Hi, my name is Renée Evans, senior leader at Bethel Austin, and I’d like to welcome you to God Today. I want to talk to you a little bit today about prophecy, and I feel like this is a subject that oftentimes we can assume is a skill or a gift that’s reserved for just a special few people in the church. And I want to tell you that it is not. The prophetic gift is actually a gift that is given to every single believer. That’s right. It’s given to you just as much as it’s given to the person prophesying onstage.
And I want to talk a little bit from the Scripture today, and I just want to encourage you to step out in your gift of prophecy. We’re all in a learning process, so there is no pressure. Say that with me, “There is no pressure.” This is fun. This is a great way that we can encourage one another, that we can encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. We can edify them and build them up in the faith, amen? And so not only is this something that gives us a great connection to the Lord, but it’s something that encourages one another, as we speak out the truth and speak into people’s lives that which God is saying.
I want to encourage you with this. In first Corinthians 14, it says this: “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts.” That word desire right there means zealously lust. Doesn’t that give it a little bit of a different context? Zealously lust after spiritual gifts. That is not a passive role. That is not a person who sits there just hoping and wishing that the Lord would give them a spiritual gift. It’s actually the instruction that we are to zealously lust after these spiritual gifts. So there is a part that we play in obtaining these spiritual gifts from the Lord, and that is our hunger. And the more that we hunger after this gift and the more that we pull on Heaven for it, the more that God is going to speak through us, amen?
So it says “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.” I love that – especially that you may prophesy. Now, we all know that we serve a good God. Amen? Amen. But sometimes I think that we can assume that God is a God that dangles carrots in front of us – that He dangles something that is unobtainable in front of us. Now God would not say to us, “Desire these spiritual gifts,” only to reserve them for a special few, amen? So many times in Scripture it says, “All may prophesy.” That is you. And that is me. And it is God’s heart that we all may prophesy.
In verse two it says, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men, but to God, for no one understands him. However, in the Spirit he speaks mysteries, but he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.” Now, who knows that in this day and age that we need edification. We need exhortation and we need comfort. And the prophetic is the perfect tool that we as believers have that we can give those gifts away, not just to fellow believers, but to people who don’t yet know the Lord. And it’s a great way for them to encounter the goodness of our God, amen?
So I want to encourage you and I want to speak the truth into your life right now that says you are equipped to prophesy. You actually have been given a gift of prophecy because we all as born-again believers have been given this gift. And so now it is up to us as individuals to go out and steward that gift well. And one of the greatest ways that we can steward gifts is not only through thankfulness – it’s always a great idea to be thankful for what God has given you, amen? – but also to use that gift. And the more that we use that gift, then the more the Lord will entrust a greater measure of it to us.
I know in my personal life that when I first started stepping out with prophetic words, I would get so nervous and you know what, that’s okay. But obedience trumps our uncomfortability, amen? Sometimes we’re going to be in situations where we’re uncomfortable and hey, that’s just part of life. But you know what trumps that is our obedience to God.
And so I want to encourage you that as you step out with a prophetic word – and it could be as simple as “God loves you. “It could be as simple as, “You know what? God has a plan for you. He has a hope for your future.” You can use Scripture to prophesy over people. You can use impressions. You can use dreams. You can use encouragement that God has even spoken to you to speak into the lives of other people.
We really do not need to make the prophetic complicated. We don’t. It is so simple. It is us hearing from God and then giving that away to encourage other people, amen? And I guarantee you that as you steward this gift that God has put on your life, He is going to give you more and more words. He is going to be able to entrust you with a greater level of this gift, a greater anointing in the prophetic as you step out faithfully, to give words of encouragement to those people around you.
Bless you. I hope this has been encouraging, and I would love for you this week sometime to step out, even if you’re uncomfortable, step out and give someone a prophetic word, encourage someone, because we all need hope and we all need encouragement. And we really can change lives by simply telling the world that they have a God that loves them. Amen?
I want to pray for you really quickly. Lord, I just thank You so much for every person that is watching. I ask that You put a spirit of boldness in them, that they would step out in faith to encourage not only their brothers and sisters, but people that don’t yet know You. God, I thank You that You are faithful. And I thank You that You will meet them right where they’re at. In Jesus’ name, amen. Bless you.