Prophecy: The power that creates your future

1 Thessalonians 5:20

"Do not Despise prophecy"

Prophecy is a message directly given by God for future(fore-tell) events or current events(forth-tell) through prophets. In simple terms when God makes a promise, that promise over your life is prophecy because he never breaks his promises. God's people are a nation of prophecy. It was the promise of Canaan that kept the hope of the early church ablaze, it is the promise of Zion that keeps the church marching on. The promises of God for his children are found in God's word and the new testament prophets are governed by protocols of this word. They cannot prophesy beyond the written word in foretelling because the future is already sealed in Revelations. However they may speak future events and discourses over your life and the world, not contrary to God's written word. I call it the new rules of the prophets. The old testament prophets were governed by the Law, and the new testament prophets are governed by the word of God.

The word "Prophecy" is directly taken from the Greek word "propheteia". It is made up of "PRO" which means (Before, in time or position), and the verb PHEMI which means to tell. One of my favourite Preacher and mentor once taught me that prophecy is two-fold, but I beg to differ. He missed the third element of prophecy. Prophecy is Threefold, it can be divided into "Forth telling", Fore telling and then the third part- which is found in the Hebrew rendering- "Naba".   This hebrew rendering of prophecy means to speak by divine inspiration whether in prediction or simple discourse.

Forth-telling

The word rendered prophecy in conjunction with forth-telling in the new testament is defined as revealing the mind of God in a particular situation. This type of prophecy brings an immediate answer to your current problem. When the Israelites were losing the battle against the Amalekites, Moses instructed Joshua and Caleb to help him lift up his rod and they would win as long as they complied with the words of Moses(Prophecy). Once a man goes to a prophet for a word that he needs for his current situation, the prophet foretells and causes divine changes in that situation. We need to believe in God's prophets in forth telling us out of dilemmas' and circumstances. Forth-telling can also be associated with a prophets knowledge of a persons past, which i associate with thr gift of "the word of knowledge(Grk eido)-(we'l cover in 4 types of knowledge topic" and wisdom(Grk Sophia)(we'l cover in 3 kinds of wisdoms topic).

Fore-telling

This is the prophets ability to do future predictions. How Jeremiah saw and spoke of the captivity of Israel and the coming emperor who would free them from captivity in the times of Daniel. The prophet speaks with divine inspiration of how future events will happen, Jesus could see his death and he kept talking about it because he knew what would happen. The new testament Major Prophet A.K.A Apostle Paul could perceived the shipwreck on their way to Rome when the experts had given professional opinion that no storm would come. Prophets can see what the future holds for you and they can give a word over your life that will see God's plan about you revealed.

Speaking by divine inspiration: "Naba"

Every messenger declaring the word of God under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is operating under a prophetic unction. Which in putting things in perspective I would conclude that everyone in the 5 fold ministry is a prophet as they all speak in inspiration and are messengers. John the Baptist is called a prophet though he evangelised but under inspiration he spoke of the coming Christ. Pastors usually give encouraging words, that set people free. These abilities are wrapped up in the anointing of prophecies, the very utterance of God's word is prophecy! that is why Elijah says(Please declare this with me):

"I am a prophet in my life! I carry a promise like Abraham and I evangelise like John. I may not understand my doings like Hosea, I may weep a lot like Jeremiah, I may even feel like quitting like he did (Jeremiah 20:9) but his words are in me as fire shut up in my bones, I may feel like I lost my life and flee like Jonah but God will spew me out of my enemy that swallowed me. He will restore my wasted years like the locust that ate the crops of Joel, I may have my enemies surrounding me but I'm glad because they will stumble and fall(Psalm 27:2-3) I declare in line with a prophet that in the name of Jesus may all that is reserved for me come to me, I slay with the sword of the word which is my declaration ,any principality or power that may have been delaying my angels with what belongs to me, in the all powerful name of Jesus God has perfected all that concerns me! "

Scripture Reference:  Exodus 17