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How God Processes His Prophets
Author Jennifer Eivaz
Most of the prophets in the Bible seemed to emerge
out of nowhere and from humble places.
Moses, for example, left his lavish life in the
Egyptian king’s palace and lived humbly as a shepherd in the wilderness for
forty years before emerging to deliver Israel.
Elijah, in like manner, appeared from the backside of
the desert to confront wicked King Ahab (see 1 Kin. 17:1-7).
And then there was Amos, who was a lowly shepherd and
farmer, and one not recognized by the more established prophets (Amos 7:14,15).
The unassuming Amos was sent by God to warn all of
Israel and call them to repentance with just as much authority as the other
prophets.
“Elijah went
through a season of testing and preparation, but that process is hidden from
us,” wrote J. Lee Grady, Editor for
Charisma magazine.
He added, “True prophets will
go through periods of hiddenness and intense brokenness. God must deal with
pride, greed and self-centeredness. The prophet must also learn to live in a
place of intimate fellowship with God where the praises of men don’t affect
him.”
It’s true that prophets are typically held in
obscurity until it’s time for their public revealing.
In the place of obscurity, it can feel as if you’ve
been worked over in such a manner as to reveal every heart condition you can
possibly have, both good and bad.
This processing, which accumulates over a period of
many years, is intended to reveal your true character and build integrity.
If this is missed, ignored, or bypassed, a prophet
might start out in their role, but they will not finish well.
God seems to care more about your heart than your
platform and spectacular public ministry.
I remember being severely tested by a group of
prophets and pastors who didn’t live pure lives and it seemed like I was the
only one with the guts to address it.
Feeling smugly self-righteous, I then found myself in
situations that seemed to surface my own impure heart motives and had to learn
some real lessons in grace.
Have I mentioned yet the spiritual warfare that
prophets endure?
This is not the ordinary stuff. It’s the kind of
warfare that is so personal and ridiculous, one would never talk about it except
to just a few, very trusted people.
Prophets are not spared from severe difficulties, but
seem to have them more than most.
With each difficulty, however, there is a divine
expectation to overcome because every victory is the catalyst for spiritual promotion
and genuine increase in authority (Revelation 2:26).
Prophets learn to obey the directives of the Spirit
of Christ at any cost and even when they don’t understand them.
Jesus insists on a posture of humility and instant
obedience from His prophets.
We speak when He says to speak. We obey when It’s not
convenient.
His dealings with all of His prophets are very
personal and intended to hit the heart strings.
So why would you or anyone endure this? Because it’s
the only way to experience Him for who He really is and authentically know His
ways.
A prophet who carries weighty authority does so
because they know Him and know Him well.
Jennifer Eivaz is a minister and international conference
speaker with a heart for raising up passionate and effective prayer. She is a
regular contributor to Charisma Online and The Elijah List, has taught at
Bethel School of the Prophets, and oversees the Seers & Prophets Institute.
Jennifer lives with her husband, Ron, and their two children in Turlock,
California, where she serves as executive pastor at Harvest Church.
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