The Heart of the Prophet

Intro:

  • Welcome to our first class.
  • This class is for those who have been hearing the voice of the Lord and have a heart to minister prophetically. Most importantly, those who have been feeling the nudge of the Holy Spirit to go deeper. Hopefully it’s come to the place where that nudge has been stronger and you’ve become hungrier to hear God even clearer and you’re ready to do whatever it takes to hear even more.
  • The first order of business is to first address the heart of the prophetic person.

The gift of prophecy versus growing into the office of prophet

Gift of prophecy

  • 1 Cor 14:3 NIVBut everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort.
  • This is the primary expression of the prophetic in the NT. We are not modeling ourselves after the OT prophets.
  • In the OT, the Holy Spirit only fell upon a few, kings and prophets. He was unable to stay and the Holy Spirit would depart.
  • In the NT, the Holy Spirit dwells within every believer, so every believer can hear from God and discern and judge.
  • 1 Cor 12:8-10 NKJVfor to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.
  • Revelation gifts
  • Word of knowledge
  • Informational. The Lord is telling us something we don’t know. It’s part of the process.
  • Most of the time, we don’t want to just say what the Lord is showing us.
  • We have to ask the next question,
  • “Lord, why are you showing me this?”
  • “What do you want to do with this?”
  • Words of knowledge are often times diagnostic. It’s the Holy Spirit telling us what the problem is or where it started.
  • When we use words of knowledge correctly, they will help convince the listener that God is indeed speaking to them.
  • Discerning of spirits
  • Who is the source? God, the devil, or flesh?
  • Word of wisdom
  • Instruction, direction, guidance, or insight that the Lord is giving to address the situation
  • Prophecy
  • What is the word of the Lord? What is God saying to the person?
  • The sum result of what we prophecy is supposed to strengthening, encouraging, & comforting.
  • 1st goal is to recognize that we are seeking to increase in all four of these areas:
  • Word of knowledge
  • Discerning of spirits
  • Word of wisdom
  • Prophecy
  • The Holy Spirit can speak through all the spiritual senses
  • Seeing – images, dreams, visions
  • Hearing – audible voice, spontaneous stream of words and thoughts
  • Sensations – body sensations, feelings, pains, etc
  • Smell
  • Taste
  • Emotions
  • Memories

Physical receptors that every healthy person has.

  • Vision or perception – the ability to detect electromagnetic waves within the visible range of light.
  • 2 Kings 6:14-17 NKJV 14 Therefore he sent horses and chariots and a great army there, and they came by night and surrounded the city. 15 And when the servant of the man of God arose early and went out, there was an army, surrounding the city with horses and chariots. And his servant said to him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?" 16 So he answered, "Do not fear, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 17 And Elisha prayed, and said, "Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see." Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
  • Have to see what’s happening in the spiritual realm
  • Visions, dreams, spiritual beings
  • Hearing or audition – the sense of sound perception.
  • 1 Sam 3:10-11 NKJV10 Now the Lord came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel answered, "Speak, for Your servant hears." 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel: "Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.
  • Samuel heard God’s voice but had to recognize it and then respond to His voice.
  • Taste or gustation– one of the two main chemical senses in the body.
  • 5 types of taste buds for sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and one that combines some of them.
  • Ps 34:8 NKJV

Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;

Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!

  • Ezek 3:3 NKJV

And He said to me, "Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you." So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.

  • Smell or olfaction is the chemical sense, 100s of olfactory receptors each binding to a particular molecular feature.
  • 2 Cor 2:14-16 NASB14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 15 For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 16 to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things?
  • Touch, tactition, or mechanoreception
  • 1 Kings 19:5-8 NKJVThen as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, "Arise and eat." 6 Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you." 8 So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.
  • Dan 10:9-11 NKJVYet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the ground. 10 Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on my knees and on the palms of my hands. 11 And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word to me, I stood trembling.

The 5 lesser senses – via Dan McCollom

  • Thermoception or thermoreception is the sense by which an organism perceives temperature. Mammals ve at least two types of sensor: those that detect heat (i.e. temperatures above body temperature) and those that detect cold (i.e. temperatures below body temperature).
  • Proprioceptionis the perception of motion or presence when it comes into a room
  • Nociception
  • Perception of pain. Signals damage or near damage to tissue.
  • Three type of pain receptions are skin, joints, bones and body organs.
  • Distinct phenomenon that intertwines with the other perceptions.
  • Equilibrioceptionis thesenseof balance.
  • Has to do with gravity, balance, and acceleration.
  • Explains people being slain in the Spirit.
  • Increase and decrease in gravity.
  • Magnetoception (or magnetoreception) is the ability to detect a magnetic field to perceive direction, altitude or location.
  • Has to do with direction. Animals have it for migratory direction.

Office of prophet

  • Jer 1:9-10 NKJV

9 Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me:

"Behold, I have put My words in your mouth.

  • Increased and grown in the prophetic so God can actually put His own words in our mouth.

10 See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms,

To root out and to pull down,

To destroy and to throw down

To build and to plant."

  • We’re given an assignment, a nation, a people, a region, a people group, a church. The Lord expands us beyond our normal sphere of influence and authority.
  • Authority to
  • Root out
  • Pull down
  • Destroy
  • Throw down
  • Build
  • Plant
  • 4 aggressive, rearranging anointings
  • 2 building, establishing anointings
  • Generally it takes 15-20 years to become a prophet
  • Those maturing into the role of prophet have deeper revelation and understanding, much of which comes from deeper meditation and engagement with God concerning what’s being shown to them.
  • There is inspirational prophecy, which come spontaneously, in the moment as we’re praying or ministering to someone.
  • Revelatory prophecy is received more deliberately and then meditated upon and pondered over with God until it comes to the form that God intended.

The issues of the heart

  • Matt 12:33-35 NKJV"Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. 34 Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.
  • The release of the prophetic ministry is primarily through speaking. It’s also released through prophetic acts done in obedience and direction by the Lord.
  • So it’s paramount that we address the heart.
  • If our heart is not right, then our speaking will not be either.
  • Prov 4:23 NIV

23 Above all else, guard your heart,

for it is the wellspring of life.

  • The condition of our heart determines the wells and rivers that flow out of us.

We need a deeper revelation of Jesus

Rev 19:10 NKJVAnd I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me,"See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

  • What is our testimony of Jesus?
  • If we don’t see Jesus correctly, it affects the spirit of prophecy that comes out of us.
  • If I do not see that God is love and I do not see that my identity is that of one who is supremely loved by God, then it affects the spirit of ministry that comes out of me.
  • Preaching, teaching, giving, healing, praying, worship, prophecy, evangelizing, pastoring, etc.
  • My testimony of Jesus is what will come out of me when I minister and it will affect my prophetic gifting.

John 1:14 NASB14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.

  • God became man and lived among us
  • Jesus showed God’s glory
  • Full of grace and truth

John 1:17 NASBFor the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ.

  • The coming of Jesus brought a gigantic shift in the spiritual realm.
  • Truth and grace merged together because of the cross.
  • Because Jesus brought grace to truth, every ministry must proclaim and abide in truth but heavily merged with grace.
  • Jonah and OT prophets – “40 days and then Nineveh is destroyed”. Just truth
  • Street preachers who only preach condemnation & judgment – they’re speaking truth w/o grace.
  • We’re not allowed to judge any more. We can judge to discern to assess a situation, but with mercy.
  • All judgment was poured out upon Jesus, we’re not allowed to take it up again.

Rom 2:1-4 NASBTherefore you are without excuse, every man of you who passes judgment, for in that you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things. 2 And we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things. 3 And do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment upon those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

  • God’s primary approach is kindness, it’s His grace.
  • Paul is telling us to leaving the judging to God.
  • God Himself draws us to repentance by being kind to us.

Gal 6:1 NASBBrethren, even if a man is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, lest you too be tempted.

  • It’s to be our approach also
  • Mercy, grace, gentleness, love, - merged with truth

James 2:13 NKJVFor judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

Deeper revelation of Jesus and His grace to us and to others

  • Have you fully received grace for yourself?
  • To what degree?
  • Do you fully live and abide in that grace for yourself?
  • Do you fully extend grace to your family and friends?
  • To what degree do you truly see yourself and others the way Jesus does?

Cleanse your stream

Eph 4:29-32 NASBLet no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear.

  • NT – only words that give grace are to the hearer are allowed to leave our lips
  • This includes teaching, preaching, encouraging, words of knowledge, words of wisdom, prophecy, conversation, etc.

30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.

  • Again the condition of our hearts can grieve the Holy Spirit
  • We’re to put away bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor (causing an outcry), slander, malice
  • Put on kindness, tenderness, forgive and receive forgiveness
  • Repent of criticalness, unrighteous judgment

Repent of all idolatry

  • Ezekiel 14:4 NKJVTherefore speak to them, and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,
  • Deal with all generational idolatry and occultism.

HHhhumility and being teachable

  • 1 Cor 12:28 NKJVAnd God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.
  • James 3:1 NKJVMy brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment.
  • If this is true for teachers, even more so for apostles and prophets.
  • 1 Cor 14:29-32 NKJVLet two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. 30 But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged. 32 And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
  • We should never have an issue with others testing what we teach, preach, or prophesy.
  • We should encourage everyone to be good Bereans.
  • We should encourage others to also share what they are hearing from God.

Identity – personality versus persona

Personality is how we’re known on earth

  • Personality is where the flesh dwells.
  • Our personality is where the devil can attack us.

Persona is how we’re known in heaven.

Overcoming lies and intimidation

  • David and Goliath

Our ability to see and hear God even clearer is dependent the state of our hearts and the stream that we live in.

Assignment

  • Write a list of everything that is keeping you from your destiny.
  • Personal defeat
  • Character defects
  • Problems that oppose you
  • Number them 1 – n
  • Write a 2nd list with numbers matching the numbers on the 1st list.
  • Write the opposite of each of the numbered items in list #1 on list #2.
  • You will have a list of the exact opposite of each of the items on list1 on list2.
  • This 2nd list is a list of all that God has for you in this next season.
  • Attached to every item on the 2nd list is a prophecy, a promise, a scripture, a blessing, etc.
  • Write a 3rd list
  • Find a scripture for every item on the 2nd list.
  • Are there any prophecies the Lord has given you for items on the 2nd list.
  • Burn the 1st list because you don’t need it anymore.
  • Now you have a record of God’s intentional dealings with you in this next season.
  • God’s going to revamp your thinking so you’ll see His hand working through your problems.
  • Now you have a list of your promises, prophecies, permission, identity, destiny, anointing, blessing, freedom, faith, empowering, abiding, trusting, joy, confidence, & covenant.
  • Your perception of God and yourself can now go to the place of continual upgrade. This is how we play catch up.
  • You’re going to learn how to partner with the Holy Spirit. It’s not going to be hard, it’s going to be wonderful.
  • We don’t have to do anything to get into what God has for us. We have to do everything to stay in it.
  • The key discipline in the NT is abiding.

Homework