Prophecy for Beginners

I want to share a little story I had posted on Facebook earlier this year (because FB is my original blog, let's be real), in the hopes of encouraging and stirring up those who are timidly standing on the edges of prophecy. 

"We had professional carpet cleaners over for the better part of this morning. As I walked through the house, double-checking my prep work, I wondered who these people were and what would they gather about us or about God from what they would visually be taking in. The snapshots. Would they read a verse from the Bible left open next to my bed? Would they think I'm secretly a weirdo because I have books with titles about prophetic training and living a crucified life? Were they Christians...and if so, what kind? And what kind of Christian would they presume me to be? They had made small talk with me here and there. I felt a little nudge of God's heart for one man. No deep emotion welled up within me. Just an awareness of God's own awareness of this man.

So I asked Him.

I asked God to tell me, show me, or give me something for this man. I wanted him to be encouraged, or strengthened, or rescued. More than anything, I wanted him to know God had seen him. God had spoken. God knew his need and his destiny. I wanted to partner with that.

I started to get a sense of something about this guy. I "felt" (sidenote: did you know that feelings can be Spirit-inspired and God-honoring? He made our feelings. He wants us to feel. Back to the story!).... I felt kind of this vague sense that there was something that the lead singers from Big Daddy Weave and Mercy Me had that this guy had too. I started getting excited, but it was still blurry. I wanted to know what it was. I wanted more!

So I asked for more.

I got excited and ran over to my Bible, knowing He could speak through it. I flipped it open and looked through, careful to not judge whether it was a word based on my own understanding, but really looking for the Spirit. Nope. Nada. I got nothing this time. Ok then! I pondered in my heart what this thing was that the singers had in common, and I got this sense that they had a deep sense of God's love, as time went on I felt they were abiding in that love, and later saw that they had been healed of many wounds. I felt that this was what the man was to hear, and to bring him the 2 cds of these artists. I felt a particular emphasis on the Mercy Me cd.

I waited.

I asked if there was anything He wanted to say about the other man who was with him. Nothing. Even the crickets were silent. Well... alright then.

I waited more.

Then as I stepped outside to run an errand, he happened to walk out alone at the same time. Thank the Lord, I was not going to have an audience! Hey I'm willing to be weird, but I'm also aware that I'm being weird. If hopping on one foot while singing the alphabet song gives me eyes to see and ears to hear the kingdom of heaven here on earth though, better believe I'm gonna be out there hoppin' and singin'.

I told him "hey, I have a word for you (then I remembered I was in my driveway, not at Jesus Culture). Oh um...have you heard of that before? Do you know about words from God?" He did not. I went on to quickly explain that I believe in God, I believe in Jesus and sometimes He'll tell me things about other people or kinda show me what His heart is for a person. I began to give him the word (what I had felt under inspiration of the Holy Spirit), trusting God to do what He wanted to do once it was out of my hands (or mouth rather). It wasn't lengthy (unlike this post, hmm), but I didn't make it past the halfway point before he interjected. I had told him I didn't know where he stood with God, but that he was going to know God's love and live in it ('cause abide is weird vernacular outside the church). I said two singers had come to mind and that he has the same spirit as these men.

He freaked. Dude lit up.

"I'm a singer!!! That's crazy! I'm a singer! Ya I sing mostly Mercy Me songs. That's crazy". He rubbed the goosebumps on his arm. I smiled and showed him the Mercy Me cd God had pointed out to me. He already had it, but God knew it was not about giving him a cd, but giving him confirmation both of what he is already doing, and the word he was given for what God is awakening in him.

It was on my heart to post this because I do believe it will encourage someone who is on the edge to step forward and step out. For some, this is normal, every day stuff. Not even that great. Like...no one's amputated leg grew back. No heads of state were brought to salvation and have vowed to reform the political arena. Haha. But this post isn't for them. It's for you. For the timid, the cautious, the unsure with a burn in their hearts and butterflies in their stomachs. This post is to encourage lambs to come walk with lions. This is for the honoring of the still small voice of God. Without going into a whole teaching on prophecy, I want you to know that there are stirrings in your heart, and feelings, and thoughts, and what you've known in your gut, that are there under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that with nudges and whispers you are given words and pictures to pray and to prophecy, that God's will would be done on earth as it is in heaven. I posted this most humble of stories, because these are the things of small beginnings, which we are not to despise. I posted it to normalize what otherwise can sound so far beyond us. I posted it so you would know that when we speak what He speaks over people it is for good and glory. It is for rescue and redemption. It is to raise tired arms and lift the lowered head. It is for the plans and purposes of God. It is that we would know who He is and who we are.

Step out.
Start small... start with the whispers and the "I just had a sense"s.
Trust Him.

It may be awkward.
You might not understand why He would say that particular thing. .
You're going to wonder if this is God or just you.
You're going to wonder if your friend Jen is a nut, and you're going to be right, but she's a prophetic nut and you should listen to her.

You might be tempted to wait until God makes it really really clear..... don't give the Holy Spirit the brush off. You'll get the blessing of confirmation that you DO hear and you DO see as you are faithful. Being faithful is going to require... *drum roll*...faith.

These are not waters you navigate from the dock. He speaks, you speak. What is it worth to you, the glory of God? How treasured is the intertwining of your heart with His? How precious the partnership? Blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear. He DOES speak to you. You DO hear! I challenge you to step out in faith with the still small voice of God, and for the next 3 days be courageously faithful EVERY SINGLE TIME God nudges you and you sense something or see a picture of something for a person, to tell them, holding nothing back. The power of life and death is in the tongue, and we know that when God is speaking, He is speaking life. Do not hold back the power of life from people because of fear or insecurity or doubt. 

You may be a lamb, but you walk with the lions. Step forward and take your place."