The Power of Honor
Honor releases the prophetic gift. Often when the prophet would visit a family in the Old Testament, they would be given a meal or a gift. If the prophet received it, the word of Lord would be released. Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth and they said, "Where did this man get these things?" He was without honor and could do no mighty work there. Amazing. He told them there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's day, but the prophet was sent to one in a pagan land because she was able to honor him. They picked Him up to throw Him over a cliff. They had a lot to learn about honor!
The first time I ever gave a public prophetic word was in Lima, Peru. I was there with a prophetic group led by Johnny Enlow. We visited a house church and they prepared a wonderful meal for us at great expense. When I finished the meal, I looked at the pastor's wife and suddenly up from my spirit came this information about her! I was so surprised! I told the group what I was hearing. It was something she had been waiting to hear from heaven and it came through me when I least expected it. I believe that word came because we were honored by them. The pastor was so impacted, he invited me to come preach at his church. It was possibly the most powerful meeting I've ever conducted in my life.
I received a call recently from a young lady who used to attend church with us. She has since moved and has not been able to find a church to join. She asked if she could continue to tithe to our church until she found a pastor in her city. About a week after she did this, her mother was diagnosed with cancer. When I heard about the cancer, I was immediately given a word for her from Rom. 8:2. I called her mom and told her what I heard the Lord say for her: "the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." I explained to her that the word law here was to say a principle that is set in place like the law of gravity. If you step off a building, the law of gravity will influence you no matter what you believe about it. The law of sin and death has been set in place, but there is a greater law available: the law of the Spirit of life!
When I shared that verse with her, she said she felt the power of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of life, fall on her physically. It was God's way of showing her that He wanted to heal her cancer and set her free. I told her I saw her meditating on that verse by repeating it to herself over and over and as she did, the Lord was going to show her in greater detail what it means and give her faith to receive the reality of it in her life. I believe the anointing on this verse came directly from the honor her daughter gave us in her tithe.
Don't despise the tithe. Don't become suspicious when it is taught. There is honor in the tithe. It is the very thing that will unlock the prophetic blessing God has for you. Abram was successful in battle in Genesis 14. He paid a tithe to Melchizedek, the king of Salem, a very substantial sum of money! In return Melchizedek released the blessing for Abram: "Blessed be Abram by God Most High, the Creator of heaven and earth!" We know the rest of the story. Abram became Abraham, one of the most blessed men on the planet and the very father of our faith! Abraham understood honor and so must we. Have you been unable to receive the miracle you need? Honor the one God sends to release that miracle.