What is a Prophet?
A Prophet
is one who
Speaks the Word of God
and
Tells the Dreams from God
and
Proclaims the Word of God "Faithfully".
This was the first question I had to answer. It is a key issue to any one called to be a Prophet. There are hints and clues to what a Prophet is through out the Bible. Some of the best material is found in Jeremiah 23 I would suggest reading the entire chapter.
- "Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully".(Jeremiah 23:28)
- We are to stand in the council of the LORD to see and hear His word.
- We are to pay attention to His Word and listen.
To stand in the council of the LORD we must go to Him in prayer, spend time in His Word and seek Him.
- Any prophetic word must not only line up with the Bible but it must be "for the profit of men".
For the most part this means
it is to encourage the recipient. It can also be for a warning or chastening
to "turn them from their evil way and from the evil of their deeds". One must
proceed in the latter with extreme sensitivity and caution and much prayer.
- Prophets are to be Godly men.
- When we have a Word or a Vision, we must constantly ask our selves the question:
"Does this serve me or does it serve God?" It is very satisfying to be used by God and if we do not maintain our humility it is easy to use prophecy to build our ego.
If we are not speaking to serve God then we are false prophets. God says He will deal severely with a false profit or any one who leads His people astray.
Jeremiah warns the profit of things to be careful of where God says: "I am against":
- Speaking and prophesying as though it is from God just because it is our desire, if God did not send us or charge us, to speak for Him. (Jeremiah 23:21) "I did not
speak to them, yet they prophesied when I did not send them or charge them"
(Jeremiah 23:32) I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, declares the
LORD, and who tell them and lead my people astray by their lies and their
recklessness.
- Recklessness is very easy and very dangerous. It comes from our worldly nature. And it has at least three dimensions.
- There is a strong tendency, which must be resisted, to add our own words or to amend God's words, because we think we know or understand. We are to speak
only God's Words no more and no less, with out any modification.
- There is also the desire on one's part to try and make God's Word happen or the directed path to be taken. This is presumptuous on our part thinking that we understand God's intention. God spoke to me and said: "It is your job to present My Word, as given to you. That is all you are to do. It is between Myself (GOD) and the recipient(s) what action is taken in response to My Word."
- God gives a strong warning about "Speaking visions of their (our) own mind." And "filling you (them) with vain hopes saying 'It shall be well with you' 'No disaster shall come upon you.'" Although it may be encouraging it is not God's Word and goes against God.
- Many like to add emphasis, to make people take great notice by saying "Thus Sayeth the Lord". God says (Jeremiah 23:31) I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who use their tongues and declare, 'declares the LORD'. Jeremiah
(23:30)
- Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD, who steal my words from one another. This would relate to using the
words of another prophet that you had heard rather than speaking a Word God
had given you.
The above raises the question "How do I know if the word or vision is from God?" This is addressed in hearing God's Word