Have you ever received a prophecy that left you feeling uncomfortable?

On rare occasions, I have received a prophetic word that has felt wrong—and yet because it was given to me in a ‘Thus saith the Lord’ manner, the person prophesying was inferring that to reject the prophecy was to be in disobedience towards God!

This dilemma has the potential to cause great pain and can especially be harmful to newer Christians. I have prayed with people who have received a negative or ‘off’ prophecy and together we have broken the power of the word spoken over their lives.

Prophecy is abusive when it does not give room for a receiver to weigh up whether the prophecy is from the Lord or not. This is true even if the word is one of encouragement. But if the word is mistaken, it has the added potential of becoming a curse that bears negative fruit in the recipient’s life until it is broken in Jesus’ Name. (For more information about breaking the effects of abusive prophecy check out the post and comments, ‘How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy is From God?’)

• Releasing the Receiver of Your Prophecy

When you share a prophetic message, it is vital that you give the person or group you are prophesying over freedom to weigh up the prophecy and receive it, or discard it.

You can do this by using releasing language such as, ‘I believe the Lord is saying…’ ‘Does this mean anything to you?’ ‘I sense…’ This communicates to them that you see yourself as a ‘human vessel’ that could miss the mark. You are submitting the word to them for their assessment.

You do not need to worry that the effect of the prophecy will be watered down by such an approach. The Lord honours humility in the use of His gifts.

This is not to say that prophesying as though God was speaking in the first person through you is always wrong. In fact, this approach can be incredibly powerful, especially when the prophecy is being accompanied by the impartation of an anointing or spiritual gift. However, I believe that this style of prophesying is best left to those who are mature in the prophetic ministry.

If you do move into first-person prophecy such as, ‘The Lord is saying…’ ensure that it has been prefaced or concluded by releasing language as we’ve discussed above.

When prophesying over individuals, I like to make available a brochure I have written called, ‘What to do With Your Personal Prophecy.’ The handout explains how to weigh up a prophetic word and what to do with it. It reminds them that they have the freedom to receive or release the word, and fulfils a duty of care on my part.

• Be Honest About Conflicting Motives

Prophecy is not a format for us to give our opinion, nor under any circumstances should it be used as a cover for directing or counseling a person to our way of thinking.

If we are experiencing conflict about our motives in bringing a prophecy— it is better to abstain from bringing the word—or to be honest about this conflict as we deliver it. This can occur when we are familiar with the person or situation that we are prophesying over.

• Provide Accountability

Whichever means you use to deliver a prophecy, it is important to do so in a way that provides you with safe accountability (you can review the Biblical guidelines in 1 Cor 14).

This means that if the prophecy is not delivered publicly or where there is at least another witness, it is able to be remembered and recorded in some way. That way, the recipient can receive advice or oversight about the prophecy if desired. It also provides you with protection should your prophecy come under question. Churches usually have their own guidelines and protocols regarding prophecy.

Writing down a prophetic word (or storing it electronically) aids with both accountability and the communication process. It also means the recipient can keep the prophecy for future encouragement or reference.

• Prophetic Evangelism

When you are using prophecy in the process of prophetic evangelism, accountability would take the form of sharing what is taking place with Christians that are journeying with you.

If the person you have a prophetic word for is not yet a Christian, I would add the following guidelines to the above:

• Be careful how you communicate that you believe what you have is a word from God. You could preface your insight with a statement such as, “I’ve been praying for you and I believe God is saying…”
• Bring the word in a natural manner and avoid using religious jargon. This is preferable at all times, but especially so when sharing a prophecy with an unchurched person.

• How To Release A Prophecy You Have Given

Once we have delivered our prophecy, we have completed our part in the process. It is over to the recipient of the message to assess the prophecy and decide whether to take current or future action on the word from God.

Bringing a prophecy is like a postman delivering a letter. Once we have faithfully ‘dropped the letter in the mailbox’, what the receiver does with it is generally no longer our concern.

We can pray about the person and the word, especially if we sense the Holy Spirit urging us to do so. However, we need to release the outcome to the Holy Spirit and to the recipient of the prophecy.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Related Posts:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 4: How to Deliver a Prophecy

4 Things You Can Do With Your Personal Prophecy

© Helen Calder   Enliven Blog

At the beginning of this series we identified 5 links in the process of prophecy:

1. We receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit

2. We assess the revelation and how to best communicate it in a prophetic message

3. We then deliver the prophecy to the person or group God is speaking to

4. The recipient(s) of the prophecy assess the message

5. The recipient(s) of the prophecy respond to the prophecy.

In the last two posts we have discussed how to receive a prophetic revelation, as well as how to assess its meaning and determine whether or not it is from the Holy Spirit.

At this stage, you believe you have received a message from God for a person, group or church that you have been praying for. It is time to deliver the prophecy God has given you.

For the purposes of this discussion, I am going to assume that you are delivering the prophecy using words, whether spoken, written or in song.

During delivery, you are framing your revelation from God (picture, word, scripture, impression, or feeling) with words

There are two ways that you can do this:

• Describe the revelation
• Unfold the revelation

1. Describe the Revelation

Describing the revelation is sharing the impression as you receive it, without elaboration. You may choose to simply describe the picture or vision, pass on the word or impression, or share the Bible verse or story that has come to mind.

The advantages of sharing a prophetic revelation just as you received it are:

• It is easier when you are beginning in prophecy
• The revelation runs less danger of being tainted by your own opinion about what it means
• The revelation may have special significance for the person that you are unaware of
• It aids the recipient in remembering the prophecy, especially if the revelation was a picture, verse or Bible story.

Simply describing a revelation also has limitations:

• The person may not have the Biblical knowledge to understand any symbolism in your revelation
• There may be more insight about the revelation that you have received, or could receive, but are not sharing
• This method does not require a high level of faith
• If you always use this method, you will limit your growth in the gift of prophecy.

2. Unfolding the Revelation

Another way you can share a revelation is to use the impression you received to launch into a more detailed prophecy.

When you unfold a revelation, you are bringing an interpretation of the revelation, and enlarging upon it, as the Holy Spirit illuminates it to you. By faith, you are also allowing the Spirit to direct the flow of your expression.

As you grow in prophetic ministry, you will find more revelation comes to mind as you are prophesying, enabling you to share an extended prophecy. You are assessing the new revelation during the process of prophesying.

The advantages of this kind of prophetic ministry are:

• It enables the recipient to receive a greater clarification of the prophetic word
• The impact and impartation of the prophecy increases due to the higher level of faith and boldness required to deliver this kind of prophetic message
• It suits maturing prophetic ministry.

Some cautions about unfolding revelation in this way are:

• At this stage, if not careful, you are prone to filter God’s word with your own ideas, judgements, history and experience (especially if the recipient of the prophecy is known to you)
• If you step into this kind of prophecy when you are not ready, the prophecy can go awry!

I believe that it is usually best—if you feel confident enough to do so—to both describe and unfold the revelation you have received. For example, you may say, ‘I had a picture of… and I believe the Lord is saying…’

This way, the recipient receives the benefits of both the initial revelation and the extension of the prophecy.

I have seen mature prophets deliver prophecies in this way that have had a high impact on the recipient.

When beginning in prophecy it is best to start with simple sharing and work up to stronger prophecy as you grow in experience and wisdom, taking small steps forward at a time. This is where growing your prophetic gift in the safe community of a church is valuable.

Some Other Thoughts About Delivering a Prophecy:

It is vital that we use wisdom as to the means, context, place, manner, and timing of delivering a prophecy. I’ve often heard it said that the church carpark is the wrong place to bring a prophecy!

• Verbalising a prophecy is only one way in which it can be delivered. Other ways you can share a prophecy include in writing, through prophetic song, prophetic art, multi-media and through symbolic action. Ensure that you are gifted in the media that you decide to use!
• Deliver the word clearly. If the message is delivered in an unclear or ambiguous manner, it will obscure its meaning. Also remember that what is clear to you may not be clear to someone else and that you may need to adapt your approach at times;
• Delivery also involves how you bring the message. It includes your style, the tone of your voice and your attitude as you give it (if you write a prophecy, this includes your writing style).Your attitude and manner of speech should reflect the heart of God towards the recipient;
• Be sure to share the prophecy in a way that gives them room to weigh up whether the message is from God, and receive or release the word

In the next post, I will be discussing two very important aspects of delivering a prophecy that creates a safe environment for both giver and receiver.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

See also:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelaton Is From God

How to Develop Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Where to Begin

How To Share A Prophecy With Someone Who Is Not A Christian

© Helen Calder   Enliven Publishing

You are praying for yourself, another person, church or group and waiting for God to bring a prophetic word through you. Now you receive a revelation—a thought, picture, scripture verse, Bible story word, feeling, dream or other impression.

How do you know that it is from the Holy Spirit?

Our senses are constantly being bombarded with all kinds of thoughts and feelings. We need to carefully assess whether the revelation is from God and not our own opinion, imagination or even demonic in origin. This is important even when we are in prayer or waiting on the Lord for a prophecy.

As you grow in your prophetic gift, this process will increase in speed until it occurs almost simultaneously as you prophesy. As you start out, however, it can take a bit longer. In the early stages of developing your prophetic gift you may prefer to meditate on your revelation, journal it, or share it with a mentor or leader before sharing it as a prophetic word.

If you are unsure whether the impression you are receiving is a message from God, it is OK to dismiss it, or to shelve it for a later time. We need to give ourselves the grace that God extends to us in this process and not get hung up that everything we are getting has to be 100% perfect (see the post, ‘Not Word-Perfect’ for more about this). If this happens, pass over it and wait prayerfully for another revelation.

There are two things that we can do that will help us in this process:

1. Assess the likely meaning of the revelation
2. Assess whether or not the revelation is likely to be from God

1. What Does the Revelation Mean?

Broadly, revelations from the Holy Spirit can be either plain or symbolic in their meaning.

Plain Revelation

Plain revelation has an obvious meaning and can be interpreted in a straight-forward way. If the revelation were to be shared without elaboration—as is—to the person you are prophesying to, the meaning could easily be understood by them.

Some examples of plain revelation are:

*You think of a Bible verse, for example Psalm 23:1 ‘The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want’ or Proverbs 3:5-6 ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart… He shall direct your paths’

*A word comes to mind, such as ‘boldness’

*You have an impression, such as ‘God is releasing provision for an area of need’

*You have a feeling, such as, “I am feeling God’s compassion and love for this person’

*A non-symbolic picture or vision comes to mind, such as seeing the Lord embracing the person. Most visions and dreams, however, are symbolic in nature

Symbolic Revelation

Symbolic revelation occurs when the impression, picture or word you receive is representative of something else. It requires interpretation by yourself or the recipient in order for the meaning to be understood.

Some examples of symbolic revelation are:

*You recall a Bible story, such as David and Goliath (1 Sam 17). The presenting symbolism is that God is giving the person or group you are praying for victory over an enemy or adversity

*You have a symbolic picture come to mind, for example you see the person standing behind a huge shield. This seems to mean that God is encouraging them that they are shielded from something that could be potentially harmful. You are also reminded of Bible verses such as Psalm 3:3 that says that God is our shield.

Questions to ask about a symbolic revelation:

1. Is the symbolism Biblical?

If so, what does it mean in the Bible? Does it have more than one meaning? For example fire in the Bible is representative of the Holy Spirit—but it is also representative of trial and judgement (Acts 2:1-4, Ps 66:12, 1 Cor 3:13)

2. Is it non-Biblical symbolism? If so, does the symbol have a meaning in our cultural context?

A symbol can be a combination of both—for example, if a picture of a lighthouse comes to mind, you remember that Jesus said that His followers would be a light to the world (Matt 5:14). As the specific function of a lighthouse is to show ships the right way to travel and prevent loss and destruction, the symbol has an added value of meaning.

3. Is it a symbol you don’t understand?

Here you have a choice as to whether to dismiss the impression if you believe it may not be from God, or to proceed and share it as you receive it. The symbol may have a significant meaning to the recipient that you are unaware of—we will discuss this in the next blog post.

Sometimes a revelation can have both plain and symbolic elements.

2. How to Check Whether the Impression You Have Received is From God

Once you have assessed a revelation for its probable meaning, you can check the revelation, along with your interpretation of it, by passing it through a simple test:

A. Does it fall within the Biblical guidelines of being strengthening, encouraging and comforting? (1 Cor 14:3). In other words, does it ‘build up, lift up or cheer up?’

B.  Does it reflect God’s character and nature?

C.  Is it redemptive? (i.e., true to the ‘Good News’ of salvation, containing a positive outcome and speaking of God’s redeeming purposes)

D. Is it loving in expression towards the recipient?

E.  Does it adhere to scriptural principles?

F. Is it, or could it be relevant to the professed need of the person, group or situation that we are praying for or ministering to? (This may be difficult to ascertain, and this is where faith comes in as we mature in the prophetic gift)

G. Is it true to God’s voice as He normally speaks to you?

As you start out in prophecy, you experience doubts as to whether the impression you have received is really from God or was from your own imagination. However, if it is Biblical, and builds up, lifts up or cheers up, it can still bring encouragement.

You will know for sure whether it was from the Lord by the fruit, or outcome of the word after you have delivered it. Time will tell. Deliver the message in faith and watch what God does.

A good guideline for beginning in prophecy is, ‘No direction or correction; no dates or mates.’ If you strongly believe you are receiving a warning or direction from God for the person, group or church you are praying for, either refrain from bringing it and commit it to prayer, or submit it to a leader for guidance.

I encourage those who are maturing in prophecy to ascertain and communicate God’s redemptive purposes (that is, the positive outcome He intends), when the prophecy contains a warning.

Once we are comfortable with sharing the revelation we have received, we then need to decide how best to communicate that message from God.

In the next post, I will discuss the next stage of prophecy—which is deciding how to frame and then deliver your prophetic message.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

See also:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understand the Process of Prophecy

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: How To Receive a Revelation From God

© Helen Calder   Enliven Blog

We can easily be intimidated when we hear a seasoned prophet bring a prophetic word. The flow and ease with which they speak, powerfully delivering a message from God seems supernatural.

We don’t know how we could ever be like that! It may be helpful to know that even mature prophets receive prophetic words the same way that we can—and it starts with receiving a simple revelation from God.

In Pt 1 of this series, we discussed 5 links in the process of prophecy:

1. We receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit

2. We assess the revelation and how to best communicate it in a prophetic message

3. We then deliver the prophecy to the person or group God is speaking to

4. The recipient(s) of the prophecy assess the message

5. The recipient(s) of the prophecy may or may not pray or take further action in response to the word.

Prophecy begins with receiving a revelation from the Holy Spirit.

The word ‘revelation’ in the New Testament Greek, apokalupsis, means ‘an uncovering,’ or disclosure. The Holy Spirit is showing us something that we could not know by natural means. He is revealing something supernaturally about the person, group or situation that we are praying about or ministering to.

A revelation can be a word of knowledge about something past or present, an encouraging outcome from a present circumstance, or illuminating God’s plans concerning the future. [A revelation may also contain a warning or a condition—however when you are first learning to prophesy, these are best submitted to leadership for oversight before delivery].

A revelation from God does not come externally; if you have been baptised in the Holy Spirit, He resides within you. As Jesus said,

‘“Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” By this he meant the Spirit’ (John 7:38-39).

You receive a revelation from the Holy Spirit in your spirit, which is then imparted to your mind or through your physical senses.

Here are some ways in which a revelation can come to you:

• You are reminded of a Bible verse or story—or one is highlighted to you when you are reading the Bible*
• You ‘see’ a picture in your mind’s eye
• An idea or impression comes to mind
• You feel something emotionally or physically
• A word comes to mind or you ‘see’ a written word in your imagination

Other ways God can speak through revelation are:

• Dreams
• Waking visions (like a movie in your imagination)
• Something that you see physically is symbolic (for example, you are driving along and a sign impacts you. You realise that God is speaking through it, or you see a person who reminds you of someone else)
• He may also speak through another person

*Note that scripture is not only one of the primary ways that we receive revelation from the Holy Spirit, it is also the means of weighing up whether God is speaking to us and what He is saying. We will cover this in the next post.

There are many different ways that God can bring revelation to you when you are open to receiving it. Like a fingerprint, God’s way of speaking to and through you will be unique to you. In the Bible, we see that every prophet had his or her own flavour and style.

As you begin the journey of seeking for revelation from God, remember that he is your Heavenly Father; He wants to give good gifts to you and He wants to bless others through you too. Jesus said,

“Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:11-13)

Receiving revelatory knowledge from the Holy Spirit is a first step in operating in the spiritual gift of prophecy. It can also be an important lead in to operating in other supernatural gifts of the Holy Spirit such as discernment, word of knowledge, healing, deliverance and miracles.

Remember that receiving revelatory knowledge is a ministry tool and a helpful means of learning to hear from God for others and us; it should never become a quest in itself. Rather, we should hunger and thirst for God and make the Bible our primary source of instruction and wisdom.

In my next blog post, I will be looking at ‘How Can We Tell a Revelation is From God?’ From there, we will move on to how to interpret a revelation, and then explore some ways to deliver the prophetic message God has given to you.

If you have any more ideas of different ways of receiving revelation from the Holy Spirit, or an experience you would like to share, I would love to hear from you—leave a note in the comments below.

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Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?

Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blogs and teaching to help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles about prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living.
• news about resources to help develop your prophetic gift

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See also:

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understand the Process of Prophecy

How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 3: How Can You Tell Your Revelation Is From God

© Helen Calder    Enliven Publishing

The Process of Prophecy

Prophecy is a gift of the Holy Spirit that is given by Jesus for the purpose of building the Church (1 Cor 12:10). A prophecy is a message from God that is given through a person who is filled with the Holy Spirit and has a prophetic gift.

Prophecy is one means that God uses to communicate His love and His purposes to people. Like any means of communication, it takes all of the parties’ cooperation for the message to be given and received as God intends it.

When we prophesy, we want to faithfully represent not only God’s message, but also His heart. We want to convey both His intended meaning and redemptive love for the person or group we are bringing the prophecy to.

Why Prophecy is Like a Chain

The prophetic process can be likened to the links in a chain. Prophecy begins with a message or prompting from the Holy Spirit residing within us. We recognise and assess this revelation, decide how to frame the message, and deliver it. The person or group receiving the message then interprets its meaning in the light of their own paradigm—and then may or may not receive and act upon it.

A chain with one broken link is useless for its purpose. In the same way, a prophecy may not accomplish  God’s intended purpose in the life of the person, church or group He is speaking to if the communication is not clearly passed on.

In my younger years, one of my schoolteachers sent a message by whispers around our class. By the time the message returned full circle to the teacher, it was not only scrambled, but it also meant something completely different to what the teacher originally intended. The ‘chain’ of the message became broken, not once, but many times before it reached its intended destination.

In spite of this potential weakness, Jesus entrusts us with His message, choosing to use imperfect human vessels, just as He does with other ministries such as preaching and teaching. God by His grace is able to take our imperfect communication and use it to transform lives through His love and power.

Some reasons it is helpful to understand this process are:

• Breaking the prophetic process into simple parts demystifies prophecy to someone who is starting out

• It aids prophetic activation and helps us to learn how to prophesy by focusing on one area at a time (e.g., in my next post, I will focus on how to receive a revelation from God)

• If we discover we are weak in one area of the communication process we can focus on becoming better (e.g., we may be great at receiving revelation, but need to grow in the area of how to deliver the message)

• It takes the pressure off the responsibility for the outcome when we understand our part in the process—and what is God’s, and what belongs to the recipient of the prophecy

• It helps us to grow in wisdom and sensitivity, not only to God, but also in understanding the communication needs of the person or group we are sharing with

Here is a brief description of each stage in the prophetic communication process:

1. Message Acquired (Revelation)

This is the prophetic message as it has been initially received. The Holy Spirit often speaks in a ‘seed’ form; such as a picture, scripture, word, feeling or dream.

Like a fingerprint, God’s way of speaking to and through you will be unique – just as we have unique personalities, learning styles and preferences. Throughout the Bible, prophets received revelation in many different ways.

2. Message Assessed  (Interpreted by person prophesying)

This is what you think the revelation you have received means and will determine whether you speak it and how you frame it.

At this stage, you are not only assessing the worthiness and source of the revelation (remember, this process may take a split second!), you may also be assessing the meaning. You are interpreting the revelation in the light of anything you know about the recipient’s needs. You are also interpreting the revelation in the light of what you know of God’s character, ways and word.

3. Message Announced (Delivery)

Delivery may include any way in which you bring the prophecy. Some Biblical examples include speaking, singing, writing or symbolic acts.

When starting out, you can bring the revelation as you receive it, i.e., simply share the picture, or pass on the word or impression. A maturing prophet who has grown in faith will use the revelation received to launch into prophecy, allowing the Spirit of God to direct the flow of words.

During delivery, you are framing your revelation from God (picture, word, impression, scripture or feeling) with words

Delivery also involves how you bring the message. It includes your style, the tone of your voice and your attitude as you give it. If you write a prophecy, this includes your writing style.

4. Message Assessed (Interpreted by Recipient)

This is what the recipient believes the message means and what they believe it applies to. They are listening to the message in the light of their past history, their present needs and their desires for the future, as well as their own unique perspective on God’s word and character.

5. Message Applied (Application by Recipient)

Once you have delivered the message, it is over to the recipient as to whether or not they will respond to it.

Prophecy is miraculous by nature—but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be taught, nurtured and grown to maturity as a gift. In the same way that gifts of teaching or leadership benefit from instruction, prophecy can too! In coming posts we will look at each part of this process in more depth.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Related articles:

How To Develop Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Where to Begin

What Are Some Signs You Have a Prophetic Gift

and How to Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: How To Receive a Revelation from God

© Helen Calder   2009 Enliven Blog

When we begin to develop our prophetic gift, it can be very daunting to step out for the first time.

We want to speak God’s message and share His heart and plans with people. However, we are faced with the certain fact that no matter how hard we pray, learn or try, we are never going to know or express God’s revelations completely (1 Cor 13:9,12).

It is true that the prophetic gift does sharpen and become more accurate with experience and Christian maturity. However, even mature, seasoned prophets in the church today are not infallible and do not get prophetic words 100% ‘word perfect’ all the time.

To understand the Biblical basis for this, let’s take a quick look at the difference between prophetic ministry in the Old and New Testaments.

In the Old Testament, prophets were expected to speak the perfectly inspired word of God. Many of the Old Testament scriptures were either prophetic in nature or written by prophets (Heb 1:1). If prophets did not speak a word that proved true, they were condemned as ‘false prophets’ (Jer 14:14-16).

However the New Testament portrays prophetic ministry in the church very differently to this. Like other spiritual gifts, prophecy is not meant to be a stand-alone ministry in the church. It is incomplete without the added value of other gifts in the church body (1 Cor 12:12), and is subject to being tested and weighed up (1 Cor 14:29, 1 Thess 5:20-21).

Imagine what it would be like if a prophet prophesied perfectly all of the time, or if a particular teacher taught 100% perfect doctrine, or if someone with a gift of healing was able to heal every sick person they laid their hands on! We would be tempted to revere and rely on the gifted person, instead of depending upon God.

Instead, God in His wisdom has ordained that we use His spiritual gifts by faith (Rom 12:6), and in interdependence upon each other.

The person prophesying needs those who have gifts of discernment, leadership and wisdom to complete their contribution to the church. He or she also depends upon other prophets to supply more ‘pieces of the puzzle’ of God’s revelation (1 Cor 14:29-33). Prophetic ministry needs an environment of humility, cooperation and grace to operate as Jesus intended it to.

Here are some more amazing facts about New Testament prophetic ministry:

1. In the New Testament, the Lord has placed prophetic ministry within the reach of every believer.

It is on the heart of God that we be a prophetic people.

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said,

‘This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.” (Acts 2:17-18)

Every Spirit-filled believer has the ability to prophesy. This scripture also tells us something about the prophetic language of the Holy Spirit: prophecies, dreams and visions. If this is the language of the Holy Spirit, then we need to know how to listen to and understand what He is saying.

2. In the New Testament, we see that there are different functions, or levels of prophecy in the church

Examples of these are:

• The ability to prophesy available to every Spirit-filled believer (Acts 2:17-18)
• A spiritual gift of prophecy. Note that Paul encourages all believers in the church to desire this gift (See 1 Cor 14:1,5,31)
• The office of the prophet in the context of the five-fold ministries (Eph 4:11)

Even within these ministries there is variation in strengths and styles of gifting. As you seek to grow your prophetic gifts, you will discover that God has a unique expression and arena for your ministry.

3. The New Testament reveals that there are many different arenas in which the gift of prophecy can be used.

Some of these are:

• Prophetic evangelism (John 1:47-51)
• Prophetic ministry in the church (1 Cor 14)
• Prophetic ministry to a church movement or across many churches (Acts 15:30-32)
• Prophetic ministry to a group, region or nation (Acts 11:28)

4. Our church is the environment that God has ordained for us to develop and share our gifts.

No matter what the arena or level of prophetic ministry you and I are called to, it is important that we be accountable to our church and church leaders and sent out from a local church (1 Cor 14, Acts 15:30-33). The basic guidelines applied in the Bible to New Testament prophetic ministry apply to us today.

As a prayer leader in a church, my desire is to provide a safe place to nurture and grow prophetic people in their ministry every step of the way.

This means putting guidelines and protocols into place—not for the purpose of having a set of rules, but to provide a safe environment for:
•    those who are prophesying,
•    recipients of prophecy, and
•    church leadership

I also believe it is helpful, in growing a prophetic community, to provide a designated leader to give feedback on prophecies or to check prophetic words, before they are delivered.

In our church, we provide a place where individuals who are growing in their prophetic gift can have a go, sometimes get it wrong, and try again. As my team pastors and equips people with prophetic gifts, we watch in wonder, as the miraculous message from God transforms the lives of both giver and receiver alike. For New Testament prophetic ministry is not a work of perfection, but of grace in community.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

See also:

Differences Between Old And New Testament Prophecy

 Prophetic Ministry in the Church: Why Have Guidelines?

Signs that you have a Prophetic Gift

How to Develop Your Prophetic Gift

© Helen Calder   Enliven Blog

The following article is a synopsis of the book ‘Grow Your Prophetic and Prayer Gifts.’
‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is specifically written to help you grow in your spiritual gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Seasons of Development in Your Prophetic Gift

There are at least 5 distinctive seasons in the growth of a prophetic gift in a person’s life. (These seasons also relate to other spiritual gifts). These are:

Desiring–>Emerging–>Developing–>Testing–>Maturing

Although I’ve portrayed these seasons sequentially, the reality is that you may go in and out of seasons more than once. For example, you may go through repeated periods of development and testing until you reach a maturing stage—and even then, you may go back through it again!

See if you can identify which season you are in, in relation to growing your prophetic gift:

1. Desiring (1 Cor 14:1)

You may have a growing interest and curiosity in the gift of prophecy. This can be an early indication of your giftedness.

Some signs you are in the desiring stage are:

• Curiosity about the prophetic gift
• An increased sense of hunger for God Himself
• Desire for the operation of the gift of prophecy in your life
• A felt need that you would like to see met by the use of the prophetic gift—e.g., praying for someone who needs guidance.

Don’t underestimate the importance of this stage. If you desire the gift of prophecy, it is likely to be an indication that you have a prophetic gift, especially if it is accompanied by early signs of the gift being operational in your life.

Even though this is a common season, it isn’t a necessary season—a prophetic gift can manifest at the time you are baptised in the Holy Spirit, or it can emerge suddenly without these early signs.

2. Emerging (Acts 2:4)

This is when your prophetic gift begins to manifest for the first time.

Some signs you are in the emerging stage are:

• You may have a season of heightened awareness of God’s presence
• You find you are praying prophetically
• You are receiving supernatural insights that could only come from God
• The exercise or your prophetic gift may be accompanied by unusual manifestations
• You may experience a ‘honeymoon period,’ during which you frequently use the gift
• On the other hand, there may be very few manifestations and your prophetic gift develops slowly over a period of time

There is not a ‘one-size-fits-all’ in the Kingdom of God. We are all unique and different and the development and manifestations of our spiritual gifts will be unique to us. (1 Cor 12:4-6)

It is important that you don’t – at this or any other stage – believe that just because you’ve seen miracles happen through prophecies you have given that you have ‘got it all together.’

3. Developing (1 Tim 4:14-15)

Some signs you are in the developing stage are:

• You are receiving mentoring or training in prophetic ministry
• You may be reading or studying about the prophetic gift
• You are learning more than you have previously
• You are having regular opportunities to practice using the prophetic gift and are learning from these experiences

During the developing stage you are motivated to learn at a faster rate than other seasons and many opportunities for learning about how to exercise and grow in your prophetic gift seem to come your way.

4. Testing (Acts 9:28-30)

Some signs you are in the testing stage are:

• You enter a time of hardship in relation to your prophetic gift
• You may feel shut down and wonder where your gift has gone in this season and what God is doing.
• You find yourself longing for the ‘honeymoon period’ when the gift was new
• You get it wrong sometimes, or experience doubts.
• You will find yourself going through character-testing circumstances
• You may feel as though you are being criticised, blocked or resisted

It is important to recognise that God is at work during this period. He is refining both your character and your gift. How you respond in this season is very important.

For more about the testing phases, see Prophetic People in Testing Times: The Reason for the Season

5. Maturing (1 Cor 14:20)

I use the word, ‘maturing’ rather than ‘maturity,’ because a gift, like character, should always be in the process of being developed.

Some signs you are in the maturing stage are:

• You have undergone seasons of trial and testing and have experienced refining and restoration in your prophetic gift.
• Your prophetic gift is sharpening, whilst your character is softening
• You are increasingly aware that your prophetic ministry is imperfect and subject to testing and judgement
• Your prophetic insights are increasingly effective
• You are growing in love and sensitivity towards people in the use of your gift
• You are growing in wisdom; understanding the best context and approach to using your prophetic gift
• You are being used to help develop the gift in others through leadership, mentoring and training.

Note that these seasons of development not only apply to the gift of prophecy. You will recognise a similar pathway of development in other spiritual gifts such as intercession, discernment, healing, and leadership.

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

See also:

How to Develop Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1:Where to Begin

What are Some Signs That You Have a Prophetic gift

Spiritual Gift Questionnaires and Courses: Can We Do Better?

Podcast Series: How to Overcome Blockages & Barriers to Growth in Your Prophetic Gift

© Helen Calder       Enliven Blog – Prophetic teaching

Your Gift of Prophecy

You believe you have a spiritual gift of prophecy (Rom 12:6)–the special ability given by the Holy Spirit to receive messages from God for yourself and others [1]–but how and where do you start developing it?

Like any spiritual gift and skill, the gift of prophecy takes study, practice and training to develop to its fullest potential. We need to be intentional about developing the spiritual gifts God has invested in our lives. We have a responsibility to steward the gifts God has given us (2 Tim 1:6, 14).

In the New Testament, prophecy is nurtured and grown in the environment of church life (1 Cor 14). Within that, there are a number of contexts in which we can grow our prophetic gift. These are: privately, through mentoring, in small groups, in the life of our church and in the wider Christian community.

1. Personal Development (Hab 2:1-3)

• When you’re having personal times of prayer, pause and ask God if He has something to show you or speak to you about the person or situation that you are praying for.

• Record your prophetic insights and experiences so that later on when confirmation or fulfilment takes place they will be a ‘marker’ of your growth

• The practice of journaling and hearing God speak to you personally through a scripture can help you develop your prophetic gift.

• Reading good books about prophetic ministry can help you learn about your gift. Some good ones I have read are: ‘The Voice of God: How God Speaks Personally and Corporately to His Children Today’ by Cindy Jacobs, and ‘The Beginner’s Guide to the Gift of Prophecy’ by Jack Deere.

2. Mentoring (1 Kings 19:19-21)

• If possible, look for a good mentor to help you grow in your prophetic journey. If a potential mentor is too busy to spend one-on-one time with you, you can still learn from them by assisting them and observing them.

• Sometimes a mentor will only be present in your life for a season, so be willing to release them and move on when you need to. The Lord will bring others across your path that will help you at different stages of your journey.

• A prophetic mentor should not only be gifted and anointed, but also be accountable and in good standing in a local church, having a supportive and encouraging attitude towards his or her church leaders.

3. Small Group

• The best way to develop the gift of prophecy is to start in a place and atmosphere where you can have a go with safe people that you trust

• You need to be free to try prophecy and also be free to fail or feel foolish (we’re never as foolish-looking to others as we think we are when we’re beginning with prophecy)

• A small group may be a cell or home group, or small prayer meeting with others who know you or who are on the same journey.

Don’t feel that you have to be authoritative in your approach to a prophetic insight. You can preface your message with words like,

• ‘I sense God is saying…’
• ‘Does _____ mean anything to you?
• ‘I’m getting a picture/word verse…’

4.  Church Life (1 Cor 12-14)

• Join a prophetic or prayer community or other group in your church where you can utilise and grow your gift. Enquire as to the best way to submit a prophetic word to your leaders. It’s important to follow any protocols, and the accountability this provides will help you grow (1 Cor 14:26-33)

• Observe how others in your church community bring prophetic words, paying attention particularly to what is well received and brings blessing

• If there is a prophet or prophetic speaker coming to your church, make it a priority to get to the meetings. It’s amazing how much you can learn by observation and osmosis.

The Importance of Feedback (1 Cor 14:29)

You will grow faster in the gift if you can get feedback—as the saying goes, ‘feedback is the breakfast of champions.’ Feedback can come in the form of a response from the person or leader you have submitted a prophecy to, or by accountability to a mentor or leader. Inviting comment on your word takes courage but is well worthwhile.

5. Wider Christian Community

• Training sessions can be a great way to learn about prophecy. In some training sessions, you can put what you learn into practice (‘prophetic activation’). If this is the case, ensure that the environment you will be learning in is safe and encourages accountability. Remember to weigh up carefully any prophetic insights that are given to you and submit them to oversight, especially if you are considering taking action as a result of a word [2]

• Watch out for conferences on the theme of prophetic ministry or with a respected prophetic speaker that you can attend [3]

• Advise leaders in your church if you are undergoing specialised training in a ministry area such as intercessory prayer or prophetic ministry. This lets them know that you are working to increase your skill for service in the church. It also gives them the opportunity to give input if they have any concerns or questions about the ministry you are attending.

Notes:

[1] Prophecy is the Spirit-given ability to receive and pass on a message from God (expressing His heart and intent) to a church, group or individuals.

[2] For more information about testing personal prophecy, the following post may be helpful:
How Do I Know A Personal Prophecy Is From God?

[3] Don’t take it for granted that every ministry or conference that promotes itself as prophetic will be appropriate for you to attend. The following post may provide some helpful thoughts on this:
How Do You Weigh Up What The Prophets Are Saying Pt 1

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living
• notifications about prophetic training opportunities

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Related Posts:

‘Signs You Have a Prophetic Gift’;

A Checklist For Developing Your Spiritual Gifts

How to Develop Your Prophetic Gift Pt 2: Understand Your Season

How To Exercise Your Prophetic Gift Pt 1: Understanding the Process of Prophecy

Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works in the Church Today

See our Free Resources Page for articles and Podcast page for free MP3 downloadable messages.

© Helen Calder   Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

A Ministry of David McCracken Ministries – Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

A prophecy is a message from God, brought through a Christian who is filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:17-18) The spiritual gift of prophecy is a special ability given to some Spirit-filled Christians to receive and share a message from God that will bring people closer to Jesus and help move them towards His future purpose for them. Prophecy is one of the gifts God uses to help build and grow the church (1 Cor 14:4).

Signs You May Have A Gift Of Prophecy

So—if you believe that you may have a prophetic gift, but are not sure, what are some signs that will help you identify it and move forward? You may not identify with all of the following points, but if you do have a prophetic gift, you will recognise many of them in your life:

1. Desire to Help People Through Prophecy (1 Cor 14:3)

• You have a desire for God to use you to bring a message from Him that will encourage your leaders or church
• If a person is in trouble, needs guidance, or to connect with God, you find yourself wanting to pass on an encouraging message from God

2. You Pray in a Prophetic Way

• After praying for people, they comment that you ‘prayed the right thing,’ or they ask, ‘How did you know that?’
• When praying for a person, group, geographical area, or for your church, you sense that the Holy Spirit is directing your prayers about God’s purpose for the situation.
• You seem to know what Bible verses apply to a situation that you are praying for; symbolic pictures or words may come to mind when you pray.

2. Attraction To Prophetic Ministry (1 Cor 14:1)

• You have a keen interest in prophetic ministry
• You are attracted to prayer meetings or any meetings where prophetic gifts are being used and find yourself drawn to prophetic people.
• You may feel that you have a call from God to prophetic ministry but sometimes experience doubts.

3. Motivation to Learn How to Prophesy (2 Tim 1:6)

• You are motivated to learn about how to use the prophetic gift or further your understanding of personal prophecy.
• You may already be actively seeking out teaching or training through reading books, attending training sessions or learning from people who are experienced in prophecy
• You are reading this blog!

4. Other Signs… That may Indicate you Have a Prophetic Gift

• You may get discouraged when things you believe God has promised don’t come to pass as quickly as you would like
• You may have an affinity with symbolic pictures, stories or actions
• You may have had unusual or supernatural experiences that point you to having a prophetic gift—however note this is not a prerequisite
• You may have a keen sense of justice—however, remember that human personality is not an indicator of whether a person has a prophetic gift from the Holy Spirit.

If you do recognise any of the above signs and would like to grow in your prophetic gift, here are some ideas to help you:

• Find a healthy Christian church where prophetic ministry is encouraged, and where you can grow in your gifts
• Focus on developing your general Bible knowledge; resist the temptation to take verses or Bible stories out of context
• Learn the principles of hearing God’s voice and how to filter out what is not of God
• Practice hearing messages from God to yourself and others in your own times of prayer. Use a journal to keep track of and check what you believe God is saying to you.
• Ask for feedback when you bring a prophetic message and be open to both encouragement and correction
• Choose your mentors carefully. Looks for people who are enthusiastic and supportive members of a church where they are accountable to church leadership
• Find good sources of training and teaching to help you grow in understanding and using the gift of prophecy

Would you like to develop your prophetic gift?
Here are 3 things that can help you:

1. Prophetic Teaching:
Enter your email address in the subscribe box at the top right hand side of this page to receive:

• regular blog posts containing teaching that will help you grow in your gift of prophecy, as well as articles on spiritual gifts, prayer, spiritual renewal and supernatural Christian living
• notifications about online prophetic training opportunities

2. Prophetic Training:

Check here for prophetic training resources and information

3. E-books to Help you Develop Your Gifts:

‘Grow Your Prophetic And Prayer Gifts’ is a high-value e-book specifically written to help you grow in your prophetic gifts – at whatever stage or season you are on the journey.

Check out our e-books page for more e-books related to prophetic and prayer ministry.

Related Posts:

‘How To Develop Your Prophetic Gift’

Understanding How Prophetic Ministry Works in the Church Today

© Helen Calder  2009   Enliven Blog – Prophetic Teaching

Now on team with David McCracken Ministries – Prophetic Ministry That Empowers The Church

Do you have any questions or thoughts on the topic of signs of a prophetic gift? I would love to hear from you. Leave a comment on the comments box. If the comments box is not visible, click on this link and scroll down.