The Prophet Samuel grew up during a difficult time when “word from the Lord was rare” and “visions were infrequent.” (1 Sam. 3.1)

King Solomon, in his wisdom, observed that when there is no prophetic vision, people live undisciplined lives. (Prov. 29.18)

The Prophet Jeremiah lamented that the lack of prophetic vision in his day was a result of God’s wrath. (Lam. 2.9)

The Prophet Amos warned of a great famine; “not a famine of bread...but for hearing the words of the Lord. (Amos 8.11)

But…The Prophet Moses desired that “all the Lord’s people were prophets…” (Num. 11.29)

The Prophet Joel and the Apostle Peter referred to a glorious day when “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men shall dream dreams.” ( Joel 2. 28-23, Acts 2.17)

The Apostle Paul told Christians to “earnestly desire prophecy” and that he “wished that you all would prophesy.” (1 Cor. 14.1, 5)

Clearly, the Biblical writers lamented the lack of the prophetic and desired the presence of the prophetic. But in the average Evangelical church, it’s almost the opposite. The lack of the prophetic is desired and the presence of the prophetic is lamented, warned against and worried over.

Why we adopt theologies and attitudes that are so contrary to the Bible, under the guise of honoring the Bible, does baffle me. The fact that we’re so willing to normalize something that the Bible associates with judgement, wrath and unfaithfulness might be a good explanation for why the church is in its current situation. Is it too much to ask that we adopt the same attitudes of Samuel, Solomon, Jeremiah, Amos, Moses, Joel, Peter and Paul on this topic?