The words of the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:1-3 resonate with a timeless message: "Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy." This is what the prophetic is all about.
Imagine what it would be like if God's people across the globe were able to hear His voice of love, and communicate it with accuracy. This would change our cities to start reflecting His mercy, justice, and healing.
Unfortunately, many Christians have lacked a prophetic guide to help them move beyond the basics of the prophetic, and into living a prophetic lifestyle. We don't often reflect Pauls noble pursuit in 1 Corinthians.
Maybe we've heard God's voice and know that He's speaking, but don't know how to communicate it with accuracy to those around us. Or we lack the confidence in our own prophetic gifting, worrying that we'll misrepresent God's heart, be rejected, or get it wrong.
These are the very worries that have stopped the Church from reaching it's full potential as carriers of His voice.
Like Paul says, we were ALL designed to hear God's voice. But in order to prophecy with His heart of love, we need to understand how to be
New Covenant Prophets.
In the Old Testament, prophets played a crucial role in guiding Israel back to the law. However, Jesus Christ, the ultimate prophet, changed everything. His sacrifice on the cross fulfilled the law, and we, as believers, were co-crucified and co-resurrected with Him (Romans 6). This profound transformation shifted our role as prophets. We transitioned from proclaiming judgment and destruction, to embodying love, grace, and reconciliation.
As New Covenant Prophets, we are no longer isolated individuals; we are part of a vibrant community—the Church. This transformation means that we can all hear God's voice. However, discernment becomes paramount. We must weigh the prophetic words we hear and speak. Just as we are imitators of God, our prophetic words should reflect His love and mercy, nurturing others with the understanding of God's character.
So, what are the characteristics of a New Covenant prophet, and how can we move from being people who simply prophesy, to people who's prophetic words transform the world around us? Here are five keys:
4 Key Characteristics of New Covenant Prophets
- Service-Oriented:
Firstly, new Covenant Prophets serve others. It's our job as prophetic people to equip those around us to hear God for themselves, fostering growth in their spiritual journeys. It's easy to try to impress people with our prophetic gifting... but it's not about us, it's about His glory.
- Grace Revealing: It doesn't take a skilled prophet to prophesy doom and gloom... the world is already aware the brokenness that surrounds them. As new covenant prophetic people, we are to expose unhealothy religious ideologies and reveal God's grace, just as Jesus did. Every word we give should be covered in God's grace.
- Mutual Submission:
Like all the spiritual gifts, prophecy should never be given or received in isolation. As stewards of the word of God we are to submit our prophetic words to other believers.
We thrive within the context of community and accountability, working together to build God's kingdom.
- Hope-Filled Eschatology: Our view of the end times should be rooted in hope and restoration, aligning with God's promise to make all things new. Our words should never paralyze believers into inaction, but spring us into the good work of redeeming the earth and everything around us.
The distinction between Old and New Covenant Prophets is profound, and it all centers around Jesus Christ. As we embrace our roles as New Covenant Prophets, we must exemplify love, grace, and reconciliation, becoming servants who bring hope and build up others.
As you journey deeper into the calling of New Covenant prophecy, you may find yourself yearning to grow in this prophetic grace. That's where Vox Dei comes in—a transformative online course designed to equip you with the tools and understanding needed to live out your prophetic potential fully.
