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What Now? A Study in Acts (Pt. 5)
Will Someone Speak Prophetically? (Acts 2:15-41)
June 5-11, 2011
PRAY
Before you begin reading, reflecting, discussing, and applying, begin by opening your heart up to our Creator and Sustainer. Praise Him and ask Him to incline your heart to His.
STUDY
Read Acts 2. Continue to read Acts to get more comfortable with this part of our history. We encourage you to make time to sit down and read all of Acts in one sitting at some point... the context of everything really hits home then.
DISCUSS
What does it mean to speak prophetically? How do you apply Acts 2:17-18 to your life? Have you ever spoken prophetically? Have you ever been able to use the Word of God to speak to a modern day situation? If not, why not? Have you ever been able to see past the smoke screens of the world and spoken Biblical clarity into a situation?
LIVE
The only way to live a sustainable life of speaking prophetically is to be grounded in the word, submitted to the Body (the Church), oberservant and knowledable aobut the ongoings of the world, and an opennes to the Spirit of God. Which area(s) are you strong and what area(s) are you weak? Begin to step out this weak in working on those weaknesses.
nice site...great idea! Speaking prophetically, what a subject! I heard recently of a church that recommended that their congregants not say,
ReplyDelete"God told me, or God is telling you..." but rather share the message as something God laid on their heart, or consider praying about it for awhile.
Tina, thanks for the kinds words and good insight. I agree, the "Thus saith the Lord..." approach is not so wise (in most circumstances). As communicators of God's words we need to be wise, disciplined, and loving in our approach. The "God told me" is bordering on manipulative and sometimes blurs into the abusive category because it puts the other person or rest of the Church in a difficult position. If the person giving the 'word' is wrong they look like an idiot and suffer relationally. If the person receiving the word doesn't agree with it then they look like a jerk or less of a Christian to go against it. If both sides maintain a humble approach as learners and not as capital "P" prophets then things would go much better!
ReplyDeleteYes, a humble approach is so important, as opposed to pulling the "God card" as my son Josh would say.
ReplyDelete