Open Heaven 24 November 2024: Prophesy With Wisdom (1)
MEMORISE: Proverbs 12:4
“He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction.”
READ: Proverbs 17:27-28 (KJV)
27 He that hath knowledge spareth his words: and a man of understanding is of an excellent* spirit.
28 Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.
Read Yesterday’s Open Heaven Devotional Here
The gift of prophecy is special. It is a great honour for God to choose someone as a vessel that He can speak to and communicate His mind concerning situations. However, great wisdom must be applied when using the gift of prophecy.
First of all, it is not everything that God tells you that you should tell others. There are certain things God tells you that are for your ears only. If you become so excited that you start telling them to people that He has not permitted you to share them with, you might cause more harm than good. God likes to share secrets with those that are close to Him. If He tells you a secret, you should ask Him if it is okay to share it with anyone. The moment He tells you a secret, and you tell someone that He has not permitted you to, He might stop speaking to you.
You must note that the gift of prophecy should not be used to show off that you are close to God. Prophecies must be handled with care because some people might not be able to receive, understand, and interpret what God is saying correctly.
When God tells you something about a particular fellow, you are not to say that thing in public except He specifically asks you to do so. If the fellow He spoke to you about is a public figure, find a way to send a message to him or her privately about what God told you. When God told Samuel that King Saul had offended Him, Samuel did not announce it to the entire kingdom. Our God is not a gossip. If He gives you information about someone, it is not for you to discuss it with the whole world. You must pay particular attention to this, especially when the prophecy is not a pleasant one. Even if such a fellow would have received your prophecy well, hearing it in public might make him or her defensive, and as such, the aim of that prophecy will be defeated. Also, God can change His mind about such a fellow if he or she begins to do the right thing as we see in Isaiah 38:1-5. If instead of telling the fellow privately, you announced the prophecy to the whole world, if God changes His mind, you will be left to defend what you had prophesied.
Beloved, be slow to speak (James 1:19). Ask God for wisdom on how to handle the things that He reveals to you.
KEY POINT:
Not everything God tells you is for public consumption.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Romans 4-7
Open Heaven 24 November 2024
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