P.R.A.Y
PAUSE
REJOICE & REFLECT
ASK
YIELD
Personal Worship
We enter into the final week of our series “There Is More.” This week we will study and reflect on the power gifts given by the Holy Spirit. We begin today with the gifts of prophecy.
Together we will pray (P.R.A.Y.) each day – ‘P’: Pausing to be still as we come into the presence of the Lord. ‘R’: Rejoicing as we remember who our God is and what He has done, and Reflecting on His word. ‘A’: Asking God to help us and others. And ‘Y’: yielding to His will in accordance with His word.
As I come before you to pray, I still my thoughts and quiet my mind. I seek to make you the center of my focus.
Prayer of Approach
Lord, as I enter into your presence give me a heart of praise and thanksgiving for who you are. Please focus my heart, letting all distractions and worries fade away as I meet with you. This world will have enough troubles of its own today, so let me take heart because you have overcome the world.
We choose to rejoice in the power of God’s Word, with all his people in John 6:
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
John 6:35-40
Today we are reflecting on the words of Scripture, where we read:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:28-31
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
1 Corinthians 14:1-5
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
The power gifts given by the Holy Spirit demonstrate the power, presence, and reality of God. All week we want to do exactly what the Bible has laid out for us concerning these, but we want to be careful to go no further than that. So as we begin with prophecy it is important to define what it is and what it is not. Wayne Grudem defines prophecy as “telling something that God has spontaneously brought to mind.” Prophecy is not based on a hunch, a supposition, an inference, an educated guess, or even on sanctified wisdom or illumination. Prophecy is a human report of a divine revelation. Don’t freak out at “revelation”. We believe in a closed canon. The authority of Scripture is sealed in the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. Prophecy does not share the same authority or add to the authority of Scripture. This is what separates the gift of teaching and the gift of prophecy. The gift of teaching is based on a text of Scripture. Prophecy is always based on spontaneous revelation.
Paul explicitly calls God’s people to desire and pursue the gift of prophecy. The question is why?
He says the one who prophesies speaks to the people for their upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation. Prophecy’s purpose is the same as all of the other spiritual gifts to build up the body. Paul understands that we may have some concerns and we should. We cannot allow the misuse of prophecy throughout history to change the biblical call and description of it. That’s why he tells us not to despise prophecies but to hear them, test them, and hold to what is biblical and true from them. Prophecy is a gift from the Holy Spirit for the building up of the church and should be pursued. In that revealed prophecies should always be tested against Scripture and against the reality that follows the statement.
Lord, open my eyes to what you have for me. I want to have everything that you have created for me to have. Give me the desire to pursue the gifts that your Spirit has given me. Give me wisdom and discernment to identify and use what you have bestowed upon me.
1)How does the gift of prophecy build up the body of Christ?
2)How can this gift be applied and used?
3)What does it look like to test prophecies practically?
4)What characteristics does someone who has been given this gift have?
5)Have I been given this gift, why or why not?
We pray that by your Spirit living and breathing through us, we would be light and love in a world that so desperately needs your hope. Draw many to know you as Savior and Lord. Shine your light, and push back the forces of darkness that surround. By your great power Lord, open blind eyes and release those still imprisoned.
As I read the passage again slowly, I listen for anything that You would say to me in it. Help me see how to position my life in order to yield to your word.
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,
Ephesians 4:11-12
And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? But earnestly desire the higher gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.
1 Corinthians 12:28-31
Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. Now I want you all to speak in tongues, but even more to prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be built up.
1 Corinthians 14:1-5
Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good. Abstain from every form of evil.
1 Thessalonians 5:19-22
Yielding Prayer
Lord, I yield to your Word even when I am unsure about how it all plays out. I hear your command to desire and pursue the gifts and that is exactly what I want to do. You have given us the gift of prophecy, so give us the courage to not despise it. Open my eyes to what you have for me. Give me wisdom in my pursuit, but also take away all fear that can come from this conversation. If you have more for me, lead me to that so I can live in the more you have for me. I earnestly desire to prophesy in order to build up the church around me.
Yielding Promise
And now, as I move into the day ahead, the Lord who loves me reminds me in John 16:33:
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
John 16:33
Closing Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill me with love. Fill me with joy. Fill me with peace. Fill me with patience. Fill me with kindness. Fill me with goodness. Fill me with faithfulness. Fill me with gentleness. Fill me with self-control. Let me walk in your Spirit today as I leave here.
*The P.R.A.Y. acronym has been adapted from the Lectio 365 app.