Under the old covenant, the Spirit of the Lord would come upon certain individuals and they would speak by inspiration. Sometimes we use the word oracle in connection with them. Today, every believer partakes of the Holy Spirit under the new covenant. We all have the Spirit within us, and we can enjoy the Spirit upon us because God has fulfilled His promise to pour out His
Spirit upon all flesh.
Therefore, we can speak as the oracles of God: If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. —1 Peter 4:11
Oracle is the Greek word logion, which means a brief utterance of God. God wants you to be His oracle. This is challenging to many believers who do not feel qualified to speak on behalf of God, but if you are one of them, you need to know that God has qualified you by giving you His Spirit. This is the blessing of the new covenant, and it is part of your inheritance as a believer.
I am attempting to simplify prophecy. There are different levels of the prophetic gift and lifestyle, but the most basic definition is speaking by the inspiration or influence of the Holy Spirit.
We should not make prophecy more difficult than it is. Any believer can speak by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, including you. As you walk into your full inheritance in the Spirit, you can do your part to build a prophetic culture in the body of Christ. It is a culture in which inspired utterances—in all their many manifestations— both bubble up and drop like rain
wherever you may go.
John Eckhardt is overseer of Crusaders Ministries in Chicago. Gifted with a strong apostolic call, he has ministered across the U.S. and in more than 80 other countries. He produces a weekly TV program, Perfecting the Saints, and is the author of more than 20 books, including Ordinary People, Extraordinary Power and the popular Prayers That … series (Prayers That Rout Demons, Prayers That Break Curses, Prayers That Bring Healing, Prayers That Release Heaven) and . For more, visit his ministry at www.impactnetwork.net. This article was excerpted from his book God Still Speaks.
