At first glance Understanding the Prophetic Nature appears to be a book targeted at Pentecostal/Charismatic pastors and prophets. If that were truly the case it would be accurate to call it a "niche book." I don’t consider it to be that limited in its scope, but it was recently pointed out to me that even the book's title forces it into a niche market. There is some truth to that assertion. However, when choosing the title I wasn't unaware that, while it is accurate to the focus and purpose of the book, it could very well cause people to categorize it narrowly. Because of that we spent considerable time searching for and praying to find a better, broader title, but in the end concluded that Understanding the Prophetic Nature was the title God wanted.

Let me repeat that. I believe the title of Understanding the Prophetic Nature is the title God wanted. Throughout the process of writing this book I tried to let my thoughts be guided by the Holy Spirit. When I experienced periods of "writer's block" it was generally because I felt that I wasn't hearing much from Him. That practice of waiting for Holy Spirit inspiration extended to the choice of title.  So…this is what we have to work with. We will just have to overcome the false impression that Understanding the Prophetic Nature is a niche book.

To be honest, I considered this book to be something that should be read by Christians of every flavor. The first chapter speaks strongly of who we are in Christ. Every born-again Christian experiences the dynamic life of Christ. Every one of us needs to understand how His presence in us reconstructs us and sets us upright. We all need to understand how our relationship with Christ is dynamic and interactive and learn to walk in it! The pages of Understanding the Prophetic Nature present a picture of how that dynamism plays out in the prophetically-oriented person, providing the ordinary Christian individual with a picture/model/paradigm of how it works (or should work) in every Christian life.

Every Christian is gifted for ministry of some kind. For instance, suppose someone is a mercy-giver. If that's true, then reading the chapter where I discuss the motivational gifts will give them a greater understanding of how they came to be the way they are. As they go on in the book, reading the story of how young Jake was chosen and shaped from before conception for the prophetic/pastoral ministry, may help them find a greater level of self-acceptance, allowing them to more fully embrace the mission God has placed on their lives.  

And that is why I contend that rather than being a "niche" book, Understanding the Prophetic Nature should be read by all Christians. It will enrich their lives.