THE PURITY AND POWER OF A TRUE PROPHET

1 Corinthians 14:1

Whole of this week we have been looking at the topic, “RAISING TRUE PROPHETS LIKE SAMUEL IN THE
CHURCH AGAIN”.

And we have looked at sub topics, including;

1. The role of the church in raising true leaders

2. The role of the family in raising true prophets
3. The price one has to pay himself to become a true prophet
4. The development stages, lifestyle and legacies of a true prophet
5. The role and correct operation of prophets and prophecies

A prophet is a spokesperson for God. Seen as the eye of the people and the link between God and
the people.

The church needs prophets, homes need prophets, and the nation at large needs prophets

The prophet is so indispensable because he

Admonishes Warns Directs Encourages Intercedes

Teaches Counsels

He brings the word of God to the people of God and calls the people to respond

As a result of the sensitive of the role he plays, the prophet must aspire for high level of purity and
integrity. He must be seen by both God and the people to be upright

How can the prophet be pure?

a. Loving: The prophet first love God such that he will always want to do what God tells him to do.
He must also love the people such that he will desire at all times that the people are in fine tune
with the Lord.
 b. Forgiving not hot tempered:
i. His second action after healing the water of Jericho was to curse some young lads who
were making fun of him. Two bears appeared and mauled forty-two of them. 2 Kings
2:23-25.
ii. In 1 Kings 13 we read of a prophet who was sent Judah to Jericho to rebuke them for
their waywardness and warn them of what was to befall them. Unhappy king Jeroboam
asked for his arrest, but his hand got stuck. The prophet did not resist praying for the
restoration of the hand when he pleaded for mercy

c. Avoid indulging in receipt of gifts - From same 1 Kings 13, we can learn that to maintain your
purity as a prophet then you need to careful of how you go about receiving gifts from the
people. After healing him, Jeroboam requested for the prophet to go home with him for dinner
and him give him gifts. Gifts could take the form of;
i. Praise singing, and boots licking
ii. Material gifts – which will end up making you become worldly

POWER OF THE PROPHET

1. Eye of the people - Seen as the eye of the people, then the prophet is so powerful. Matthew
6:22-23 tells us that the eye is the lamp of the entire body and if your eye is bad then the entire
body is plunged into darkness. So the eye must continually function. When there is darkness in
the church;
a. Then there will be no direction, and so anything goes
b. There wont be sanity, leadership and members alike will do what pleases their own eyes
c. The devil holds everyone hostage
d. The entire church is doomed for destruction

2. Encouragement - Encouragement of the brethren is an important aspect of the prophetic

ministry.
a. Everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and
comfort he who prophesies edifies the church (1 Cor 14:3,4)

b. Build up and strengthen the church

Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the
brothers (Acts 15:32).

c. The scriptures give a number of examples of prophets who encouraged the leaders of their
nation to act boldly.

When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of Oded the prophet, he took
courage. (2 Chron 15:1,).

Then Haggai, the Lord 's messenger, gave this message of the Lord to the people: "I am with
you," declares the Lord. So the Lord stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,
governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit
of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord
Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King
Darius (Hag 1:13-15).

Now Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the prophet, a descendant of Iddo, prophesied to
the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them. Then
Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak set to work to rebuild the house of
God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them (Ezra 5:1,2).

So the elders of the Jews continued to build and prosper under the preaching of Haggai the
prophet and Zechariah, a descendant of Iddo. They finished building the temple according to
the command of the God of Israel and the decrees of Cyrus, Darius and Artaxerxes, kings of
Persia (Ezra 6:14).
 3. Keeps the people informed about the future - The prophet speaks to the present, in light of the
future that God has revealed to him.

In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz
went to him and said, "This is what the Lord says: Put your house in order, because you are
going to die; you will not recover." Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the Lord
(2 Kings 20:1,2).

4. Direction and Guidance – When David was running from Saul, and went to Mizpah thinking he
had security there the word of the Lord came to him

But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah." So
David left and went to the forest of Hereth (1 Sam 22:5).

To achieve all the above, Prophets must be full of the power of the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, a
prophet cannot function and will be just a babbling voice. The scriptures are clear that prophets must
have the Spirit of God upon them.

By your Spirit you admonished them through your prophets (Neh 9:30).
I wish that all the Lord's people were prophets and that the Lord would put his spirit on them (Num
11:29).

I will pour out my Spirit on all people Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, (Acts 2:17).
His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied (Luke 1:67).