Prophets, artists and musicians all have one thing in common – they need inspiration to work at their best.
Anyone can function to some degree without inspiration, but the results are lackluster, dull and unimaginative, and lack the ability to inspire others.
Being pedantic, prophets are not attempting a performance, and so being ‘at their best’ is perhaps not the best term to use, but the inference is still appropriate. Not everything that comes from the heart of musicians and artists is from God, but much is.
Prophets too, need to make sure that their inspiration is from God and not from a quest for profile, recognition and position. So when you find yourself in that moment where God is saying nothing to you how do you find inspiration?
Here are a few considerations:
- God may not be saying anything, or showing you anything. For many that is a difficult area of life or ministry to be in. God is not always speaking, and we are not the sole messengers of God.
- God does not have an obligation to reveal Himself to you! But the good news is that He does, and often. There is a confusing teaching that prophetic people can prophesy at will, which is simply not true.God himself is the source of inspiration and revelation and if He is not showing, the prophet cannot tell!
- It’s not your fault you are seeing nothing, or maybe it is! Sometimes you just need to go to work, dig your field, fix the car and get on with life and like Amos the prophet gathering figs, the word of God will come to you.Sometimes you are not hearing from God because there are things you need to put right. Some of the prophets I know can be mean-spirited, controlling and manipulative. They do this inadvertently and not in an evil or malicious way, but in the way they deal with issues, particularly in times of stress or anxiety.Those character issues are more important than areas of gifting to God, and apply to everyone that you can think of, without exception.
- Sometimes God want you to just come to Him, and rest. You may be clearly exhausted to God, but involvement, profile and a huge number of other psychological elements may be playing in your heart, and your greatest need is not to continue but to rest awhile.
When the moment is right, as always throughout the Scriptures, the Word of God will come. Just be patient. And wait.
