AUTHOR: Jennifer LeClaire
PUBLISHER: Minneapolis, MN: Chosen Books, 2014, (176 pages).
Many are called but few are chosen. Like many spiritual gifts, the same applies to the gift of prophecy. More particularly, Jennifer LeClaire speaks into what it takes to make a prophet in this helpful book about understanding things prophecy, prophetic voice, and the making of a prophet at various levels. What sparks the interest and research into prophecy and prophets is a book by Dr Bill Hamon, which resonated strongly with this author. Not only did "Prophets and Personal Prophecy" initiates a personal quest for more knowledge and confirmation, LeClaire has even written a book herself, inviting Hamon to write a foreword for the book. Instead of focusing on the actual label or a special class of people called "prophet," LeClaire, director of International House of Prayer, shows readers what it takes to cultivate that "prophetic voice" in each of us. Taken in this light, LeClaire is reaching out to a wider audience, hoping to invite even the skeptic to remain open to her message about developing one's prophetic voice. While not everyone who prophesies is a prophet, not everyone needs a title of "prophet" before being allowed to be a prophetic voice. Distinguish the noun from the adjective.
In asking the question about prophet as a calling, LeClaire recognizes it is one of the fivefold ministry named in Ephesians 4:11. She distinguishes the office from the desire in that while the office can be coveted for self-gratification, the desire can be cultivated for the work and ministry of God. The gift of prophecy begins with a calling that God initiates. The way it works is that God begins in small ways before any visible ministry. One clue about the call is that one learns to be patient rather than rushing headlong hurriedly into the ministry.
- Is the person able to listen with humility?
- Is the person willing to accept the high responsibility?
- Is the person ready to accept small beginnings?
- Does one recognize the call?
- Is one willing to pay the price?
- Is one merely copying or actively corresponding with the Spirit of God?
I think this book deserves a more structured framework. Bill Hamon's foreword provides one for the help of readers. I have tried to provide another too. That said, LeClaire does a good job in the first few chapters to describe the calling and the purpose of the prophetic ministry. There are biblical references throughout the book that give us a biblical feel of where the book is heading. I appreciate the way that Leclaire constantly brings attention back to God, which is what being a prophet is in the first place. Anyone who is curious about the role of the prophetic or whether one has a prophetic voice or not, can benefit from the tips and guidelines mentioned in the book. It is less of a person seeking after prophetic gifts but more of God seeking out the people He wants to speak to, to speak through, and to speak throughout.
Rating: 3.75 stars of 5.
conrade
This book is provided to me courtesy of Chosen Books and Graf-Martin Communications in exchange for an honest review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.
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