All parts of the body function under the Head, who is Christ & they function in relation to one another, for the benefit of the body as a whole. Although each part is designed to function alongside the other, they rarely do. However, as the Lord prepares His bride for His return, He will restore the five-fold ministry, & the Bride will begin to prefer one another in love & humility--working together.
One of the most controversial & misunderstood roles in the body of Christ is the role of the prophet. In the five-fold ministry, there is an office of a prophet that has been vastly misused, misunderstood, & even neglected.
There are different types of prophetic ministry & prophetic roles, & everyone who has the Holy Spirit living in them is called to prophesy according to the description in I Cor. 14:3 where it says that prophesy is for edification, exhortation & comfort for the Body. Every person is called to do this, but there is also a specific place in the ministry of the church for the office of prophet.
A prophet receives revelation from the Lord & is meant to give vision or restore vision to the people. Many times, a prophet is used to call someone into apostolic ministry & implant or confirm a vision in them for the beginning of a new task or direction. However, the primary role of a prophetic voice is to call the people to return back to the original vision, & turn back to what God intended for them (repentance).
A prophetic voice restores holiness & the fear of the Lord element back into the church, calling them to turn when they are heading the wrong way, & encouraging them forward when they are headed the right way.
This person helps give vision & helps the apostles & teachers understand the times & seasons, & helps encourage them behind the scenes. A prophetic voice also works hand-in-hand with the teacher, who helps establish sound doctrine. These two balance each other out even though they are typically the most opposite personalities.
Most people whose primary gifting is prophetic are good at receiving revelation & seeing what is happening, but they are not always as good at interpreting & applying revelation. This is where team ministry comes into play with the apostles & teachers who can interpret & apply the revelation. Teachers are also typically better communicators than prophets & can more clearly shape the message for the average person to understand.
Lord, help your body to work together & function as a whole. We are so disjointed, Lord, but make us one in Your love.
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