Blessing Prophets Comes With Rewards
God rewards those who receive and bless prophets. Those who are hospitable to prophets get God's attention. The treatment of prophets is a sign of a person's heart toward God. Prophets are sent representatives. Rejecting prophets is tantamount to rejecting God. Favor, blessing, promotion and financial breakthrough are some of the blessings that come into your life when you receive a prophet of God.
In this article, I am going to expand on some of the rewards you can receive when you welcome the ministry of prophets.
Prophets Are Encouragers
Prophets are great encouragers. Prophets love to encourage others. This is one of the assignments of prophets. They will encourage people others have forgotten. If you need encouragement, get around prophets. In Acts 4:36, Barnabas is called "the son of prophecy." Some translations will call him "the son of encouragement." The words in these verses for "prophecy," "encouragement" and "exhort" are so closely related that they actually can be translated either way.
Prophets bring encouragement through prophecy, singing, preaching, teaching and counseling. Prophets encourage you to seek God, not wizards. Seek God. Don't seek after wizards who peep and mutter. Don't seek after those with familiar spirits. This is the cry of the prophet.
Prophets are needed when there is weakness and discouragement. The Jews were weak and discouraged when they were rebuilding the temple, but God raised up Haggai and Zechariah to encourage them and strengthen them. The Jews were able to finish the work with the help of the prophets.
Finally, prophets speak to and encourage the weary. They have compassion and love for the weary. They bring encouragement to the weary. They bring refreshment to the tired. If you are tired and weary, you need to get around prophets.
They can identify weariness and discouragement quickly. They are sensitive to it. The weary are the sad, the tired, the faint and the discouraged.
Prophets Challenge the Saints
Prophets stretch us. Prophets will challenge the church in the area of faith. Prophets will encourage the saints to "believe God for greater things." Prophets hate doubt and unbelief. They speak things that require you to believe. They stretch your faith with the word of the Lord.
Prophets can speak things that are sometimes hard to believe. The prophet moves us into areas that are impossible with man but possible with God. God uses prophets to push us past our comfort levels.
Prophets will sometimes speak words that seem so impossible that they will say, "Did I just say that?"
Prophets help us go through God's chastening (correction). God's discipline is important to prophets. Prophets lift up the hands that hang down and strengthen the feeble knees. We all need encouragement when we are going through correction. Prophets are good at helping us endure God's correction in our lives.
In addition, prophets challenge us to make a decision. Elijah asked Israel, "How long will you stay between two opinions?" Elijah challenged them to make a decision. A double-minded man is doomed to be unstable in all his ways (James 1:8).
Prophets also challenge our comfort zone. Amos gave a word to those who were at ease in Zion (Amos 6:1). They were comfortable in their sin and rebellion. They felt safe and secure in their disobedience. They were living an easy life without any concern for others who were downtrodden and oppressed.
Prophets Warn of Danger
Prophets can see the end from the beginning. Prophets know where people, churches, cities and nations are headed based on their decisions. They will know the end. They will know where you are heading.
They will know where you are going. Prophets encourage and warn people to make the right decisions so their end can be blessed. They try to turn you around if you are heading to a bad ending.
Before God acts, He shows His plan to His prophets. Prophets will see it and pray about it before it happens. This is heaven working with earth. After all, Amos 3:7 says, "Surely the Lord God does nothing without revealing His purpose to His servants the prophets."
The future is not our enemy. Prophets help keep us poised for the future. They will not let you get stuck in the past. They bring hope for the future. Prophets understand destiny and purpose. They will help us not to fear the future or to remain stuck in the past.
Prophets are concerned about your future. Prophets want to know where you are heading. They want to know what decisions you are making now that affect your future. They want to know if you are fulfilling your destiny (Jer. 29:11)A Prophetic Oasis
The prophetic atmosphere is an oasis (Elim). An oasis is a fertile spot in a desert where water is found. It is a watering hole, watering place, waterhole or spring. The prophetic refreshes, provides rest and waters dry places. An oasis is a place of palm trees. Elim is a picture of this. Elim was a place of 70 palm trees in the wilderness. The prophet is like a palm tree. If you need refreshing, get around a prophet.
Refresh means "to revive or reinvigorate, as with rest, food or drink; to renew by stimulation."
Prophets help prepare us for times of refreshing. Churches and believers need seasons of refreshing. These times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord.
Prophets Bless People
Prophets bless. Some people think that all prophets do is curse people, but prophets love to bless people. They love to speak words of blessing over people whom God desires to bless. Jacob blessed his sons before he died (Gen. 49). Moses blessed the tribes of Israel with prophetic words (Deut. 33).
Prophetic blessings are powerful. Your life will be changed and blessed when you are blessed by a prophet. And don't despise what prophets have to say (1 Thess. 5:20). Those who hate prophets have a long line of unflattering predecessors (Matt. 23:29-32).
A prophetic word can save your life, release you into your destiny, give you understanding, release grace into your life, bring correction, cause breakthrough and give you direction. Prophets and prophetic utterances are sometimes despised and lightly esteemed. Prophets should be esteemed and received. They bring great blessing.
John Eckhardt is overseer of Crusaders Ministries in Chicago. Gifted with a strong apostolic call, he has ministered throughout the world. He produces a weekly television program, Perfecting the Saints, and has written more than 20 books. Eckhardt lives in the Chicago area with his family.
If you liked the article, you'll love the book.
In his latest book, Prophet Arise (Charisma House), apostle John Eckhardt teaches you how to discern and use your prophetic gift. Discover what the prophet's call is and how to find healing when you are misunderstood. You can find this book at amazon.com, christianbook.com or wherever Christian books are sold.
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