I. GOD WANTS ALL HIS PEOPLE TO PROPHESY
A. Under the old covenant, before the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the office of the prophet and the gift of
prophecy was reserved for a small group of individuals that God would rest upon from time to time and for very specific
purposes. The gift of prophecy was governed strictly, under penalty of death for false prophecy. However, as early as
the days of Moses, a day was anticipated when God would pour out His Spirit on all His people with the result that all
God’s people would prophesy.
Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!(Num.11:29)
B. Under the new covenant, God answered Moses’ prayer, promising that He would pour out his Spirit on all flesh,
with the result that prophecy would be widespread, encompassing both male and female, young and old. No one was to
be left out.
And it shall come to pass in the last days says God, that I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh; your sons and daughters
shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams, and on my menservants and on my
maidservants I will pour out my Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy (Acts 2:17-18)
C. Paul teaches that the manifestation of the Spirit (including the gift of prophecy) is for everyone and not simply for a
spiritually elite class of Christians.
7But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all (1 Cor.12:7)
D. It was Paul’s expectation that believers (regardless of their spiritual maturity) both understood and operated in the
Gifts of the Spirit. To Paul it was not optional to function in the gifts of the Spirit but normal and essential for the health of
the church that everyone was functioning in his or her gift(s).
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant (1 Cor.12:1)
E. Paul exhorts the Church at Corinth to eagerly desire the gift of prophecy even though the Corinthian believers
were immature in their faith, unspiritual in their lives, and divisive and destructive in their use of the spiritual gifts. It was
their wrong understanding of the gifts that was creating many problems in the midst of that Church. Yet, it is the
Corinthians that Paul exhorts more than any other group to pursue right understanding and use of the gift of prophecy.
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy (1 Cor.14:1)
F. Paul explains that his instructions concerning spiritual gifts are actually commandments from the Lord.
37If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the
commandments of the Lord. (1 Cor.14:37)
G. Why is it important for us to prophesy?
The function of the gifts of the spirit within the body is to prepare and equip us for works of service both corporately and
individually. Paul tells us that the gift of prophecy is especially important for the edification (building up) and equipping of
the church.
3But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. 4He who speaks in a tongue edifies
himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church. (1 Cor.14:3-4)
H. There are many different ways in which a believer may receive and begin to operate in the gift of prophecy. You
do not need to be commissioned from Heaven in a dramatic way like the OT prophets of old. (Commissioning/Laying
on of Hands/Asking)
I. Gifts are received not earned but Paul indicates that we can position ourselves to receive as we “eagerly desire”
the gift of prophecy (1 Cor.14:1,39). The pattern of Scripture is that the primary way of receiving fresh gifts is as we stay
full of the Holy Spirit (see.e.g Acts 4:31, Acts 2:4;Acts 10:44-46). The primary way we receive more of the Spirit is as we
give ourselves to the place of prayer and consecration to the Lord. Paul also tells us that gifts may be imparted through
the laying on of hands and through prophecy (cf.Rom.1:11; 1 Tim.4:14; 2 Tim.1:6)
J. We do not need spiritual maturity (or maturity in years) before we can operate in gifts (and should not forbid the
use of them in those who are spiritually immature cf. 1 Cor 14:39)
1. Paul’s letter to Corinth was to a group of spiritually immature believers yet he thanked God for the manifestation
of the gifts in their midst and encouraged them to press in for more (1 Cor.3:1-3; 1 Cor.14:39)
2. Timothy was a young man and Paul encouraged him to activate the gifts that God had given him and not let
anyone look down on him because he was young ( 2 Tim.1:6-7; 1 Tim.4:12)
3. Peter emphasizes that gifts of healings and miracles are not operating because of his spiritual maturity or godliness but
because of the power of the Holy Spirit in Him.
"Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had
made this man walk (Acts 3:11-12)
K. If prophecy is for everyone who is filled with the Spirit, why is prophecy not more widespread?
1. Often it is fear of misuse and abuse that has caused neglect of the gift of prophecy.
2. It is often feared that use of the prophetic will cause hurt, division and chaos and they are, therefore, often set
aside for the sake of unity in the Body. However, without them, we cannot function as God intends us to as the Body of
Christ. The primary goal of the prophecy is stated by Paul to be for the profit of all (1 Cor.12:7), and for the edification of
the church (1 Cor.14:12). We cannot allow fear of abuse to stop us contending for right use of these gifts in the Church.
3. Paul’s response to abuse of the gifts at Corinth, however, was not to forbid the use of the gifts that were causing
most trouble (see. 1 Cor.14:3), but to explain how they were to be used properly.
II. UNDERSTANDING THE NEW TESTAMENT GIFT OF PROPHECY
A. A working definition of prophecy:
Prophecy is a supernatural ability to communicate of a revelation of God's Heart for an individual, group or circumstance
that results in the edification (building up) of the body of Christ and the worship of Jesus.
B. True prophecy can be tested by whether it ultimately results in the edification, exhortation and comfort of the believer,
flowing out in the worship of Jesus. Prophecy is designed to help us see and marvel at the beauty and wisdom of Jesus
and make sense of his ways in the world and in our lives.
C. The gift of prophecy is given to exalt Jesus in the life of the church (making her more like Jesus) and in the world
(drawing people to the knowledge of Christ). The goal of the Holy Spirit as he manifests His gifts in us, is to draw greater
attention, not to the individual but to Christ who is shown forth as the body functions as one unit.
14He (Holy Spirit) will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. 15All things that the Father has are
Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you. (John 14:14-15)
For the Testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev.19:10)
III. THE ANATOMY OF A PROPHETIC WORD (THREE PARTS)
A. There are three parts to every prophetic word: Revelation (what is said), Interpretation (what it means) and
Application (what to do about it). The effectiveness of prophecy depends upon the right understanding of all three parts.
We can have true revelation and wrong interpretation or application. All three are necessary if the word is to benefit
someone. (e.g. the disciples and Agabus in Acts 21). An accurate diagnosis alone doesn’t cure anyone.
IV. REVELATION (WHAT IS SAID)
A. The starting point of the prophetic is receiving revelation fromGod. Some believers get tripped up at this point because
they do not believe God speaks today and, even if He does speak, He doesn’t speak to them.
1. Hearing the voice of God is the privilege of every believer.
27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27)
I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:15)
2. The wisdom of God is accessible to all believers through the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Cor.2:10-16).The Spirit of
God takes from God and communicates the wisdom of God to our hearts as our teacher. This is exactly what Jesus
promised. Because the Spirit of God lives in us, we have the mind of Christ unlike the unbeliever (1 Cor. 2:9-16).
B. For whatever reason, God has chosen to vary the clarity, intensity and means of His revelation. This can make it
difficult to ascertain when God is actually speaking to us. If we want to grow in the prophetic we must cultivate a hearing
ear and become familiar with the ways in which God speaks to us personally.
C. Scripture is the primary means through which we hear the voice of the Lord. It is also the rule by which we judge
all other “words” we believe to come from the Lord.
“The chariot the Holy Spirit rides best in is the Word of God.” - Paul Cain
1. If we want to be prophetic people, it is imperative that we cultivate deep love for and familiarity with the word of God
above all else. There are limitless applications of the written (logos) Word of God to every time and situation of life.
Scripture also teaches us about the many other ways that God may speak to His people.
16All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in
righteousness, 17that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Tim.16-17)
2. As Paul told Timothy, we are best equipped to operate in the Gifts of the Spirit if we have depth in the Word of
God. The Lord will often speak to us and through us as we minister in the Gifts by bringing to mind specific portions of
the Word that we have hidden in our hearts on previous occasions and shedding fresh light on that verse or passage
for a specific situation.
D. While Scripture is the primary means through which God speaks to his people, there are many other ways:
1. Through Nature (Psalm 19:1-4; Rom.1:20)
2. Through Life Circumstances and Experience (Acts 10:45-46; Hagg.1:5-6)
God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf
world – CS Lewis
3. Dreams and Visions
Dreams and visions were common ways for God to speak throughout the OT (e.g. Jacob, Joseph, Daniel, Jeremiah,
Zechariah etc.), they are the inheritance of all believers under the New Covenant and one of the primary ways in which
we should expect God to speak to His church today (Acts 2:17).
4. Angelic Visitations (Dan.9:22; Luke 1:11,26; 2:9-15; 24:5-6; Acts 1:10-11;8:26; 10:3ff; 27:23-26)
Visiting angels seem to have been so common in the early church that when Peter was released from prison, and
visited the church that was praying for his release, they initially assumed he was an angel (see Acts 12:15)
5. Audible Voice (Deut 4:33; 1 Sam 3:4-14; Matt.3:17; Matt 17:5; John 12:27-33; Acts 9:1-9)
Very occasionally God will speak audibly from heaven. This is an external audible voice that is heard with your ears.
This is not the predominant way in which God communicates to us, and when he does so, it is because the message
is extremely important and, often, the task extremely difficult. The Lord uses to make it absolutely clear what He is
saying.
6. Impressions
a. The most common way in which we learn to hear God’s voice and dialogue with the Holy Spirit is through impressions
that the Holy Spirit brings to our mind as we commune with Him. There are several basic keys to becoming familiar with
God’s voice.
b. The Lord usually speaks to our hearts through a series of spontaneous thoughts, feelings, visions or impressions.
As we wait before the Lord, we learn to hear God’s voice as we pay attention to the spontaneous thoughts and ideas that
come to mind. The voice of the Lord usually comes as a “sense” rather than an internal audible voice.
c. Often our own thoughts and emotions are so noisy that we cannot sense what God is saying. We need to still our
own soul (Psalm 131:2) in order to begin to sense what is on the Lord’s heart. One of the most effective ways of doing
this is through worship and meditating on a verse of Scripture (also praying in the Spirit) as we lift our focus from
ourselves to God. It is important that we are focused on the Lord and not on ourselves. If we are focused on our own
emotions this is where the thoughts will originate.
d. Write down what you sense the Lord saying. As you journal/write down the things that you are sensing/your
dialogue with the Lord, you will discover new confidence in hearing the voice of God.
V. INTERPRETATION (WHAT DOES IT MEAN?)
A. On occasion, God may simply want us to deliver the piece of information we have received, however, usually he reveals
the piece of information because he wants to convey a message to an individual or a group of people. It is important that
we maintain dialogue with the Holy Spirit in the process of receiving a prophetic word. Ask questions about what you have
heard and expect to receive answers
B. When the Lord reveals a piece of hidden information to us, it is important that we ask Him what it means. If we do
not get the correct interpretation of the message, it may cause more harm than good. For example, if the Lord reveals an
issue of pain or sin in someone’s life it is probably because God wants to set them free rather than expose the secrets of
their heart before the whole world.
VI. APPLICATION (WHAT DO I DO ABOUT IT?)
A. Simply because God reveals something to us does not automatically follow mean that we have to communicate
anything at all. Often, God will reveal something to us so that we can pray for the will of the Lord to be done in a particular
situation. There are a series of questions that we need to ask the Lord before delivering a prophetic word:
1. Who is this word for? (Me, individual or a group)
2. How should I communicate this word? (If at all)
3. When should I communicate this word? (God may give us a word many months or years before it is
appropriate to communicate it)
B. Our accuracy in the prophetic will increase as we grow in our ability to interpret and apply the revelation He gives us,
bearing in mind that: God speaks accurately, man hears inaccurately (we usually perceive revelation with mixture), and
man prophesies in part.
C. We are called to weigh prophetic words as we test everything, yet holding fast to what is good without despising
prophecy (1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20-21).
29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge. (1 Cor. 14:29)
20 Do not despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast what is good. (1 Thess. 5:20-21)
1. Test the word by the Bible (a prophetic word will never contradict the Word of God)
2. Test the word by what you know of the Character of God (God’s word will bring hope, not despair)
VII. HOW DO I BEGIN TO GROW IN MY PROPHETIC GIFTING?
A. Fill Yourself with the Word of God
The Chariot the Holy Spirit rides best in is the Word of God – Paul Cain
B. Cultivate a Spirit filled life
1. Corporate and Individual Prayer - (Luke 18:1-8; Luke 11:13; Acts 4:31). Praying “in the Spirit” is particularly highlighted
by the Scripture as a means to access a greater measure of the Holy Spirit in our lives (1 Cor.12:4-5; 1 Cor.14-18;
Eph.5:18-19;Jude 20)
2. Fasting
Jesus taught that fasting tenderizes and sensitizes the human heart to freely receive more of God and experience more
of Him through the Holy Spirit (Matt.9:15-17).
C. Begin to practice on a regular basis
6Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7For God has not
given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. (2 Tim.1:6)
1. Step out in faith with the little you have (do not despise the day of small beginnings)
a. When God gives us a gift, we must have confidence that He also gives us the ability to begin to exercise that gift.
Paul says that God has given us each an initial measure of faith (Rom. 12:3-6). As we begin to step out with what He has
given us, he will give us more.
11If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God
supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever
and ever (1 Pet.4:11)
b. When Jesus fed the 5000 (Mark.9:36-44), he gave the disciples just five loaves and two fish to step out with.
As they stepped out in faith, God multiplied the bread and fish in their hands as they distributed it. If we wait for God to
give us the full measure before we begin to use our gifts, we will be waiting forever.
2. The best place to try out prophecy is not on platform but in a small group context with like minded friends.
3. Do not neglect your gift (1 Tim.4:14; 2 Tim.1:6).
Paul reminded Timothy that he has received a gift; and that the effectiveness of that gift will diminish if it is neglected (not
used). Paul’s encouragement to Timothy teaches us that it is possible to possess the gifts of the Spirit yet allow them to
lie dormant and inactive.
D. Cultivate a life of Love
1 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts (1 Cor.14:1)
1. The context for Paul’s famous chapter on love is the right use of spiritual gifts. He tells the Corinthian believers that
unless they grow in love, possessing the gifts is meaningless.
2And though I have the gift of prophecy, and …..have not love, it profits me nothing (1 Cor.13:2-3)
2. Love is identified by Paul in Gal.5:22 as the Fruit of the Spirit. He is saying, you must have the fruit if you are
asking for the gifts. We should desire gifts but we must pursue love. Love is also the protection mechanism to save us
from falling into pride, deception and, ultimately, apostasy (Matt.7:22-23).
Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. 2And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought
to know. 3But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. (1 Cor.8:1-3)
3. An important way in which we can demonstrate love in a ministry context is by adopting a ministry style that exalts
Jesus rather than the individual.
VIII. PROPHETIC “ETIQUETTE” (DO’S AND DON’TS)
A. Rules for delivering prophetic words
1. Observe the golden rule (Luke 6:31) “do unto others etc.” Prophetic ministry is about the person you are
ministering to not proving how great a minister you are.
2. Minister in kindness, tenderness and humility
3. Pray for your hearer
4. Always be careful to indicate the level of certainty of your message. Be careful when saying “thus says the Lord.”
It leaves the person no room to disagree. Personal prophecy (NT) is subject to the weighing of elders and not 100%
God.
5. Prophetic words are always subject to the authority of scripture. Ask the Lord to give you scripture for your
hearer.
6. Prophetic words should not be used to blindly direct lives. Tell your hearer to submit words to prayer and
counsel before following them. Prophetic words generally confirm what you are already feeling rather than give
brand new direction (be VERY slow to give directive words – especially mates, dates and babies).
7. Don’t start in the spirit and end in the flesh. Don’t “play” for an emotional response – you don’t know what is
going on inside the heart. Deliver the message, pray and be done. Avoid emotional hype.
8. Don’t make spectacular accuracy the focus – make edification, exhortation and comfort the focus. The
accuracy will grow as you become more familiar with hearing God’s voice and stepping out in faith.
9. Don’t embellish the word (temptation if it is a really general word). Know when to start and when to stop.
B. Avoiding Prophetic Weirdness
1. Be as normal and unreligious as possible if you want to be received.
2. Do not let your behavior be a stumbling block.
3. Emphasize the main and plain not the rare and bizarre.
4. Don’t do anything strange without a clear leading from the Lord
5. Don’t do anything that is potentially harmful or embarrassing to the individual you are ministering to without his
or her permission
6. Remember that Paul emphasized that spiritual gifts be exercised “decently and in order”(1 Cor.14:40) within
the corporate context.