The Consecration of a Prophet

“I chose you before I formed you in the womb; I set you apart before you were born. I appointed you a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5 CSB)

When God calls someone as a prophet, that person has been consecrated for a sacred purpose. To be consecrated is to be set apart, marked, and designated by God for His use. This is not something that you can be self-appointed into, socially promoted into, or earn through works, because God sets apart who He wills. Consecration is His seal of ownership and His choosing. Every prophet will have situations or experiences that they can look back on and see God’s confirmation of who they are long before the earth ever affirms them.

A Personal Encounter with Being Set Apart

One of many stories I remember about myself was growing up a church kid, hating being called that, and longing to fit in with peers. When I came of age, I naturally wanted to do what everyone else was doing. I remember being around eighteen years old when I was invited to go out to a popular local club. I didn’t really want to go, but I went because everyone else was going.

From the moment I stepped inside of that club, I felt an uneasiness I could not explain. The atmosphere felt heavy and strange, almost as if something else was in the room. The music was loud, and people were standing around doing nothing. I walked around for a moment before I decided that this wasn’t the place for me.

As I was walking toward the door, I passed a man and woman making out in the corner. The woman suddenly stopped, turned toward me, hissed, and shouted, “What are you doing here? You don’t belong here. This isn’t your place. Not for your kind.” She looked at me as though my presence offended her.

I looked at her for a moment and continued to walk toward the door. I told the people I was with that I was leaving. The next day, I was told that I left too early, because apparently after I left, everything that attracted people to that club happened.

Years later I came to recognize the spiritual side of what really happened that night. What I thought was just a stranger’s outburst was a spirit speaking through someone, recognizing something about me that I had not yet recognized in myself. The lady was right, I did not belong there because I was set apart by God.

Types of Consecration

In the Bible there were families known for producing generation after generation of prophets. Prophetic ministry often ran in bloodlines, and the calling was recognized early. Yet Amos makes an important distinction when he says, “I was not a prophet or the son of a prophet; rather, I was a herdsman, and I took care of sycamore figs. But the Lord took me from following the flock and said to me, ‘Go, prophesy to my people Israel’” (Amos 7:14–15 CSB). His words remind us that some prophets were born into prophetic households, and others were sovereignly chosen by God outside of family lineage. In either case, those who are called are set apart, consecrated for ministry before their lives even unfold.

This is where many people misunderstand the idea of consecration. Consecration is not just something you do, it is also who you are. There are two types of consecration that I’d like to highlight, sovereign consecration and practical consecration.

Sovereign consecration: This is when God Himself sets someone apart for His purposes. Jeremiah was consecrated before he was born. Paul says in Galatians 1:15 that God set him apart from his mother’s womb. John the Baptist was consecrated before he ever uttered a word. This is God’s act alone, and man has no hand in this.

Practical consecration: This is the human response to being set apart. God’s people were often commanded to consecrate themselves, to wash and cleanse themselves, and to live differently than the nations around them. In Exodus 19:10 Israel was told to consecrate themselves before God descended on the mountain. Joshua 3:5 says, “Consecrate yourselves, because the Lord will do wonders among you tomorrow.” This form of consecration calls for obedience and alignment from the person. If God has set you apart, then you must live a life that reflects that reality.

Sovereign consecration is God’s mark, and practical consecration is our obedience.

A Consecrated Life

Living a consecrated life may feel restrictive at times, especially if you wrestle with worldly desires, but it is a place of protection for the prophet. What may be permissible for others, may not be for you (Luke 12:48). Where others can go freely, you may feel pulled back. That is not punishment, but it is God’s way of preserving your life and keeping your voice pure.

For the prophet, consecration means constant discipline and godly wisdom in how you live and carry out your mandate. It means giving God permission to cut away anything that distracts from your assignment. From a practical perspective, there are six key attributes of consecration that I want to highlight from scripture, which are important for prophets to understand.

Six Attributes of Consecration

• Cleansing

When God called His people to consecrate, one attribute you often see repeated is cleansing. Washing garments and bodies symbolized purity before approaching God. At Sinai, the people washed their clothes before meeting Him (Exodus 19:10). Priests were washed with water before being ordained (Leviticus 8:6).

Psalm 24:3–4 asks, who may ascend the mountain of the Lord and who may stand in His holy place? The one who has clean hands and a pure heart. Having clean hands and a pure heart is important because we serve a holy God. Being set apart for sacred work for a holy God requires the vessel to be holy.

• Sacrifice

Consecration also required an offering. Priests offered bulls and rams for sin and ordination (Exodus 29:10–28). Nazirites ended their vow with offerings (Numbers 6:13–20).

In Romans 12:1, Paul admonishes believers to present themselves as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. This means offering yourself as a vessel acceptable for holy use. It is an act of denying your own will for the will of God.

• Separation

God’s people abstained from certain activities to remain holy. At Sinai, couples abstained from intimacy (Exodus 19:15). Nazirites avoided wine, grapes, and contact with the dead (Numbers 6:3–7). Ezra called Israel to separate from foreign wives (Ezra 10:11).

In 2 Corinthians 6:17, God tells His people to come out from among them and be separate. No, this does not mean becoming a hermit, but it does mean watching the company you keep and guarding your walk from mixture.

• Anointing

Priests and kings were anointed with oil to signify being set apart for God’s service. Aaron was anointed for priesthood (Leviticus 8:12). David was anointed as king, and the Spirit came upon him (1 Samuel 16:13).

In 2 Corinthians 1:21–22, Paul says that it is God who has anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a down payment. To be anointed is to be chosen for a purpose, set apart for God’s use, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

• Obedience

Consecration was measured by exact obedience to God’s commands. Israel had to stay within the boundaries of Sinai (Exodus 19:12–13). Priests followed precise rituals to avoid death (Leviticus 10:1–2).

First Samuel 15:22 says that to obey is better than sacrifice. Offering yourself as a living sacrifice with no intention of being obedient is vain work. For the prophet, there must be both sacrifice and obedience in their consecrated life.

• Waiting and Devotion

Consecration often required waiting on God’s timing. Israel waited three days at Sinai (Exodus 19:11). Priests remained seven days at the tabernacle during ordination (Leviticus 8:33–35). The disciples waited in Jerusalem until the Spirit was poured out (Acts 1:4).

Acts 1:7 says, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own authority.” Part of consecration is knowing how to wait well, understanding that God’s timing is not our timing. It requires the self-discipline to refrain from intervening or manufacturing an outcome. For a prophet, this is very important, because the inability to wait has led to many presumptuous words being given to individuals and congregations.

Going Forth in Consecration

Consecration is not a one-time event but a continual posture of the prophet’s life. If God has marked you, then you must walk as one who is marked. You cannot shrink from the call because it feels heavy, and you cannot dilute your consecration to blend in with the crowd. The set-apart life may cost you comfort, but it preserves your purity. It may separate you from some places and people, but it positions you to hear clearly and to speak faithfully.

Going forth, let your life bear witness that you belong to God. Let your cleansing be evident in your integrity. Let your sacrifices be seen in your surrender. Let your separation guard your holiness. Let the anointing rest on you without mixture. Let obedience guide your every step, and let devotion keep you steady as you wait on His timing.

The world does not need prophets who chase platforms. The world needs consecrated prophets who carry the burden of the Lord and refuse to compromise His word. So go forth in consecration, knowing that the God who set you apart is the same God who will sustain you until your assignment is complete.