I raced into our rumpus room, preparation for an upcoming meeting in my mind. Suddenly I had a brain-blank. Why had I come into this room? I couldn’t remember at all—how annoying! Retracing my steps back to where I had started, the purpose for my mission suddenly dawned on me. I had gone there to retrieve a DVD that I needed to return to the friend who had lent it to me.

Sometimes church life can be like this. I develop sudden-onset amnesia. Stuff happens. Discouragement looms, prophetic dreams are delayed, there are hurts, and decisions are made that seem to be taking our church in a different direction than I had expected…I have to continually remind myself, ‘Why am I here?’ And “What is the purpose for me to exercise my prophetic gift, my intercessory gift—or any other spiritual gift?

I love this passage from the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:1-4, ‘Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy…But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort. He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

The Strongs concordance tells me that the word edifies means, ‘to be a house-builder’. My great passion is to build the house (Church). However, that purpose is something I need to keep in mind, or—like my wasted visit to the rumpus room, other distractions and motivations will crowd it out.

Our goal in prophetic ministry, in intercession and whatever ministry we are involved with, should ALWAYS be to build the house – so that the vision and mission of the church be fulfilled.

Proverbs 14v1 tells me,

The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Years ago I sat, appalled, as a woman with a prophetic gift ‘prophesied’ to our pastor that our church was doomed for destruction. Unsurprisingly, she left our church soon afterwards. It’s wisdom to use my prophetic gift to build my church—and foolishness to use it to tear it down.

Since that time I have made it a number one priority to teach our prayer community and prophetic people to be blessers and ‘cheerleaders’ of our church and leaders. And our prayer area is thriving.

I want to remember what I’m here for!

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See also:

Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works in the Church Today

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing