Can you receive a prophetic word and end up without His message? Can you be a part of a prophetic event and still miss the point?

Every day, I open up my email and social media to find videos of dreams and prophetic words that I find challenging. We can all miss God's point from time to time.

We are living through prophetic events. Many of our nation's great cities are filled with the darkness of violence and hatred. Lives are being lost because of the wounds and demonic lie of racism. The entire world is under attack by a paralyzing pandemic.

We must have a word from God!

What is curious is that every video or prophetic word I have seen on my news feed lately is centered on fear, doubt and confusion rather than the harvest of lost souls.

Do we still believe God's purpose for us is to be world changers?

In Acts 1, the followers of Christ see Jesus ascend into heaven. This was undoubtedly an extraordinary, prophetic event. However, something interesting happens after. As the wide-eyed disciples look to the sky where Jesus ascended, they are confronted by angels who say to them, "Why stand looking toward heaven?" (Acts 1:11a).

They had forgotten the words of Jesus, who told them to wait in Jerusalem until they received power from on high. The prophetic event happening before them was so spectacular and miraculous that they lost their focus.

Today's turmoil and prophetic times have many of us losing our focus, but God has given us a tool to stay the course: the Bible!

In Acts 21:11, the apostle Paul receives a word from the Holy Spirit, saying the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem would bind him and hand him over to the Gentiles. The people with Paul became overwhelmed and cried out to him, begging him not to go to Jerusalem. They did not realize they were hindering the will of God. If Paul had heeded them, he would have been out of God's will, but Paul stayed focused on his mission.

Are you a heaven-gazer or a world changer?

The Word is clear that prophecy is to always flow out of love. The Holy Spirit moves toward those who value the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The purposes of prophecy are to exhort, comfort and to edify (see 1 Cor. 14:3). I like to say that the purpose of prophecy is to lift up, build up and cheer up.

We must watch out for those using the Holy Spirit for personal objectives. There have been many times I have seen gifts of the Holy Spirit used to enlarge offerings or to prove one's level of importance.

When we use the Holy Spirit's gifts for our purposes instead of His, we lose the value of God's amazing grace.

Using spiritual gifts for ourselves and our agendas puts us in bondage.

We must surrender to the Holy Spirit, understanding that He brings transformation paid for by the power of sacrifice.

These have been trying times indeed. However, I believe that what the enemy meant for evil, God is using for good!

I believe God is using prophetic events for three purposes:

1. A worldwide spiritual awakening. We are called to be world changers. We are not called to be survivalists or escapists! For 2,000 years, precious brothers and sisters have given their lives that the world might know Jesus. You can't threaten a Christian with heaven. I believe this season is awakening the church to seek the lost like never before because there is an intense hunger for God in the nations.

2. A worldwide spiritual shaking. The Word says in Hebrews 12:27 (NKJV) that "'Yet once more' indicates a removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain." The world's systems are in a prophetic upheaval. The fountains of the great deep will be broken up by intercession and prayer before the throne of God.

3. A worldwide spiritual loosening. This supernatural event will see the greatest harvest of men and women surrendering their lives to Jesus in all of history. Sadly, many will also fall away. The church of the living God will be on fire, walking in the Holy Spirit's power.

We will be heaven-gazers because we will "look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near" (Luke 21:28) and world changers because we are salt and light to this generation.

In all of our looking up, let us also look out to reach a world that desperately needs a Savior.

You're beautiful. I see Jesus in you. Have a great week!

Mikel French has challenged spiritual awakening all across America, where many celebrations extended into multiple weeks, and has conducted celebrations in France, Sweden, Russia, Romania, Poland, Ukraine, Moldova, Serbia, Germany, South Africa, Malawi, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Haiti, Japan, Singapore, India and Thailand. He conducted an outreach celebration in Manila, Philippines, reaching 200,000 teenagers with the book of hope. Through the generous support of partners, he has presented the message of Jesus Christ to millions of people in the nation of Russia through televised citywide soul-winning celebrations. Mikel considers it an honor to assist in conducting the annual pastor's conference, where thousands of pastors from Russia's 11 time zones come for training, teaching and equipping. Mikel and his wife, Marsha, reside in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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