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:

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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

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.