Even though I have the privilege of having a mentor who has strong prophetic grace, he told me clearly through my journey to a successful relationship that he will never tell me that someone was God’s will for me or not God’s will. Of course he was sure I will only bring a born again child of God. But to tell me that I’m wrong regarding any born again child of God that I bring, he won’t do it. He will only guide me regarding anyone I believed God was leading me to.
To illustrate to you that his stand was not due to lack of prophetic grace, I remember I shared with him once about a sister I was asking out and who was yet to give me a response after a few months. He told me she will not say no, nor yes nor wait, till the end. Though I quietly prayed against that prognosis because I wanted this sister badly, that was exactly what happened. I’ll ask, “are you saying no?” She said she wasn’t. “Are you saying wait?” She said she wasn’t. Are you saying yes? She wasn’t. The thing wey some of our eyes don see. After one year of waiting and nothing came, I had to cut my losses and move on.
Every mentor or pastor or discipler or parent who knows his onions knows that the mode of operation of the prophetic office in the new testament is different from the old. In the old testament, only Kings, Priests and Prophets and a few who God gave special assignments had access to a relationship with the Holy Spirit. Every other person depended on these people to know what God was saying. The order of the new testament is different. God has now raised a kingdom where everyone is a priest. Every true believer in the new testament is a part of the priesthood. Check Rev 1:5&6, Rev 5:9&10. The implication of this is that every believer upon salvation receives the privilege of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit doesn’t just come upon you occasionally, He takes His permanent residence in you.
The plan of God for every believer is to cultivate an intimate relationship with the indwelling Holy Spirit so that He may guide you into all truths and tell you things to come i.e the future (John 16:13). The ability to foretell the future which used to be the exclusive preserve of the prophet is now a realm every believer can operate in by the Holy Spirit living in them. I’m not yet established in the office of a prophet for instance but the Holy Spirit has shown to me several things that will happen in the future at least which relates to me and a few which relates to others. Some have happened. Some calamities on the way of some people which He showed to me would have happened but He asked me to pray against them because they were negative and I have seen Him avert those calamities. All these prognosis by the Holy Spirit are available to ordinary brothers and sisters like you and me today.
The prophet in the new testament can still accurately foretell the future in large scale through the word of wisdom and can bring words of prophecy for individual believers; however in the new testament such words only come to confirm what God should have already told you or will shortly tell you. We saw a very good example in Acts 21:10-11 when a certain prophet named Agabus predicted that Paul was going to be bound in Jerusalem and delivered to the Gentiles. That information was already known to Paul. God was only confirming it through Agabus. In Acts 13:1-2, the Holy Ghost Spoke through certain prophets to Paul and Barnabas about a work to be done. That information was not new. God had spoken to Paul earlier about the work in very clear terms. (Act 26:16-18).
Anytime anyone brings to you a word of prophesy, you ought to receive a confirmation personally from the Lord before you follow it. And it is an aberration for you to seek out a prophet to provide information on a matter you have not personally heard from God about or even prayed about. Aberration!
Some of you or some of your parents go around from the house of one prophet to the other to hear what God is saying about who you should marry. And then you won’t stop at one. You will want to see up to three or four so that if all of them say the same thing, you are then sure. The problem is often they won’t say the same things. There can be one person who didn’t hear well and then contradicts the truth from others. At other times, all four may not hear well. You will now throw yourself into confusion and fear.
Will you stop all of that nonsense and seek to know God for yourself and hear Him yourself? The truth is the most reliable conviction that will sustain you through thick and thin for many years is still the one you received personally from God. Yes, to hear God you will have to cultivate a relationship with the Holy Spirit and that will require you cleanse your heart and your ways, will require an active and continuous Bible study and prayer life. Those are the things you’re not ready for. You want the easy way out and thankfully some prophets will mess up your life with all kind of shenanigans. Some will ask you to sleep with them to have your miracle. Some will collect all the money you have using different schemes. Some will tell you the man or woman you’re with (with whom you’ve had a very successful and stable relationship) is not for you but one of their spiritual daughters. You won’t know everything had been prearranged.
The problem is you will have to depend on these prophets throughout your lifetime. You will be perpetually subservient to them. They will rule you with fear. Most never have a positive prophecy to deliver to anyone. Always negative and ridden with the spirit of fear. Soon they will name your mother as a witch and ask you not to go see her or allow her come to your house. Your entire life will be made miserable.
The reason we can’t blame some of your parents for going to shop for prophecies about your marriage and other affairs is because you have refused to grow up yourself. They know you’re not spiritual. And that’s why they try to seek out prophecies on your behalf or seek other covers for you.
As I close the talk today, let me share with you the words of Ayuba Olayiwola. It will guide you to know how to handle your parent’s “Prophet said” impositions. He made this comment on the website last week after reading last week’s talk and I find it very instructive.
“Permit me to share how I’ve been handling Parental Consent.
I know who my mum is (the ‘Prophet said’ kind) and I know her to always want things done her way (especially when it is from Prophet). First, I go in the place of prayer to hear God for myself and for her so she can listen to me (being her other channel to hear from God). With that, she hardly imposes her opinion on me because she knows I hear too.
Secondly, on marital issues relating to ethnicity or other social divides, I do bring it up with her for discussion to hear her opinion. With that, I’ve been able to convince her while asserting my position on such matters with time.
Thirdly, I’ve been able to prove to her over time that I am man enough to take well thought out decisions. Parents do what they do because they care so much. If we can’t convince them that we know what we are doing, they won’t give their consent.
She used to be against me marrying Igbo lady and that Prophet said I shouldn’t marry ‘a light complexioned’, and other stuffs like that. But today, she doesn’t mind who the young lady is, she wants me to bring my spouse for her to give her blessing.”
Can you see that beautiful testimony? Go and do the same.
To cultivate a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit and to start hearing from him, do the following:
1. Cleanse your heart and your life from malice, bitterness and every form of impurity and sin.
2. Study and meditate on God’s word daily.
3. Pray often and if you’re baptised in the Holy Spirit, pray in tongues more.
4. Cultivate the culture of worship. Surround yourself with spiritual worship songs. God speaks a lot when you worship him deeply and without distractions.
5. Get this book, “How you can be led by the Spirit of God” by Kenneth E. Hagin. The soft copy is all over the internet for free download.
END.
Your brother,
Peniela Akintujoye.
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