As a prophetic ministry, our core values include accountability, honoring leadership, and the local church. These are things that I emphasize when I teach about developing and activating prophetic gifts. [1] This includes mentoring.

I sometimes receive questions from readers who do not have church leaders or mentors who can help them grow in their prophetic gifts.

Some reasons for this may include:

• They are physically isolated in terms of location
• Their church lacks expertise in the area of prophetic ministry (this can be due to size or emphasis)
• The church is conservative, and the leadership does not believe in—or make room for—prophetic ministry
• A prophetic mentor or leader is not available
• They feel hurt or misunderstood in church life about their prophetic gifts

So, how do you grow in your prophetic gift when there’s no one to cheer you on?

Tips to Grow Without Prophetic Mentoring

At the end of this post, I will cover the aspect of being hurt. But first, here are some starter tips for those of you who do not have prophetic leadership for practical reasons, such as those I have outlined above:

Feedback and Fruit are a Type of Prophetic Mentoring

Being unable to find a mentor or leader to help you in your prophetic journey is common for many people. While you continue to pray about and be open to receiving mentoring, feedback is important to help you develop your gift.

When you share a thought, scripture, or prayer from God, people will say, “That was meaningful…spot on…thank you, that touched me…I feel encouraged, and so on.” You can ask if an insight, scripture, or prayer is helpful. Even negative (or neutral) feedback will help sharpen your ability to hear accurately from God.

When you share a prophetic insight, be aware of the fruit (outcome). A word from the Holy Spirit and shared in a timely way should bear good fruit consistent with the New Testament purpose of prophecy, to “lift up, build up, and cheer up.” (1 Cor 14:3) There may be an occasional circumstance in which someone does not respond well to an insight from God, but if that is happening consistently, there is likely to be something in your approach that needs adjusting. Remember always to share your insights lovingly and naturally.

When Prophecy isn’t Recognized

If you are in a church where prophecy is not recognized, offer what you hear from God through general encouragement, scriptures, and prayer. Depending on the culture of your church, you may be able to share that you have been praying and a certain thought or scripture came to mind, or that you believe God is saying something.

It is not necessary to always use the term ‘prophecy.’ The key is to be sensitive and loving and to keep it simple.

Honor and Accountability are Always Relevant

Focus on your intimate relationship with God, but be wary of elevating the revelation that you receive from the Holy Spirit above leadership, even when your leaders do not expressly support prophecy. Those in whom God has invested a gift of leadership have good instincts about God’s direction and timing.

Remember, your church leader may not understand prophetic ministry, but can still hear from God.

Honoring God-given leadership remains the most effective way to cultivate and develop our prophetic gifts. Sometimes our pride gets in the way of receiving from a leader who does not have the same spiritual gift we do.

Other Ideas Including Distance Mentoring

For more tips, see the following post: 

Prophetic Mentoring: Should I Have a Personal Mentor?

Exceptions—Yes, of Course!

Every situation is different, and while the above suggestions may be a general help, your gift, maturity, church, and leadership will be unique. During the next few days, I will endeavor to answer questions in the comments section below.

Online Resources

Enliven Blog is a teaching resource designed to help and encourage Christians to develop and operate in the gift of prophecy. In addition to the above information, the following articles cover the topic of developing your prophetic gift:

• How to Activate Your Prophetic Gift
• How to Develop Your Prophetic Gift: Where to Begin

There are many ministries on the Internet, but be very careful about who you learn from. Avoid those who make excessive promises to turn you into a ‘fivefold minister’ or freely offer personal prophecy without accountability.

When Hurt or Misunderstanding in Church Affects Your Prophetic Gift

If your sense of isolation and lack of leadership support is due to relational problems or being hurt, the following are two articles that may help:

• Break Free Of Hurts That Are Blocking Your Prophetic Gift
• Why is my Spiritual Gift or Ministry not Being Released?

I wrote the book, ‘Prophetic People In A Changing Church,’ from my experiences with hurt in church life.

Notes:

[1]  At the time of writing, I am on the ministry team at David McCracken Ministries, based in Melbourne, Australia.

© 2013 Helen Calder

Enliven Ministries: Prophetic ministry for a revival generation

Helen Calder

Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.