This week we are going to continue with the subject of prophets and their calling, preparation and training. This is a very important aspect of the function of a prophet and it is a very hard thing to go through. A person does not decide to become a prophet, there are no clubs or schools one can join or attend, no monthly dues. God calls someone Himself and to Himself and the training can vary from person to person, from what situation God may use him in, what the social situations are that he is sending him into and so on. There are no courses or curriculums, but once called, the training can take years. They must be led into the “wilderness” where they will be purged and cleansed, until, after all their human strength is gone, they are made strong as metal and is ready to be used in their Makers service.  They must hold people to the Word of the Lord. They will have little honor in this life and at times, won’t be able to explain why they do what they do. Things in their life will go wrong so that the Lord can break them of their own self-confidence and ability. Humiliation and the crushing of pride will reveal their individual smallness and inability before God. A test is a success only if it fails sometimes so that they learn that they cannot succeed on their own ability alone. Whatever shows them the inner rottenness of their core takes away any confidence in the flesh. Their training undercuts all their hidden and false motivations. Name any area of natural success like  communication, intelligence, marriage, friendships, employment and so on. If the Lord hasn’t already smashed them, He will. When humiliation is complete, He moves on. In other words, life will be the teacher.

      How do we recognize a budding prophet? First of all, the Lord can call someone at any age. Jeremiah and John the Baptist were called before they were born while Abraham and Moses were called later in life. Many times, their lives will have tragic events that would break some people, but the Lord sustains them and teaches them. Sometimes these events can be very humiliating and other people around them will not understand why they happened. The budding prophet will have dreams and visions from the Lord and will share these with people. Some will think it’s their imaginations and brush them aside as a nuisance, but those with spiritual discernment will immediately recognize these as signs of a developing prophet. They must learn how to hear God in dreams and visions, mind-flashes, colors and open and dark speech, circumstances, the still small voice and all the other ways the Lord speaks. They will also be burden-bearers and have a keen sense of justice. Some will be teachers and have distinctive gifts that will enable them to do the work of a prophet. These should also be looked for. They must know the word of God in letter and in spirit. Their training will take years and they must renounce whatever has formed them, cutting the apron strings and any carnal hold on them. They also must learn not only what to say, but how to say it.

      Next week we will continue and talk about the function of a prophet, how do they operate and what they actually do.  After seeing these basic facets, then we will go into the Old and New Testament prophets and look at how they functioned and some of the differences.  Then we will briefly look into how prophets will function in the last days and Biblical prophecy.