I. DEFINING THE PROPHETIC MINISTRY
"… For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”" (Revelation 19:10, NIV)
A. Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus (the thoughts on his heart) being communicated to us by the Holy Spirit.
B. Prophecy takes place when God communicates thoughts to our mind (revelation) and we share those thoughts with others.
C. Most prophecy contains a mixture of our words with God’s words. The revelation that God gives us is always 100% true,
however, it is filtered through human communication and perspective; so that by the time it is given through us it contains
a percentage of our words as well as God’s. We can learn how to share prophetic words more clearly as we mature in our
gifting. A mature word will have a higher percentage of God’s words; a weak word will have a higher percentage of our
words.
II. OLD TESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT PROPHECY
A. In the New Testament, we learn to prophesy by faith. Our words have mixture, but we can grow and mature in our
prophetic gift. Old Testament prophets prophesied by direct revelation.
"…If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith." (Romans 12:6)
B. In the Old Testament, prophets had to be 100% accurate, or be stoned to death. In the New Testament, since prophecy
works by the Holy Spirit within us communicating to us and then filtering through our mode of communication, we are
not demanded to have 100% accuracy. Instead, we are taught to judge prophetic words.
"For we know in part and we prophesy in part," (1 Corinthians 13:9, NIV)
“Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said." (1 Corinthians 14:29, NIV)
C. Only a few were considered prophets in the O/T, while in the N/T, many can prophesy because of the Holy Spirit
being poured out on us (Joel 2:28).
III. LEVELS OF PROPHESYING
A. Simple Prophecy: Any believer can do this type of prophecy. Not all believers who prophesy are prophets
(I Cor. 12:29), but all can prophesy. Simple prophecy usually takes place one on one, in small group settings, or given
individually during ministry times and not in a public setting.
B. Prophetic Gifting/Ministry: One who has a prophetic gifting/ministry that is recognized for ministering in the church
regularly. The person will have dreams and visions regularly, and will often have encounters (angelic visitations, etc.),
will often prophetically get detailed information (names, dates, places, etc.), and sometimes be used in other areas of
gifting as well, such as healing and deliverance. The person regularly receives unusual amounts of revelation but is still
being trained in their gifting.
C. Office of Prophet: Only believers who function as Old Testament prophets are those who have the office of a prophet.
They have a regular flow of revelation, including open visions, predicting natural events, and sometimes having words
confirmed with supernatural signs. A prophet must have a proven ministry (not only in level of gifting, but in fruit,
character, and wisdom), which could take years, and must have a consistent track record of great accuracy before they
should be recognized by the church as a prophet. A prophet also must be under the authority of the church.
IV. THE PURPOSE OF PROPHECY—NEW TESTAMENT PARADIGM
A. The purpose of New Testament prophecy is to edify and comfort believers, drawing them to Jesus.
"But everyone who prophesies speaks to men for their strengthening, encouragement and comfort."
(1 Corinthians 14:3, NIV)
B. A very common paradigm regarding the purpose of prophecy is that its primary purpose is to rebuke and
correct people and call them to repentance. This comes from the perception that the Old Testament prophets mostly
spoke about God’s judgment and anger, and the parts about God’s mercy, love, tenderness, and desire for restoration
and fulfillment of promises are forgotten. God has always and still desires mercy over judgment. His kindness leads to
repentance, thus His kindness revealed through edifying prophetic words will also lead to repentance. (I Corinthians 14:24)
C. Prophecy is also meant to build up the Body of Christ and to equip the church into fullness.
"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith
and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ."
(Ephesians 4:11-13, NIV)
V. OUR UNDERSTANDING OF GOD’S HEART
A. The way we see God and the way we think He sees us affects how we see others. This will impact the way we
prophesy. We need to understand and know what God is really like and have a right paradigm of His emotions in order
for us to truly understand how He sees others.
"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1 John 4:8, NIV)
B. God is full of pleasure and is mostly glad, not mostly sad, angry or disappointed. We will give negative prophecy
if we mostly believe that God is disappointed in us. We must understand that God is a God who delights in us so that we
may prophesy accordingly to others.
"The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he
will rejoice over you with singing.”" (Zephaniah 3:17, NIV)
C. Jesus is a passionate Bridegroom, and the church is His bride. When prophesying, we should remember that we are
speaking to the Lord’s bride.
"… as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you." (Isaiah 62:4)
VI. THE PROCESS OF PROPHECY: REVELATION, INTERPRETATION, APPLICATION
A. Revelation is the divine information you receive from the Lord. It comes in many ways, including impressions,
thoughts, feelings, dreams, visions, pictures, inner audible voice, etc.
B. Interpretation is gaining understanding of God’s perspective of the revelation. Interpretation comes from the Lord,
not from our own reasoning. This is where many often miss it in giving a prophetic word. The revelation might be correct,
but their interpretation might be completely other than what God was really saying.
“Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me your dreams.”" (Genesis 40:8, NIV)
C. Application regards how to apply a prophetic word once it’s been interpreted. It’s what you do with it. Here are
some questions to ask: Who do we tell? How much of it do we tell? When do we tell it? Is it corporate or personal?
Do we tell it or is it meant for prayer? The point is to use wisdom in applying the word in a way which will bring about the
most effective edification.
VII. DELIVERING A PROPHETIC WORD
"If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains,
but have not love, I am nothing." (1 Corinthians 13:2, NIV)
At IHOP we have guidelines for the prophecy teams to follow regarding how to give prophetic words in a way that is most
edifying. We want our words and our actions (the way we share) to be edifying. Keep in mind that we are speaking of
simple prophecy here, and that exceptions will follow those who have recognized prophetic ministries or have the office
of a prophet.
A. Positive, friendly prophecy is a vital component to edification. It’s not just our words, but our compassion and
gentleness that are effective in prophetic ministry. We want those ministered to to feel drawn to the Lord by how we
share. Prophetic words should be released in a way that is not forceful or that does not ‘bind’ the person receiving
the word. This is because we prophesy in part, so we share our words submissively rather than forcefully. Because
we can ‘miss it’, it is also wise to not use the words “thus saith the Lord”. It’s much easier, safer and wiser to say you
‘sense’ or ‘feel’ something from the Lord.
B. Dial down and be yourself. Prophecy doesn’t require hype. Be naturally supernatural.
C. Give only what you have. It’s tempting to embellish our words if we feel they will sound too simple. If we
embellish our words or get into counseling, we will end up being ‘soulish’ instead of being of the Spirit.
D. Be faithful with little (simple phrases, impressions) and the Lord will give you more. Don’t just wait for the ‘big’, ‘powerful’ revelations.
Take a risk by stepping out in faith with simplicity.
E. We also have guidelines concerning things to avoid while doing prophetic ministry. This includes prophesying about
negative things (sin, the past, correcting, rebuking). Again, the prophetic is for “strengthening, encouragement, and
comfort”. This the measuring line for how to share prophetic words.
F. Another thing to avoid is predicting specific detailed information or giving specific direction (dates, time frames,
marriages, children, death, life, moving, jobs, etc., or basically, telling people what to do.) The reason why, as we said
before, is because of the mixture of accuracy in our prophetic words. You should never act on a prophetic word; a word
should only confirm what the Lord has already spoken to your own heart.
G. Character—gifting doesn’t equal character, and anointing doesn’t equal maturity. Just because someone is gifted
doesn’t mean that God is endorsing every area of their life or their ministry style. Character is much more important to the
Lord than gifting. (Gal 5:22-23)
“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit…."
(Luke 6:43-44, NIV)
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23, NIV)
VIII. DEVELOPING YOUR GIFT—CONFIDENCE
A. We can mature and grow in the prophetic as we learn by experience. Every time we prophesy, we are stepping out in
faith and taking a risk. Here we learn to differentiate between mistakes and sin. If we take a risk and miss it, it’s only a
mistake, not a wrongdoing. It only becomes wrongdoing if we are unwilling to be corrected and taught, as well as to take
responsibility for our mistakes. Practicing and training in the prophetic in a safe place (like a home group setting) is a
great way to develop the gift of prophecy. Part of the responsibility of pursuing the prophetic is the willingness to work
with people who are still immature in the way they administrate their gifting (to be patient with the teachable) and frank
with the less teachable, and also to clean up any messes made while pursuing growing in the prophetic.