The prophetic voice arises in the heart of God and flows out into all of Creation, urging us to become all we can be.

The prophetic voice calls us to change for the better – to change our attitudes, our lifestyle, even our beliefs – and this can feel scary because change brings with it uncertainty and the unknown.

The Old Testament prophets were often unpopular because they challenged
people to step outside their comfort zones. They challenged the people to
remember justice and mercy and walk humbly with God.

Sometimes the prophets were ‘foretelling’ in the sense of predicting the future. However, at other times they were ‘telling forth’, which means challenging injustice and standing up for the poor, the widow, the orphan and the alien – and this is the definition of prophecy that we will be concentrating on in this study (eg Amos 5:21-24).

The ultimate expression of this prophetic voice is found in Jesus, who reveals to us the heart of God. And it is the Holy Spirit who enables us to tune into the prophetic heart of God.

Today, many prophets can be found throughout the world church. These voices are challenging because they alert us to issues we might want to ignore. But these voices cannot be silenced – they call us to be like Jesus, who stood on the margins, comforting the oppressed and challenging
those who are comfortable.

This study course explores what the prophetic voice of the world church might mean, with a particular focus on the church in India. So let us open our ears and be open to change. And may we be inspired to find our own prophetic voice