I want to be very careful so as to not offend anyone today, but I have to tell you that I am greatly bothered by people who are always "needing a word from the Lord." I hear this all the time; "pray for me pastor, I just need a word from the Lord." "I don't know what to do, I need a word from the Lord." Now, believe me, I know that there are in fact times when we really do need a word from the Lord. But I have come to live and operate with the understanding that I go as much by what God does not say as by what He does say.
For example, God sent me to Galesburg to pastor Harvest Church with a clear vision of where He wants to lead us. I do not get up every morning and beg God for a "fresh Word" because He already spoke that Word into my spirit two years ago. With that Word, I operate with the understanding that if he is not telling me something else, then He obviously is happy with me and wants me to keep on doing what I am doing. Of course, I do hear from God about messages to preach, about refining the direction and so on, but the vision is the same today as it was two years ago. I don't need a new Word... He spoke it to me very clearly and I am going after that.
Don't misunderstand me, I believe God speaks to us daily and I depend on that. I am talking about needing someone to speak a Word over me. I know some people who will hop in the car and chase after every revival where they hear there is a prophet in hopes that he or she will speak a fresh Word over them. What is wrong with the Word He spoke over you last week? And don't you think that if God has a Word that he wants spoken into your life that He is well capable of having someone around you speak it to you without you having to drive all over the country to hear it? I mean, God used a donkey one time to speak, he certainly can use someone around you. I recently heard of God speaking through a 3 year old child to a pastor a Word that was directly from God. Trust me, if He wants to speak to you, He will!
I know someone is thinking that pastor has flipped his lid and is "unspiritual." Far from it. I just want us to realize that God is raising up a generation that was prophesied in the Bible where our "sons and daughters will prophesy and young men will see visions and old men will dream dreams." We tend to look for the "superstars" of the religious world to be the mouth-peice for God, but as I understand this passage, God says he will pour out His Spirit on all flesh, and that means me and you. That means our children. That means the black, the white, the Asian, ... it does not matter, God will pour out His Spirit on all who are seeking after Him. And I take that to imply that in these last days it is not going to be the "superstars" and the famous that God is going to speak through and use, but it is going to be the preacher in the local church; the Sunday school teacher, the musicians, the artists, the dancers ...any and all who will yeild themselves to the Holy Spirit, God will use them and speak to them and through them to accomplish His will in the earth.
Back to the original thought. If you are one who "needs a word" from God: can I suggest you get into THE WORD. Again, I am not trying to be offensive, but I have found Two things to be accurate over the years:
1) God most often speaks to me as I read the Word. Yes, there are times when someone speaks a word to me from the Lord, and those are awesome, exciting times. But at least in my life, I have found that almost all of the time, it is in my private time with the Lord and in His Word that he speaks most directly to my heart and to my life.
2) I have also found that most people who are always seeking for someone to speak a word over them, it is because they are not into Word of God enough on their own.
Let me clarify:
I absolutely believe God can, does and will use others to speak a Word into our lives. No doubt about that. But I also believe that this is the exception, not the norm. God wants us to get to know His voice so well that He can speak directly to us, spirit to spirit and through the Word of God.
11 comments:
Amen Pastor! The prophetic word is given to direct, but it must also be directed in itself...Prophetic people are not soothsayers, fortune tellers, or palm readers. When believers follow prophets and words they are reducing the prophetic to that of a little old lady sitting in a dark room reading tea leaves telling people what they want to hear. The Word of God itself is prophetic and will release everything we need if we read it. The key to it all is that a prophetic word will confirm what the Word of God is already saying, it will exhort, comfort, and encourage...we must never forget that humanity is also a part of prophetic ministry. Good word Pastor Garrett!
Amen!
Amen
and AMEN!
I'll add another AMEN to that!!!
I was reading in Rev. 5 today, and I'll copy the following from Bible.com (the Message translation)
8The moment he took the scroll, the Four Animals and Twenty-four Elders fell down and worshiped the Lamb. Each had a harp and each had a bowl, a gold bowl filled with incense, the prayers of God's holy people. 9And they sang a new song:
Worthy! Take the scroll, open its seals.
Slain! Paying in blood, you bought men and women,
Bought them back from all over the earth,
Bought them back for God.
10Then you made them a Kingdom, Priests for our God,
Priest-kings to rule over the earth.
We are to be PRIESTS. All of us. We don't have to rely on others to speak over us - God already has! Yes, it's wonderful to have a word spoken over you - and to see the fruits of that. But, my prayer is to be in tune with God. I want to hear His voice and know His touch - so that in an instant I can have discernment in situations. I know God's moving His Church in a new way - and we have to be able to hear His voice for ourselves!
All I can say is... AMEN!!!!
Amen you all.
Also God is not going to repeat to us what he has told us in His Word (Bible). The 'prophet groupie' that are always needing a 'Word from the Lord' need to look to the Word of the God FIRST.
All this is just a result of our instant gratification culture. No one wants to do the hard work of seeking God themselves.
What did Jesus do when he needed a 'Word from the Lord'? Fast. Get up early and pray for more than 10 mins. Seek God.
These people just want signs and wonders.
"An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet;" Mat 12:39
When the true prophets do arise they will be tell the church to repent of it's worldliness. Read Rev 2 & 3. These are the things that the prophets will say. I don't think most in the church will like it when they really get prophesied over.
(ADDED) we need to ask God to "fine tune"" our hearing so that we can discern it from other voices, That is what i have been asking God to do with me, I want so much to not only hear his word for myself but to speak it to others , whether it be a personal word , a word for our church, Or a word for the whole body!!but if we dont read HIS WORD, how would we know if the word is from him , because it must line up with the bible!!! I hope im making sence.
I'm now thinking I need someone to give me a word from the Lord. Any takers? I guess anyone will do. I'm not picky.
I hear it coming Sarah...
Something about Pastor needing chocolate... the good stuff... European dark chocolate with hazelnuts.
Girl... you are crazy!
...For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Rev 19:10
I always think of this verse when I think of prophets and prophesying. The most important and 'prophetic' thing you can tell someone is that Jesus is coming and that they need to get right with Him. I believe if we are faithful in telling people this message that when God does have something more specific to tell someone He can use you. If we are 'faithful in the little things' God will give us more.
You go Pastor! I have a habit of writing too much...so....just want to say that this is an excellent word. Everyone that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying here!
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