KEY SCRIPTURE Ephesians 4:8, 11 ” Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, apostles; and some,prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;”

As we consider these ministerial gifts, I wish to state that women are also keenly involved. In the office of the prophets, several women across the bible were prophetesses. I am putting this across because several people have resisted the place or the role of women in the front line to do God’s work.

Shall we go through the bible and consider some of the women who were prophetesses?

Exodus 15:20 “And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances”. As a prophetess, she exercised, some level of authority over some of the people.

The next one is Deborah. She was a judge in Israel. Judges 4:4 “And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time. “In those days, judges carried so much authority. They were like kings.

2 Kings 22:14 ” So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her”.

Isaiah 8:3 “And I went unto the prophetess, and she conceived, and bare a son. Then said the LORD to me, Call his name Maher-shalal-hash-baz”. This woman was Isaiah’s wife.

In the New Testament was Anna. Let’s see what the scriptures said about her. Luke 2:36 “And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity”;

Please let us note that God is not a respecter of persons. Anyone who would purge himself or herself from sin and dedicate himself or herself unto God would be a vessel met for the master’s use. The Bible described Anna as a woman who married for only seven years, and her husband died. From then she lived in the temple fasting day and night for eighty-four years (Luke 2:37). If a person dedicates herself this way, won’t the Lord visit her and tell her secrets that other men may not know?

God’s dealings with people are purely based on one’s dedication (Acts 10:34, 35). The male gender is indeed God’s first choice, yet God would accept the woman who avails herself to seek the Lord. At the resurrection story of Jesus, Peter and John with Mary Magdalene went to seek Jesus but these two gentlemen left when the angel told them Jesus had resurrected. Mary did not go but tarried there. The Lord appeared to her and asked her to give a message to the rest of the disciples. John 20:18 KJV ” Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her.” Mary acted at this moment as a prophetess.” She was the available vessel for the master’s use

PRAYER

Lord, I pray that every child of God will set him or herself apart unto you so that you can likewise use them for whatever you intend to.

FURTHER STUDIES

Luke 2:37 “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day”.

2 Timothy 2:21 ” If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work”