Speaking God's Truth with Love
Have you ever felt a sudden urge to call someone, only to discover they desperately needed to hear from someone at that precise moment? Or perhaps you've experienced seeing a picture or a scene drop into your mind of someone who needed prayer, encouragement, or help? These moments - aren't coincidences—they're glimpses of how God works through His people to speak life, truth, and comfort into the world.
The gift of prophecy often gets misunderstood. Many people think it's about predicting the future or "fortune-telling". While prophecy can include foretelling, (a supernatural insight that God wants to communicate) its primary purpose in the New Testament church is something far less mysterious and quite practical: "Speaking Forth" - God's truth to edify, encourage, and comfort His people.
Three Pillars of Prophecy
The Apostle Paul gives us straight forward and clear guidance about the prophetic in
1 Corinthians Chapter 14. He explains that prophetic words should accomplish three things:
#1. Edification - This word comes from "edifice," meaning a building or structure. To edify someone means to build them up, to leave them better than you found them. It's like being a spiritual architect, adding strength and beauty to someone's faith. When Aquila and Priscilla encountered Apollos, a bold and eloquent speaker who only knew about John's baptism, they didn't criticize or dismiss him. Instead, they took him aside and taught him "the way of God more accurately." They edified him to build on what he already knew.
#2. Exhortation - To exhort means to encourage, to fill someone with courage. The Holy Spirit Himself is called our Helper, our Encourager. The church desperately needs more encouragers—people who will walk alongside and say "You got this - and God's got you" - you can do it! "No Weapon formed against you shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:17) - The Lord is saying - Don't give up! Go forth!" - Like a great coach and mentor - the church and the world needs more divine encouragement - through the wonder working power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God's Word! Think about Jesus telling the paralyzed man, "Take up your bed and walk." That's exhortation—(in it's purest form) - calling someone into action, stirring up their faith.
#3. Comfort - God never leaves us as orphans. He reassures, strengthens, and puts us back together ... better than we were before. A prophetic word might not always be what we want to hear, but it will always point us back to God's faithfulness and love. It is a Word from God that He has intended to comfort our souls - to re-connect or direct and never to condemn or tear-down.
The Foundation: Humility and Submission
I believe that God can speak through anyone or any thing at any time to anyone ... but - He has specifically gifted His children - by the Holy Spirit - and enables us at just the right time - to effectively speak God's truth and life to others. I also believe that God desires to use vessels submitted and humbled before Him - therefore we must first position ourselves rightly before Him.
I think James 4:6-7 provides a practical roadmap to this ... when he writes:
"... He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Notice the order: submit first, then resist. You cannot effectively resist the enemy if you won't submit to God. When we humble ourselves and recognize our absolute need of God, His grace and power flow through us like water through an unkinked hose. Don't forget that James began - by saying - "He gives more Grace" (Grace upon Grace) even more unto the Humble!
Think of your spiritual life like a garden hose. If there are kinks—unconfessed sin, pride, disobedience—the water pressure drops to a trickle. But when we deal with those kinks through confession, repentance, and belief in Christ's sacrifice, we experience full pressure. God's gifts flow through surrendered and submitted lives. This is the Beautiful Life - Christ promised!
Prophecy in Action
The gift of prophecy isn't reserved for a select few spiritual superstars. On the day of Pentecost, Peter (a rough and tumble fisherman) prophesied to the crowd - and quoted the prophet Joel:
"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams."
This promise is for all believers. You might prophesy by sharing a scripture that perfectly addresses someone's hidden struggle. You might speak words of life over someone who feels forgotten. You might simply obey that nudge to call someone at just the right moment and speak a word of Truth that God has put in your mouth.
Consider this example: not long ago - I encountered someone banging on my car window - asking for money. I had no cash on me at the time and said "sorry - no money" and his look - of: "yeah right - you have no money!" - burdened me - and too I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit.
After he walked away dejected - I prayed, "Lord, if you put him in my path again, I'll make sure he gets what he needs." Weeks later, at a gas station, (a long way away from where I first saw him) there he was - (a couple of gas pumps over) asking another guy for the same. This time, I was prepared - I had the money I'd put aside - folded neatly in a gospel tract, so I boldly strolled up to him - interrupting his chat with the man and I said, - "I've been looking for you"! He was rightly surprised - not recognizing who in the world I might be - I could see his wheels turning ... thinking - "who's this guy - looking for me?"
Then - I said - "God told me to find you and give you this." Then - in that split second - a Prophetic word came over me (I caught a glimpse of Zacchaeus scrambling up a Sycamore Tree) and from the Holy Spirit - I declared - "Jesus sees you - He hasn't forgotten about you -He knows you by name - He sees your pain and what you have to deal with and He loves - you - He is for you, not against you - His word says - "He will never leave you or forsake you. and that He has plans for you." hang in there! - I'm not sure who was more surprised - - the homeless man - the stranger just trying to pump his gas ... or me. I hadn't planned what I was going to say - I was just thinking I'd hand him the money and walk away - God had a different idea - and burdened my heart (to bursting) to say - only what He had to say! "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."- (Acts 4:20)
That's prophecy in action—speaking God's heart to someone who needs to hear it - in the moment it needs to be heard.
Testing & Discernment
Not every spiritual utterance comes from God. First John 4:1 warns us: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
How do we test prophetic words? They must align with Scripture. God never contradicts Himself. A true prophetic word will always square with the cornerstone of Jesus Christ and the written Word of God. Also - if a word tears down rather than builds up, if it condemns rather than convicts, if it serves to confuse - not comfort and if it produces fear rather than faith—it's not from God.
The Power of God's Word
The more Scripture we know, the more God can use us to communicate His truth. Think of it like learning a language. If you don't know Spanish well, you'll struggle to communicate in that language. Likewise - if we don't know God's "language"—His Love Language - His Word—we'll have difficulty communicating it to others.
When someone faces fear, we can speak 2 Timothy 1:7: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power and of love and of a sound mind." When someone feels attacked, we can declare Isaiah 54:17: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." These aren't just nice sentiments—they're the very words and promises of God, and they carry power.
Stirring Up the Gift
Paul reminded Timothy to remember the prophecies spoken over his life and to use them to "wage the good warfare." Perhaps prophetic words have been spoken over your life—words about healing, ministry, or purpose. Don't let them gather dust. Stir them up. Act on them. God spoke them for a reason.
The Christian life requires action. Faith without works is dead. The Red Sea didn't part until the Israelites took the first step. The man with the withered hand had to stretch it out. The blind man had to go wash in the pool of Siloam. When God declared - "Let there be light" - (It didn't take a million years for light to form) - light was. His word caused the Light - Faith was in His spoken Word. God is still in the Mountain Moving business.
"I keep waiting for God to move in my life - when all along He's been waiting on me" -
The Call to Prophesy
The gift of prophecy is available, accessible, and desperately needed in the church today. It's not about creating new Scripture or predicting lottery numbers. It's about speaking God's truth in love to build up, encourage, and comfort His people.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourself under His mighty hand. Fill your heart and mind with His Word. Then watch as He gives you opportunities to speak life into darkness, hope into despair, and clarity into confusion. God's Word is Truth and Life. - “Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth” (John 17:17)
Amen!
Blessings - Bob
Have you ever felt a sudden urge to call someone, only to discover they desperately needed to hear from someone at that precise moment? Or perhaps you've experienced seeing a picture or a scene drop into your mind of someone who needed prayer, encouragement, or help? These moments - aren't coincidences—they're glimpses of how God works through His people to speak life, truth, and comfort into the world.
The gift of prophecy often gets misunderstood. Many people think it's about predicting the future or "fortune-telling". While prophecy can include foretelling, (a supernatural insight that God wants to communicate) its primary purpose in the New Testament church is something far less mysterious and quite practical: "Speaking Forth" - God's truth to edify, encourage, and comfort His people.
Three Pillars of Prophecy
The Apostle Paul gives us straight forward and clear guidance about the prophetic in
1 Corinthians Chapter 14. He explains that prophetic words should accomplish three things:
#1. Edification - This word comes from "edifice," meaning a building or structure. To edify someone means to build them up, to leave them better than you found them. It's like being a spiritual architect, adding strength and beauty to someone's faith. When Aquila and Priscilla encountered Apollos, a bold and eloquent speaker who only knew about John's baptism, they didn't criticize or dismiss him. Instead, they took him aside and taught him "the way of God more accurately." They edified him to build on what he already knew.
#2. Exhortation - To exhort means to encourage, to fill someone with courage. The Holy Spirit Himself is called our Helper, our Encourager. The church desperately needs more encouragers—people who will walk alongside and say "You got this - and God's got you" - you can do it! "No Weapon formed against you shall prosper" (Isaiah 54:17) - The Lord is saying - Don't give up! Go forth!" - Like a great coach and mentor - the church and the world needs more divine encouragement - through the wonder working power of the Holy Spirit and the power of God's Word! Think about Jesus telling the paralyzed man, "Take up your bed and walk." That's exhortation—(in it's purest form) - calling someone into action, stirring up their faith.
#3. Comfort - God never leaves us as orphans. He reassures, strengthens, and puts us back together ... better than we were before. A prophetic word might not always be what we want to hear, but it will always point us back to God's faithfulness and love. It is a Word from God that He has intended to comfort our souls - to re-connect or direct and never to condemn or tear-down.
The Foundation: Humility and Submission
I believe that God can speak through anyone or any thing at any time to anyone ... but - He has specifically gifted His children - by the Holy Spirit - and enables us at just the right time - to effectively speak God's truth and life to others. I also believe that God desires to use vessels submitted and humbled before Him - therefore we must first position ourselves rightly before Him.
I think James 4:6-7 provides a practical roadmap to this ... when he writes:
"... He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."
Notice the order: submit first, then resist. You cannot effectively resist the enemy if you won't submit to God. When we humble ourselves and recognize our absolute need of God, His grace and power flow through us like water through an unkinked hose. Don't forget that James began - by saying - "He gives more Grace" (Grace upon Grace) even more unto the Humble!
Think of your spiritual life like a garden hose. If there are kinks—unconfessed sin, pride, disobedience—the water pressure drops to a trickle. But when we deal with those kinks through confession, repentance, and belief in Christ's sacrifice, we experience full pressure. God's gifts flow through surrendered and submitted lives. This is the Beautiful Life - Christ promised!
Prophecy in Action
The gift of prophecy isn't reserved for a select few spiritual superstars. On the day of Pentecost, Peter (a rough and tumble fisherman) prophesied to the crowd - and quoted the prophet Joel:
"I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. Your young men shall see visions. Your old men shall dream dreams."
This promise is for all believers. You might prophesy by sharing a scripture that perfectly addresses someone's hidden struggle. You might speak words of life over someone who feels forgotten. You might simply obey that nudge to call someone at just the right moment and speak a word of Truth that God has put in your mouth.
Consider this example: not long ago - I encountered someone banging on my car window - asking for money. I had no cash on me at the time and said "sorry - no money" and his look - of: "yeah right - you have no money!" - burdened me - and too I felt convicted by the Holy Spirit.
After he walked away dejected - I prayed, "Lord, if you put him in my path again, I'll make sure he gets what he needs." Weeks later, at a gas station, (a long way away from where I first saw him) there he was - (a couple of gas pumps over) asking another guy for the same. This time, I was prepared - I had the money I'd put aside - folded neatly in a gospel tract, so I boldly strolled up to him - interrupting his chat with the man and I said, - "I've been looking for you"! He was rightly surprised - not recognizing who in the world I might be - I could see his wheels turning ... thinking - "who's this guy - looking for me?"
Then - I said - "God told me to find you and give you this." Then - in that split second - a Prophetic word came over me (I caught a glimpse of Zacchaeus scrambling up a Sycamore Tree) and from the Holy Spirit - I declared - "Jesus sees you - He hasn't forgotten about you -He knows you by name - He sees your pain and what you have to deal with and He loves - you - He is for you, not against you - His word says - "He will never leave you or forsake you. and that He has plans for you." hang in there! - I'm not sure who was more surprised - - the homeless man - the stranger just trying to pump his gas ... or me. I hadn't planned what I was going to say - I was just thinking I'd hand him the money and walk away - God had a different idea - and burdened my heart (to bursting) to say - only what He had to say! "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."- (Acts 4:20)
That's prophecy in action—speaking God's heart to someone who needs to hear it - in the moment it needs to be heard.
Testing & Discernment
Not every spiritual utterance comes from God. First John 4:1 warns us: "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."
How do we test prophetic words? They must align with Scripture. God never contradicts Himself. A true prophetic word will always square with the cornerstone of Jesus Christ and the written Word of God. Also - if a word tears down rather than builds up, if it condemns rather than convicts, if it serves to confuse - not comfort and if it produces fear rather than faith—it's not from God.
The Power of God's Word
The more Scripture we know, the more God can use us to communicate His truth. Think of it like learning a language. If you don't know Spanish well, you'll struggle to communicate in that language. Likewise - if we don't know God's "language"—His Love Language - His Word—we'll have difficulty communicating it to others.
When someone faces fear, we can speak 2 Timothy 1:7: "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but power and of love and of a sound mind." When someone feels attacked, we can declare Isaiah 54:17: "No weapon formed against you shall prosper." These aren't just nice sentiments—they're the very words and promises of God, and they carry power.
Stirring Up the Gift
Paul reminded Timothy to remember the prophecies spoken over his life and to use them to "wage the good warfare." Perhaps prophetic words have been spoken over your life—words about healing, ministry, or purpose. Don't let them gather dust. Stir them up. Act on them. God spoke them for a reason.
The Christian life requires action. Faith without works is dead. The Red Sea didn't part until the Israelites took the first step. The man with the withered hand had to stretch it out. The blind man had to go wash in the pool of Siloam. When God declared - "Let there be light" - (It didn't take a million years for light to form) - light was. His word caused the Light - Faith was in His spoken Word. God is still in the Mountain Moving business.
"I keep waiting for God to move in my life - when all along He's been waiting on me" -
The Call to Prophesy
The gift of prophecy is available, accessible, and desperately needed in the church today. It's not about creating new Scripture or predicting lottery numbers. It's about speaking God's truth in love to build up, encourage, and comfort His people.
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Humble yourself under His mighty hand. Fill your heart and mind with His Word. Then watch as He gives you opportunities to speak life into darkness, hope into despair, and clarity into confusion. God's Word is Truth and Life. - “Sanctify them by the truth; your Word is truth” (John 17:17)
Amen!
Blessings - Bob
HOPE Blog ... Pastor Bob DeFelice
Sometimes random - sometimes not - some things I think - measured against scripture.
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."
~ 2 Timothy 2:15
Recent
Archive
2026
2025
February
March
May
June
July
August
October
2024
June
No Comments