About Spiritual Gifts, Especially Prophecy

In the West, we have generally followed a sterilized form of Christianity that lacks the supernatural power that the Bible teaches. I say, “We”, because I have often lacked such power or even the desire for it, and I have seen the same mindset in many fellow believers. We Bible-believing evangelical Christians typically make our faith fit into the secular, rationalistic culture that surrounds us. We have adopted a modern, scientific point of view that, for the most part, disallows that miracles happen today. Unfortunately for us, we are missing out. Our brothers and sisters in other lands are experiencing God's miracles, healings, and other spiritual gifts today. They do not have the same rationalistic hang-ups that we have here and  their faith is stronger in this area.

Have you noticed that the New Testament opens with miracles and prophecies? In its first two chapters,  God speaks to his people five times through dreams, giving them specific guidance about what to do. We learn from the Holy Spirit by this example that God speaks to his people. We know that this type of communication was not just for that time and place. It is found all through the New Testament, and was itself foretold by the prophets. It is expressly declared that God will continue to communicate with his people during these “last days” that we live in. Consider this prophecy from Joel, quoted by Peter: “It shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18)

We should expect, based on God's promise above, that visions, dreams, and prophecies will be approved and helpful experiences for the church of God. God is still pouring out his Spirit today, and we are still living in the last days before Jesus Christ returns. We should therefore not despise prophecies, but consider them and test them. We should eagerly desire to use the gifts of the Holy Spirit, especially the gift of prophesy. They are given to us to build up the people of God.

Am I saying then that God is still writing inspired Scripture today, as if to extend or even replace the Holy Bible? Of course not. The Bible itself contains many examples of people prophesying, whose actual words were not included in the Bible. For example, the twelve men in Ephesus, and Philip's four daughters all prophesied, but we are not told what they said. Not all prophecies, therefore, were to be included in holy Scripture. And that is how it is today. The prophecies that God gives today are to guide his people, to correct them, to comfort, and to encourage them. Sometimes they are given to show the secrets of a person's heart so that he will fall down and worship God. Prophecy as a gift of the Holy Spirit will never replace or change what he has already written in the Bible. The Holy Spirit will not contradict himself.

You will know how to appropriately use the gift of prophecy if you read and obey all of chapter 14 of 1 Corinthians. Don't ignore this chapter. It is so important for the church today, as it always was. There you will also find how to properly use the gift of speaking in tongues. What ever spiritual gifts you have received, use them in accordance with the word of God, no matter what your denomination might do otherwise. (I think of certain churches I have been in where everyone is speaking in tongues at the same time or where a woman stands up to prophesy in church. These are mistakes that 1 Corinthians chapter 14 corrects.) Fear God and be faithful to his holy, written Bible.

Finally, don't confuse prophesying with preaching. In the West, we often hear that prophesying is gifted or inspired preaching. This is inaccurate, although a preacher may indeed prophesy. Prophesying is knowing and telling something that God revealed. For example, Agabus stood up in church and predicted by the Holy Spirit that a great famine was going to be coming on all the land. And Peter declared the secret sins of Ananias and Sapphira. And Paul was comforted by the Lord showing him the state of things while he was in Corinth, and in Jerusalem, and before the shipwreck on Malta's coast. All of these things were secrets that God knew, and he shared them when it pleased him to do so.

If you don't have any spiritual gifts that you know about, first make sure you belong to Jesus Christ (see Save Your Soul). Then, ask God in Jesus' name to give you some of the gifts. In my opinion, I say keep asking until you are sure he has answered you. Persistence in faith and prayer pleases him.