By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 1: The Anatomy of a Prophet.
Week 1-The Hebrew Roots (The DNA of the Office)
Anchor Scripture: “Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he spoke thus: ‘Come, let us go to the seer’; for he who is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.” — 1 Samuel 9:9 (NKJV)
In this month, we are answering the fundamental question: What is this person God has set in the Church? For the rest of this week, we will look at the original biblical words used to describe the prophet to understand their core function.
The Teaching
While the Nabi (Day 2) focuses on the “bubbling up” of the spoken word, the Ro’eh focuses on the “eyes.” Before a prophet can speak for God, they must be able to see as God sees. The Ro’eh is the Seer—the one who possesses spiritual sight that penetrates the veil of the natural world.
In the Bible, the Seer was the one people went to when they needed to know the “now” perspective of God. In 1 Samuel 9, Saul went to Samuel the Seer to find lost donkeys. It seems like a mundane task, but it reveals a profound truth: the Prophet has access to a dimension of information that is hidden from the natural eye.
The Ro’eh does not just look; they behold. They see the spiritual condition behind a person’s smile; they see the demonic strategy behind a sudden conflict; and they see the “lost things” that God wants to restore. This sight is not a result of a high IQ or great intuition; it is a divine “download” into the spiritual retinas. To be a Seer is to be a person who lives with their eyes wide open to the reality of the Kingdom of Heaven while their feet are still planted on the earth.
Prophetic Insight
Spiritual sight is often more “quiet” than spiritual hearing. Often, God will show you a picture, a flash of a dream, or a sudden perception of someone’s heart before He gives you a single word to say. This is the Ro’eh mantle at work. Seeing is a form of hearing. If you can see the root of a matter, you have already received the first half of the prophecy. Never rush to speak until you have fully processed what the Lord has allowed you to see.
The Activation
Practice “spiritual observation” today. As you go about your day—whether in a grocery store, at work, or at home—quietly ask the Holy Spirit: “Lord, what do You see here that I am missing?” Look past the surface of people’s faces and the circumstances of your day. Wait for a “spiritual impression” or a thought that highlights a specific truth about a situation.
Daily Prayer: Father, I thank You that You are the God who sees me, and You are the God who shows me. Lord, open my eyes today like You opened the eyes of the young man with Elisha. Let the scales of my own perspective fall away. Grant me ‘Ro’eh’ sight to see the needs of Your people and the strategies of Your Spirit. I consecrate my eyes to You; let me see what You see. Amen.
