The Gift of Prophecy

Text: 1 Cor. 12:10
More Lessons: 1 Cor. 14:3-5
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 34-36

Prophecy is inspired utterance in a known language. It is not conceived by human reasoning or thought. As with the other gifts of the Spirit, genuine gift of prophecy will point to Jesus as Lord. The manifestation of prophecy is not to elevate or magnify man or to show that a man is powerful and gifted or even to prove that a man is a genuine man of God. The gift of prophecy is not to prove anything; it is to glorify Jesus. Any prophecy that is always creating division in the Body of Christ is wrong, ...he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to EDIFICATION, and EXHORTATION, and COMFORT: 1 Cor. 14:3. A true prophecy will edify, exhort, and comfort people, helping them to be better Christians. Some people who supposedly speak by prophetic utterance never speak comfort to the Church. They never edify or build up the Church—they give only denunciations and terrify people with predictions of doom. That is not the gift of prophecy in operation.

Believers are to be guided by the Word of God. Prophecy is to edify, exhort and comfort (1 Cor. 14: 3). Notice that prediction and guidance are not even mentioned here. Even though prophecy might tell things of the future, the primary purpose of prophecy is not prediction but edification. There is a vast difference between the gift of prophecy and the prying into the future by fortune-tellers, whether ‘in the world’ or on the pulpit. Some predict which football team is going to beat the other one or which number will win in a pool all in the name of prophecy. But God is not in the business of doing that because I don't see how that edifies the church or bring men to Jesus. The Spirit of God can tell us things if He wishes but a man that has an opinion on every issue in the name of prophecy has gone astray.

The simple gift of prophecy must not be confused with the office of a prophet. It is not everyone who prophesies that is a prophet. The Bible says to desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy; And for ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted: 1 Cor. 14:1; 31. So we know that everyone and anyone can be used by the Holy Spirit in the gift of prophecy but that doesn't mean to go and open a church and put the title 'Prophet' before his name.

The office of the prophet is strictly a calling into ministry. Ephesians 4:11 says, He gave SOME Apostles, SOME prophets . . .. I pray that God will endow you with His gift of genuine prophecy and also give you wisdom and maturity so that you are not to be carried away by fake manifestations.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God to cleanse His Church of all false prophets.
* Pray that your heavens will remain open for revelations, comfort and strength.
* Pray that you will not miss your way into the hand of any fortune teller in a prophet’s cloak.

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Faith and Patience

Text: Heb. 6:12
More Lessons: Heb. 6:13-15
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 31-33

The dictionary defines patience as the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset. It is the ability to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties. Patience is part of the fruit of the Spirit as listed in Gal. 5: 22. Another word used in the Scripture for patience is longsuffering; so patience means to be long spirited, that is, being able to forebear. The word also connotes the tone of being cheerful or hopeful in forbearance and endurance. Patience is endurance that is characterised by cheerfulness during the period of waiting or in the face of difficulties. Faith is the requirement for accessing salvation and other things from God; so every believer has a measure of faith, at least, sufficient to get him saved.

Many believers know that with faith, we can possess what we want but their understanding of faith is incomplete. Patience is what completes faith. The proof that you believe God is that you wait for Him, . . . he that believeth shall not make haste. Isa 28:16. Nowadays, people say if it is truly faith, then it must happen right now. But Scripture makes us to understand that, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing: James 1:3-4. Patience is a test of faith. How long you are willing to wait shows how much you believe. When God gives a promise and it has not materialised, the person without faith will quickly go out and explore alternatives while the man of faith will keep waiting on God because he knows that God will unfailingly come around for him.

Searching through scriptures, you will discover that the words 'faith' and 'patience' appear together most of the time because faith without patience is incomplete. Abraham, the hero of faith, was also renowned for his patience as he waited on God for years till God fulfilled the promise made to him, And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained promise: Heb 6:15. Henceforth as you hold forth strongly in the patience of faith, I assure you that your fruitfulness will appear to all men, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Ask God for the faith that endures
* Ask that you will henceforth not lack the strength to wait on God.
* Ask the Lord to add faith to your patience and patience to your faith.
* Declare that your faith will not fail.

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Faith and Love

Text: Gal 5: 6
More Lessons:1 Cor . 13: 1-13
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 28-30

The above reading makes us understand that faith works by love. You must walk in love to God and towards men if you want to have a productive faith life. It is easy to believe and trust someone that you love because LOVE beareth all things, BELIEVETH all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things: 1 Cor 13:7. The reason many find it difficult to have faith in God is because they do not love Him with all their heart. So they are always looking for alternative solutions to their problems because they are not ready to wait on Him. They do not spend enough time with Him and so do not know Him well enough not to doubt Him. When a man has no deep rooted knowledge of God, doubt and unbelief are natural to such a man, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment: Matt 22: 37-38.

Today, remove everything that takes your heart, love and attention from God and you will see your faith soar. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: Matt 22: 39. When a man is filled with unforgiveness, hatred, bitterness, resentment and lack of care for others, no matter how many scriptures such a man knows, he can't be a man of faith. If you are exercising faith only for things to consume on yourself, you will keep 'faithing' and nothing will happen. If your motivation for whatever you are believing God for is to help others, expand the Kingdom and show God's love to people, you will get what you want, And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love: 1 Cor. 13:13 (NIV). If faith won't work without love, then love is greater than faith. Faith moves God's hand but love moves God's heart. With sincere love for God and people, you can be a man after God's heart, And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him: 1Jn 4:16. God is love. Whosoever has the fullness of love has the fullness of God, And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God: Eph 3:19.

As you make the Agape love of God your pursuit in life, faith ceases to elude you and you become a blessing to everyone around you. I pray that from today you will grow more and more in love for God and show God's holy love to people around you, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer/Action
* Pray that God’s love be shed abroad in your heart.
* Break out of your life everything that makes you doubt God and His Word.
* Ask for a fresh and renewal flow of your first love for God.

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Discerning of Spirits

Text: 1 Cor . 12: 10
More Lessons: Acts 16:16-18
Bible Reading in one Year: Isaiah 25-27

Paul and his fellow labourers in Christ were in Philippi and a certain girl followed them through the street shouting, 'These men are the servants of the Most High God, which shew unto us the way of salvation.' Acts 16:17. Many of us would have been happy if such affirmation were made of us, but that was not for these men who had the gift of the Holy Spirit to know that even though the girl was seemingly saying the right things, she was speaking by the spirit of the devil. Paul rebuked her and cast the evil spirit of divination out of her in the name of Jesus. It is not every one who says the right things that is operating with the right spirit. It is not every one who quotes scriptures and preaches that is of the Holy Spirit of God. It is not every song in which the name of Jesus or God is mentioned that is of God. This is the reason you have to be careful who and what you watch, listen to and open yourself to.

The discerning of spirits is the supernatural ability given by the Holy Spirit to a man to have insight into the realm of the spirit to detect spirits, their plans, activities and intentions. It involves the ability to detect and differentiate the activities of the Holy Spirit from those of the devil, angels from demons, and that which is of God from that which is of man. There are many spirits at work in these end-times. This is the reason the Bible says, Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world: 1 John 4:1. And also, Test everything. Hold on to the good. 1 Thess 5:21-22 (NIV).

Every believer that is well established in the Word of God can have the ability to judge and discern every spiritual manifestation, whether they are from God or not. Every manifestation that contradicts the Scripture does not glorify Jesus or reveal the nature of God is not of God. There are, however, some believers that are gifted to see visions into the realm of the spirit; they can see demonic or angelic activities. Discerning of spirit can also be by hearing in the realm of the spirit or feeling a sense of rightness or wrongness of a spiritual manifestation.

However, the discerning comes only when a man is well grounded in the Word of God and can ultimately discern correctly spiritual activities. When a genuine servant of God advises or warns you against certain company, relationship, songs, programmes, gathering or people, don't be quick to claim there is nothing wrong with such things. The man of God may be talking from discernment of spirits. I pray that God will sharpen your discernment and you will not be swayed by deceit any more, in Jesus’ name.

Prayer /Action
*Ask God for the gift of the discerning of spirits.
*Ask the Spirit of God to scan through all relationships around you and expose the wrong ones.

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