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Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1, NIV).
I’ve been writing about the Holy Spirit on Fridays for several months. Today, let’s consider the gift of prophecy. It’s an important spiritual gift as Paul writes directly to you, “Eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.”
Paul never tells us to “desire” any of the other gifts of the Spirit as he does with prophecy.
All of us can prophesy, as Paul adds, “For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted” (1 Corinthians 14:31, NASB1995). Let’s make a distinction: from 1 Corinthians 14 we learn that all believers can walk in prophecy, and by reading Ephesians 4:11 we know there is an office of prophet, as we witness in Acts 13:1-3, that prophets and teachers prayed to set apart Saul and Barnabas for their calling to be missionaries to the Gentiles.
In this blog post, I’m going to focus on the fact that “all” believers can prophesy.
But first, let’s define prophecy. In his book Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life, Sam Storms defines prophecy as the human report of a divine revelation.
Ten years ago, a friend who lived outside Springfield, Ohio, spontaneously showed up at Fellowship Church (where I was the pastor) one Sunday morning and said to me, “Pastor, I came today because God gave me a word for this morning. That word is, ‘The person you are considering is not your friend.’” He had no other explanation; however, I instantly knew the meaning of the prophecy because I was considering hiring a new staff member that I thought was a trustworthy friend, and this “prophetic word” gave me pause to reconsider, not hire, and from subsequent events, I’m glad that I didn’t.
In my years of experience with the prophetic, I’ve noticed that some people function in this gift regularly, but almost all Christians receive divine revelation for others at least once or twice in their walk with Jesus. Below are guidelines for the prophetic.
- Be very careful when delivering a negative prophecy, as Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 14:2-3 that prophecy is for edification, exhortation, and consolation.
- Be accountable. Prophecy is never above scrutiny. If you have a word, share it with a wise friend first to confirm it.
- Maintain order. I’ve been in Christian assemblies when prophecies were miraculously insightful, providing guidance, but also in groups of Christians where things became weird and unedifying.
- Have courage. Fear hinders prophecy. When receiving a prophecy, especially for another person, it’s easy to doubt. Be willing to risk and make a mistake as this gift develops with practice.
- Compare with Scripture. A prophecy will never contradict the Bible. I once had a believer tell me that the God of love gave them permission to marry an unbeliever. I simply told her, “The Spirit of the Lord never contradicts Jesus, who is the Word.”
- Have healthy relationships with other believers. I’ve experienced many “lone wolf” prophets who don’t get along with anyone and believe they are getting “words” from God. If the fruit of unity isn’t displayed in a prophet’s life, avoid them, don’t listen to them, and do not allow them to speak in church.
Today, I sense growing hesitation among many believers and churches to release words of prophecy, driven by unease not rooted in Scripture. In the end times we need the gift of prophecy! Below, Paul describes the result of a healthy release of the gift of prophecy…
But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you (1 Corinthians 14:24-25, NASB1995).
Amen!