Learning to be Led by the Holy Spirit - Part V
Prophetic Prayer and Responsibility
by Dr. John Tetsola

Praying with prophetic insight is very essential in this hour. Prophetic people participate with God and are a part of what He is doing. They are world changers and kingdom administrators because they pray into fruition the heart of God. While the prophetic anointing is one that places the characteristics of the ministry gift of the prophet on the people of God, the prophetic anointing moves one into prophetic prayer and intercession. Prophetic intercessors receive the burden of the Lord and see with the eye of the Spirit. They recognize that if you pray contrary to God’s intention, you actually put yourself against the purposes of God. They understand that part of their responsibility is to pray the heart and will of God into existence. As prophetic people, when a prophetic word is released over your life, ministry, family, or business you have the responsibility to birth the will of God spoken over your life into existence. Praying the will of God is a regular part of prophetic responsibility.

Guidance Through Prophetic Intercession

…and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

And said unto Jeremiah the prophet…pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

Jeremiah 42:1b-2

Guidance is received through prophetic intercession. A specific type of intercession known as reactionary intercession is when we pray in response to current events or needs. A biblical example of reactionary intercession can be found in Jeremiah 42. Jeremiah sought the Lord for guidance on behalf of the immediate needs of the remnant of Judah. After a failed coup, the remnant’s lives were at stake. The current events in their lives demanded an immediate response. They begged the prophet Jeremiah for spiritual guidance as to whether they should stay in the land of Judah and face possible retribution from the Babylonians or make their way to Egypt as refugees.

The Endurance Factor

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 42:7

Jeremiah received an answer, but not overnight. Although he was an experienced intercessor, it took him ten days of faithful and urgent intercession to receive the word of the Lord. Jeremiah was not a young man at the time of this incident. He was at least sixty years of age and had been exercising the ministry of the prophet for forty-one years. Endurance is a necessary factor in prophetic intercession. Although the word of the Lord is not always received spontaneously or without effort, endure and God will answer.
 

by Dr. John A. Tetsola