June 19, 2009 Special Anointing
Today’s Bible Reading: 2 Kings 1,2,3; Psalms 82; 1 Timothy 1
Scripture Focus:
2 Kings 2:9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
Observation:
Today’s reading tells more about Elisha and Elijah. These prophets performed amazing miracles and fearlessly opposed kings. God spoke to them freely, and they were held in honor by those who were faithful to the God of Israel.
The prophetic office is a curious thing to me. Often God chooses someone apparently out of the blue to be the next prophet—like Elisha, who was minding his own business plowing his field when Elijah came by and threw his mantle on him to call him into the ministry.
Why does God choose one person over another to hold a prophetic office? I think of Jack Hayford in our denomination, who holds a prophetic office. According to what I’ve heard, God showed up in a vision in his little church, and from that point on he was never the same.
Application:
The prophetic office is certainly one that should be honored by all believers, and it’s often God’s way of bringing his authority and direction to the church. I must remember, however, that God has still chosen me and given me gifts that are important to the body of Christ. The beauty of it is that God gets to do the choosing, and we get to practice using our gifts for the good of all, while honoring the spiritual gifts of others!
Prayer:
Father God, may I honor those you have chosen for prophetic purposes, but may I also walk in the gifts you have given me, for the good of the body of Christ.
