I was going through a list of articles not yet published, and this one rings a bell. Maybe because I feel the Holy Spirit encouraging me to diligence in morning devotions. May the Lord use it to also encourage your heart to seek Him in the early morning hours. Edited on 5/30/2016I woke up this morning with the phrase on my mind, "the beautiful side of the prophetic".
1 Corinthians 14 is a chapter replete with instruction regarding the subject of prophets, and prophecy, and this verse in particular identifies the "beautiful side of the prophetic."
3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. 1 Corinthians 14:3.
There is no sweeter sound to the human ear than the sound of true prophesy bringing to a needy soul words that edify, exhort or comfort. Isaiah summed it up beautifully:
4 The Lord God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary: he wakeneth morning by morning, he wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. Isaiah 50:4
What would one speak to a weary soul other than a word of "exhortation, edification, or comfort?"
This was something Isaiah learned. Apparently, he didn't just know how to speak a "word in season". He had to be awakened to a proper sound, a tone that would cause him to hear as the "learned". The word "learned", Strong's H3925/3928 means instructed, accustomed, disciple, learned, taught, used.
The Lord awakened Isaiah in the morning to get his tongue aligned with his ear. Before Isaiah could speak as the learned, he had to hear as the learned.
If the Lord is using you in prophecy, it's important to be sure the sound you are hearing is the result of your being awakened by God, and the word you are speaking is the result of what you are learning in His Presence.
God has placed it deep within my own soul to seek to understand different streams in the body of Christ through the sound they transmit when they minister. If I were to be in a conference with distinct expressions, I could usually tell who has an Assembly of God background, a Church of God background, a Oneness Pentecostal background, a Word of Faith background, a Vineyard background, a Sonship-Latter Rain background because though they all may be blood-bought Christians with similar foundational beliefs, they all have very distinct sounds. Some have a gentler expression, some have a more powerful expression. Some are more cerebral, and some have more of a "quickened" word. Some are obviously "feelers", and some are "thinkers". Some have a sound I identify with more comfortably than others.
In all of it, though, I have found one thing to be very true: When it comes to a rich and true prophetic anointing, the sound of the background is blurred, as a true ring in the Spirit, the breath of God infuses the speech, the prophetic utterance with the distinct sound of heaven. True prophetic unction is the "melting pot" of the Body of Christ, every bit as much as it can be the sword of the Lord to divide truth from error. But, in this article, we are considering the "beautiful side of the prophetic". Unity and beauty are cut from the same cloth.
I am not speaking of made-up off the top of the head prophecies for those have no life or breath in them, but mere human, soulish intelligence that may be very impressive, but still....they lack the "God-breath". I am speaking of true prophecy and true prophetic words. Whether they be a word of wisdom, or a word of knowledge or the relating of a dream or a vision, or "revelation knowledge" that which comes forth of a spirit awakened by God has a sound that was learned in a place of intimate communion with Him. Who else is so privileged to awaken one in the morning but an "intimate"? Are you close enough to the Lord that He feels comfortable waking you up in the morning?
One time, I heard a woman preacher make the statement to a congregation that she had never given any one a word that in any way would hurt them, or make them uncomfortable, and that God only spoke very kindly words through her. My first reaction to that declaration was, "Oh, she's an ear tickler"...Now, I see it a bit differently. Perhaps she is spiritually of the tribe of Naphtali.
Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. Genesis 49:21
I've encountered others of prophetic anointing who are never terse, or in any way abrasive in their speech. Their anointing of gentleness is like the dew:
My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass:
Deuteronomy 32:2
I believe there is something about the stillness of the morning in the presence of the Lord that lends itself to the formation of a prophetic ministry of beautiful expression...as lovely as dew upon a rose.
And what a powerful word picture we see in Deuteronomy 32:2! When I think of the opinions of some people on the subject of doctrine, their perspective on it is so different compared to how the Lord sees it. Some believe the only way to ever have unity is to just forsake doctrine all together. That simply results in a mushy mess of confusion with the people of God having no sure foundation.
Perhaps we've come to such a place because we didn't handle doctrine as "rain" or His speech as "dew", but rather as a sledge hammer or a wrecking ball. Maybe a little early morning prayer time would have rendered it through our spirits in gentleness rather than in harshness. IF Isaiah had to teach a Bible School class on holiness, or water baptism, or tithing, or any other doctrine that can get people easily upset and offended, did he first hear how the Lord would teach it in early morning prayer time?
Yes, there IS place for the most stern and serious of prophetic release to get the people of God in alignment with His Holy desires for His Church, His Sons, His Overcomers, His Remnant, and His Bride. This article does NO disservice to that reality whatsoever, and I personally see that as increasing, and NOT decreasing.
But, if you wish to be used by the Lord as a vessel of the "beautiful side of the prophetic", consider meeting the Lord in the early hours of the morning.
Dear Heavenly Father,
I recognize this word may not be for everyone. But, it is for those whom you are calling to minister from intimate communion with You in the early morning hours. Give us strength to get up, and go to our secret place, and waken our ears to hear, and give us the tongue of the learned, and then we ask you to send our way those who are weary, and in need for a word in season.
In Jesus Name, we pray,
Amen and Amen
Always in the Love of Jesus,
Clarissa Jean
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