17005 Praying for the Release of the Gift of Prophesy in the Church

NTRODUCTION

We want to welcome you to another podcast where we are praying for God’s will to be done on the Earth as it is in Heaven.   As we pray generally, we invite you to pray very specifically.  Today we will be praying for the church.  However, you can pray specifically for your church, another church, for yourself or other people that you know.    We may not know you or those specifically we you are praying for – but if you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, we are agreeing with you by faith.  

Before we begin, we want to prepare with our Faith builder verse.  Just a note here:  All scripture referenced is from the ESV.

FAITH BUILDER VERSE:  Matthew 7:7-8  

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

As usual, we like to begin our prayer time with a time of Thanksgiving.   We believe that an attitude of thanksgiving mixed with our faith is how we enter the Throne Room of our heavenly Father.

 

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING

Psalm 136:1

.Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

    for his steadfast love endures forever.

PRAYER TOPIC :   Prayer for release of Gift of Prophecy in the Church

Today we are praying for the Lord to release the gift of prophecy in the Church.  Many don’t believe these gifts are for today.  But they really are not supported by scripture.   Acts 2:17-18 tells us very differently.  It specifically tells us that this is in the Last Days.  Let’s consider it:

Acts 2:17-18

“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

This is Peter’s reciting of an old testament prophecy that comes from the Book of Joel.

Joel 2:28-29

“And it shall come to pass afterward,

    that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh;

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

    your old men shall dream dreams,

    and your young men shall see visions.

29 

Even on the male and female servants

    in those days I will pour out my Spirit.

Much of the scripture we will look at today is from First Corinthians, specifically Chapter 14.  Some may object and tell us that Paul is telling us to pursue love.  That is absolutely true.   But just because the main issue in this letter to the Corinthians is love – it does not negate the other truths that Paul gives us in that letter.  As he speaks much on love, he also speaks much on the gift of Prophecy.

Is it OK, to desire Spiritual gifts specifically Prophecy?

Let’s look at what the Apostle Paul said about this. 

 1 Corinthians 14:1

Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.

1 Corinthians 14:39

39 So, my brothers, earnestly desire to prophesy, and do not forbid speaking in tongues. 40 But all things should be done decently and in order.

Paul even says basically any believer can prophesy.  Again, we see in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians:

1 Corinthians 14:31

31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

Why is prophecy important in the church?   What purpose does it serve?  Why should it be desired?  There are two main  reasons.  One if for the encouragement, edification, and building up of the church.  The second is for conviction of unbelievers.

1 Corinthians 14:5

Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.

1 Corinthians 14:24-25

24 But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all, 25 the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.

What if I try to Prophesy and I mess up? Would I be a false prophet?

This isn’t about being a prophet which is a specific function like being a pastor or an evangelist.   This is about operating in a gifting and our gifting is not perfect.  Even Paul said:

1 Corinthian 13:9

9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part,

In other words, your prophetic word may not be perfect.  We are not asking in this prayer for God to make you a prophet.  He can if he likes, we are simply asking for a release of the gift of prophecy to you.   How can you be accused of being a false prophet if you are not claiming to be a prophet at all.  You are just listening to God the best you can and as long as you are not trying to manipulate someone, and you are trying to serve the Lord in Love, it will be all right and if you mess it up, he can fix it.

 

PRAYER FOR THE LOST

Japan

Population Estimated 128 Million

Japanese society is linguistically, ethnically and culturally homogeneous

Today, fewer than 1% to 2.3% are Christians.  According to some sources 80 percent practice Shinto, but other sources say up to 80 percent say they don’t believe in any religious views.

By these estimates, some 125 million Japanese are lost.  

PRAYER FOR LISTENERS

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