The prophet's handbook

speak about the influence of the heavenly places and our inheritance contained there. Spiritually, such high place references, tendered by the Hebrew word bamah, define the clouds and the highest waves of the seas. This word speaks to the heavenly and celestial spheres of God as much as it refers to the high powers of the earth and their corresponding authorities. The two prophets’ (Nathan and Gad) spiritual high places occasioned their positions of authority with David. Their mantles gave the king direct and immediate access to the spontaneous will and word of the Lord on routine and unexpected matters. For this function to be fruitful, it is obvious that prayer must be a great part of the watch duties of the prophet that serves a church. Remember, intercession and prayer, not merely prophesying, are priority jobs of the prophet. Without a disciplined and potent prayer life, church prophets would rely on their soulish realm for revelation. They could then risk prophesying out of their own hearts (Jeremiah 23:16) or their own spirits (Ezekiel 13:1–3) what is called divination, as discussed later. The perceptions of the leader and the whims of the flock can prevail in these cases more than anything else. Worse than this is the church prophet who fails to read the Scriptures regularly or fails to seek the Lord for daily prophetic ministrations. In these cases, Jeremiah 23:13 is the outcome. The spiritual principles and laws of creation see to it, because what is written in Isaiah 66:4 and Jeremiah 23:13 can be the only consequence. Prayer, separation from the world, and devotion to God are the phase-one acts of prophetic preparation. After these, a rigid adherence to the Spirit and Word of God alone ensures church prophets consistently deliver the pure words of the Lord to those in their care. Neglecting such requisites and fraternizing constantly with the household are the greatest dangers to prophets’ accuracy. Here is why. Excessive mingling with those they serve can cause prophets’ devotion to their charge to overrule the will of the Lord in certain situations. Hearing too often their problems, needs, and plights firsthand can so arouse prophets’ compassion or opinions that they can confirm what the Lord may not have ordained. The incident of King David’s desire to build a house for God in the book of 2 Samuel 7:1–29 makes this point. Church Prophet Lifestyle and Posture of the Church