As the Gospels open, something is stirring. There is something new taking place.
It has been four hundred years since the last Old Testament prophet spoke a message from God. But now, the Holy Spirit is breaking out. God is revealing what He is up to through unexpected vessels. Ordinary people are prophesying!
People just like you.
Luke highlights this prophetic outbreak in his account of the events leading up to, and immediately following, Jesus’ birth:
- Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit as Mary’s greeting reaches her ears, responds with a prophetic proclamation. (Luke 1:41-45)
- Her unborn baby—John the Baptist—leaps with joyful recognition in his mother’s womb. (Luke 1:44)
- The young Mary makes a powerful prophetic declaration in reply. (Luke 1:46-55)
- After John’s birth, his father Zechariah is filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesies. (Luke 2:67-69)
- When Jesus is presented at the temple Simeon, an elderly man whose only status is that he is righteous, devout, and led by the Spirit, prophesies over the child Jesus and his parents. (Luke 2:25-35) [1]
- An elderly woman, a prophet and intercessor called Anna, becomes an outspoken prophetic witness of Jesus after she encounters the child in the temple. (Luke 2:36-38)
It is a powerful emergence of a new, prophetic era. Young and old, men and women, are suddenly prophesying, declaring the Father’s intentions, and filled with the Holy Spirit.
‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.’ Acts 2:17-18
This is the era in which you live.
You can be led by the Holy Spirit—filled with Him, experiencing His joy.
You can be like one of these people who participated in the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. You can be a prophetic witness of Who Jesus is, and of your Father’s intentions.
As you take moments in your busy schedule leading up to Christmas and the close of this year, meditate on this. Consider it and wonder. Grasp this Heavenly truth.
- The advent of Jesus changed everything.
Now is the time to embrace the supernatural, prophetic life God has made available to you through His Holy Spirit.
Prayer
‘Father thank You for this annual reminder of Your greatest gift to me, the gift of Your Son Jesus. In the middle of the busyness, help me to find stillness and to walk and talk with you. May I hear Your quietest whispers; may I meditate on Your Word. Help me to be aware of others around me, of Your love for them and what You want to say or do in any given instant.
I choose to stir up Your prophetic gift in my life. Give me boldness in the moment of opportunity to share whatever is on Your heart. This Christmas season, fill me afresh with Your Spirit and Your joy. May I, like Mary, Zechariah, Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, be a witness of Jesus, of all You have done, and all You intend to do.
In Jesus’ Name, amen.’
Notes:
[1] I love this statement from Faussets Bible Dictionary: “Christ’s advent brings to view some of His hidden ones, as Simeon and Anna, who, unknown to the world, were known to Him as yearning for Him.” http://www.bible-history.com/faussets/S/Simeon/
Related Post:
- Prophetic Insight: Receive that Gift and take it into your Next Season
- Praise: An Unexpected New Sound of Praise from Heaven (Hark the Herald Angels Sing…
© 2016 Helen Calder, Enliven Ministries Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching
In the David McCracken Ministries Family
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
It has always been a blessing to learn the prophetic via this this blog. About two weeks ago, I felt The Lord impressing upon me the word revival. I am not yet sure whether it focuses on me or those around me. All I am doing is to pray for the church in Malawi including myself at the fore to benefit in the same.
I say ‘amen!’ to revival, Ken, for the church in Malawi, and for us all. I have been praying about prophetic insight for 2017 and the main thing I am getting is that He is leading us back to ‘first love’ for Jesus.
My whole thing, I’m desirous to walk in the begotten son Jesus Christ footsteps, being faithful to his father and to himself, the spirit of Christmas is peace, love and joy, that is how I would love my spirit to be ,holy and sanctified km Jesus precious name.
Beautiful, amen!
I am thinking about a few things and one of them is about embracing the supernatural. Not just prophecy but prayer for healing and miracles. Other things are related like, hearing more from God, dream interpretation, and working with Angels.
I should also say I started to think about embracing the supernatural more after I had prayed and prophesied with all 12 members of a small group. For me, that was a real buzz in itself as it was only the second time I had done this. But it was the awareness of having stepped into the supernatural and caused a real shift in the spirit for those people that it created such a desire in me to embrace the supernatural more.
I love your hunger, Murray, may it continue to motivate you to pursue Jesus and His works, and may others catch that hunger too!
Really I want to be so deep into God I want to be his vessel, I want him to use me in so many ways, my prayer is too help people, be prophetic in all ways for God, that’s my pray.
A great prayer…
I use to prophesy but without any reason I know I stop my the lord revive me again I want to serve him till the end
Hi Matha, the gift is still there, praying for you today, that as you press in close in your intimate relationship with God the spring will bubble up again.
I have had some very powerful dreams, two of which are virtually identical.
My friend and I are fighting in Gods army, on earth, against Satans army, who are just humans armed with guns, and my friend and I are surrounded by hundreds of the enemy about to be overtaken until I cry out to God ” we need your help”. At that very instant the enemy froze, they couldn’t move or talk which allowed my friend and I a clean escape. I have had two powerful dreams just like this and the message was very clear to me that all I have to do is ask for help and God will be there for me. Not sure why I’m dreaming such things.
These dreams happened in the midst of many other powerful dreams.
What a great dream, Michael, God is our protector and deliverer!