Elijah Task: A Call to Today's Prophets [Paperback]

John Sandford (Author), Paula Sandford (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1977

In the Elijah Task, John and Paula Sandford give a clear message, a balanced and practical in-depth study of the office of a prophet in the church and world today, the power and ways of intercession, and prophetic listening to God.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John and Paula Sandford have applied the principles of this book with great success in their parenting of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. The founders of Elijah House, the Sandfords are well known around the world for their contributions of teaching, counseling, writing, and leading in the fields of family living, inner healing, prophecy, social concerns, human behavior, and theology. They have written thirteen books. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 239 pages
• Publisher: Victory House Publishers (April 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0932081118
• ISBN-13: 978-0932081117
• Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #387,254 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

49 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A peek into the backstage of a prophet's life, June 11, 2000

By 

Melvyn Lee - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elijah Task: A Call to Today's Prophets (Paperback)

Pain, trial and persecution are normal process encountered while growing in the prophetic. Times twice of that defines the preparation process one needs to go through when one grows in the office of a prophet.

John Sanford is definitely a season prophet. However he has not graduated from the School of the Holy Spirit. It takes patience to learn all of God's ways. In "Elijah Task", John described how he and his wife has to go through some of the most severe testing while being trained to be a prophet. When you recognized your calling as a prophet, cutting corners is never the chosen path. From John's experience, prophets are at the peak of their training during the trough of their lives. In other words, the making of a prophet's ministry usually take place in the darkest moment of his life. The end result God desires is humility and brokenness. Only then He can use His prophets to complete His divine task.

Today John Sanford's ministry has proven to be a great contribution to the Body of Christ in the area of counseling and healing. This book is an expression of his priceless experience. I believe the insightful teachings provided here are very essential materials to emerging prophets of our time. John has made us aware that operating in the prophetic realm can be a dangerous playground. He made it plain to us that it takes integrity and wisdom when prophets handle their gifting.

In one of the chapter, John also mentioned that God occasionally allow His prophets to miss the mark. This is necessary in order to deflate any form of pride that may arise in the ministry.

This book is a must if you are serious about letting God to shape your life as a prophet or a prophetic person.

21 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For Christians seeking to hear the voice of God clearly..., April 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Elijah Task: A Call to Today's Prophets (Paperback)

This book is aimed at those who feel that God has called them to hear his voice, to walk with a prophetic annointing. The Bible encourages us to "eagerly desire the gift of prophesy", and anyone who has experienced or heard testimony of the power of this spiritual gift -- to make God real to people in this world and to address the underlying spiritual realities of the world through the ministry of prayer -- should make this book a number one priority.

John Sandford writes not from an academic view, but from the point of view of someone who has clearly been called to a prophetic ministry. The message of the book is that clarity costs, and the process of reaching it is often messy. But, oh, the blessings it releases!

Far from the Hollywood personification of Biblical prophets as heroic figures, Sandford lifts up a corner of Christian life to uncover a reality that is very quiet, very real, and very necessary for our times.

If you're a Christian and you've received revelation -- visions, dreams, and words of knowledge and wisdom -- that leave you confused but hungering for more of the reality of God's voice, this book will do a lot for you.

The Elijah task is also recommended for pastors seeking to understand and incorporate the gift of prophesy into your local church.

Nurture your prophets gently, it's a hard walk but, ultimately, one that will be a blessing to many.

NP

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Prayer Dynamics, March 16, 2007

By 

Michael Stephens "Ithabise" (Danville, VA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Elijah Task: A Call to Today's Prophets and Intercessors (Paperback)

I have finally read this book and am satisfied. John Sandford is a true prophet of God and explains intercession well, dramatically highlighting its dynamics. No person who is unfamiliar with the depths of prayer or is unaccustomed to charismata can simply pick up, read, and expect to understand. It really is heavy stuff. But there is no person who might not be made to consider whether the prophetic is real after reading. Sandford has done a great job, too, in providing a manual on God's purpose for prophets and intercessors and the communication languages of God, like dreams and vision and what they mean. The only negative to the book is that Sandford's writing can be hard to endure and understand. Also, at times he states things that seem to go too far as it concerns orthodoxy. All in all, the book is a "next level" book for persons who want the depths of prayer and for those who might feel called to the prophetic.