I was reading about a book that suggested the president of the United States should be looking for a prophet to get God’s instructions to run the nation.
This didn’t sit right with my spirit and here’s why: Believers need to be equipped to hear from God themselves. In the Old Testament, prophets spoke to kings and advised them. But we’re in a different time now; a time when Ephesians 4:11 lays out a new mandate for five-fold ministers to “equip the saints for the work of the ministry.”
Here’s the issue: I receive e-mails from people all over the world asking me to “go before the Lord’s throne of grace and get a word for me.” I understand that most of these requests come from people who are probably desperate to hear from God. I don’t blame them. I pray for them. But I don’t prophesy over them. They need to seek spiritual counsel from their own church. That’s their covering.
Here’s the point: God doesn’t want us running to a prophet when we need a word in a knee-jerk reaction. God wants us to run to Him and He wants us to learn how to hear His voice.
New Testament prophets should equip Christians to hear the voice of God accurately, to judge it and to walk it out. New Testament prophets should also turn the hearts of people back to God.
I agree that presidents need spiritual counselors and advisers — Christians like Billy Graham and others who can offer sound wisdom. But I disagree that the president should be seeking out a prophet to hear God’s instruction. The prophet should seek God. If God then wants to send a prophet, He’ll find a way to do it.
Can you see the difference? We shouldn’t be seeking prophets. We shouldn’t even be seeking “words.” We should be seeking the Lord, whether we’re plumbers or presidents. When we do that, we’ll receive the wisdom and strategies we need — guaranteed.
