Q: What's the most significant prophetic word someone has given you?
A woman named Jill Austin prophesied to me that I was being commissioned to raise up a new breed in Hollywood. She then described how I was going to give Christians permission to go after popular culture—film, TV, video games, music and so on. She prophesied I would move to Los Angeles and would have immediate favor to define a renaissance that was happening, and to reinforce the vision of many in LA and around the world. She also prophesied that I would own property and have a studio in LA. ... We recently purchased our first sound stage, and we are in the process of developing media toward empowering people.
Q: Is it easier giving or receiving a word?
Giving. Receiving takes such a deep process of connecting to God's heart and going on a developmental journey with it. Every life or destiny word I have received has taken decades of process to come into.
Q: Scripture tells us to boast in our weakness. In which areas do you need strength from the Lord?
One of my inherent weaknesses, which I have tried to get over and develop character around, is caring what people think. I am so sensitive, both emotionally and spiritually, but I come across as confident, probably because I am so cerebral. I have built so much character around security and identity, but it always amazes me when insecurity rears its ugly head again after I think it's dead, and I have to go through more of a building process to identify how to overcome it. For much of my life, I have been a conflict avoider, which is linked to that.
Q: What practices are particularly meaningful in your devotional time?
I do a lot of listening prayer. I think it is a lost art. Jesus is always interceding, so I often lay down my second-commandment prayer list and just do first-commandment prayer—trying to hear His thoughts and heart. ... I ask specific questions and journal. Music is a conduit of relationship for me as well, because so much of what I want to express is limited by my lack of being able to find words. Love is like that, right? So I find a deeper place of communicating through music and praying in the Spirit.
Q: How do you take a Sabbath rest?
I am an extrovert-introvert, which means I find great fulfillment with people but need to be alone to recharge. I take a day off almost every week, and half of that day I am just quiet or do one of my hobbies, like art or video games. As a family, we take vacations and honor holidays every year. As a married couple, we go away almost quarterly to the ocean for a few nights to regroup and have time. Cherie, my wife, is truly so much a part of what makes me rest that we make time for lots of little dates every week to just be together—coffee, date nights, weekend surprises; and we ask each other super-deep questions and recite poetic answers.
Shawn Bolz is an author, TV and podcast host, producer and minister. A pioneer in the prophetic movement, he is founding pastor of Expression58 Christian Ministries, a ministry focused on the entertainment industry and the poor. His books include the best-seller Translating God and Keys to Heaven's Economy.
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