1 Corinthians 14:5 I would like every one of you to speak in tongues, but I would rather have you prophesy. The one who prophesies is greater than the one who speaks in tongues, unless someone interprets, so that the church may be edified.

We are continuing in our series, Equipping the Saints, by looking at the role and gift of the Prophet!

In Ephesians, Paul writes about the five ropes that hold the ship together, that allow the ship to go where it's supposed to go, and each of these ropes has incredible significance!

The role of the prophet, the gift of prophecy, is obviously for the edification of the church, the building up of the body, and Paul writes in Ephesians that it's the prophet that speaks the very words of God!

What a privilege and honor! And the prophet doesn't derive their power and authority from themselves, but from God Himself! And we are all called to prophesy, to speak God's words unto ourselves and to one another. In Joel, it is prophesied that when the Holy Spirit is poured out that all would have this gift, and when we gather together under the rule and reign of Jesus Christ, prophecy just happens. It's not always this ethereal, distant thing that's hard to decipher. It could just be as simple as reminding someone that the Lord loves them and sees them.

When a prophet is functioning under the authority of Jesus, they are giving God's word, or better yet God's Word who is Jesus, to someone in need.

In Life Together, Bonhoeffer speaks about this gift of edification and how when we speak God's Word to one another, we are offering Jesus Himself to a brother or sister in need.

What a gift! What a joy! What a privilege! And to quote Spiderman, "With great power comes great responsibility." And when we prophesy, we offer the very words of Life to someone who so desperately needs God's love.