Such manipulation can border on witchcraft

Apostles, Prophets, and the Ministry of the Saints
By The 700 Club

CBN.com – The Coming Saints

Dr. Bill Hamon believes that God is changing our perspective in the 21st century from seeing the church as a building with four walls to the Church as a people. "The Church is wherever the saints are. The people of God will do ministry and miracles as God directs in business places also."

"It takes the same Holy Spirit, the same anointing, the same blood for the full-time Christian worker as it does for the Christian businessman," he says. "We need to know how to pray and intercede. God will raise up a great company of saints in the marketplace to demonstrate the power of God in the Kingdom of God."

According to Hamon, founder of Christian International Ministries, Christians will move in government and in the marketplace like Daniel and Joseph, in key places at key times. "Christian businessmen will see this move as not another way to get rich, but as a way to demonstrate the Kingdom of God on earth. They will be salt and light."

He believes that some business people will have daily staff times to train their people in the principles of God. "God is getting ready to invade the earth. According to Daniel 7:18, 22, 27, the saints will take the Kingdom."

Great Move

Dr. Hamon says that within the last 50 years of the 20th century God has reset, re-positioned, and restored all of the five-fold ministries. "God uses each decade to clarify, magnify, and reposition the church in a place to fulfill the vision," he says.

* In the 50s, the church saw the restoration and rise to prominence of evangelists like Oral Roberts and T.L. Osborn.
* In the 60s, great churches arose led by pastors such as David Yonghi Cho. Once a church of 500 was considered large, but today churches of 5000 or more are not uncommon.
* In the 70s, the charismatic teacher renewal was led by people like Derek Prince, Kenneth Hagin, and Dennis Bennett. These were not Pentecostal expounders. There was no prophecy nor praying for the sick. They taught and people came by the thousands. Prior to this move of God the teacher was seen as someone only in a Bible college.
* In the 80s, the prophets were restored to the Body of Christ; men like Bill Hamon and Paul Cain. Many denominations had not recognized the prophets, saying they were not for this dispensation, that there was no need for them since we had the Bible.
* The 90s, saw the emergence of the apostles, or the apostolic ministry. This ministry includes leaders like Peter Wagner and John Eckhart. Most Pentecostals have questions about the apostles; evangelicals practically have no place for them at all. They had to be restored to the Body per Ephesians 4:11-13, "And He gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers…."

"When all five ministries have come together, we will relate together and equip the saints," Hamon declares. "Then we will see the 'saints movement' and they can go forth and compel people to believe with supernatural signs."

Prophetic Prayer

"Prophetic prayer is praying with the mind of the Holy Spirit," Hamon says. When intercessors pray, sometimes they pick up and see things in the spirit. They are watchmen on the wall, and God will share things with them."

According to Hamon, once God shares His foreknowledge, the intercessor must use wisdom on how to share that. "If they must share it with the leadership, they should 'give it and forget it,' and move on to something else," Hamon says. "They should not try to influence or impact the pastor or leader more than they should. Trust God to work it out. It is possible to make warfare in prayer."

Hamon believes that the prophetic warrior gets into trouble when he tries to manipulate and control the reaction or obedience of others. Such manipulation can border on witchcraft. "They are not the conscience of the leader or the Holy Spirit. They are a vital part of the ministry if they stay in their proper place."

"An ear should stay an ear, an eye should stay an eye," Hamon says. "Do what you are called to do. All leaders need prayer. Prophetic prayer can be some of the most effective prayer there is," he says. "Just know the power and the pitfalls.