Formulaic prophecy

By Lars Widerberg

God requires obedience according to patter, even according to Christ.
God orders and structures reality according to law and procedure.
But, he never sends his word according to formula.

Formulaic prophecy consists of that which is repetitious. The itinerant so called prophet or prophetess moves from place to place, conference to conference, country to country, bringing words to audiences of different background, history and cultural setup, words which do not hold enough specificity to direct mature men’s steps further into the purposes of the Lord.

If ever checked properly in the light of the Word of God these words would immediately fall flat, first of all because they are too broad, too vague, too general. Words of this kind follow modern methods of measurement – one size fits all. The major mood of the prophesying according to formula is outright flattery; it speaks to, charms and entices man’s religious fantasies. It leads man’s mind to misunderstand and misinterpret the mind of God. It deceives the poor and needy into believing that which is not worth believing in. Formula may bring certain truths, but it is never followed by life and authenticity.

God does not tolerate the frivolous prophet, and yet, they are many. God does not tolerate the flippant and superficial prophetess, and yet, they dare to appear and move to and fro in large hordes in these days when so much of the true prophetic word is about to be fulfilled. It does not occur to any of them that they themselves are a sign which declares the near end of this dispensation. Many are they that will come and prophesy falsely – Mt 24:11.

The flippant formulaic prophesying disengages discernment. It results in unruliness, its fruit is a people without discipline – Prov 29:18. Where the Spirit of prophecy is allowed to work according to the rules of Heaven, the people honours discernment, welcomes saintliness and begins to stand for veracity.

Formulaic prophecy presents God as being out of balance, being disordered, not knowing what was said by the prophet before today’s man of God. This kind of approach never tells what God is about to do among his people – except for telling them that it is going to be very new and very different. And, man has no practical role in this new thing except as a cheering audience. Obedience, holiness and the formation of saintly characters are concepts over-ruled and obsolete.

The formulaic prophet is a copycat. He prophesies according to latest trends and echoes men who hold prominent positions. He never dares to go against the tide for fear of loosing his place as one of the boys. Copycats secure mutual endorsement for the sake of overriding processes of discernment. The copycat operates in the realm of the sensational to gather followers who are not too eager to honour spiritual values. He attracts minds and hearts, who do not care for discerning the source of revelation as long it stimulates positively. He misuses the concept of edification, exhortation and comfort to set the mind of the audience to pleasure-seeking and self-exaltation and thereby to fleshliness.

The prophet holds a ministry of spiritual interpretation. He is constantly occupied, trying to find ways to express and explain the heart of God among the saints. His never-ending work includes the revealing of what might be found at the core of a revival according to Christ – which is a bringing of order, a bringing of obedience and a re-establishing of truth among the saints. The prophet holds things to the full thought of God. He represents God’s mind as against the prevailing course of things. There is never any place for that which is formulaic in his appearance. He is a living testimony to that which comes from the Living God.

God requires obedience according to patter, even according to Christ.
God orders and structures reality according to law and procedure.
But, he never sends his word according to formula.

Our prayer includes a desire for, a returning to the necessity of proper discernment for the sake of veracity among saints and Christians.