The prophet's handbook

inexplicable exposure to supernatural agents and other supernatural elements of God’s creation. Where others may have led spiritually silent and dormant lives, these people seem inundated with glimpses of the supernatural for what they perceive to be no reason at all. Many times it starts at an early age and continues throughout the course of life. Samuel’s prophetic introduction to God to offer judgment to Eli exemplifies this. Childhood Induction may seem to fit every worker in God’s kingdom, and in the broadest sense it does. However, there are those chosen to be reared in prophetic or priestly households, as opposed to those called from the households of Egypt who must be trained, post adolescence, to serve the Lord. Through childhood induction, children are exposed to God and His kingdom, ways, and work from infancy. Their parents are generally faithful, devout believers who, knowing their charge concerning the child, take his or her spiritual and religious development seriously. They are told by God who and what the child is to Him and what their responsibility as parents is to the Lord are as far as the child is concerned. In situations where the parents are not devoted to God, the child is adopted, formally or casually, by devout tutors for this purpose. They may contribute to the child’s spiritual training indirectly (as a family friend) or directly (as legal adoptive parents), taking on the task of grooming the youngster for the Lord’s service. Sometimes these people inherit the task through the death of the natural parent. Other times the parent willingly relinquishes the child’s spiritual development to them, not knowing it’s the will of the Lord. Hannah, for instance, gave Samuel to Eli so he could groom him as a prophet for the Lord. Moses was reared by royalty to be a prophet to regents. Daniel was among the nobles of Israel to be a royal prophet in Nebuchadnezzar’s house. As childhood induction itself goes, Samson, Samuel, John the Baptist, and Jesus Himself all fit this category.