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One thing I made a conscious decision to do this year was to take a closer look inward at my friend group. It’s funny, because within this circle, there’s a clear mix of personalities: you have the prayer warriors — Feyi and Abiola, who always seem to be in the trenches with prayer, and then there are the “unserious prophets” — Omowunmi, Taiye and Sandra, who always bring that lighthearted energy but still have insight and wisdom in unexpected moments.
But here’s the thing, no matter how different we are, my friends are worded. And by worded, I mean they are filled with LIGHT.
I started paying more attention to their words, even when they didn’t seem like “big declarations” or prophecies. You see, sometimes it’s not about the quantity of what is said but the timing and the substance behind it. Their words are seasoned with light, and they carry deep truth.
I’ll never forget a conversation I had with Taiye that sparked something deep within me. For weeks, I had been stuck on Genesis 1:1-3. I couldn’t seem to move past the first three verses. They were constantly on my mind, and I was struggling to grasp their full meaning. The concept of creation, the Spirit of God hovering over the waters, the Word being spoken into existence — it was like I was wrestling with a puzzle that I couldn’t put together. I shared my frustrations with Taiye, and we began going back and forth about it. We’d have long conversations where she’d offer insights, and I’d be left pondering even more questions. But in all that back-and-forth, I knew God was using those moments to open my understanding.
Then one day, out of nowhere, Taiye said something that completely shifted my perspective: “What if the creativity you seek was to expand on something He’s already given you?” Her words hit me like a wave. It felt as though she had just unlocked something within me — I hadn’t even told her about the blog I was thinking of starting, or how stuck I was creatively. But in that moment, I realized something powerful. Taiye wasn’t just speaking from her own wisdom; she was speaking into the very struggle I was having with Genesis 1:1-3. It was like she had illuminated the exact thing I needed to hear.
I remember that night, after our conversation, I opened my Bible to study the book of Mark, and God highlighted the moment when the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus because they couldn’t see past the familiar. They were too close to Him, too familiar with His earthly life, to honor the anointing He carried. In Mark 6:3-4 (NKJV), it says, “Is this not the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.”
That was when the lightbulb went off. I understood in that moment that sometimes the breakthrough we’re looking for is already within us right in front of us but we have to expand on what God has already placed in our hands, just like the beginning of creation. God spoke, and things came into existence. He didn’t create something from nothing . He used what was already there, and that was the creativity I had been waiting for.
And then Taiye’s words echoed in my spirit again: “What if the creativity you seek was to expand on something He’s already given you?” And as I reflected on this, I also remembered the instruction from 2 Corinthians 5:16 (NKJV), “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer.”
We often miss the wisdom that God has placed in the people around us because we regard them according to the flesh. We look at them through the lens of their past, their flaws, or their earthly status, and in doing so, we fail to recognize the anointing and purpose that God has placed within them. When we stop seeing people merely as flesh and blood and begin to regard them through the lens of God’s spirit and purpose, we open ourselves up to receiving from them in profound ways.
In that moment, I realized that this wasn’t just about creativity for a blog. It was about a deeper revelation: I needed to stop regarding those around me according to the flesh……. whether it was my friends, my family, or even myself. When we choose to see beyond the surface, when we stop limiting people based on what we *think* we know about them, we make room for the divine wisdom and purpose that they carry to be revealed. God often speaks to us through familiar people, and when we open our hearts to hear, we can unlock creative breakthroughs and divine understanding that we never expected.
The Danger of Overfamiliarity: When Your Friend Can Be Your Prophet
As we continue to explore the lesson of regarding no one according to the flesh*, we must also recognize the incredible potential that lies in the people around us. Sometimes, the very person you overlook or disregard could be the vessel God is using to speak into your life. And yet, our familiarity with them can sometimes cloud our ability to receive from them, leading us to miss out on the wisdom and insight they carry.
Your Friend as Your Prophet: A Biblical Example
The idea that your friend or someone close to you could be a messenger of God; a prophet may seem surprising, but the Bible is filled with examples of how God uses familiar relationships to speak into our lives. One such example is found in the life of the prophet Samuel.
In 1 Samuel 3:1-10, young Samuel heard God’s voice calling to him in the night, but at first, he did not recognize it as God. He ran to Eli, the high priest, thinking Eli was calling him. It was Eli who, after a few times of this happening, discerned that it was God speaking to Samuel. Eli then guided Samuel on how to respond, saying, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel 3:9-10 NKJV).
Though Eli was a priest, it was Samuel who had the potential to become the next prophet of Israel. Samuel, like us, had been familiar with Eli. But in that moment, Eli became the one who helped Samuel understand the voice of God. Samuel had to receive guidance from the one who seemed like an ordinary person to him — a familiar face. The depth of wisdom and revelation that came through Eli was a prophetic act of guidance, directing Samuel into his calling.
Overfamiliarity Can Cause You to Miss God’s Voice
Now, let’s connect this idea to our own lives. If Samuel had dismissed Eli as simply “an old man,” he would have missed out on the profound wisdom and the divine call he was receiving. In the same way, if we allow overfamiliarity to blind us to the wisdom in our own circle of friends, family, or even acquaintances, we might miss God’s voice speaking through them.
The Bible warns against overfamiliarity in several places, showing how people can miss out on what God is doing because they are too familiar with a person or their background. One of the clearest examples is in the life of Jesus. In Mark 6:1-6 (NKJV), we see that when Jesus returned to His hometown of Nazareth, the people were amazed at His wisdom and power. However, they quickly began to dismiss Him:
“Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” (Mark 6:3 NKJV)
They couldn’t see beyond the flesh. They were too familiar with Jesus, having seen Him grow up, and because of that, they were unable to receive from Him. The scripture says that Jesus was unable to perform many miracles there because of their unbelief (Mark 6:5-6).
What does this tell us? Sometimes, those who are closest to us — those we have known for years, seen grow, or walked through life with — can become the very vessels through which God speaks. But if we over-familiarize ourselves, we might not recognize the prophetic wisdom and insight that God wants to share through them. We can miss out on blessings simply because we fail to acknowledge the anointing God has placed upon them.
When Familiarity Breeds Contempt
The people of Nazareth were not just amazed by Jesus’ teachings and miracles; they were offended. They allowed their familiarity to turn into contempt, and in doing so, they blocked themselves from receiving what God wanted to do through Jesus.
This happens in our relationships too. When we take people for granted, when we stop honoring them for the wisdom they carry because of the familiarity of the relationship, we can find ourselves closed off to the very help or revelation God wants to bring to us through them. Familiarity breeds contempt, and when we become too familiar with those around us, we risk losing the ability to see them as vessels of God’s grace.
Consider your friendships and relationships. How often do we disregard someone’s wisdom or counsel because we are too familiar with them? Maybe it’s a friend who has always been there for you, but you fail to recognize that in a certain moment, they may be carrying the word of God for your situation. It’s essential to recognize that the voice of God does not always come from a pulpit or from a prophet we have never met — sometimes, it comes through your closest friends, family, or colleagues.
How Can We Avoid Missing God’s Word?
To avoid missing God’s voice speaking through others, we need to be intentional about honoring those around us and recognizing the divine potential they carry. This requires humility and a willingness to hear from God in unexpected ways. Let’s break down a few ways we can avoid the trap of overfamiliarity:
1. Honor those around you: No matter how familiar someone is, remember that God can use anyone to speak His truth. Just because you’ve known someone for years doesn’t mean they don’t carry wisdom from God. Honor them as vessels of God’s grace.
2. Cultivate a listening heart: Be attentive to the words and insights shared by others. Don’t dismiss a thought or piece of advice simply because it’s coming from someone you know well. Ask God to help you hear His voice, no matter the source.
3. Check your heart for offense: The people of Nazareth were offended by Jesus because they didn’t see beyond the flesh. Are you offended by someone close to you because they’ve grown in an area you’re still struggling with? Are you comparing yourself to them and missing what God is trying to say to you through them? Be careful not to let jealousy or pride blind you to what God is doing.
4. Expect God to use ordinary people: The Bible is full of examples where God used unlikely vessels. From the shepherd boy David to the humble fisherman Peter, God’s wisdom often comes from unexpected places. Don’t miss out on the powerful prophetic insights your friend or family member might be carrying simply because they don’t fit your idea of what a prophet should look like.
Seeing Beyond the Flesh
In 2 Corinthians 5:16, we are urged to “regard no one according to the flesh.” This means we need to look beyond the surface, beyond what we know about someone’s past, their personality, or their current situation. Instead, we need to see people through the lens of what God is doing in their lives — to recognize that, just like Samuel, even those who are close to us may carry a divine word that we need to hear.
As we begin to shift our perspective, we will see how God speaks to us through those we least expect. The next time your friend or someone you’re close to speaks into your life, don’t dismiss it as just another opinion. It may very well be the voice of God calling you to something greater.
Are you ready to stop regarding people after the flesh and start seeing the prophetic power that God has placed in their lives? If you do, you might just find the breakthrough you’ve been waiting for right in front of you.
