Being prophetic 24*7 Part 2 Prophetic Evangelism

Being prophetic 24*7  Part 2

Prophetic Evangelism

Overcoming guilt and condemnation.

You had an amazing opportunity to share God’s love or minister to your friends or a stranger but you missed it. You’re wondering what is next. Most people feel condemned and carry away some sort of guilt. They feel God is unhappy with them and they think that, as in the story of talents, God won’t give another opportunity to them. Our God is gracious and compassionate. He is a righteous God. He never asks you to do some thing beyond your limit. He will give you enough time to grow and to be fruitful. Suppose you missed a chance and after that you keep on hearing a voice saying, “You failed me, you are a failure. No more gifts from me. You are not worthy.” Many people think and believe this voice is from God/ Holy Spirit. But if you study the character of the Holy Spirit, He is called Comforter and Counsellor and not Condemner. He will correct you but never put you down. He will be available to lift you up. So make sure what you are hearing is from God.

 Starting trouble.

This is a problem for most people; they know they are hearing from God, but they wonder how to start. Where can I start?  Here is some practical advice from experience and from people I have heard on this subject.

• Prophetic evangelism can happen at any time, anywhere, but God won’t force you to do some thing beyond your ability / faith

Possible reasons for unwillingness to step out:

• Sometimes you may feel uncomfortable to step out because of unfamiliarity or because you are ambitious about the outcome
• Never happened before / never tried before  / bad experiences from past
• A lack of response from people (you felt convinced that what you have shared is from God, but no one responded. You feel ashamed)
• In a previous experience the person said you were wrong / the fear of being wrong  
• Feeling not called or unworthy
• Fear of failure

Overcoming fear is a vital part of prophetic evangelism. It is easy to get discouraged by people’s response. You are sharing not to please them but to convey what God wants to say to them and when God communicates He will consider the culture and the person’s language.

I do remember many occasions when God laid something on my heart to speak out in public meetings and which was specifically for some people in the crowd. Sometimes I encourage them to lift their hands or come forward. But sometimes no one comes forward, and then I ask God for more clarification. Even after very specifically mentioning their name, no body came forward (usually I ask people to come forward for things that won’t put them to shame in a public setting, like some sickness).  On July 10, 2011, we were ministering in a church in Oxford. I felt God was specifically asking me speak about a person struggling to sleep. No one responded. After the meeting a lady came forward and told us that she was the one struggling to sleep. Although I asked why she didn’t respond at that time, we agreed to pray. Suddenly Katherine got a word of knowledge regarding this lady’s connection with a Ouija board; she was shocked and surprised as she thought no one knew anything about this event. It was very clear for her that this was Jesus. I had wondered why no one responded at the time of my altar call but now I know it was God stopping her. Sometimes it might be God holding people back to allow for them to have more time for ministry in a different circumstance. So never jump to conclusions.

You can be discouraged by thinking about the accuracy of your gifting. And you can be discouraged by what others think about your ministry. But remember that people will come and go, they will cheer and clap but Jesus is the only one who will be with you all the time.  That is why Jesus said  Matthew 10:28 (KJV) ^“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” 

You will need boldness to speak and trust in God for His plan and presence. Practice is essential for the sharpness of your ministry, but at some point you need to start. Ask for help from church leadership if you need more support and advice, but they are not going to be with you all the time so it’s your responsibility to respond quickly and wisely according to the leading of the spirit. Paul was asking Timothy to fan into flame his gifting. Some people say practice makes you perfect. I am not talking about perfection but, like learning a language, learning how to sing and how to play an instrument, spiritual gifting needs to be exercised. It’s always good to spend time with people who operate in the same spirit; you can find some people from your church who have a passion to reach out. Spend time with them, share with them. If there is something seriously bothering you then meet up with the leadership.

Conclusion

Prophetic evangelism is part of every one’s calling. God can use you at any time. He will give you the grace to do that. Taking small steps, gradually God will give you the boldness to do greater things for Him. Exercise your spiritual muscles.  Don’t wait for a pulpit to preach. Every step is a pulpit for God’s people. Don’t wait for a crowd to share; your next door neighbour is your crowd. Don’t wait to be sent by some one. Wherever you go expect and be excited to be used by God. Don’t be disappointed if nothing is happening. God is in control. Paul concluded that the Corinthians should not lose heart, because God would raise them up with Jesus. Here is a great principle. A proper focus on our glorious future with Christ will empower us to endure any kind of trouble.

So be prophetic 24*7

God bless. I’d love to hear your experiences and comments.
Don't miss PART1& 3 of this blog...

Being prophetic 24*7 Part 3 Prophetic Evangelism

Being prophetic 24*7  Part  3

Prophetic Evangelism

 Some common sense from God /word of wisdom

Why? How? When?

When you minister to people remember to ask for God’s wisdom. It’s very important what you say and how you speak and when you speak?  The right message but the wrong timing can spoil the effect. God is a God of wisdom and understanding. I don’t thing he will ask a woman to go to a single man’s house in the middle of the night to deliver a prophetic message. You can share in a public setting, but maintain confidentiality. You can ask for someone else’s help if it’s available, especially in a church atmosphere. You can minister even in a strange place but use your wisdom, guard your feelings and guard your path. Is giving your contact details advisable? It’s up to the circumstances, but it is always great to get the person’s contact details if possible; otherwise finish your business and say bye. Having their contact details will help you to connect them to a local church and be followed up through the church. Can a woman minister to a man or vice versa? Of course, but use Godly wisdom (read common sense from God).

You can minister to people in both public and private settings. Some the things can be shared in a public setting, but some matters need to be shared privately. When you are ministering in a private setting if the person is from the opposite sex remember to bring a third mature person who is acceptable to you both. If you are married you can ask your husband or wife.  Remember spiritual gifting is for building the Church, not to break it; to edify and to correct. Let it be with lots of love and grace.

How?

 You start with a ‘hi’ but you need to act according to the circumstances. You can’t expect God to speak to you in an audible voice, ‘son or daughter, this is the time. Act now!’  Sometimes you can feel or hear an inner inspiration to do some thing; you can understand that kind of leading might be different from your normal thought pattern. Sometimes you will just receive a prompting, and you need to act according to God’s wisdom; He already gave you the wisdom to know what to do. Do it in your own style, don’t try to imitate someone else’s experience. Just act as you are.

One of the methods God helped me to use is starting with a friendly conversation.

Once you get a prophetic insight about a person, perhaps a stranger, ask God for an opportunity. Be calm and relax!!  You can be easily worried and anxious about how to start, the nature of the response and the end result. Once you start the conversation remember to include the prophetic revelation in the conversation. You will be surprised by seeing the response from the people. I have had both positive and negative experiences. Sometimes people honestly say, ‘you are talking about some thing I am going through now’. Wow … such a relief. Here we go…share God’s love and if possible you can pray for them if they are comfortable with that. At that time it’s not necessary to close your eyes, shout in tongues and lift your hands in the air! If you do that don’t be surprised by the disappearance of the person once you open your eyes. Keep it short and sweet. Do it quickly with the beauty of God’s love. One of the best examples in the Bible is Philip and the eunuch in the book of Acts. You may or may not see this person again, so don’t miss the opportunity. 

When? 

There is no particular time for prophetic evangelism. Jesus ministered to people at different times. When Jesus was ministering to the Samaritan woman it was in the evening, and when Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus it was night. When Jesus was warning Peter the time was midnight. So there is no specific time. Respond any time God leads you to do so.

Whenever you are ministering to people remember one person: Jesus. He came to this earth with a great purpose; He preached the good news to the poor. But think about the response He got, even at the time of his ministry on this earth a small percentage got saved. He didn’t heal everyone, but at the cross He proclaimed ‘it’s finished’. What does that mean? He fulfilled the ultimate purpose for which He came to this earth; He demonstrated God’s unconditional love and plan for salvation and redemption. Jesus knew that everyone is not chosen, but without any partiality He preached the good news, He healed the sick and fed the hungry, He spent time with both rich and poor, went to weddings and funerals. Salvation is free but some are worthy and some are not .Whoever is worthy and whoever is not unto God, that is in His sovereign will, but our responsibility is to obey God.

I usually start with a friendly conversation if I think they are available for some time. Don’t wait for the last moment to share what God has asked you to say. It happened to me many times that I missed the opportunity to say what I was planning to say, missed the core! Phew! If they are in a hurry to leave ask them ‘do you have one min? I would like to communicate something important’. Most of the time they will wait. If the person is your neighbour or a friend ask them to come around for a cup of tea and then share. You can say ‘I felt God was saying …..’ Try to avoid ‘thus says the Lord’.

Try to avoid super spiritual language, and doctrinal terminology, like righteousness, glorification, sanctification and justification. Make it simple and understandable with out loosing the meaning and the core. Remember to give enough time to respond, and listen to them regardless whether they agree or disagree with you. Remember you might be planting a seed into their life. Don’t be disappointed if their response is negative or there is a lack of response.

What if you are not sure??

You can say to people from church or people with a Christian background ‘I feel God is saying’. If it is some serious matter like a relationship with someone outside marriage and they are part of your church, then the best thing is to share your thoughts to your leaders and let them deal with it.  Foolishness can spoil everything. Many times it divided many churches, and broke rather than built many family relationships. You don’t want to see that.

If you are talking to a non Christian it’s better to avoid Biblical terminology. Make it simple. Look at Jesus. He talked to people in very simple and understandable language and He would explain more to His disciples whenever He got time and whenever they asked for clarification.

Ready to be offended, ready to be persecuted

Offence can be physical, emotional or spiritual. Jesus and almost all godly people in history were offended and persecuted in many ways. What would you feel if you were accused of wrong motives, especially if the accusations came from your closest family or friends?

After great ministry people told Jesus He was demon possessed, John 10.20 “Many of them said, ‘He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why listen to him?’” Jesus knew what was He was doing and who gave Him the authority to do it: Matthew 12:28 says: “But if I by the Spirit of God cast out demons, then is the kingdom of God come upon you.”  People even tried to kill Him. John 8:59, “They took up stones therefore to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple.”

 In Acts 16:23-28, Paul was beaten for casting out demons and setting one girl free.

But in prison they rejoiced in the Lord. Paul was miraculously used by God in many ways. For the salvation of many he spoke to kings, authorities, and was used by God to write many epistles in the New Testament and to raise the dead. In 2 Corinthians 4:1-12: you can see the long list of things happened in his ministry. I can’t finish this blog without adding these verses:

“Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For what we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.”

 

 Conclusion

Prophetic evangelism is part of every one’s calling. God can use you at any time. He will give you the grace to do that. Taking small steps, gradually God will give you the boldness to do greater things for Him. Exercise your spiritual muscles.  Don’t wait for a pulpit to preach. Every step is a pulpit for God’s people. Don’t wait for a crowd to share; your next door neighbour is your crowd. Don’t wait to be sent by some one. Wherever you go expect and be excited to be used by God. Don’t be disappointed if nothing is happening. God is in control. Paul concluded that the Corinthians should not lose heart, because God would raise them up with Jesus. Here is a great principle. A proper focus on our glorious future with Christ will empower us to endure any kind of trouble.

So be prophetic 24*7

God bless. I’d love to hear your experiences and comments.
Don't miss PART 1&2 of this blog...

Balanced Singles

“I hate men, leave me alone!” the girl screamed from the crowd. “They are not trustworthy, he cheated me and he just left me when he found another girl.. so I am not at all interested in marriage.” Lucy Mark (not real name of the person) is ok now, just leading a normal life, happy to mingle with people but cautious about serious relationships as she has been hurt, and feels rejected and cheated.

‘Lucy’ was someone that I knew as a single person. She’s a Christian who’s passionate for God and mission. Whether you’re a Christian or not, you will have to face some sort of challenges as a single person. Handling the situation wisely will help you to move forward without carrying with you loads of baggage.

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