PROPHECY
Words from the Heart of God
The Charismatic Gift of Prophecy is described in 1 Corinthians 12 as a gift that strengthens the faith of believers. It is a word from the heart of God spoken through a person acting on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is a spontaneous word spoken for the consolation, encouragement, strengthening and conviction of God’s people.
Living Water Community has, from its early days, been led and encouraged by the prophetic word. This is not to say that as a prophecy is given we should rush off and act on it! St Paul tells us that “our prophesying is imperfect” (1 Cor 13:9) so “listening to the word” involves a great deal of prayerful reflection and discerning.
In late 1981 to early 1982, our Community was becoming more and more aware of the social needs of the poor in our country, and it was at that time that God spoke to us of the plight of His people who were “dying in neglect. A word of prophecy spoke of “the poor dying in the arms of the rich.” Along with other teachings received, we were prompted to open our Hospice. Hearing prophecies like those documented here, further touched our hearts and sensitized the Community to the plight of the poor. But it wasn’t until one Wednesday evening at Prayer Meeting when the Lord spoke through us in prophecy, telling us that He was watching us “sit in (our) paralysis, seeing but not responding, while His people were hungry and suffering.”
This galvanized the Community into a project called “Let’s do something.” This project gave birth to Duncan Street Caring Centre, Marian House Centre for Young Men, Our Lady of the Wayside Halfway House and New Life Ministries Rehab Centre.
The prophetic word continues to be “a lamp for our feet and a light for our path” (Ps 119) and we thank God for re-awakening in us, this charism of the Holy Spirit that was so cherished by the early Christians.
Here are some of the “words of prophecy” given to the Living Water Community over the years:
“I speak and the angels listen. I speak and all of creation stays hushed for my word. I speak and the people whom I have created for my glory remained inert. They sit in paralysis. Paralyzed by their fear, paralyzed by the falsehood of their lives, paralyzed by the spiritual blindness that prevents them from seeing my risen power in their minds.
You, my people, have been born of my Spirit. You have experienced my power and my freedom in your lives, so go to them and, by your very lives, witness to my power by each deed, by each word – be living witnesses to me.
Touch them so they may experience healing as you have been healed; that they too maybe set free from their prisons in the darkness in which they are entombed.
Say to those that are blind, if they but open their eyes, they will see the light….”
“…..My people, reach out to your fellow human beings, regardless of race, colour or creed. Offer your kindness, offer your love. Offer your hand to help, see them as I see them. See them as temples of my Holy Spirit; and for those that suffer pain, for those that find darkness, reach out in a special way to them. Because they will lie in darkness but for your helping hand, and those that suffer and cannot bear suffering they will not know to offer it to me unless you come, unless you offer service.
Oh yes, my people, the time is coming when there will be many broken people, scarred all over. The time is coming when you must come together in harmony, and go out in the field and minister to these people, my broken body.
Do not be fearful, I will give you strength. I will give you the courage to attend to the most broken and most hideous of broken bodies because my Spirit is in each of you …”