How to Know God's Will for Your LifeSample

The Lord God has spoken: who can but prophesy? (Amos 3:8b)

While most of the time the apostles and the evangelists of the Early Church simply used their common sense and personal intuition in deciding when and where to go (see Acts chapters 14 to 19), on some occasions, they were guided supranaturally. For example:

·Philip was instructed by an angel to go to Gaza (Acts 8:26).

·Peter saw a vision from heaven telling him to go to the Gentiles (Acts 10:9-48).

·Paul and Barnabas were sent out as missionaries after a word of prophecy (Acts 13:1-3).

·Paul saw a vision calling him to Macedonia (Acts 16:9-10).

·Paul was guided by a prophet to face trials (Acts 16:9-16).

Guidance by angels was rare in biblical times, and usually restricted to matters of great significance, like Gabriel’s visit to Mary, the appearance to the shepherds or at the empty tomb. But Jesus said that angels do represent us in heaven (Matthew 18:10) and angelic visits cannot be ruled out.

The Holy Spirit still commissions and empowers prophets today. God speaks through his prophets (Amos 3:8). Prophecies are given for revelation, upbuilding, encouragement and consolation (1 Corinthians 14:3).

Kevin, a friend of mine, had reached the end of his tether as a pastor. He was seriously considering giving up the ministry and returning to his profession. He was sitting with his wife in the back row of a large conference room when he was given a prophecy to throw in his net one more time, just as Peter had done (Luke 5:1-6). Over thirty years later, this man was still in the ministry and, in fact, training postgraduate seminary students.

Alex felt a call to missionary work. He had broken up with his girlfriend because she did not share the call. A visiting preacher, not knowing anything about this, told both of them, separately and publicly, that they were called to overseas mission. Within twelve months they were married and in Bible College.

My wife Vanessa and I were ministering at a conference. At a dinner, Vanessa spontaneously took the hand of one of the organisers and began to pray for her, telling her that God was preparing her for what lay ahead. Five days later, the woman’s mother unexpected died. Vanessa’s words were timely.

Nolene, a song writer, was told one day that she would write a song that would go around the world. That night as she lay in bed, a new song began to form in her mind. She rose and began to write it down. A couple of years later I was sitting in a church in Germany, when to my surprise and pleasure, they began to sing her song.

So I could go on with stories of how in time of need, through gifts of revelation and prophecy, people were encouraged and guided.

As in the New Testament, this does not happen every time, but it does happen and it is a beautiful blessing when it does.

What next?

·How would a prophetic word help you in your situation right now?

·Memorise the three purposes of prophesying given in 1 Corinthians 14:3.