The Spiritual Song - Exploring Prophetic Worship by Mike Herron

worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Dedicate Barnabas and Saul for the special work to which I have called them.”’ (Acts 13:1, 2) We are not told which of these five men the actual prophets were. They were a distinguished group. Barnabas was to become a celebrated apostle, Simeon might have been the man that bore the cross of Jesus, Lucius could have been the author Luke himself. Manaen would have been an old man in the year 49 AD as his boyhood friend, Herod Antipas was born in 20 BC, and Saul would become the apostle Paul. They ‘…were in the midst of a divine service with the assembled congregation…’ 18 when the Holy Spirit spoke through one of the prophets. This was not a teaching from the word; it was a prophetic message from which we are all still benefiting today. It came in an atmosphere of ‘worshiping and fasting…’ The word worship leitourgeō is th e root of our word ‘liturgy’ that denotes all that takes place in a worship service; singing, prayer, reading the word, releasing the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the communion, giving offerings and the laying on of hands to commission and bless. The atmosphere of praise became the fan that gave rise to the prophetic word that changed the world. The narrative leads us to believe that Saul (Paul) and Barnabas were sent out immediately.

18 R.C.H, Lenski, The Acts of the Apostles 1944 Wartberg Press. Columbus, Ohio Page 494