How you can use Prophetic Acts

by Tamer Elsharouni

What does “prophetic” mean?

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary:

1. correctly stating what will happen in the future

2. of or relating to a prophet or to prophecy

From experience, and Biblical reference I define as “prophetic” as, speaking something into existence that has not yet come into existence in the natural realm.

What is a prophetic act? 

Jericho by Tamer Elsharouni

It’s performing an act guided by the Holy Spirit in the earthly realm to release a powerful shift in the spirit realm.

Prophetic Action as Intercession

The Bible is full of small prophetic actions that had huge practical impact of some sort. Perhaps nothing is better known than the hand of Moses against the Amalekites. 

In Exodus 17:11-13

And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

artist unknown (if you know please send me

This story takes us to a mysterious area of the prophetic. Why do certain actions release realities in the spiritual realm? I don’t think anyone can give a definite answer about this area of the spiritual realm or how it functions but there is no doubt that it does happen. Here is another example from the fiery prophet Elisha. Elisha said in 2 Kings 13:15-19:

“Take a bow and some arrows.” So he took himself a bow and some arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” So he put his hand on it, and Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, “Open the east window”; and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot”; and he shot. And he said, “The arrow of the Lord’s deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria; for you must strike the Syrians at Aphek till you have destroyed them.” Then he said, “Take the arrows”; so he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground”; so he struck three times, and stopped.  And the man of God was angry with him, and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck Syria till you had destroyed it! But now you will strike Syria only three times.”

In the two Biblical examples we just read, some people/theologians called this “prophetic intercession”. In this type of intercession, the will of God is released on the earth through the movements or actions of someone directed by God. The actions or movements of the earthly realm release a specific blessing or reality in the spirit realm.

Prophetic Actions as Communications

God is not bound to our audible language. The prophetic can be powerfully released through acts and movements as the mode of communication. This was a primary way of prophetic ministry for the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel. Many of Ezekiel’s messages were conveyed through prophetic messages. Here is an example using Ezekiel’s hair as part of a message from God. Ezekiel 5:1-4

“And you, son of man, take a sharp sword, take it as a barber’s razor, and pass it over your head and your beard; then take scales to weigh and divide the hair. You shall burn with fire one-third in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are finished; then you shall take one-third and strike around it with the sword, and one-third you shall scatter in the wind: I will draw out a sword after them. You shall also take a small number of them and bind them in the edge of your garment.4 Then take some of them again and throw them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire. From there a fire will go out into all the house of Israel.

This method of prophetic ministry is not limited to the Old Testament prophet. In the NT, the prophet Agabus did a prophetic act with Paul’s belt to deliver the Word of the Lord. Acts 21:10-11

And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. When he had come to us, he took Paul’s belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, “Thus says the Holy Spirit, ‘So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.’”

Timing, good boundaries and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit were the main keys to this powerful mode of communication. When prophetic people are sensitive to God’s voice and to His instructions to the exact precise detail just as God told Ezekiel to use a sword specifically not just a convenient razor…the result was a complete fulfillment of God’s will. Moses accomplished victory. Ezekiel accomplished judgment.

In part 2, I will illustrate some more types of prophetic actions and practical application in our lives today… I’d love to hear your opinions and comments.