Prophetic Gift/Calling Disappeared?

Why aren't you in a church?

I went through something similar for a few years. Having faith is easy when we have spiritual gifts and everything is ok in our life but when everything seems to fall appart, that's another story. Jesus was crucified. Even he felt abandoned (Matthew 27:46). Did he do anything wrong? Was he really abandoned?
Remembering john 16:33 always helped me.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NRSV)
To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.

The purpose of the gifts is to serve the body. You're not involved with the body.

jlfow said:

Years ago I was very active prophetically. Some considered me a Seer. Now, a couple of years later, my faith couldn't be lower, and my prophetic ministry more dead. I haven't belonged to a church in many years now. I feel lost, regarding calling and career. Am I just going through a "Paul" kind of dry spell, or is God done with me? Did I do something wrong?

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Welcome. Have any of your prophetic utterances not come to pass? Also, I never heard of Paul having a "dry spell". Where is that in scripture? Thanks for sharing!
Be blessed.

jlfow said:

Years ago I was very active prophetically. Some considered me a Seer. Now, a couple of years later, my faith couldn't be lower, and my prophetic ministry more dead. I haven't belonged to a church in many years now. I feel lost, regarding calling and career. Am I just going through a "Paul" kind of dry spell, or is God done with me? Did I do something wrong?

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Welcome to CF.
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It seems that you need 'spiritual renewal/restoration'.
- Focus on His grace and mercy..
- Continue to wait on the Lord.
Isaiah 40:31
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He will restore you..in His time.
- You will get new ministry/assignment.
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I went through spiritual renewal & restoration..
- During my spiritual journey.

jlfow said:

Good question. To put it plainly, I was sick and tired of seeing myself and other disabled congregants treated so poorly. I was also appalled that when I stopped attending, NO ONE called me or wondered where I was. It was like the 7 or so years I attended was fake and meant nothing to the church.

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Well, I think this may be part of the answer to your question. What I see here is loads of offense. Holding on to offense can very easily short-circuit the plans and promises of God. Now I'm not saying what they did was right at all, that's immaterial, right or wrong you need to forgive them so you can move on. Find another church that embraces the prophetic, get planted there and let God begin to heal those wounds. As you do He will begin to breath life back into the parts of your life that feel dead and gone.

jlfow said:

I believe that Paul was a tent maker for 16 years, in between his conversion and the most major parts of his ministry.

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I am not so sure this would be considered a dry spell. He worked as a tent maker while he took on the role of a missionary. At some point he did go into full time ministry and was supported by the church. Be blessed.

topher694 said:

Well, I think this may be part of the answer to your question. What I see here is loads of offense. Holding on to offense can very easily short-circuit the plans and promises of God. Now I'm not saying what they did was right at all, that's immaterial, right or wrong you need to forgive them so you can move on. Find another church that embraces the prophetic, get planted there and let God begin to heal those wounds. As you do He will begin to breath life back into the parts of your life that feel dead and gone.

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Couldn't have put it better. OP, Speaking from personal experience, as I went through a period of rebellion against God myself, one cannot do that and expect to still flow in their annointing and have great faith. Hebrews 10:25 specifically commands us to not forsake the assembling of believers together. Offense and bitterness are some of the top tools of the enemy. Forgive the ones that hurt you. Pray to God that he removes this bitterness in your heart as well. The enemy will fight tooth and nail to get you to hold on to that root of bitterness but you can't allow it to happen. It will do nothing but destroy you.

jlfow said:

I believe that Paul was a tent maker for 16 years, in between his conversion and the most major parts of his ministry.

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Funny, I just heard David Jeremiah talking about this last night. He stated that "Paul spent 14 years in the desert training for the ministry."

jlfow said:

Years ago I was very active prophetically. Some considered me a Seer. Now, a couple of years later, my faith couldn't be lower, and my prophetic ministry more dead. I haven't belonged to a church in many years now. I feel lost, regarding calling and career. Am I just going through a "Paul" kind of dry spell, or is God done with me? Did I do something wrong?

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I have been through the same thing. It's like an ebb and flow. I may be spiritually active for several years and then it fades for several years and then returns. I find that holding on to faith becomes more important in the down times.

We cannot control when God chooses to give his messages but must trust in his love and wait.

jlfow said:

Years ago I was very active prophetically. Some considered me a Seer. Now, a couple of years later, my faith couldn't be lower, and my prophetic ministry more dead. I haven't belonged to a church in many years now. I feel lost, regarding calling and career. Am I just going through a "Paul" kind of dry spell, or is God done with me? Did I do something wrong?

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Get back into fellowship with other believers and work on being a servant.

Even the saints speak of ebbing and flowing of spiritual gifts. And spiritual depression which its sounds like you are suffering from, can hamper us from hearing His voice, the source of all prophecy and visions. Read the 23rd Psalm, find forgiveness for those Christians who hurt you, and seek out fellowship with a more supportive community.

I am disabled and blessed with a mostly understanding community (there are some who seem less so but they are the exceptions). Thus, given my disability is mostly invisible, and comes out in how I talk and write, this told me this was a place to stay at.

Still, I came here through prayer and stumbling, however its worth the journey and I learned a lot about myself and my relationship with G-d. I hope you will be similarly blessed.

Some may remember that several years ago I was very active for around six months on the prophetic forum when it existed on CF. I offered a prophetic word to anyone who requested one. I was amazed at how accurate those prophetic words were from the feedback I received. But some started to want daily prophecies, treating me as their personal horoscope. I discussed the problem with the Lord and we agreed that I should stop offering prophetic words. It was sad that some who wanted the easy way out for guidance instead of seeking the Lord for themselves, killed the golden goose. The prophetic forum closed down soon after, and I am not surprised given some of the long, judgmental, KJV type prophecies that were posted. I felt that these prophecies came from people who never got a chance to have any input in their own churches and decided to write their own sermons in the form of "prophecies" in order to be seen and heard, and to put the stamp of God's authority on what they were saying.

Jeffwhosoever said:

The apostle Paul was pretty emphatic about prophecy, so you are in good company! However, love is the most important gift, without which we are merely gonging cymbals.

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Totally correct. The Scripture says "Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy." This shows that love is the foundation for the manifestation of the spiritual gifts. Love is expressed by the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, gentleness, kindness, faithfulness, patience, goodness, and self-control. Love desires the ultimate good for God and every other person.

So, when giving a prophecy, it is not to show that we have the gift of prophecy, and to exert our will on a group or person, but to express God's love in the same way that Jesus loves us. That's what Jesus said, "Love one another as I love you." Any prophecy that falls short of that standard cannot be true, even if it quotes Scripture.