11-21-2021, 08:55 AM
I struggle to put this into words. Someone with a prophetic gift knows the difference between a sure word of prophecy versus a conviction from God that can have prophetic implications. I've gotten only a few of the first kind, and a great many of the latter. Most of what I share is based on the latter, so that I am required to offer caveats. I know beyond all doubt what God requires of me regarding certain things, and I sense that it points to something bigger, but I don't have that overwhelming sense of God's Word blasting through my soul. Others have described the same process for themselves.
I believe there's a good reason why the Lord is working this way. Christians as a whole have for far too long neglected the teaching of convictions. While it's the same thing as being heart-led, it's more accessible for most Western Christians to talk about convictions. They can at least understand it in principle, even if they don't walk in it. And that's the problem: churches don't teach people to walk in them. We all know why; it would challenge the little kingdoms of men and women with all the attendant comforts and pleasures.
Still, I tend to believe we'll see a lot more of this prophetic ministry delivered in a very subtle way through convictions, simply because the Lord is trying to emphasize the necessity of walking in conviction. Humanity has forgotten too much about how to do that, so the only way God is going to deal with us is via the one tool we understand least, until we make it more common in our lives.
And we who are called to serve in a prophetic role must get used to doing things this way. Our primary prophetic message is the doing of prophecy via conviction, even if we don't say that directly. We aren't going to get very many firm words from God, but we will get a host of impressions about what God is doing via our convictions. God is teaching His people to learn how to use that great gift again.
I believe there's a good reason why the Lord is working this way. Christians as a whole have for far too long neglected the teaching of convictions. While it's the same thing as being heart-led, it's more accessible for most Western Christians to talk about convictions. They can at least understand it in principle, even if they don't walk in it. And that's the problem: churches don't teach people to walk in them. We all know why; it would challenge the little kingdoms of men and women with all the attendant comforts and pleasures.
Still, I tend to believe we'll see a lot more of this prophetic ministry delivered in a very subtle way through convictions, simply because the Lord is trying to emphasize the necessity of walking in conviction. Humanity has forgotten too much about how to do that, so the only way God is going to deal with us is via the one tool we understand least, until we make it more common in our lives.
And we who are called to serve in a prophetic role must get used to doing things this way. Our primary prophetic message is the doing of prophecy via conviction, even if we don't say that directly. We aren't going to get very many firm words from God, but we will get a host of impressions about what God is doing via our convictions. God is teaching His people to learn how to use that great gift again.