By Andrew Williams
Series: The Year of the Prophet- Month 1: The Anatomy of a Prophet
Week 2: Distinction and Definition
Anchor Scripture: “The burden which the prophet Habakkuk saw.” — Habakkuk 1:1 (NKJV)
The Teaching
In our modern context, we often think of a “prophecy” as a light, encouraging message that brings a smile to someone’s face. However, in the Old Testament, a prophetic word was frequently called a Massa. This Hebrew word literally means “a burden” or “a heavy load.” It refers to something that is carried.
To occupy the Office of the Prophet is to be a spiritual “beast of burden.” Very often, before a prophet has a single sentence to speak, they feel a weight in their spirit. It is a divine pressure—a “heaviness” that God places upon the heart of His messenger concerning a person, a city, or a situation. This burden is not the same as natural depression or anxiety; it is the “weight of the Word.”
The prophet carries this Massa until it is delivered. Just as a pregnant woman feels the physical weight of the life within her and can only find relief through birthing, the prophet feels the weight of God’s intent and can only find relief through proclamation. To be a prophet is to be willing to carry the “heaviness” of God’s heart in a world that prefers light entertainment. You are called to feel the gravity of what God is about to do before the rest of the world sees it.
Prophetic Insight
If you have ever felt a sudden, unexplained heaviness in your spirit that makes you want to go to your knees, do not be quick to cast it off as “the enemy.” It may be a Massa from the Lord. This is one of the distinct markers of the prophetic office: you “feel” the word before you “hear” the word. The burden is given so that you will pray with the same intensity that God feels. Learning to distinguish between your own emotional “blues” and the “Burden of the Lord” is essential for your maturity. One leads to paralysis; the other leads to intercession and prophetic release.
The Activation
If you feel a spiritual “weight” today, don’t try to distract yourself from it. Instead, sit with the Lord and ask: “Is this a Massa? Lord, what are You asking me to carry?” Stay in that place of “carrying” until the Spirit gives you the words to release it—either in prayer or in a message. Notice the “lightness” that comes to your spirit once the word is delivered.
Daily Prayer: Lord God, I thank You for trusting me to carry Your heart. Give me the spiritual ‘muscle’ to handle the burdens You place upon me. Help me to discern the weight of Your Word and give me the courage to carry it until the appointed time of release. I yield my heart to Your pressure; let Your ‘Massa’ produce Your purposes in the earth. Amen.
