Want to learn more about prophecy, the prophetic gifts and how they can fit into your church? Here are 15 articles about prophecy you can’t do without.
A lot has changed over the last year in the world around us. So many people have had their lives impacted, some as a direct result of those changes, some through personal circumstance.
But in all of it, God has been good. Here’s what’s been happening in my little corner of it and how you can learn more through 15 articles about prophecy.
2019, A Year In Review
When we look back and review where we’ve come from, we usually end up thinking about it in terms of big important events.
There have been lots of those happening in the world, but my own “big events of 2019” list wouldn't really register on most people’s radars.
However, on a personal level, they have felt like seismic changes for me.
The most significant things that happened to me over the last year were these:
- I changed job - yet again!
- My son went to university.
- We shut down our church and I stepped down from my role as a church leader (we are now joining another church in our town).
I loved Guildford Community Church and viewed it as my home and extended family. However, we chose to be obedient to God, rather than our own desires, for the sake of his kingdom.
I’ll have more to say on this next time. For now though, suffice it to say that these were huge changes for my family and friends, as well as for me.
Today, I'll stay focused on what has happened in my prophetic ministry, so you can catch up on anything you may have missed before. I hope you’ll find it encouraging and inspiring!
What Happened On TimBaderOnline.com: 15 Articles About Prophecy
I had a bit of a hiatus at the beginning of the year and it took a while for things to get going.
However, I'm proud of my achievements in 2019, which include the following:
These 15 articles are the result of all that hard work.
15 Articles About Prophecy: The Main Themes
Articles published in 2019 covered 3 broad areas or themes:
- Prophecy and the wider church
- “Behind the scenes” posts
- Prophetic words for God’s people
Rather than try to put everything in strict chronological order, I've arranged things around these categories to make it easier to digest. Here's some quick links to help you on the way:
15 Articles About Prophecy: Prophecy And The Wider Church
When I first realised that God wanted me to write about the gift of prophecy, I was worried that I would run out of ideas quickly.
However, it turns out that I had a lot to say about the subject last year, including potential issues in the church and how to overcome them.
Beyond the general area of prophecy in the church, I ended up looking into several ways to grow in the gift. We also highlighted the differences between different kinds of prophet and prophetic gift.
Prophecy in the church
I began the year by sharing my vision for the Company of Prophets. Established in my home church, but with a view for expansion to the wider body, this group represents the heart of the calling I believe God has given me.
From reading the New Testament, one would expect the church to be full of people who operate freely in the gift of prophecy. This article explored why that’s not the case and why some people may even be fearful of the gift.
In this article, we went a little deeper into the issues with prophecy but balanced that up with a look at the benefits, both for individuals and the church as a whole. We finished up with a few ways you can get involved.
Later in the year, I returned to the subject to look at how you can encourage and promote the prophetic gifts in your home church. I focused on easy options that anyone can do (hint: you don’t have to be the pastor!).
Ways to grow your gift of prophecy
In this post, we looked at how you can grow from general “God loves you” prophecies through to detailed, incisive prophetic words. Inside, readers can discover where they are in their prophetic growth and how to move on from there.
This post was one of the very first articles I ever published on timbaderonline and last year it got a radical reworking and restructure. I combined it with some of the ideas developed in 6 Ways To Grow Your Gift Of Prophecy and produced a fully comprehensive guide you won’t find anywhere else.
On the surface, this article looked like it was in direct opposition to 3 Ways To Promote The Gift Of Prophecy. However, inside I took a serious look at why a prophecy school may not be the best thing for you and what you can do instead.
We all know that it’s important to interpret prophetic words, so we can understand what God is saying but how, exactly, do you do that? This article explored the ins and outs of this tricky subject.
Clarity on prophecy and prophetic gifts
Since prophecy isn’t always well received, there is a lot of confusion in the body. Myths about the gift abound. One area of misunderstanding is in the difference between a seer and a prophet: my hope is that this article cleared all of that up.
On a similar tack, in December I tackled the related gifts of words of knowledge and wisdom. These are, in my opinion, prophetic gifts, but they require very different handling to a straightforward prophecy. You can find out more here.
Listening to God
In November, I went back to the “basics” of listening to God. I discussed another subject dear to my heart, one that I believe is the birthright of every believer: the ability to hear God’s voice. Whether or not you think you have the gift of prophecy, this post is for you.
I finished up the year with this response to a very good question I received from my friend, Rob: “How do we listen with our spirits?”. Inside, I discussed how we can be more spirit-led and the steps you can take to connect with God in this special way.
15 Articles About Prophecy: Behind The Scenes
Winding back the clock a little and... I had a relaxed time during my summer holiday in August and that was reflected on the blog too.
For the first time, I took readers behind the scenes of my ministry in 3 articles covering everything from God’s promises to the website tools I use every day:
In this article, I explained what Brexit was, apologised for it and shared 3 promises God gave me for 2019. I then shared how God led me through the year, including some of the unexpected events and struggles I faced. I hope you’ll find it encouraging.
Some of my readers are also trying to run and grow their own ministries. Some of them are writing (or want to write) books. And that means you need a website to engage your audience and promote your work. Inside, I shared how the Lord led me to 5 specific tools for my website, which I think you’ll find useful too.
Finally, I did a deep dive into one of my new favourite tools: CoSchedule, an online editorial calendar. Before you assume that sounds boring and move on, consider that CoSchedule has enabled me to write 15 blog posts in 8 months (with only 1 day per week available to write) and generated traffic from social media that I never had before. You can read all about it here.
15 Articles About Prophecy: Prophetic Words For The Church
In September I had another first: the Lord gave me some prophetic words for the church, specifically so I could share them online.
And there are more to come soon, so stay tuned!
This was a very detailed picture (some might call it a vision) where God removed a piece of my brain and tested my spirit by bashing it on a table! It was amusing to share, but it turned out the Lord had an important message to share with you.
I followed up my previous vision with some observations on the chaos in British politics (and across the world) and a reminder that God is in control, even if it doesn’t seem like it. Although it was shared at a particular time of turmoil in my home country, this prophecy spoke about all the nations of the world and it’s still relevant now.
What Happened With My Ministry In 2019
Of course, what happens on timbaderonline.com is only a part of my ministry.
It’s a significant part, but I also achieved a lot outside of the website too.
For example:
I’m sad about closing down our church, but I’m excited and hopeful for the coming year and what the Lord has in store for us next.
I’ll have more to say next time, but my main takeaway from 2019 is that God is good.
Question:
How did 2019 impact you and what are you looking forward to this year?
Let us know in the comments, below.