Prophetic Mantle
By Deborah Wittmier
2006
As we move through life, seeing to our regular responsibilities and experiencing our normal routines, there are occasional moments of profound knowing, when suddenly something comes clearly into focus in a way that affects our whole outlook. Oddly enough, these moments come in the midst of completely ordinary activities; yet their affect on us is completely extraordinary. You know, like being in the middle of a conversation and suddenly hearing yourself say something that is deeply profound, and it stays with you as part of your personal mental library of wisdom. That’s God working in you and through you, by the power of His Holy Spirit. I just had one of those moments, and I want to share it with you because of your partnership with me. This verse leaped out at me this morning in my daily Bible reading:
I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do. . . . (Eph. 1:17 & 18, The Message)
Then, I picked up a book that I had set aside months ago and opened it to this passage:
God is truly raising up a company of prophets, prophetesses and an entire generation of prophetic people who have sharpened their spiritual senses to clearly hear the voice of God and release divine revelation upon the earth. With this too, God is raising up those with an apostolic anointing to begin to bring forth a new authority to lead the Church forth into the twenty-first century in victory and power. Together, these apostolic and prophetic ministries will cause the army of God to be equipped and empowered, the world systems to be challenged and the Kingdom of God to be established in the hearts and lives of men and women throughout the earth.” (The Deborah Company by Jane Hamon, © 2007 Destiny Image Publishers, Inc.)
In one of those moments of divine clarity, I knew that the Holy Spirit had just confirmed to me again the calling He has for Deborah Ministries. In a rush, certain key things came to my memory—all lining up in agreement with these passages.
1) Most of you remember, I’m sure, that Deborah Ministries takes its name and mission statement from Deborah, the judge and prophetess in the Book of Judges. Our vision statement says, “Deborah is called to help mentor and develop God’s people. She is gifted of God to help bring people into a deeper understanding of their own potential in Christ. Even as Deborah of old was used to spur Barak into powerful action against the enemy, Deborah is used today to move people into the fullness of God’s personal plan for them by throwing off oppression and personal bondages to fulfill their destiny. I realized that our identity and purpose is remarkably on target with the previous passage! Then the Lord reminded me of something that happened to me recently in Kenya.
2) I was preaching under a powerful anointing of the Holy Ghost and the message was about accepting and embracing the roles and offices in our destiny without relegating them to the vague and inoperative place of “Someday.” When I gave an invitation for all those who had heard the call and knew that “prophet” was part of their spiritual identity to respond publicly, I was stunned to hear the voice of the Spirit say to me, “Well, this is your moment; are you going to respond?” Never before have I been in a position to answer my own altar call! Trembling, I stepped away from the pulpit, came down off the platform, and before hundreds of people I publicly embraced the office of prophet. Inwardly, I was so thankful that if God were going to require such a public demonstration, that at least it was happening in Kenya, and nobody in the States would have to know. (So much for that, now that I am sharing it with all of you. . . .)
3) Ever since then, the Holy Spirit has thrust the prophetic aspect of Deborah Ministries to the forefront. I’m sure you remember that we just finished teaching on the prophetic at a World Conference here in Denver in June. I just returned from a conference on the prophetic that I was asked to do in Kansas City. The Holy Spirit moved powerfully and I still stand in amazement and awe of His many and varied ways of loving and healing people! One woman testified to being set free of pain that had plagued her for five years. To God be the glory! Then today I received a call to see if I would go to South America to minister in a 10-day conference because they are asking for “a strong prophetic voice.” I stand in awe of God’s ability to open doors—in a country where I’ve never been, with people I have never known! It causes me to tremble. The Lord is powerfully confirming the prophetic call that is upon this ministry. And, I see that I can no longer try to accomplish it without being willing to acknowledge it. I have been steadfastly resisting any other role except that of teacher for quite some time now, but it's time for me to get in agreement with this. The scripture says, “How can two walk together lest they be in agreement?” So, I have stepped into a new mantle of obedience.
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