 5:13-14

Another way to exercise your prophetic gift is to learn from another prophet.

“For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.”

1 Corinthians 14:31

You can develop your prophetic gift by listening to messages preached by prophets, watching the videos of prophets, and also attending services conducted by prophets. I have really improved in the prophetic by sitting under the ministrations of Prophets like Prophet Kakra Baiden, Prophet Bernard-el-Bernard Nelson Eshun, Prophet Benjamin Opoku Nsiah etc.

I have also learnt from videos of Prophet Uebert Angel, Prophet T.B Joshua and a whole lot of prophets. When you watch their videos, you are able to learn how they carry themselves when ministering. You learn the way they deliver their messages, their postures as they minister and what they do. In fact I have really learnt a lot in ministry as I watch and listen to them.

Bishop Dag Heward Mills always thought me something in camp meetings we had with him when on campus. He said that one is able to learn faster and advance higher in ministry through copying and pasting. This is true, for there is nothing new under the sun. Though I am called to write books, however, I learnt how to do so from Bishop Dag Heward Mills.

Paul said something that I want us to look at.

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”

1 Corinthians 13:11

You must not relax and be comfortable as you see the past of people. Strive to also see the future. You must not be comfortable with the level you operate. There are higher heights so let go of the glories in that level and move forward.

It is only a child who is happy at his/her present level of enjoyment. It is good to enjoy your glories but grow up. Maturity is not meant for boys, but rather for men.

GIVING

I have come to realize that the prophetic ministry goes with giving. Giving is one of God’s greatest nature. Without giving, God wouldn’t have sent Jesus Christ to this earth for man’s redemption.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…”

John 3:16

God instills the spirit of giving in the heart of the prophet. Every true prophet of God has the heart of giving. The prophet is ordained by God to help the society or community he is positioned. That help I am talking about is through giving.

As a prophet you give to the community, not only prayer or intercession but also, physical needs.

You are not only called to the rich in society but also to the poor. You are not called only to the healthy people but also to the sick. Likewise, you are not called only to the strong, but also to the weak. God, therefore, prepares you in order not to withhold anything. This is another stage of development in the prophetic.

The first thing God will teach you to give is your life. Every prophet has given out something. Some people gave their education; others forsook their families for a time. Some people needed to give out their entire lives’ savings.

All these were to develop their hearts of giving.

Moses the prophet needed to forsake his family and country. He needed to give all the pleasures he was enjoying in Egypt and that prepared him for the assignment God had in store for him.

“…But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian...”

Exodus 2:15

Moses left his family for forty years. That was what he gave in order to be nurtured in his prophet ministry.

Elisha, the prophet, gave his business in order to be trained in the prophetic.

“So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.”

1Kings 19:19

Elisha was a business man. He had invested in oxens and he was into active business. However, he gave all to follow Elijah.

“And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee?  And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.”

1 Kings 19:20-21

Do not allow your businesses to prevent you from your divine call. Let go of it, give it out. If you cannot give what you are holding, God will never show you greater things.

Your giving is a test of your obedience to God. Our father, Abraham, was asked to give his only son Isaac. He never knew that it was a test until he agreed wholeheartedly to do so.

God will never trust you with greater things if you are not willing to give your carnal things.

Look around and you will see that every seasoned prophet you know gives. My father, Prophet Bernard-el-Bernard Nelson Eshun gives a lot and this is a sign of a true prophet.

You don’t give to help God. You give to help yourself.

“Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

Luke 6:38

Every giving you make is secured in your heavenly account as an investment and it will surely be given back to you.

Giving is a seed you sow in the prophetic ministry to determine your seriousness, obedience and commitment.

Giving is also a sign of sacrifice.

If you really want to develop your prophetic, learn to give. I remember there were times God instructed me to give all that I had in my purse during church services. I had nothing after giving my all. At times, I was bankrupt for days, but I had food to eat by a miracle.  At other times, I was instructed to forgo lectures to pray and intercede for some people I have never known and even countries. I turned down my admission into the Ghana Armed Forces to be an officer all because of ministry.

All these were preparing me for the ministry I have been called in. I have been instructed to empty my bank account for some ministers, buy televisions, foodstuffs, and pay bills, pay visa fees and other expenses covering travelling documents for ministers of God. I humbly obeyed and I see those things to be times I was being trained in the prophetic ministry.

If you are not ready to give, then you cannot go far in the prophetic ministry.

Nothing is more precious than one’s life. Jesus Christ gave His own life. If He has been able to do this, it is a sign that man can give anything.

PROPHECY AND TONGUES

A tongue is a language spoken by a sect of people. From the beginning of creation, the entire world had one common language. There was not any diversity in the languages being spoken by men so communication was very simple.

“And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.”

Genesis 11:1

However, when men decided to build the tower of Babel, a house from earth to heaven, God destroyed the common language spoken by man and this brought the diversities in language

“And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city.”

Genesis 11:6-8

That is how come we got different languages on the earth. Language differentiates one country from another and one person from another.

In the New Testament, Paul talks about tongues. This tongue here refers to the language given to a person when the Holy Spirit comes to fill that individual. Jesus Christ promised the disciples of the coming of the Holy Spirit and a sign that the Holy Spirit is in man when he begins to speak another language (of the spirit).

“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

Acts 2:1-4

It is the Holy Spirit that gives the person being filled utterance. That is why it is impossible to learn how to speak in tongues. If the Holy Spirit does not give you that utterance, you cannot speak the language of the Spirit.

Speaking in tongues is a gift by the Spirit. Every believer has the potentials of speaking in tongues. One can move to the level where he/she actually matures in this gift, hence, speaking in diverse kinds of tongues.

“To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:”

1Corinthians 12:10

Since tongues are languages, they can be interpreted by the one who has the gift of interpretation. This means that without the gift of interpretation, even the speaker cannot interpret what he/she is speaking.

In the prophetic ministry, when tongues are interpreted they serve as prophecies. Prophecies are messages given to man by the Spirit. Tongues are also coded messages given to man by the Spirit. However, if the code is broken, the message becomes understandable to everyone’s hearing. This is then termed as prophecy.

Prophecy causes the edification of the entire congregation but an unknown tongue edifies only the speaker.

“He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.”

1Corinthians 14:4

The reason why tongues edify only the speaker is because those that are around will not understand what the speaker says, unless the person has the gift of interpretation.

“I would that ye all spake with tongues, but rather that ye prophesied: for greater is he that prophesieth than he that speaketh with tongues, except he interpret, that the church may receive edifying.”

1 Corinthians 14:5

All these attest to the fact that if one is able to interpret the tongues he/she speaks, it means that individual also has the gift of prophesy.

You must not only desire to speak in tongues. Move further and desire to receive the gift of interpretation. You can have them all. Do not limit yourself. Speak it out and interpret for the church to also be edified.

It is good to speak in tongues, but it is better if you are able to interpret it or prophesy.

For you to be able to speak in tongues, you have to desire it. You move to the next stage where you pray that the Spirit fills you with it and believe that you have received it. Hands can be laid on you to speak in tongues, but you can also be filled without the laying of hands.

The apostles and disciples who were in the upper chamber were filled with the Holy Spirit without the laying of hands.

People like Cornelius and his family received the Holy Spirit without the laying of hands.

A sign to testify that you have the Holy Spirit is the outward manifestation of speaking in tongue.

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”

Acts 10:44-46

However, some people also received the Holy Ghost baptism when hands were laid on them.

“And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.”

Acts 19:6

“Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.”

Acts 8:17

All the gifts of the Spirit can be given to man in like manners.

If you speak only in tongues, desire to receive the gift of interpretation. For he that speaks in tongues and interprets prophesies.

PROPHECY AND VISIONS

“And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.”

Numbers 12:6

Visions are ways through which God communicates to His chosen prophets. One of the major areas by which a prophet receives information is through visions. Visions don’t come in one way because God is not a one-way God.

The word, vision, has its source from different Hebrew words which we will look at.

Chazon is the Hebrew word which means mental sight or revelation. There is something we call the eyes of the heart. This eye is the eye that reveals what is in the mind of the prophet. This form of vision appears as messages that are placed in the mind of the prophet. The prophet does not see the pictures openly but with the eyes of the heart.

“As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.”

Daniel 1:17

Daniel was able to receive information from God being in his mind faculties through the chazon. God was able to reveal things to Daniel and the three Hebrew boys through the chazon.

A lot of people discard messages from God that comes through this medium. People think that those messages are their own thoughts. Others think that the messages are not true. A lot of lives have been destroyed because of prophets discarding messages that come through this manner.

The Greek word for revelation is “Apokalupsis” which means to uncover or unveil. Man being made in the image and likeness of God has certain faculties which aid him to receive revelation from God. When you are called into the prophetic ministry, you must develop those faculties. These mental faculties will be developed if you don’t just discard messages you receive through these channels. Some people disregard this because they end up doubting whether the revelation they have received either came from God or the devil or their own minds.

One sure way to know that your vision is from God is that the message will come to exhort, edify or comfort the receiver.

The vision can come also in the form of divine utterance of words. As one prophesies, he/she is able to receive direct utterances from God. The prophet becomes a vessel God speaks through to the congregation or the individual.

The messengers of Saul received direct utterances from God and they prophesied.

“And Saul sent messengers to take David: and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.”

1 Samuel 19:20

A vision can also come in the form of writing. Most of the books by the Prophets in the Bible came in this form. God instructed them to write what they saw as books that could be read. There are a lot of books that are in the Christian circus that are visions of what God wants the church to do and know. The book of Revelations, written by John the beloved, is a clear example.

Chezev is another Hebrew word that means sight. This word is used for visions while one is asleep, known as dream.

I feel pity on people who don’t believe in dreams. It really amazes me when people say dreams are not real. There are two main sources of dreams. The first source is through activities that one does during the day. What you see, hear and do can make you have dreams.

“For a dream cometh through the multitude of business;…”

Ecclesiastes 5:3

As you think about being wealthy in the future, you can have a dream that night where you will be wealthy. You might be thinking of marriage during the day and you can take it into your dreams. This is what I call dreams of the flesh, for they are inspired by the thoughts and senses of the individual.

Divine dreams are the second type of dreams. In this type, one gets a dream through divine channels. God throughout creation reveals Himself and the works He does to men He chooses. Dreams of this kind are to be noted carefully. God can reveal the spiritual bondage in your family through a dream so that you pray and act against it.

God can also reveal His plans for your future in a dream.

“And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.  And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.”

Genesis 41:1-7

Pharaoh could have ignored the dream he had. He could have thought it was just a mere imagination of what he has been eating and drinking. However, this dream was what God was about to do in fourteen years in Egypt. You can imagine what would have happened if Pharaoh had ignored the dream.

God appeared to Abimelech the king to warn him when he wanted to take Sarah to wife because Abraham told him she was his sister. Abimelech the king would have been a dead man if he ignored the dream he had.

“But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou art but a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife.”

Genesis 20:3

God can also show His plans for one’s future and the events in dreams.

“And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying.”

Genesis 37:6-11

This dream surely came to pass in the life of Joseph. Joseph received this dream when he was a nobody in his family. He never despised the dream he had but believed in it and prayed into it.

This is what you must do concerning the dreams you have. Pray into it when it is a good dream and pray against it when it is a bad one.

God has spoken about this end time that we find ourselves that He will speak to us in dreams. We must therefore not joke with dreams at all.

“And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions.”

Joel 2:28

Dreams are called visions of the night. We see why God speaks to us through dreams in this scripture.

“In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed; Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,  That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.”

Job 33:15-17

God wants to speak to you throughout the day, but your busy schedule at times prevents you from listening to God. You are busy with your business, family issues, visitations etc. God then uses this channel to speak to you when you are asleep at night.

Marah is also interpreted as vision in the Hebrew language. Marah means a vision in the form of appearance and also seeing something in a mirror. When you are looking at a mirror, no one else is able to see what you see.

In marah, you are able to see the things being revealed to you in the real state. You see the things as you see things around you. If you have a vision of angels in the marah, you are able to see the angels as you see your friends every day. You see the bodily form of the angels and you are able to interact with them as you interact with any physical object.

“And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.”

Daniel 10:7

Daniel was in the marah whiles the men with him were not. This made Daniel to interact with what he saw in the vision alone.

“And, behold, an hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands. And he said unto me, O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright: for unto thee am I now sent. And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.”

Daniel 10:10-11

Your entire senses are involved when you get to the marah stage of visions. Daniel was able to feel the touch of the angel’s hands. He was able to hear and understand the angel as he spoke and also, he saw the angel.

You can be with a congregation but you alone will be seeing angels touching others whiles they don’t. Some tremble as an angel touches them, others fall but they don’t see the angels at work. All that they understand is that the Holy Spirit is at work. It only takes one who sees the marah to know what is actually happening, as in the case of Daniel and the men who were with him.

Samuel, as a young boy, heard the audible voice of the Lord and he taught it was the voice of his master Eli. This was the first time Samuel experienced the marah.

“And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child. Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant heareth.

1 Samuel 3:8-10

Samuel needed someone to teach him that he was in the marah. That is why God has caused me to write this book so you know when you are in the marah.

“Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month , in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.”

Ezekiel 1:1

Ezekiel was among the captives by the river, but he was the only one to see the heavens open. Those around him saw the skies as being the same always, but the man in the marah saw the heavens opened and visions that day.

Translocations in the spirit happen in the marah stage. One is able to move in spirit to a different location when he is in the marah.

I remember when I was in my first year at the University of Ghana. I was lying on my bed one night and I saw myself in Botswana. I was walking along a street and I saw a woman with a child. This woman despaired her life, but she was a believer. The Spirit of the Lord instructed me to encourage her, and I did. Immediately she felt stronger again and was giving thanks to God. This happened within thirty minutes and I found myself in Ghana again.

On another day, I was meditating on some scriptures but I found myself standing beside the river Congo. I heard a voice that said,

“ This river contains a lot of resources but it takes the determined to exploit them. As it lies there, you may never see its value till you know what is in there. You can never know what is in the river unless you start to search for it.”

These statements really changed my life for good. A lot of people see the bible, they have heard of how others have been transformed through it. They have seen impacts that the bible has given to people. However, they don’t want to start digging it to know the worth in it.

There was a day that I found my body, spirit and soul walking on the streets of New York. I entered a house that I knew belonged to my spiritual daughter’s father. I was led to remove some demonic artifacts from the room. All these happened whiles I was praying with her. I have never been to the United States of America, but I was there.

This form of marah happened in the life of Ezekiel.

“And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.”

Ezekiel 8:3

“In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as the frame of a city on the south.”

Ezekiel 40:2

God still speaks to us in visions. He has never let go of this. This has become one of God’s main channels of speaking to His chosen ones.

PROPHETIC DIRECTIONS

There is an error that must be corrected in our race. Some people choose some parts of the Bible that suits them and discard the others that they seem do not favour them. Some people believe only in the mercy of God but forget about His judgments.

Talking from experience, there are some people that believe in prophecy but despise prophetic directions.

Directions are given by God to facilitate His word. Directions are given to reverse a situation being it poverty, generational curse, marital difficulties, unemployment, cases of divorce etc. You must not doubt any prophetic direction from God.

It is true that there are false prophets in the system; however you will be able to detect them based on their works.

A prophetic direction is an instruction from God that comes through the prophet to aid one reach his/her God-given destination. A prophetic direction also helps one to know how something should be done.

In the demonic world signs, symbols, images, sculptures and physical objects like money, clothes are used when incantations are being made. These items are used as points of contacts to work against the people who are meant to be destroyed. Witches, wizards, spiritualists and all satanic incarnates use physical objects to represent the one they want to destroy. They make incantations, calling the name of the person to be destroyed. These are directions they use to achieve what they want.

Why do you think that the fetish priest always asks for a fowl or goat as a sacrifice? Why do you think that those spiritualists always ask for the hair, picture or clothe of the person to be afflicted? These are rules in the spirit.

Likewise, prophetic directions are used by God to reverse situations in one’s life and make them better. A lot of prophetic directions are recorded in the bible for our own benefits.

The widow of Zarephath had nothing to eat, save the meal she had saved for herself and child to eat and die. However, the prophet Elijah gave her a prophetic direction.

“So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was  there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it, and die. And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and for thy son.”

1 Kings 17:10-14

This woman was asked to do a very difficult thing. She could have chosen not to do it.

Every true prophetic direction is proven by the power of God. You can judge a prophetic direction by the word of God.

“For thus saith the LORD God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.”

1 Kings 17:14

When you receive a prophetic direction, it is your choice to either do it or not. However, your obedience to the prophetic direction will cause the turnaround in your life.

“And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many days.  And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.”

1 Kings 17:15-16

You must play your part for the prophetic direction to come to pass.

A lot of people receive the prophetic direction but they don’t do it because of unbelief. Others do it, but do not live a life acceptable by God so the expected results are not achieved.

When you receive a prophetic direction concerning your marriage and you live an adulterous life though you have done the direction, do not expect the results to favor you. You passed in doing the direction but you failed by not living an acceptable life by God.

This widow did as she was directed and also believed in what God has said through the prophet.

God healed the bitter waters of Jericho through a prophetic direction by Elisha.

“And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren.”

2 Kings 2:19

“And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake.”

2 Kings 2:20-22

God can use a prophetic direction to change your finances.

“Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.”

2 Kings 4:1

This woman was devastated because she owed a lot of people who wanted to take her only hope, her two sons, in return. This woman had hope in God to cause a miracle.

This was the prophetic direction;

“…Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.  And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.”

2 Kings 4:3-4

Look at what happened when the woman obeyed and believed the prophetic direction;

“So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There isnot a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest.”

2 Kings 4:5-7

God can use a prophetic direction to heal you from your sickness.

“So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”

2 Kings 5:9-10

At times people thing they are big enough to do the prophetic direction. This pride they have prevent them from their breakthroughs. As long as you are not bigger than God, you can never be bigger than the prophetic direction He gives through the prophet.

Naaman showed this pride and was still in his leprosy.

“But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.”

2 Kings 5:11-12

These people would have done greater things if they were asked to. They would have given huge sums of money; they would have built bigger mansions for the prophet and even sponsored his trip overseas. However, God is not a one way God.

When Naaman saw his foolishness as he was counseled by his servants, he obeyed and the leprosy left as he did the direction from the prophet.

“And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it?how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.”

2 Kings 5:13-14

A genuine prophetic direction from God yields a positive result. The fact that one prophetic direction worked for someone does not mean it will work for you. Unless God directs, the prophetic direction is meaningless and baseless.

As a prophet, do not give any prophetic direction out of your own will because it will never work.

JUDGING THE PROPHETIC

“Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge.”

1 Corinthians 14:29

A lot of people get confused when they receive different prophecies concerning a particular issue in their lives. A prophet may prophesy to one that she will get married to an American whiles another prophet says she will be married to a Nigerian. This brings confusion to the person’s life and she ends up not knowing what to do.

God is not a confused God and will never make you confused.

“For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.”

1 Corinthians 14:33

Therefore, if a prophecy gets you confused, you must really judge it to know whether it is from God or not. As a believer, a true prophecy from God will not get you confused because clarity is given whenever a prophecy is released.

Every prophecy from God will be confirmed. God does not contradict Himself and any message He gives man, He confirms it to man.

God never spoke about the captivity of the Israelites in Egypt only once. He confirmed it to indicate that truly, He said it.

The Old Testament prophets prophesied about the birth of the Messiah and His role on this earth. Remember, not only one prophet spoke about this. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel all spoke concerning the same issue.

Any true prophecy for you will be confirmed by different true prophets.

Any prophecy from God will surely come to pass. God does not speak anyhow. He is the God that performs actions. The reason why God does not speak anyhow is because; He is bound by His words whenever He speaks. He must perform whatever He says, so He only speaks when He wants to do something.

“So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.”

Isaiah 55:11

God does not lie, so any prophecy from Him is true.

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it ? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?”

Numbers 23:19

Whenever a prophecy is given, it will only come to pass if you play your part. A lot of people received prophecies that they shall be rich but they died as paupers. Others received prophecies of good marriages but they ended up single.

In these cases, God was not at fault, neither were the prophecies untrue. However, these people did not play their parts in the prophecy.

The fact that you have received a prophecy that you shall be rich does not mean you must not work. How do you expect to eat if you don’t want to work?

You can never be rich in this life if you are not faithful in your tithe paying.

“He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.”

Luke 16:10

You will never get a good marriage if you keep on fornicating around, though you have received all the prophetic words from every prophet in your country.

As you destroy your body, you destroy your marriage. If you cannot get married to God well, how do you expect to have a good marriage?

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Your disgusting attitudes will drive good suitors away though you have received prophecies concerning a good marriage. Your dress code and mannerisms can still drive away suitors. Play your part in the prophecy you have received.

Live a God-kind of life throughout your prophetic season, for that will guarantee the fulfillment to your prophecies.

Any prophecy that does not glorify Christ is a false prophecy. Every prophecy glorifies God. Whenever the prophecy draws one closer to a fellow man, that prophecy needs to be checked. Every true prophecy glorifies God in one way or another.

“And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Revelations 19:10

The prophecy is wrong when it attracts one to man but not Christ.

Any prophecy that does not speak well about Christ, His resurrection and His being as the Son of God is wrong. There is only one sign that the person prophesying is by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit confirms the lordship of Jesus Christ. If this is not the case, then you are dealing with a pseudo spirit.

“Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

1 Corinthians 12:3

Every prophecy points to Jesus. Therefore, any prophecy that leads one away from Christ, or exalts man instead of Christ is false.

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.”

1 John 4:1-3

Moreover, every true prophecy is backed by the word of God. The Holy Spirit will never give you a prophecy that goes contrary to the word of God. This is because the Holy Spirit was the source of inspiration to the prophets in the bible. The Holy Spirit, therefore, cannot say something that is against the word of God.

At times, the prophet can prophesy out of his own will or by man’s influence. That does not necessarily mean that he isn’t a true prophet. Based on the conditions, a prophet can give a false prophecy. This happens when he does so out of his flesh.

“And if thou say in thine heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.”

Deuteronomy 18:21-22

Those who prophesy presumptuously do so out of their own will. Those prophecies never come to pass. This is another way to judge prophecy. As long as you still remain faithful to God and those prophecies don’t come to pass, it means that the prophet spoke presumptuously.

There are times a believer who is filled with the Holy Ghost can still speak under the influence of an evil spirit. That does not mean that the person is not spiritual.

Peter, the apostle, was influenced by satan at one point in time. This happened few seconds when Jesus Christ had commended him to be spirit-filled.

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

Matthew 16:13-19

Few seconds after this declaration, the devil influenced Peter to speak.

“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.”

Matthew 16:21-23

The fact that a prophecy has come to pass does not necessarily mean it was from God; for every prophecy brings liberty but not bondage.

“But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

1Corinthians 14:3

Any true prophecy must build up (edify), encourage (exhort) and console (comfort) the hearer. Any prophecy that goes contrary to these is false.

Any prophecy that brings fear to the hearer is not from God. Fear is a demon, it is an evil spirit from the devil. Every prophecy brings hope. Even when you are rebuked or reprimanded, the prophecy guides and directs you away from that sinful path you were on to the path of light.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7

Any prophecy that brings torments into your life is not from God. You are tormented as a result of fear. Since fear is not from God, that prophecy that caused you to be tormented is also not from God.

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.”

1 John 4:18

The devil’s work is to keep man in bondage. The evil spirit is the spirit used by the devil to succeed in this mission. Christ’s work is to rescue man from bondage. The Holy Spirit is the machine used to achieve this.

Any prophecy that keeps man in bondage and indebted to the prophet or man is not from God, but from the devil.

“For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”

Romans 8:15

The truth about the prophetic ministry is given by the Holy Spirit. It is God who is the true light. We don’t fight darkness with darkness. We fight darkness with the light. The truth is always found in the Bible. Anything about the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the gifts is found in the New Testament.

We are myopic in knowledge because we don’t search for the truth. We are dying and false prophets and false doctrines are the tares killing the church because we have forsaken the truth.

“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.”

Hosea 4:6

PROPHETIC DISCIPLINE

There are codes of ethics governing every profession. I see the ministry as the best profession on this earth. I respect any other profession and all fields in life are necessary. It is the best decision to make in serving the Lord and working for Him. I agree with Apostle Paul in what he said.

“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.”

1 Timothy 3:1

Some ministerial ethics that is very vital in the prophetic ministry is what I call prophetic discipline.

Everything must be done correctly and orderly. The respect in the prophetic office is lost when prophets don’t discipline themselves and give room for people to say all kinds of things against the ministry. This prophetic discipline is to alert people who are called to the prophetic ministry on some conducts and precautions they must take.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.”

1 Corinthians 14:40

We must not allow the gospel to be ridiculed because of our conducts as prophets. We must avail ourselves so the world reveres the prophetic ministry.

“Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.”

Romans 2:21-24

The prophetic discipline must be taken seriously so that others respect the prophetic ministry and others will love to be used by God in the prophetic ministry.

The first prophetic discipline I want to talk about is contentment. The work of God is a ministry that God trust His ministers with true riches. As one dedicated himself to seek God first, He also entrusts the person to true riches.

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:33

As a prophet, don’t be moved by the gains in the ministry and the desire to be wealthy to prophesy falsely. Don’t allow money, cars, houses and other material things to lure you into sin. These material things are used by the devil to tarnish the reputation of men of God. A lot of people who were anointed by God ended up being disgraced in the ministry as a result of these. Many people have left the call as a result of these material things.

Be content with what God has given you. Never lust after another’s assets. God will surely give you yours.

“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

1Timothy 6:6-10

I believe Gehazi would have stepped into the office of the prophet Elisha, as Elisha became prophet when God took Elijah. However, greed prevented Gehazi from becoming the next greatest prophet among the Israelites.

Elisha forbade taking any gift from Naaman after he healed him from his leprosy. Gehazi, the greedy servant of Elisha, ran after Naaman and destroyed the reputation of the prophet.

“And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him: and he said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel: now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing of thy servant. But he said, As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And he urged him to take it; but he refused.”

2 Kings 5:15-16

Let us see what Gehazi did.

“So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?  And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments. And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.”

2 Kings 5:21-24

Gehazi was not content with what he had and he ended up being disgraced and cursed.

“But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou , Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.  And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.”

2 Kings 5:25-27

Don’t look at the wealth of the person and say what God has not instructed you. Never direct someone to give money or any other material thing if God has not directed you. As a prophet of God, God will provide for you, provided He has actually called you.

As a prophet, you must be very careful how you relate with people. One of the main threats to prophets generally and young prophets in particular is the opposite sex (women).

The downfall of many prophets has come through their relationship with ladies. One thing to know is that the prophetic gift exposes you to the world. As you are exposed, a lot of people especially ladies will be attracted to you.

Women are generally more in the world than men. In the ministry of Jesus Christ, the women were more than men. This is because women have a very open heart to believe and to be led. It is very easy to convince a woman that is why women outnumber men in almost every church or ministry. There is no doubt that women love God more than men do.

When the bible indicated that Jesus Christ fed five thousand men besides women and children, it is possible that the women when twice the men.

If you are not able to know how to relate with the opposite sex, it will be a snare for you in the ministry. The enemy places those he can use at vintage points in your ministry, just to bring you down.

“Can a man take fire in his bosom, and his clothes not be burned? Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?”

Proverbs 6:27-28

You must really draw a line so nobody crosses. Yes, you must relate with the opposite sex in a business manner. Do what God wants you to do for them but never go beyond that boundary. Do not over-spiritualize things and say you are strong. A lot of stronger men than you are have fallen because of strange women.

“To keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.  Lust not after her beauty in thine heart; neither let her take thee with her eyelids. For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought to a piece of bread: and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.”

Proverbs 6:24-26

Give no chance for the devil to use any woman to destroy your ministry. Be very disciplined in your dealings with the opposite sex. Take precaution whenever the opposite sex is involved.

I don’t see the reason why you must be in the same room with the opposite sex at unholy hours. If she wants counseling, counseling is not done in your house or bedroom. It must be done in your office. Yes, where the conscience of others won’t cause fabrication of stories.

Don’t deal with the opposite sex, without having people around. Things like prayers must be done in the church. If invited to the opposite sexes house, don’t go alone; go with someone.

You must not entertain the opposite sex outside the gospel. No matter what you do, let there be transparency.

“Let all things be done decently and in order.”

1 Corinthians 14:40

You don’t have any assignment to do in a lady’s bedroom. You don’t have anything to do with a lady at the restaurant. Everything you do must be with caution. Think twice before you act.

It is true that you are anointed, but my dear, you are not stronger than Sampson.

Look at what Joseph encountered in Potiphar’s house? Potiphar’s wife pushed Joseph into trouble because they were alone in that chamber of the house. Though Joseph ran away, the woman still framed him up with evidence.

“And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within.”

Genesis 39:11

My dear Prophet, if nobody is at the place you are meeting the opposite sex, don’t go.

“And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice:  And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home…”

Genesis 39:12-16

Your bible can even be used as evidence against you. Please be warned in your dealings with the opposite sex.

Furthermore, you must be very careful of pride in the ministry as you become a prophet. Many people called into the prophetic ministry become proud because of their achievements. When God shows these people the tip of the iceberg concerning His blessings to them, they end up feeling pompous.

One main spirit that fights against the prophetic ministry is that of pride. Pride is a trap the enemy sets ahead of people in the ministry. This is a platform that comes before one falls.

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

Proverbs 16:18

Do not allow your success in ministry get into your head. You have not seen anything yet in the ministry. Somebody has been where you are before. Somebody has achieved what you are boasting of.

God, Himself, fights against the proud because the proud gives glory to his own intellect, skills and wisdom. The proud steals the glory that is meant for God. God does not compete with anyone for His glory so He needs to take the proud out by his own pride.

“But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.”

James 4:6

Elijah thought that he was the only one who did wondrous things among the Israelites. He thought he was the only anointed prophet. He became proud of his achievements and God needed to shame him. When Elijah thought he was the only one who worshipped God, God showed him that he was being proud.

“And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away.”

1 Kings 19:14

Elijah was replaced that day with three people who operated in divers roles that constituted his ministry. Among these people was the prolific Elisha who performed twice the miracles of Elijah.

“And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.”

1 Kings 19:15-17

God also proved to Elijah that his pride was baseless because others were also doing what he (Elijah) was.

“Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him.”

1 Kings 19:18

Don’t think that you are the only prophet God is using in this end time. Never be carried away about your achievements.

Do not be proud in ministry. Pride prevents one from learning from others. Pride prevents one from accepting his mistakes and hinders him from being corrected. Pride also prevents one from humbling himself. Humility is the key to success in ministry. You don’t know everything because you are only a part of the whole body of Christ. Pride will prevent you from accepting who you are.

“A man's pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

Proverbs 29:23

In the prophetic ministry, you must learn how to stay with God whiles under pressure. My dear prophet, the ministry that you have been called into is a ministry full of people with different temperaments. Some people will make you happy and feel you are called, whiles others will make your life miserable. There are people who will always appreciate you whiles others will castigate you.

However, these things must not deter you from the ministry. Always remember that God called you into the ministry, but not man. You are working for God and not man.

Do not succumb to the pressure that the crowd will put you in. you must learn to work under pressure, without going contrary to God’s commands. As a leader, you must be strong enough to take difficult decisions that man may not accept, but God will applaud you.

You can never survive in the prophetic ministry if you are soft and you easily give in. if God has called you to lead, you must not allow your wife or congregation to show you the way.

Moses, the great prophet of God, never tasted of the promise of God concerning Canaan because he could not withstand the pressure the people were giving him.

Daniel, however, was able to withstand the pressure his enemies put on him. He didn’t allow the pressure to overcome him, when there was a decree that nobody must worship any God for a period.

“Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.”

Daniel 6:5-10

As a prophet you shall be criticized in every way. Accusations may come, false stories may be fabricated, but never allow these to make you quit. Jesus Christ, together with the apostles went through these. Accusations come so you may be strengthened and also for you to rely solely on God. Be a partaker in His afflictions and never dream of quitting.

“And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation.”

2 Corinthians 1:7

Lastly, never allow man to influence your decision and commitments as a prophet. There are times prophets find themselves wanting because they allow their wives or church board make them deviate from their God-given purpose. This is not to be accepted.

Don’t allow someone to determine your role in ministry. If God called you, God will show you what to do. Man can distract you from your vision. Some additions to your ministry may make the load burdensome for you to carry.

Man of God, stick to what God has called you to do.

The young prophet in the bible allowed the old, backslidden prophet to influence God’s plans in his life. He was deceived by a so-called man of God and that led to the end of his ministry and life as a whole.

“And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.  And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.  And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.”

1 Kings 13:1-10

This prophet was not moved by the gifts from the king, neither his reward. However, an old prophet ended up deceiving him. This means that most of the time, those that may influence you to deviate from your God-given vision are fellow men of God.

“Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.  He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art ; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit , for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof , he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.”

1 Kings 13:11-26

Your vision will die whiles the one who lured you into it will still be alive with his vision. If God called you, He will definitely notify you concerning any changes or add ups.

“If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 14:37

Table of Contents

GOD DOES NOTHING WITHOUT THE PROPHETIC

THE PROPHETIC OFFICE

THE PROPHETIC GIFT

WHO A PROPHET IS

FALSE PROPHETS

THE MARK OF A TRUE PROPHET

DEVELOPING THE PROPHETIC

PRAYER

FASTING

EXERCISING THE PROPHETIC GIFT

GIVING

PROPHECY AND TONGUES

PROPHECY AND VISIONS

PROPHETIC DIRECTIONS

JUDGING THE PROPHETIC

PROPHETIC DISCIPLINE