I remember the first time I publicly prophesied in a church service. It happened at Faith Center in Eugene, Oregon. That Sunday was just a few weeks after the Lord met me in the middle of the night and radically changed my life.
As the worship service began, I had a new and strange unction to speak about something the Lord was revealing to me. I had been given a simple image and a promise; one I could not shake. By now, I was beginning to understand how Faith Center handled public prophetic words. It was all about trust and submission. I walked up to the side of the podium and approached a pastor I knew named Noel Campbell. Noel led a men’s bible study I was attending. I shared with Noel what I was seeing. I was scared of stepping into this new and unfamiliar territory and wasn’t sure what to expect.
When I returned to my seat, I saw Noel lean over to my pastor, Roy Hicks, Jr., and whisper into his ear. After a few moments, Roy called out over the congregation, “Where is Garris?” When our eyes met, Roy asked me to share what the Lord said. My fear of that first encounter made me a bit numb, but the image and the promise attached to the image spilled out into the auditorium that was filled with thousands of people each weekend.
I learned something the first time I prophesied. The Lord is always speaking. He is looking for people willing to speak what the Lord is saying no matter if they feel qualified or not. It also requires risk on the part of established leaders who will allow a newbie to speak.
Later, as I got to know Roy and how he processed a public worship service, I learned his goal and purpose of any public gathering. Roy made room for three things, Worship, Word, and the Witness of God’s Spirit. Little did I know, now almost 50 years ago, I was part of making room for the Spirit no matter how well-planned a public service was prepared.
When I shared that first prophetic word, I was living out an expression of Isaiah 6:8, “Here Am I Lord. Send me.” A first step of obedience amidst all the feelings of our fear and inadequacy can direct us along a path of life we would never have imagined had we not been willing to open our mouths and speak the word of the Lord.
I never wanted to teach or lead a class or group. God laid in on my heart to teach/lead a Sunday school class on a subject he gave me. Since I’m really not a teacher I rely on the Lord to help me through each week. I know I learn a lot from the group. Praise God for His direction.