THE PROPHETIC WORDS
Despise not prophesyings (1 Thessalonians 5:20).
In the Apostle Paul’s defense of the Gospel before King Agrippa and Bernice, as recorded in Acts 26, Paul emphasized the importance of prophecy. He did it by confronting King Agrippa with a direct question. He asked him, “King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest” (Acts 26:27).
Paul challenged Agrippa’s understanding and faith in the prophecies regarding the coming of the Messiah. God’s only proof for the people at the time was prophecy. There were so many prophecies about the Saviour—the Messiah—and they had to keep searching the Scriptures for these prophecies. They had to turn to the words of the prophets.
For example, the prophet Isaiah had prophesied, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14). In Isaiah 9:6, he further prophesied, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Prophecy is like a guiding light. Our opening verse charges us not to despise prophecies. The prophetic words of scripture and of the Spirit are important. The same Paul who asked the king Agrippa the question above said to Timothy, “This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare”(1 Timothy 1:18).
Like Timothy, trust the prophetic words of Scripture and the prophetic words of the Spirit to you, and use them to make war.
PRAYER
Dear Father, I declare that my life is for your glory; my future is that of success, progress and prosperity. I continually dwell in peace and divine health, and I experience your grace in every area of my life, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY
Acts 2:17-18, 1 Corinthians 14:3-5, 2 Peter 1:16-19
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: 1 Peter 5, Ezekiel 35-36
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: John 15:1-10 ,1 Chronicles 26
