God Communicates with His People
From the beginning of time, God has spoken with His people, sharing His thoughts, plans, and heart. The Bible is full of testimonies of God speaking to people – there are too many to count. Walking with Adam and Eve in the garden, telling Noah to build the ark, speaking to Joseph through dreams or radical encounters like Paul had on the road to Damascus (and then faithful Aniais is told to go pray for Paul in Acts 9). We have a God who speaks, and it has been that way all throughout history. God’s voice has always been part of the relationship with His people. Today, through the Holy Spirit, every believer has access to this intimate friendship and conversation.
And through the gift of prophecy, God lets us participate in the building up of the body of Christ by speaking his heart to people. Rooted in His love, prophecy serves to encourage, strengthen, and comfort. It’s not primarily about predicting the future, but it is about calling people into the fullness of who God has made them to be, and aligning them with His promises and purposes. By grace, and through the power of the Spirit, God shares his thoughts and affections so we can share them with each other. The Bible promises that the Holy Spirit, and specifically the gift of prophecy, will be given to all people who believe in Jesus – young, old, women, and children (Acts 2:14-21).
Prophecy isn’t reserved for a select few—it’s an invitation for all believers to partner with God in His work on earth. As Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 14, we are to eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, because it builds up the church and demonstrates God’s love to the world. So ask, seek, knock. God answers those prayers!
Healing and Prophecy: A Divine Partnership
Healing and prophecy often intertwine, working together to bring restoration to past wounds, restore identity in Christ, and provide hope for the future. In church culture you often see ministries focus on one particular gift of the Spirit, for example prayers for healing or prophetic encouragement. It makes me laugh, as though we think God can’t walk and chew gum at the same time! When the Spirit is invited to minister to someone He will give them whatever they need, through any vessel willing to serve. Healing, words of knowledge, wisdom, prophetic encouragment, and spiritual discernment – they all come wrapped together in the love of God and are available to us when we pray.
It’s a beautiful thing to witness Holy Spirit weaving these various gifts together to bring transformation. Very often when we pray God will bring healing to past wounds and lies, and restores confidence in their true identity in Christ. And in the next breath, He speaks a prophetic prayer that pulls that person forward into God’s vision and purpose for their life. You can see people’s countenance change and their spirit come alive as the Holy Spirit speaks life, dignity, hope, and courage for people to be able to walk in His plans.
Every time we witness and experience God’s love poured out in this way, we are in awe of Him. It’s stunning. We serve an awesome God. In love, God speaks into deep places and longings that only He could know, and pulls people into an adventure with Him that only they could fulfill. We are all uniquely created for His divine purposes, and everything about our story will be redeemed and used to accomplish His great plans.
Lifestyle of Intimacy
Walking in any gifts of the Spirit is a natural outflow of intimacy with God and a yielding to the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Him, we learn to recognize His voice and He will share with you His heart for others. Living with our eyes fixed on Jesus, we become vessels of His love, speaking life, healing, and encouragement into the lives of those around us.
You are part of His solution to the healing and restoration of lost and broken people, and He will equip you for every good work.
