The prophet's handbook

that judged Eli’s house, broke Israel’s ties with the occult, and established himself and his order as the nation’s head of state. Following this, Samuel taught the nation about holy and unholy service and corrected the errors of the priests’ ministry. Samuel meticulously reeducated Israel about the office of the prophet and elevated its previously incidental function to an official rank in the ministries of the Lord’s land. Samuel led Israel’s people to war as their general, arbitrated their controversies as a judge, instructed them in divine service and worship as a priest, and established a school to structure and standardize their prophetics. Samuel’s work extended to inaugurating the royalty and nobility of the land, qualifying subsequent prophets, and verifying and empowering new leaders and officers with God’s approved authority. One thing is evident in this profile. Samuel pointedly depicted the diverse functions and activities of the prophet installed in a church more than any of his predecessors did. He was a commander in war, an intercessor in covenant breaches, and an officiary at all the nation’s ceremonies. From this, it is easy to see the question of dedicated prophets assigned to every congregation for God is not strictly a matter of wisdom. It is an ordination that goes all the way to the heart of necessity, seeing to it that every gathering of God’s people in His name reflects the full complement of His officers and agencies. It allows the Lord to manifest and demonstrate His fullness when He is with His people. If a ministry wants to become and remain biblically correct, then every gathering is to contain a representative of three out of five of the Ephesians 4:11 officers. The apostle as founder, as well as the evangelist, may be itinerant. In addition, church gatherings, based on 1 Corinthians 14:19–32, should have in attendance a minimum of two to three prophetic voices. God’s integrity and diligence say that this is usually the case, even if the prophets are not allowed to speak out in service. Benefit of Church Prophets in Every Church If a church and its leadership want to succeed in their vision and divine mandate, then opening themselves up to the credible prophetics of God is a good start. If a church wishes to excel in its purpose and ride the crest of sustained victory, establishing its own church prophets or a resident prophets’ institution is how to do it. Before going further, I want to acknowledge that many people object to the