The Gift of Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is a remarkable spiritual gift bestowed by the Holy Spirit upon believers. It's the God-given ability to prophesy a message directly from God to individuals in a language they understand.

By exploring this powerful gift of the Holy Spirit, we can unlock its life-changing potential and experience the profound impact it can have on our faith journey and the lives of others.

Explore the Gift of Prophecy (Part 1 of 2)

By Don Bell | Reading Time: 15 minutes.

What is the gift of prophecy? Here's my definition of this marvelous gift of the Holy Spirit:

The gift of prophecy is the God-given ability to prophesy (speak) at will a message directly from God to individuals in a language they understand. This message is spontaneous, not premeditated, and it's intended to edify those who hear it.

Misconceptions About Prophecy

It's important to make clear what the gift of prophecy isn't.

• It is NOT preaching or public speaking.
• It is NOT the product of our human intellect.
• It is NOT pre-meditated, as it's born of the Holy Spirit.
• It is NOT divination or the ability to predict the future.
• It is NOT self-fulfilling prophecy
• It is NOT given by proxy, as it's only meant for the hearer.
• It is NOT the ability to rebuke or judge people.

Clearing up misconceptions and gaining a good understanding of the gift of prophecy helps you to use the gift effectively. You'll be able to edify believers by delivering an inspired message from the heart of God.

Believers should know the true nature of prophecy to avoid becoming deceived and distancing themselves from the truth.

The Gift of Prophecy Explained

Paul explains the key differences between the interpretation of tongues and prophecy in the following Scripture:

Those who speak a message in tongues followed by its interpretation are speaking to God whereas those who prophesy are speaking to people.

Those who prophesy edify the Church, whereas those who speak in tongues edify themselves UNLESS the tongue is interpreted to edify the Church.

Edification, Exhortation, and Comfort

Those who prophesy speak words of edification, exhortation, and comfort to others (1 Corinthians 14:3). These three qualities are basic to the gift of prophecy and to the other gifts of the Holy Spirit:

• Edification means to build other individuals up.
• Exhortation means to offer strong encouragement.
• Comfort means to bring other individuals into a more peaceful state.

Therefore, a word of prophecy has to meet any of these three characteristics to be considered a genuine manifestation of the Holy Spirit. The prophecy must leave those receiving it in a better physical, mental, or spiritual condition than before.

The Process of Prophesying

Prophesying a message you've never heard before requires taking a supernatural step of faith. It's NOT a learned skill such as inspirational teaching or preaching.

If you know ahead of time what you're going to say, you are not bringing a prophecy by faith. Therefore, the prophetic message cannot consist of something you've memorized or meditated upon beforehand. It must be 100% inspired by God.

The following drawing illustrates what happens when you step out in faith and prophesy using the gift of prophecy.

When a believer prophesies, the Holy Spirit communicates with their spirit, which in turn instructs their brain to speak words of the prophecy in their known language, as the Holy Spirit supplies them.

Since a prophecy is "inspired" and NOT "revealed" in the way words of knowledge and wisdom are revealed, it's impossible to know the content of the prophetic message before its delivery. The prophecy is received phrase by phrase as it's formed on your tongue and spoken by faith.

The prophecy is one the person has never heard before, so their mind has no prior knowledge of the words being formed on their tongue. Similarly, its hearers have never heard the prophecy before either.

Judging Prophecy

Group Prophecy

Paul says, "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge [whether the prophecy is inspired of God]" (1 Corinthians 14:29).

Note the scriptural order for judging prophecy:

1. The prophecy is spoken.
2. The prophecy is judged.

Leaders misinformed about prophecy sometimes insist that those desiring to prophesy first share the message of the prophecy with them to judge before delivering it to the group. Clearly, that's NOT how judging prophecy operates and if followed through, it may lead to a spiritual-sounding message, but it won't be an inspired prophecy since it'll have been influenced by what's earlier been shared; it won't be prophesied spontaneously by faith unless the Holy Spirit intervenes. Avoid such misinformed practices.

Genuine prophecies are NEVER heard before being manifested on the prophesier's tongue, either by those prophesying or those listening.

Inspired prophecy will NEVER contradict the Word of God; therefore, a good knowledge of the Scriptures free from denominational partialities is helpful in judging prophecies.

Realize that except for Jesus, it's unlikely that any human has ever delivered a perfect prophecy that's 100% from God. As Pauls says, "We know in part and we prophesy in part" (1 Corinthians 13:9).

That's why God EXPECTS us to judge prophecies. The Greek word διακρίνω (diakrinō) translated as judge means to separate thoroughly, to "rightly divide the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15).

While we judge the content of the prophecy, we do NOT judge the person who's prophesying. None of us is perfect and mistakes can and do happen. Remember, we're prophesying in part.

Never hesitate to set aside a prophecy if it's contrary to the Word of God, or if you're left with lots of unanswered questions, and especially if it fails to edify, exhort, or comfort. The likelihood is that it wasn't of God.

Personal prophecy

A prophecy can be for the benefit of an entire group of people or just one person, so not every prophecy has to be judged by other believers. However, Paul reminds, "Do not despise prophecies. Test all things; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:20,21).

When you receive a personal prophecy, if it's of God, it will be confirmed by the inner witness of the Spirit, outward circumstances, or its fulfillment. You should be able to relate to it in an edifying, positive sense, even if you don't fully understand its meaning at the time; otherwise, set it on the proverbial shelf, or let it go.

You might hear a prophecy in a group setting and find yourself wondering if that word was intended for you personally. If it witnesses to the Spirit, it likely was for you; otherwise, it's likely directed at the group or somebody else.

Purpose of Prophecy

The Holy Spirit offers the gift of prophecy for several purposes:

• To edify, exhort, and comfort the Church. Prophecy is designed to build up and strengthen believers in their faith.
  
  Paul says, "He who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men" (1 Corinthians 14:3).
• To reveal God's heart and mind to His people. Through prophecy, God communicates His plans, purposes, and desires to His people.
  
  Amos prophesies, "'Surely the Lord God does nothing, unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets'" (Amos 3:7).
• To call people to repentance and back to God. Prophetic messages often serve as a wake-up calls, urging people to turn from their apathy or wrong doing and return to God.
  
  Ezekiel prophesies, "'As I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'" (Ezekiel 33:11).
• To provide guidance, direction, and confirmation for ministry. The Holy Spirit can use prophecy to give specific instructions or confirmation for individuals or the Church.
  
  Paul encourages Timothy by saying, "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare" (1 Timothy 1:18).
  
  Paul also reminds Timothy, "Do not neglect the [ministry] gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership" (1 Timothy 4:14).
• To equip and empower believers for ministry. The gift of prophecy is one of the gifts given by the Holy Spirit to equip and encourage the believers for service.
  
  Paul encourages, "For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged" (1 Corinthians 14:31).
• To testify about Jesus Christ (Revelation 19:10). The ultimate purpose of prophecy is to point people to Jesus and affirm His identity as the Messiah and King.
  
  Paul says, "But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed [to him]; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you" (1 Corinthians 14:24,25).
  
  The unbeliever realizes that God knows him intimately and cares about him. Don't fear. God won't reveal "secrets" we don't want revealed, except for things about spiritual matters.

Prophecy Can Contain Scripture

It's possible that prophecies might contain a small portion of Scripture. Suppose while prophesying, you hear yourself speaking a portion of Scripture either word for word or paraphrased. How is that possible?

Since you've studied the Bible, that's made it possible to recognize the Scripture, but since you didn't pre-meditate or rehearse what you were going to prophesy, the Scripture is a valid part of the prophetic message.

Prophecy Can Transcend Time

A prophecy can relate to past, present, or future events. It's not always speaking of the future as some might think. A prophetic word can bring comfort by reminding somebody of a past event, clarify something that's happening in the present, or provide hope for the future.

The Scripture reveals, “'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,' says the Lord, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty'" (Revelation 1:8).

Picture a parade passing through the streets of a city and consider the difference between a street-level view and an aerial view. We have the street-level view, and God has the aerial view whereby He simultaneously views the entire parade from its beginning to its end.

As you stand with friends on the sidewalk watching the parade of colorful floats passing by, you can only view the float in front of you, though you may have recollections of one that has passed by earlier. However…

• God can tell you about a float A that has already passed your vantage point. It's in your past.
• God can tell you about a float B that is at your vantage point. It's in your present.
• God can just as easily tell you about a float C that has yet to reach your vantage point. It's in your future.

God can give you a prophetic word for people needing to relate to an event in their past, present, or future. You simply listen to what God is saying and by faith prophesy His words to the people. Isn't God amazing?

An inspired prophetic word can offer peace of mind and confirmation that He holds the future to people facing life's situations and concerns. God is so good!

Prophecy Can Be Conditional

Many people are unaware that prophecies are conditional; they contain conditions whether specified or implied. Just because God has inspired the prophetic word, it doesn't mean what's prophesied will always happen. For instance, in the example given above, the condition is that the lady lean on God and if she chooses to, He will always be with her. Here's another example from The Old Testament:

Although God had said, "They will deliver you," David and his men chose NOT to remain in Keilah, so they were NOT delivered to Saul, and their lives were spared. If they had fulfilled the prophecy's condition by remaining in Keilah, they would have been Saul's prisoners. Always consider the condition.

Levels of Prophecy

While the Holy Spirit has given every believer the gift of prophecy, there are levels of prophecy depending on the experience and calling of the believer who's prophesying.

1. Basic Prophecy: Prophecies are general in nature and serve to offer edification, exhortation, and comfort to the Body of Christ. Rarely will the Holy Spirit prompt you to deliver a personal prophecy when you're a beginner. The delivery of directive prophecies is not for beginners, and even those proficient in prophesying must always exercise caution.
   
   Continue building up your faith and increase your prophetic experience by prophesying as often as the Holy Spirit prompts you in the safety of your believers' group. As your fellow believers do the same, the Body of Christ is encouraged and strengthened.
2. Intermediate Prophecy: As you gain experience in prophesying, and your prophecies have been judged and confirmed by others to be inspired by God, you will find the Holy Spirit trusting you with prophecies that are deeper and at times directive. Occasionally, the Holy Spirit may prompt you to deliver a personal prophecy within the group setting.
   
   Never run ahead of the Holy Spirit's promptings. Ensure your prophetic gift has been confirmed by leadership experienced in prophesying before you deliver personal prophecies that are in any way directive; otherwise, if you are not seasoned in accuracy, you could potentially lead people astray.
3. Advanced Prophecy: The Holy Spirit prompts established prophets and elders in the faith to prophesy at both beginner and intermediate levels to groups and individuals. Depending on the prophetic calling, prophecies are often deeper, more directive, and consistently accurate.

Join Me in Reading…

The following article will help give you confidence to step out in faith and deliver an inspired prophecy to the Church or individuals in need of a fresh word from God.

The Holy Spirit has given YOU the gift of prophecy to encourage your fellow believers. Those who say don't focus on spiritual gifts should read their Bible.

The Scripture says, "Therefore, brethren, DESIRE EARNESTLY to prophesy…" (1 Corinthians 14:39, emphasis added).

As believers in Christ, we are called to excel in the gifts of the Holy Spirit to do our part in building up the Body of Christ!

Part 2: How to Prophesy

---

By Don Bell, follower of the Christ.

Like This Page? Please Share It

Hi, I'm Don, and my prayer is that Kingdom Anointing™ will help you build faith, walk confidently in the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit, and realize your full potential in the Kingdom of God.