To my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, there are spiritual gifts that you have access to, and they are manifested through the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:11). To date, I have written articles on the spiritual gifts of wisdom, knowledge, faith, healing, and working miracles. Today, I want to share with you the wonders and power of the spiritual gift of prophecy. This spiritual gift has been bestowed on all the prophets that you've read about in the Holy Bible. Pay attention to their spiritual characteristics, and you'll see that they were prophesying good or bad things to the people of Israel, but their message was the same, "turn from sin and your wicked ways, and turn to the Lord". Many of these prophets were brought to other regions to deliver the word of God to specific people.
The prophet Jeremiah is an example of this. In fact, one of the first things that God tells Jeremiah that we see is, "for thou shalt go to all that I send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak." (Jeremiah 1: 23). The word of God came to him concerning the wicked ways of the Israelites. He prophesied against them, telling them to turn back from their sins and turn to God. Jeremiah's life would then be threatened. (Jeremiah 11:18-23). Jeremiah would even warn them of the Babylonian reign for 70 years, but some would speak against this. God would punish those false prophets, when Nebuchadnezzar would seize Jerusalem and Judah. Before Nebuchadnezzar's arrival, Jeremiah would be arrested, and a death sentence would be discussed, but he would be acquitted and would do well under Nebuchadnezzar's reign.
Why Prophecy?
Now why would I want to prophesy, if past profits had their lives threatened? Peter speaks to this gift in 2 Peter 12:21, "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." Furthermore, the apostle Paul refers to it as a spiritual gift that you should seek. Look at what he says in 1 Corinthians 14: 1-5.
Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.
For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
But he who prophesies speaks edification, exhortation and comfort to men.
He who speaks in tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.
I wish you all spoke with tongues, but even more that you prophesied; for he who prophesies is greater than he who speaks with tongues, unless indeed he interprets, that the church may receive edification.
As mentioned earlier, the spiritual gift of prophecy is generally to turn from sin and turn to God. It is needed to edify the church and bring comfort to men as Paul had said.
Not Always Bad
I have the spiritual gift of prophesy. One time at church, I asked my husband if a woman at church had a son. I knew that my husband knew this woman from a previous church they attended. She was older, and my husband said that he didn't know if she had a son or not. I walked over to her and asked her if she had a son. She said she did, and I could tell that she was holding back some level of emotion. I told her what I felt in my heart, "Your son will be delivered." Her knees practically buckled out from under her, and she lifted up her hands and praised the Lord. To this day, I have no idea what he was being delivered from, but that was between him, his mother, and God.
Another time, I told my older brother that his wife was going to get pregnant. I am somewhat convinced that she had already conceived when I told him that. My brother was calm, and he was laughing, but a few months later, he called me and told me that his wife was pregnant. I would tell him this again a few years later. He doubted it, and he called me about five months later and said his wife was pregnant again. He asked me how I knew these things and I told him that it came from God.
So when I tell you that prophesying isn't always bad, it's because of personal experience that I have encountered. However, if you want good prophesies from the Holy Bible, turn to Isaiah where he prophecies about Jesus Christ (in chapters 11,42, 61, and 62).
Now I ask you to consider what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well of Samaria. She was not an Israelite by birth, the true worshippers taken out of the land, and brought to Samaria by the King of Israel, Joash (2 Chronicles 25:24). There, the priests told them to worship, but didn't teach the people how to worship. The people of the land while worshipping God also turned to pagan practices, by worshipping other gods and burning children in the fire (2 Chronicles 28). Therefore, the Kings of Syria and Israel would defeat Judah again. You can read about this further in 2 Chronicles 25.
Jesus was travelling from Judea and was heading to Galilee. To get there, he needed to pass through Samaria. As He was passing through Samaria, Jesus arrived at the well that Jacob had built. The woman was there, and He would eventually tell her that a time was coming when she would no longer worship at this mountain for salvation is of the Jews, "But the hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship Him." (John 4:23 KJV). Jesus even reveals to the Samaritan woman that he is the Messiah.
Now if prophecy can tell the world that salvation is here, and that prophecy be fulfilled, how can prophecy be such a bad thing? For salvation of the Gentiles was promised by God through many prophets, and that prophecy was fulfilled when He died and bled out on that cross for you. Just as Jesus told the Samaritan woman, God looks for people that will worship Him, and if God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, then that means that He still looks for worshippers. Hallelujah! Friends, Jesus is calling you.