Why Many Churches Are Missing This Crucial Prophetic Element

The absence of prophetic politeness in some of today’s so-called prophetic churches is alarming. Prophetic politeness is defined as the proper etiquette in prophetic relationships or encounters.

It’s not often discussed in relation to training up prophets and prophetic people, but it’s essential to their proper development. Beyond a lack of common courtesy, I’ve also witnessed this blatant spiritual rudeness on various social media platforms, and it’s becoming bolder these days. At times, people will come up to me without a “hello” or formal introduction and ask for a prophetic word. This happens to me electronically through emails, texts and on social media.

It is both wrong and in poor taste to say to or inbox a prophet with a salutation that begins with any type of request for a word of prophecy.

My point is that these people did not greet me first. Instead, they just barged in, demanding that the prophet instantly produce a word. This is wrong on so many levels, although I’ve learned to chalk up such behavior to ignorance. I’d rather choose to believe that people are not consciously being crass but that they are just hungry. They’re hungry for true words from authentic oracles of God, not pretenders.

Prophets Are not Psychics

Many have encountered charlatans and experienced a literal famine in regard to hearing words that bear witness with their spirits. We should always be mindful that prophets of the Most High are not psychics and shouldn’t be treated as such. I’ve learned to ignore such seemingly selfish behavior. I no longer feel bad about not caving into the deluge of requests for a word from strangers. Believe me, I used to, but God freed me from such condemnation.

If you desire a word from the Lord from a prophet, you can follow this basic protocol. Begin your inquiry with, “Hello, how are you?” and tell the person a little bit about yourself. You’ll probably receive a better response along with the answer from God that you’re looking for.

God Still Speaks

I’ve seen a trend of people totally depending on the prophet rather than taking the time to hear from God for themselves. God still speaks to individuals. This is one of the reasons I train prophetic people to hear from God for themselves rather than relying on the next prophet to come to town.

You know what I’m talking about: The one who charges you $800 to give you a word from the Lord. John 10:4-5 tells us that the sheep follow Him for they know His voice. We cannot carry out the Lord’s instructions without being familiar with His voice, for the foundation of prophetic utterances is knowing God’s voice. Once you know His voice, you cut out the middleman and put yourself in a position to receive prophetic words without the filters of flesh!

Three Voices

Prophecy is listening to God and simply repeating what He says, which will help you to be 100% accurate unless you miss God or misidentify the voice that’s speaking to you as yourself or the enemy instead of God. These three voices (God, Satan and yourself) constantly contend for your attention.

You must be able to distinguish between each one, which is achieved through discernment and familiarity. We should use our supernatural senses (discernment) to identify which one of the three is speaking to us. We must become familiar with each voice. This can be done through consistent and active listening, especially during our times of prayer.

When I do prophetic training, I encourage emerging prophets and prophetic people to know who’s talking to them. You do this by not just praying but by listening so that you will know His voice. Listen more than you speak at these times. Each of these three has a distinct cadence that you will become accustomed to.

The Lord Touches the Mouths of His Prophets

Scripture lets us know God will touch the mouths of prophets and pour in His words as He did with the prophet Jeremiah. God did this throughout the Old Testament. If you were a prophet of the Lord back then, your lips were touched by the master. With the touch come the words. The tactile and the sound have a symbiotic relationship where one cannot function properly without the other. The Lord’s touch is pregnant with prophecy. When He touches your mouth, your orifice begins to fill with His words. With this filling comes release.

Pregnant with Prophecy

Whenever you are full of anything, you must expel it. The Lord expects you to pour out the sayings with which He’s filled you. That’s why some prophets feel as if they’re pregnant with prophecy and as if the words are ready to burst forth. “Then the Lord put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, ‘Now, I have put my words in your mouth” (Jer. 1:9).

As He did with the prophet Jeremiah, God still touches the mouths of His prophets today. All you have to do is to allow the words He gives you to be released and loosed by simply opening your mouth and saying them. It really is that simple. Remember, any Holy Ghost-filled believer can prophesy

If that’s you, prophesy. Say what He’s telling you to say. If you can hear His voice, you can say what He’s said.

Dr. John Veal is the senior pastor/prophet of Enduring Faith Christian Center and the CEO of John Veal Ministries, Inc. He is passionate about pursuing God’s mandate to preach, teach, impart and activate people within the prophetic. John is a regular contributor to Charisma magazine online, The Elijah List, IMAG, Spirit Fuel, Reformation Today and others. John has been featured on various media outlets, including Sid Roth’s It’s Supernatural, Elijah Streams and Something More. Dr. Veal is a highly sought-after conference speaker due to his uncanny prophetic accuracy, humor, candor and unconventional preaching style. He has traveled the nations, presenting a myriad of prophetic training and ministry. John currently resides in Chicago, Illinois, with his wife, Elisa, and their three children. Visit faith2endure.com.