The 9 Ms of Prophetic Diversity



I would love for it to be said of me that I was like Anna, someone who focused on nothing and nobody except Jesus. Look at this scripture:


Luke 2:36-38 NKJV


36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity;

37 and this woman was a widow of about eighty-four years, who did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

38 And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.


In every prophetic word, long ones or short ones, in every vision, every dream, every inspired prayer, I want to be declaring the testimony of Jesus:


Revelation 19:10 NKJV - And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."


Do you love Him? If you love Him, your heart will overflow with words about Him. In loving Him, none of us will be exactly like Anna, because the overflow will take different forms. The message of love will come in different wrappings, and it will be presented in different styles. Marketplace manners are a little different from prophetic conferences. Culture differs from place to place. But the simple truth is that all adventures in the prophetic realm must be rooted in the same soil: expressing the love of God.


How Much God Loves Somebody Else


The prophetic gift helps us understand how much God loves us personally. But as the gift operates upon, in and through you, it becomes a demonstration of how much God loves someone else.


When you stir up the gift and release it, you are doing what the apostle Paul taught:


1 Corinthians 14:1 NKJV - Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.


Prophecy, in its pure form, is supposed to be about loving people with Jesus' love. God has put into you a tiny measure of His massive heart of love, and His Spirit decides to open up a little spigot. Even a tiny measure of His love overwhelms us, whether it comes with signs and wonders or in the midst of a quiet, calm, little conversation.


For each of us, the various expressions of the prophetic gift differ, depending upon our personalities and what God has called us to. Each of us is a unique creature. God never uses a cookie cutter. The varieties of giftings and ministries that we read about in the New Testament become further varied as they are expressed through such a wide variety of individuals:


1 Cor. 12:4-6


4 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit.

5 There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord.

6 And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.


Relevant Shifts


We are hearing new prophetic sounds, in terms of up-to-the-minute media presentations. Continuous change seems to be the new norm. New ways of thinking require flexibility and adjustment. From prophetic evangelism at New Age fairs to solemn assemblies of hungry, passionate young people, the name of Jesus is being proclaimed as never before.


Year after year, new models of kingdom life are developing. They include everything from megachurches to small house churches, from crowded stadiums to widely dispersed webcasts. Some flourish in places that have become centers of spiritual life, while others remain hidden from the public eye. Such a wide variety of new possibilities abound in this shifting prophetic landscape that I have tried to capture them in a memorable way.


The 9 Ms of Prophetic Diversity


1. Mighty streams of prayer and praise. This, combined with the worship movement, is maturing and bringing us into higher realms of glory.


2. Miracle manifestations. They are proliferating, not only in Third World countries, but also in the West.


3. Marketplace ministry. Many have never heard of the Marketplace Apostle. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Christians exercise their prophetic gifts in their places of secular employment, bringing much-needed wisdom and prophetic intercession into new situations.


4. The matrix of relationships. The gifts do not thrive in isolation; they require a healthy, relational community of faith. In other words, we minister to all. Not just a select group.


5. Missions outreach. In spite of world recession and the well-established indigenous church, both long-term and short-term missions continue to be launched, based in many countries, including new places.


6. Middle East emphasis. God is doing something in Israel and in the regions surrounding Israel as people bring the gospel of the kingdom to the Jew first and then to the Gentile:


Romans 1:16 NKJV - For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.


7. Ministry training. With the proliferation of ministry training centers and the organic spreading of the mentoring movement, established prophets, pastors and teachers are able to give away what they have earned and learned. People are realizing that the little bit they have may be someone else's magnificent meal.


8. Mercy ministries. Many are responding to this call. Wherever and whenever we can.


9. Media mania. This is another way of saying that every new means of communication, public and private, is being used by people of the kingdom.