Week 7 - Teaching

Different Methods of Prophesying

Acknowledgements
Contributing Resources: GodSpeak International
Christian International Network of Prophetic Ministries https://christianinternational.com/
Contributing Authors: Donna Cox, Gary Cox, Jane Fitz-Gibbon, Sally Miller, Ira Milligan, Chris Poole, Teresa Seputis, David White, Jim Wies
Editor: Al Vesper


God uses a variety of different methods to communicate prophetically with His people. The scope and function of these methods vary. Some of these methods are readily available for "whosoever will" (i.e. the Spirit of Prophecy). But God reserves some of these methods for the men and women that He has specifically chosen and trained and developed (i.e. the office of prophet). So it is helpful to examine these different methods of prophetic communication and to understand how God uses them and what purpose they serve. These methods include:

THE SPIRIT OF PROPHECY

There are times (often during corporate worship) where God's Spirit is present to communicate His heart to His people. During these times there is a special anointing for the prophetic that He releases on various members of the group. This release of the prophetic anointing is not related to a person's office or gifting, but to the sovereign move of the Holy Spirit falling on whoever He desires to fall upon. Usually the Holy Spirit desires to fall on those who are open to Him and willing to be used by Him, who are willing to step out in faith and move with Him (1 Cor. 14:31).

God releases a spirit of prophecy over a group, enabling people who do not have a "gift of prophecy" to prophesy because of the anointing He releases. This is a corporate type of anointing, and is available to pretty much anyone in the group with both faith and desire to be used and who will step out in faith to speak God's word (Rom 12:1).

The following are some of the conditions where God tends to release a spirit of prophecy over a group:

The Bible gives several examples of the spirit of prophecy. In 1 Sam 10:10 Saul met a company of prophets and the spirit of prophecy came on him and he began to prophesy. In 1 Sam. 19:20-24, the Spirit of the Lord came on Saul's messengers, and they began to prophesy. In the midst of an assembly, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel and he began to prophesy (2 Chr. 20:12-17). Under these circumstances, just about anyone can prophesy!

Relationship is a key to moving in the spirit of prophecy. Anyone who desires to prophesy should find a prophet or group of prophets (the prophetic-school and its leadership core is one resource they may draw upon) to train them and help them release their faith. Then they can begin to move in the spirit of prophecy.

THE GIFT OF PROPHECY

The gift of prophecy is precisely that.. one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. It is given to those to whom God chooses to give it, not based on merit or on earning it, but based on the grace of God. However, scripture gives us some indication that if we earnestly desire and ask God for this gift, He might very well give it to us (1 Cor. 14:1).

Because it is a gift:

The gift of prophecy is listed among the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Cor. 12. Its purpose is edification, exhortation and comfort of God's people (1 Cor. 14:3), and can produce deep conviction in the unbeliever (1 Cor. 14:24). The gift of prophecy may come forth as words (spoken or written), song, or even as dance or movement.

Prophecy is the most edifying gift for God's people (1 Cor. 14:5). The other eight gifts are more individually focused gifts, which usually will bless a specific person, or perhaps a few. Prophecy, on the other hand, can bless hundreds of people at once. As we have seen, prophecy edifies the Church, is a sign to unbelievers, and brings glory to our Lord Jesus. No wonder we are told to "eagerly desire" spiritual gifts, and "be eager to prophesy" (1 Cor. 14:1, 39)! Paul told the Thessalonians to "not treat prophecies with contempt." (1 Thess. 5:20). To the church at Rome Paul wrote, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith." (Rom. 12:6).

Other scripture references include: Acts 2:17; 1 Cor. 12:10; 1 Cor. 14:3, 4, 6, 22 & 31.

PROPHETIC PRESBYTERY

God sometimes uses people who are established in leadership in the Church to minister together prophetically as a team. This type of ministry typically involves the laying on of hands. The reason it is called "presbytery" is because it is performed by those who meet the qualifications of presbyter (elder, or overseer) in the Church.

There are many different reasons why the elders may come together to minister prophetically:

The prophetic presbytery doesn't eliminate the need for the individual office of prophet, even though all ministers and other church leadership can prophesy over an individual while functioning as part of the presbytery team. Prophets, however, are the only ones who may minister in the realm of the office of prophet. Prophets are anointed to do as individuals what the presbytery does as a team (except for formally ordaining someone for ministry. Ordination is done, scripturally, by the presbytery team).

PROPHETIC PREACHING

We understand that there is a difference between preaching and prophesying. Prophecy usually is spontaneous revelation knowledge inspired by the Holy Spirit. Preaching, on the other hand, is normally the speaking of biblical truths which have been studied, researched, and arranged for presentation. Preaching proclaims the Logos (written word), while prophecy gives a Rhema (fresh breath of revelation) from the Spirit..

But there are times when the Holy Spirit moves in on the prepared teaching and modifies it and breathes a dimension of life/inspiration into it that was not there when the speaker prepared the message. The Holy Spirit may end up changing the prepared teaching drastically, giving illustrations and examples that grip the people in the room, quickening the heart of God on this matter. You might say the Spirit supplies a Rhema from the Logos.

Please note that it would be irresponsible and presumptuous for a speaker to skip study and message preparation, assuming that the Holy Spirit will fall on them and "preach their sermon" for them. On the other hand, it is resisting God to stick to one's prepared notes if the Holy Spirit begins to lead differently.. to preach a prophetic sermon requires both proper preparation and an openness to allow the Holy Spirit to change the agenda.

Prophetic preaching has the following characteristics:

THE OFFICE OF THE PROPHET

"This is why it says: 'When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men.' It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers . . . " (Eph. 4:8,11)

The ministry of the prophet is not a gift of the Holy Spirit, available to all believers. It is an office that Jesus put in place, an extension of His government over His Church. The Office of the Prophet is one of five headship ministries (the five-fold ministry) (Eph. 2:20; 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:28; Acts 13:1).

Before we can really discuss the office of the prophet, we need to discuss the concept of "offices" in general.

Biblical Basis For The Concept of "Office"

Offices are not gifts, they are governmental positions. Christ selects and places certain individuals into governmental leadership in His body and gifts them accordingly. Jesus Christ was the complete manifestation, and our example of all five ministry offices:

After Christ ascended into Heaven, the five ministries Jesus had embodied on earth were given back to the Church in the form of people who fill the offices. According to Eph. 4:11, all the offices are distributed, and all five ministries, when moving in full maturity, represent Jesus' complete ministry to His Church. These ministries, or offices, are not an extension of Body ministry. They are an extension of the headship of Jesus Christ to His Body, the Church.

That portion of His mantle that enabled Him to be the great Apostle of faith was given to those chosen by Jesus to be apostles. Likewise, Jesus' evangelistic anointing is given to the evangelist, the pastor receives the heart and staff of the Good Shepherd, and the teacher is given Jesus' divine ability to teach. Those chosen to be the New Testament prophets of today receive those qualities of Jesus that gave Him the ability to know what was in the heart of people, to announce the future plans and purposes of God, and to know the secret things of God.

The Office of Prophet

According to 1 Cor. 14:3, the Gift of Prophecy is for three main functions: edification, exhortation, and comfort. However, the Office of Prophet is designed, and has authority invested in it, to function in a higher realm of ministry than the Holy Spirit's gift of prophecy.

The office of the prophet has the same authority to minister to the Church with his preaching and prophesying, as does the pastor with his preaching and pastoral counseling. (Realizing, of course, that this does not mean one who is called as a prophet has the right to go against the position or judgments of the senior pastor's authority in the local church. Rather, as a member of the five-fold ministry, a prophet has equal privilege to operate in his or her calling to the Body of Christ, as a pastor does in his or her local church). Those called to the office of prophet function in all the ministries of Old Testament prophets, as well as being granted (from the New Testament) standing in the role of Jesus, the Prophet. Therefore, their prophecies touch on areas of guidance, instruction, rebuke, judgment, and revelation - in other words, whatever Jesus chooses to speak for the purifying and perfecting of His Church.

These are some of the areas in which the office of prophet functions:


Week 7 Activation Exercise

Prophesying from the Spirit of Prophecy

In this weeks activation, we are going to stretch our faith a bit more and practice moving in the spirit of prophecy. Week 5 targeted the word of knowledge. In our written instructions, we relaxed the boundaries somewhat and allowed for this "word" to either be a word of knowledge or a prophetic word. Some of you, according to the activation instructions, received a simple word of knowledge for the group while some may have gone into more detail and actually delivered a complete prophetic word. Regardless of your experience in Week 5, this week we are going to stretch our faith and believe the Lord for a prophetic word (not just a word of knowledge) for the corporate setting.

DESCRIPTION:

God speaks personally as well as corporately. Just as we have been learning to share thoughts from the Lord with other individuals, ourselves, and others within a group, this time we will again address the entire group.

As you enter the time of "listening" for the Voice of the Lord this week, ask Him to speak whatever He would speak for the benefit of the whole group for the sake of strengthening, encouragement and comfort according to 1 Cor. 14:3. Since this is a "safe environment" for practice and learning, we remind all of this basic admonition again since this is not a time for any corrective or judgmental words. As we have said in past lessons, if you feel you hear something that is corrective or judgmental, please go back to the Lord and ask Him for another word.

If you were one who received a word of knowledge in Week 5, you will need to stretch your faith on this weeks exercise. For those of you who actually prophesied last time, your proficiency will grow by reason of use (Heb. 5:14) so this activation will serve to increase your ability to prophecy. No matter what type of group you are part of - live group, email, IRC or AOL, you will prophesy to the entire group this week.

Again, reflecting on Week 5, we gained a basic exposure to the experience of sharing a word for our local church body during a service. This week, we will deepen our exposure to that experience by giving a complete prophetic word to the church body. As we did in Week 5, the "practice church body" you are directing your prophetic word to is your activation group. The word you give should be from the Holy Spirit to the WHOLE GROUP collectively, and will offer you additional practice in delivering a prophetic word to a corporate setting.

As you receive a word from the Lord this week and your opportunity to share comes, simply "see" yourself standing before the "church" and sharing the thought the Lord has given you for the benefit and blessing of the whole body of believers with which you are associated.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this weeks activation is to give you an opportunity to begin to move in the spirit of prophecy. Stop for a moment and review 1 Cor. 14:31: "For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged". The scripture is our foundation, right? Note that it says we ALL can do this. Allow this scripture to be your foundation for faith in this weeks activation.

This is our second experience thus far with giving a corporate word. You will find that this is just as easy as receiving a word for an individual. God is the one who will be faithful to speak what He wants you to share with the group. All you have to do is continue to be a vessel for receiving - as you have been doing all along. We do not want to place limits on what the Holy Spirit may say but rather encourage you to simply listen to whatever He says and then be faithful to speak this to the group.

In this exercise, we feel you will discover that receiving a Word from the Lord is quite easy once you just relax and rest in the faith that God is faithful to communicate and that He usually wants to speak to you more than you want to hear. He will then be faithful to minister to the needs that are on His heart and you will be used as a conduit for His power.

Note for local group leaders: You might want to consider taping these words as they are given in the group and then transcribe them and make the transcription or tape available to your local pastor.

STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF THIS ACTIVATION:

(This process remains essentially the same as activations for previous weeks.)

  1. Understand That We Will Share From Christ Within Us

    Since we are all saved, we have Christ living within us. Let's allow Him to minister to us, through us, and to and through our brother or sister in Christ. 1 Peter 4:10 says "Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms". We want to be good stewards of God's grace so let's be willing to share Christ within us with our brother or sister.

  2. Stir Yourself Up Spiritually

    How do we stir ourselves up?

    • First, be convinced that it is the Lord's will for every believer to move in the Gifts of the Spirit. Next, be persuaded that you have at least 1 of the 9 gifts. Eph. 4:7-8 tells us: "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. This is why it says: 'When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men'."

    • Realize that no believer is perfect and it is OK to make a mistake. Another look at Jesus' disciples will prove this fact as we saw in our initial teaching material.

    • Just know that we all learn by doing.

    • Praying in the Spirit can act as a catalyst to receive the mind of Christ so that our human spirit can receive thoughts, impressions, pictures, etc. from the Holy Spirit

    • We activate the gifts by faith and grace, therefore it is our responsibility.

  3. Sanctification - Activation Prayer

    Pray this prayer with your group as you begin:

    Dear Lord, in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I come before your throne. I believe that Christ lives within me, and that I am washed by the blood. Not in part, but in my whole being. I now bring every thought of my mind and soul into captivity to the mind of Christ within. I will be open to be led by the Holy Spirit to receive a prophetic word from You for this group, my "corporate Church". I will gladly share just what you show me, without adding my own interpretation to it. I will not doubt it nor question it, I'll just be willing to give it. I am a believer, and I expect to receive. I thank You for giving me a word from the throne. Amen.

    This prayer releases people from any guilt, fear, condemnation and sense of unworthiness. Since fear and feeling unworthy are the two most hindering factors to people moving in the mind of Christ, this brings a release.

  4. Leaders Pray A Prayer Of Covering/Protection

    The purpose of this short and specific prayer is to bind any hindering or religious spirits, and to release faith and anointing. Use whatever words you desire, but it does not have to be long and involved.

  5. Now, Be Silent And Listen, Look And Feel

    One of the members of the group should agree to be the lead off person and go first. Now relax because this is going to be fun and it will continue to help you "tune in" to the Holy Spirit. Once you go silent, give yourself about 45 - 60 seconds and during this time, look and see what pictures form in your minds eye (the eyes of your heart), listen to what you may "hear" in your Spirit and pay attention to what sense you may have in your "knower".

    Again, here is an explanation of these different modes.

    NOTE: We have modified these explanations slightly to accommodate a "prophetic flow" and no longer just a thought or word of knowledge so please read these again this time through:

    • If you are a "seer", you will see pictures in your mind readily. These pictures may require interpretation. When you give a prophetic word, you allow these pictures to guide you along a theme and speak to what you see in the order you see it. In this manner, the Holy Spirit can give you a "flow" by a series of pictures. Interpretation can and does play a role in accurately speaking to the series of pictures.

    • If you are a "hearer", you will "hear" what the Spirit says. This will not usually be an audible voice but for some of you it could be - on rare occasion. Normally, you just feel like you are hearing something. In actuality, you are not hearing anything audible but you still feel as if you are hearing what you receive. Once you "hear", you simply share what you hear the Spirit saying to you for an individual or corporately.

    • If you are a "knower / feeler", you just seem to know something and it feels right but you could not explain to anyone how you know.. you just know! It is like a built in sense of "what is". If you are a knower, you will recognize this pattern. If you are a feeler, you may actually feel something. For instance, God may give you a word of knowledge of a physical healing He wants to do by allowing you to briefly feel in your own body the condition that God desires to heal in another. This is called a "physical word of knowledge".

  6. Now, Give Your Word For the Group According To The Spirit's Leading

    This is the doing part for which we have prepared ourselves. Now is the time, one person at a time, to speak specifically what you receive from the Holy Spirit being cautious not to add any of your own personal interpretation. (If you are a seer, ask the Lord to help you with this from now on in these activations since there will be a need to interpret somewhat the "flow" of mental pictures.)

    We also want to re-state our caution from before: "God does not usually give us judgmental, negative, harsh, corrective, or directive words when we are just learning to move in the prophetic. For the scope of these exercises, these types of words will be STRICTLY OFF LIMITS. If you believe you receive one of these types of words during the activation exercise, assume you have heard wrong and go back to the Lord and ask Him for a different word.

    From our original purpose paragraph, you will be looking for a prophetic word that will connect with the whole group corporately. This activation will allow the Lord to speak to more broad-ranging issues since the focus of the word is corporate rather than individual.

    Continue to rotate and do this as long as you wish but at minimum until each person has had the opportunity to share what they received at least once. In most cases, many in the group will receive both individual as well as corporate ministry.

  7. Follow-Up

    As the members of your group share what they receive, you might want to write down the things which speak to you individually as well as the things you strongly identify with in the corporate setting and discuss them after all have had an opportunity to share what they received. The group can then take the opportunity to pray over these things and see the Lord minister to the needs that were identified corporately.

APPLICATION

Imagine yourself in the worship portion of a meeting in your local church. You feel you hear the Lord quickening something in your spirit for the church body as a whole. Will you have the faith to believe that you can hear accurately enough to be willing to share what you hear with the congregation? Will fear become a deterrent to your being willing to be a vessel for delivering a corporate word? Review the scripture in 1 Cor. 14:26, "What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church." Do you see yourself fitting into this pattern as the scripture directs? How much more alive in the Spirit would our meetings and gatherings be if instead of coming together to get spiritually what we can from others, we all came together to share what the Lord had already given us for the benefit (overall strengthening) of the Body?

One word of caution on giving corporate words - if any of us are still harboring wounds that "need" to draw attention to ourselves, the enemy will try to work through our wounding to use this type of setting to draw to us instead of pointing toward the Lord and giving Him glory. The safeguard to this is to always be willing to submit anything you receive for the corporate body to the church leadership and allow them to make the determination as to how the word fits into the flow of the service. Always resist using this type of word to direct the flow of the service or groups in the church unless the church leadership gives you release to publicly speak such a word (provided you received this type of word from the Lord to begin with).

End of Week 7

[Previous Article] [Next Article]

Support Gateways of His Light by sharing this page on social media


Prophetic School 101

Supernatural School

Main Page