Key Verse: “And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18 CSB)
Every now and again, we hear in the news about a person claiming to be a “prophet” from God. It often includes bold predictions from them about the exact date that the world is going to end. So far, no one has gotten it right.
When we think about prophecy though, it is quite common to think about someone making predictions about what’s going to happen in the future. In the Scriptures however, prophecy is less about predicting the future and more about speaking the truth of God to others. Under the Old Covenant in the Old Testament, there were many instances that occurred when the Holy Spirit would fall upon a person and give them the ability to prophesy. They were given the unique role of delivering truth from God to His people. It was an exclusive privilege not available to everyone.
God had promised however, through the prophet Joel, that there would be a day in the future when He would pour out His Holy Spirit upon all people. When that day came, the Spirit would take up residence within every believer, both men and women, young and old, and everyone would have the ability to prophesy.
As the events unfolded on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the crowd of people that gathered together were astonished and perplexed, and were trying to get their heads around what was happening. So Peter, along with the other eleven apostles, stood up and raised his voice before the crowd. He boldly explained to them that what they were witnessing was not the result of people having too much to drink (v.15). Rather, it was actually the fulfillment of what God said would happen through the prophet Joel. The Spirit of God was being poured out, and women and men, young and old were prophesying.
What does it mean to prophesy? Generally speaking, to prophesy means that we receive a divine word or utterance from God through the Holy Spirit that we then share with someone else to help edify or build that person up. The Apostle Paul explains it by saying, “The person who prophesies speaks to people for their strengthening, encouragement and consolation” (1 Cor.14:3). They receive a divine utterance from God that helps build up the people around them.
Think about how amazing this is! Because God has fulfilled His promise to pour out His Holy Spirit upon us, we can now prophesy. We now have the ability to hear from God, with the help of the Holy Spirit and guided by His Word, to strengthen, encourage and comfort others so that they are built up in their faith. It must always be done humbly, prayerfully, and with much wisdom and discernment. But it is something every believer can now do through the Spirit. What does that look like in your life today?
Prayer: Thank you God that I can be someone who you use to build up others in their faith. I pray, Holy Spirit, that you would fill me today and give me the ability to hear from you so that I might strengthen, encourage and comfort others around me. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
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