We’ve been looking at Genesis 20:6-8. Abimelech took Sarai to be his wife because Abram told the king she was his sister. Let’s listen in to the New Century translation:

Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know you did not realize what you were doing. So I did not allow you to sin against me and touch her. Give Abraham his wife back. He is a prophet. He will pray for you, and you will not die. But if you do not give Sarah back, you and all your family will surely die.”

So early the next morning, Abimelech called all his officers and told them everything that had happened in the dream. They were very afraid.

Notice here that God spoke to Abimelech in a dream. Abimelech was not part of the covenant, because at that point the covenant was only with Abram. God demonstrated His mercy and spoke to him in dream to prevent him from sinning.

Did God give other people outside of the covenant prophetic dreams? We’ll take a look in upcoming posts.

I’ve said it many times, you can’t separate a prophet from prayer any more than you can separate an evangelist from preaching the Gospel. It’s just part of the prophet’s DNA. Not all intercessors are prophets but all prophets are intercessors.

Let’s look at the Message Bible translation of Abimelech’s revelation and God’s instruction in Genesis 20:6-8. Keep Reading »

“Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.”

You remember the story. Abram had told King Abimelech that Sarai, so he took her to be his wife and it the Lord intervened. Notice that this is the first time the word “prophet” is used in the Bible — and it’s connected to prayer. We’ll expound on this later as we look at another translation…

There’s a war over the United States of America for who will rule the land. At no time in recent election history can I recall a more diverse range of spiritual influences in such obvious manifestation as the 2008 election march. Keep Reading »

Another New Year’s Eve tale… I was headed out to a friend’s house on New Year’s eve, when lo and behold, my neighbor was awaiting me at the elevator. I don’t talk to her much, because she’s into some strange things and we don’t see eye to eye. No sense in arguing. But the Lord has been dealing with me about loving my neighbors more, and what better time than the new year?

So instead of burying my head in my Treo handheld as the elevator took its time climbing to the second floor (it’s an old elevator) I decided to engage my neighbor in conversation. “Hi there,” I said. “How are you?” Keep Reading »

Prophetess Gerry Claytor did a fantastic job of explaining why we fast on her local TV station. She said, fasting helps us find God’s will. If we expect God to reveal His direction for our lives, we must put Him first. Often this means putting aside the fulfillment of our physical appetites so that we can focus our attention on Him. You can read or watch her interview by clicking here. Keep Reading »

I love the story of Jonah, so when I saw this post over at Barrie, Beliz, Bolivia and Beyond, I had to stop and read. The author makes breaks the book into two halves — the disobedience of Jonah and the obedience of Jonah. Of course, Jonah may have eventually submitted, but his heart about Nineveh’s possibility of repentance was never quite right.

Jonah was a mess. He was a pouting prophet, a selfish prophet, a proud proud prophet, a prejudiced prophet, all in all, he was a pitiful prophet, indeed. But we can learn a lot from old Jonah, if we open our spiritual eyes and years. Ask the Lord to show you ways in which you are mimicking Jonah’s character, if you dare! What you learn could set you free to discover a whole new level of God’s power.

 I stumbled upon a post from Legacy of Worship International on the Eight Purposes of Signs and Wonders. Check out this excerpt from the blog:

The sixth sign of a prophetic church is her willingness to be periodically re-calibrated by the Spirit of God. This is not to be confused with just a willingness to stay “current” or “relevant” to ones generation. If we change for the sake of change or because it is the popular thing to do, we have missed the boat completely. Re-calibration is the result of adjusting to the will of the Spirit of God! Keep Reading »

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I was reading a great post over at the Catch Fire blog from Australia. The site offers an excerpt from a prophetic word Kenneth Copeland released over the leadership of the nation.

Kenneth Copeland certainly is a credible prophetic voice, and his heart is after God. This excerpt (I have not seen the original) is a strong prophetic declaration to which I bear witness. These are the types of high level prophetic utterances we need to see in the Body of Christ today. These are the types of directional words that announce the true will of God.

This is so refreshing. So much of what I read on the Internet surrounding the prophetic is questionable, with prophecies that curse, judge, doom or otherwise rip apart fallen leaders. Kenneth Copeland’s prophecy, by contrast, builds up a godly leader and glorifies Christ. Prophecy should contain elements of edification, exhortation and comfort.

Of course, this prophetic word Brother Copeland released needs to be bathed in prayer. God is looking for intercessors who birth His purposes in the earth. He needs folks like you and I to get in agreement with what says the Spirit of God, and then to demonstrate our faith through Spirit-led prayer.

Since Dr. Juanita Bynum’s issues with her husband, it seems to be open Bynum bashing season. I’ve seen “apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers” correcting, rebuking, and otherwise bashing Bynum. I think all those who are bashing Bynum need to get out of the judge’s seat. We don’t have a clue as to what’s going on and how the Lord is working. Keep Reading »