Gift of Prophecy

Like many others, I have been on the receiving end of a number of prophecies over the years. A few years ago, I felt the Lord instructed me to review my past journals for specific words I have received directly or through others.

One of the words I had some time ago was that I would be a prophet. It came during a time that I was spending many hours each week in intercession. I sort of filed the prophecy away in my heart, because my idea of a prophet did not line up at all with the way I saw myself. Also, the only prophets I knew about were in the Old Testament, did really bizarre things, and got sawn in two. Or spoke loudly using "thee's," "thou's" and "thus sayeth the Lord's."

The friend who gave me the prophecy was a mature believer, but I really thought she missed it on that one.

Little did I know that my view of the prophetic realm would change so dramatically. And as I recently heard in a sermon, God calls us to do things that scare us. He doesn't call us to do things we think are possible for us to do. Otherwise, we could just do it in our own strength.

The Florida outpouring certainly changed my life dramatically. That is where I first heard about prophetic music and various people who are called prophets.

So for me, it has been a year of discovery surrounding the idea of the prophetic. Although I have been fascinated by this new (to me) prophetic movement, I still did not think of it as relating to me.

Until last week. During this 40-day fast, I have been "making a list" as our pastor asked us to do preceding the Day of Atonement. I am asking for direction concerning what should be on the list. My most recent addition, just prior to Wednesday evening, was "prophetic anointing."

It was really difficult for me to put that on the list. It made me nervous. It still does.

On Wednesday evening, the elder who leads intercession prior to our services, told me he believes I have a latent gift of prophecy. After we talked for a bit, he asked if he and his wife could pray for me that the gift of prophecy would begin to manifest.

Since we talked last week, I have had a torrent of memories flood in - things I did or saw or dreamed. The earliest vivid "prophetic" dream I remember was at age 15. It gave insight into what was going on in the spirit realm surrounding a difficult ministry situation my dad and our whole family was dealing with at the time. I saw a small town street of whitewashed facades. Behind the facades, the buildings, looked as if they had been demolished or perhaps never completed.

I also saw us leaving town. My dad asked me which direction we went. The town we lived in was just off I-95 in Georgia. I thought about it, and saw we took I-95 North. My dad was later called to a church in Virginia.

I believe the intercessor's word of knowledge about this and his prayer was in God's timing. I asked him and his wife to share any direction or advice they have for me.

I do know one thing I'm NOT doing as diligently as I should - writing. While in prayer about two years ago, I "heard" the directive "write."

There were no instructions on "what" to write. And even though I have kept a journal since I was old enough to write, I assumed this instruction involved something different.

The various blogs I started shortly thereafter are my attempt at obedience. Now I feel it is time to take the writing to another level. Not away from the blog platform necessarily, but inspired writing.

I confess, this makes me nervous. But as someone recently advised me, the veil of fear is made of tissue paper. It is not as formidable as we suppose.

Stepping out of the boat with my eyes on Jesus...