Spirit of Prophecy by International House of Prayer

                                                  INTRODUCTION
This resource is meant to equip you to operate in New Testament (simple) prophecy.

1 Corinthians 14 says that prophecy is meant to edify (build up), exhort (encourage), and comfort the body. We believe based on Acts 2:16-18 that every believer who has the Holy Spirit has the ability to operate in this type of prophecy. This teaching will go detailed into New Testament prophecy (as described in 1 Corinthians 14) including what it is, what its purpose is, how to hear (ways God speaks), the anatomy of a prophetic word, and prophetic “etiquette”. We very much believe in moving in the prophetic at greater levels (e.g. correction, direction, governmental arena, etc.); however, this book is meant to be a foundation in beginning to move in simple prophecy for the purpose of building up the body and those around us.
Part 1 of this teaching will help you hear from God over your own life. Part 2 will get into simple prophecy and hearing from God for others. We pray that you will go into this with an open heart and open ears to hear what the Lord is saying.
Revelation 19:10: “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”.
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Part 1:

Journaling
“Come to Me with your ears wide open. Listen and you will find life”.
Isaiah 55:3
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Do you feel like God is far away? Distant? Unapproachable? Unattainable? Hard to hear? Hard to communicate with? Well, that is exactly what the enemy wants you to think, but it could not be farther from the truth! God is so close, so attainable, so accessible, and desperately wants you to be close to Him. He desires to communicate and build a deeper, more intimate relationship with you. How awesome is that!
The first step to growing in your relationship with God is to have a personal relationship with Jesus. The second step is to be willing and open.
A. God wants to talk to us! We are just usually so busy with our own agenda that when we go to Him in prayer we never stop to listen and let Him speak!
B. The word “listen” is in the Bible (NLT) 332 times and the word “hear” is in the Bible NLT) 358 times! Hearing from God is a CHOICE.
Psalm 95:7 says, “Today IF you hear His voice”.
Job 42:4 says, “Listen and I will speak”.
Proverbs 4:20 says, “My child, pay careful attention to what I say, Listen carefully to My words”.
Psalm 27:8 says, “My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with Me”. And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming”.
Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know”.
Isaiah 55:3 says, “Come to Me with your ears wide open. Listen and you will find life”.
Revelation 3:20 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
C. You can talk to and hear from God EVERYDAY, ANY time you want to. God is always near, waiting to talk with us. He desires an intimate, personal relationship with us. He created us to be in relationship with Him.
D. There should be no fear in approaching God. Our fear of the Lord comes in obedience, not in coming into God’s presence and approaching Him.
E.God desires to talk with us about everything, not just the big things, but everything. He wants to talk with us about our days, our struggles, our disappointments, share in our joys, everything. You can talk to God and carry on a conversation with Him just like you would talk to anyone else.
F. It takes practice to learn His voice, but the more time you spend with Him, the easier it will be to hear and recognize His voice. John 10:27 says, “My sheep hear My voice; I know them and they follow me”.
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Journaling…
One way that I have found helpful in communicating with God and learning His voice is through journaling. Journaling is a tool that you can use to grow in your relationship with God and to begin to learn to hear His voice. A lot of you may have journaled before, written down your thoughts and/or prayers, but most end it there and have never waited and allowed God to respond. Journaling and hearing from God will only work if you are very honest and are willing to experience and hear Him.
A. As you begin to journal and listen for God’s voice, there are three voices that you may hear, God’s, yours, or satan’s.
1) The first thing that will happen is that satan will try to tell you that you are talking to yourself, that God would not be talking to you. But satan is a LIAR! Do not listen to him. God does speak to us and He does want to speak to you.
B. Your journals (conversations with God) should always line up with scripture and should never replace reading God’s word.
C. If you follow the voice and it leads you astray, you will realize that you have listened to your own desires or maybe even the enemy’s tempt to sin or get you off track.
D. Do not manipulate your faith to match your life! If your heart is not right you can manipulate what you hear. Make sure that your heart is clean and ready to honestly receive. Be brave enough to not only write down your own hopes, dreams, and thoughts, but also to record the areas that God wants to work on in you and the ways that He is calling you higher.
God will always respond when you earnestly seek Him - “If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.” Jer. 29:13.
You may not get the answer you want or hear what you want, but He will always respond.
A lot of times, again, we have our own agendas when we approach God. But He also has His own agenda, and His agenda always prevails. So keep this in mind when you go to Him for specific things and don’t get what you are expecting. He will not always give you what you want or are expecting, but He will always give you what you need. Sometimes when I go to God His response to me is completely off subject from what I wanted and sometimes He addresses exactly what I asked Him to. But either way, I trust that He knows what is best and His timing in dealing with things is always perfect (He’s never late)! There is not one time that I have ever gone to God that He has not responded!
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Roadblocks to journaling…
A. Sin - thinking that you are unworthy to approach and communicate with Him due to your sin. We are all sinners and He loves us anyway! He will meet you right where you are! You do not have to have everything together to go to God, just an open heart.
B. Fear - being afraid that you won’t do it right or that you won’t be able to hear from God.
C. Doubt - Does this really work? Can I really hear Him? Will He really talk to me?
D. Preoccupation with your problems - your mind is so focused on you and on your problems that you cannot focus on God or on listening to His voice.
Rewards of journaling…
A. Focus - journaling helps eliminate distractions in your mind because you are writing.
B. Accountability - you are recording what you and God are talking about and what He may be asking you to do, to not do, or to work on. You can’t forget what is written down! You have a permanent reminder of what God has said.
C. Reminder to go to God first - as you journal more it will become habit to pick up your journal and go to Him first when anything is going on.
D. A closer, more intimate relationship with God!
Journaling is not for everyone, but everyone can do it and it is a great tool to begin to learn God’s voice. I started journaling about six years ago and my relationship with Him has taken off to all new levels. The level of communication and intimacy that I now share with God blows my mind! At this point, I hear His voice constantly, like He is right next to me all day whispering in my ear! But I never would have learned His voice without practice and journaling.
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Here are examples of some journaling formats:
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I have made a journal page to get you started with the first question below. I have also copied a few of my own journals to share with you.
Humble yourself daily before Him and listen for His voice. He has many wonderful things to tell you. Remember as you draw near to God, He will draw near to you! I pray that you will open yourself up and hear all that God has to say to you and grow to new levels in your relationship with Him!
SOME QUESTIONS TO JOURNAL:
1. Lord, what am I worth to you?
2. God, if life on earth is just a temporary assignment, how should that change the way I live today?
3. God, what areas of my life do I still need to surrender to you?
4. God, how can I receive the kind of peace you want to give me?
5. Read Matthew 22:34-40, then ask:
God, how can I love my neighbor as myself?
How do I love you with all my heart, soul, and mind?
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10/10/08
Good evening Lord. Thank you for a great day at work today. Please forgive me for complaining. How can I learn not to complain? “My child, choose to look at the good things instead of the bad things. When you focus on the bad stuff, you are blinded to the things you should be thankful for. If you choose to focus on good things, you will have nothing to complain about!” Father, please help me to remember to do that. I love you.” I love you, too, My child.”
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10/10/08
1 Timothy 6:6-7
“But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.
Lord, what should I learn from this verse?
“My child, be content exactly where you are and with exactly what you have. Do not strive for the riches of this world. Strive towards Me and store up your riches in heaven!”
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10/10/08
Father, I am so upset and stressed out. I am worried about my job and about being able to pay my bills. “My child, relax and trust Me. I will always provide a way, you know that! Have faith, especially when you cannot see. Now stop the worrying and up the faith! I love you My child and I will always take care of you. Always remember that and never worry!” But God, it is so hard. “Trust Me my child, trust Me!”
1.Greet
2.Give thanks
3.Repent/ask for forgiveness
4.Ask a question
5.Listen
6. Respond
1. Write a Bible verse
2. Write your thoughts or question
3. Listen for God’s response
Or, just start a conversation…
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God, what am I worth to you?
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Part 2:
NT(simple) Prophecy
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy…” Joel 2:28
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1 Corinthians 14: 1-5 (ESV)
1Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy. 2For one who speaks in a tongue speaks not to men but to God; for no one understands him, but he utters mysteries in the Spirit. 3On the other hand, the one who prophesies speaks to people for their up-building and encouragement and consolation. 4The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church. 5Now I want you all to speak in tongues, buteven more to prophesy.
The vocal gifts of the Spirit must lead us to do two things:
1. pursue love
2. do everything for the purpose of edifying the body
Ephesians 4:11-12
And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the EQUIPPING of the saints for the work of ministry, for the EDIFYING of the body of Christ..."
1 Corinthians 12:7-10
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one FOR THE PROFIT OF ALL: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.
Joel 2: 28-29 (ESV) (and Acts 2:16-18)
28"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons andyour daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. 29Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.
Everyone who is a born again believer has the ability to operate in the Spirit of NT prophecy because we all have the Spirit of Truth (the Holy Spirit) living on the inside of us. Prophecy is a manifestation of the Spirit; a gift of the Holy Spirit; it does not belong to people.
John 16: 13-14
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What is prophecy?
Rev. 19:10 “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy”
Prophecy reveals Jesus
Prophecy is the testimony of Jesus and is the revelation of what is on His heart for His people. It is a manifestation of the Spirit that reveals God; who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing. Even our lives are prophesying Jesus to those around us! !
There is no clear "layout" of the gifts of the Spirit in Scripture. God did this on purpose because there are endless ways that He can do things. If he would have laid everything out for us, we would have boxed up each gift and been bound within those walls and we would stop exploring the Spirit and quit experimenting with His gifts.
With that said... let me differentiate between simple prophecy and a prophetic gifting...
NT (simple) Prophecy – every born-again believer can operate in this because we have the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) living on the inside of us. Prophecy is expressing something that the Holy Spirit has brought to mind. This is usually in the form of encouragement, comfort and edification as explained in 1 Corinthians 14:3. They may also receive words of knowledge/wisdom. It does not include correction or direction.
Prophetic Gifting – these are believers who receive impressions, dreams, visions, etc. on a regular basis. This group receives more revelation than the first group, yet in the beginning of learning lack understanding of what they receive.
NT PROPHECY (simple prophecy):
This is the type of prophecy spoken about in 1 Corinthians 14. There is a misconception that prophecy is all about “telling the future”. Although it can do that, that is not its primary purpose. Its primary purpose is to reveal the heart of Jesus (which tells/shows us who He is).
Prophecy stands in the gap between Heaven and earth, taking the things of Heaven and revealing them; calling people to come into agreement with God.
We operate in simple prophecy by speaking forth what the Holy Spirit has laid on our heart or minds to build up the recipient. Prophecy of this type is not corrective (pointing out sin), directive (quit your job; move to Africa, etc.), or
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predictive (mates, dates, babies). We can give godly counsel in domestic areas without presenting it as a prophecy.
(God deals with our sin, but He does it with us in private. You would not take your child out in to a crowd to discipline him; neither does God do that to us! His intention is not to shame or embarrass us!)
In 1 Cor. 14, Paul highlights 6 times in one chapter the theme of prophecy and the gifts of the Spirit for the purpose of edification.
Simple prophecy is for the encouragement, comfort and edification of the person receiving it. (1 Cor. 14:3)
Prophecy is meant to speak
“Death and LIFE are in the power of the tongue” Proverbs 18:21
LIFE
We always want to be speaking life into people. Even if we see sin or darkness, we always want to speak LIFE into it. We never want to point out the darkness!
-Ezekiel 37:1-9 (dry bones) Ezekiel prophesied LIFE into the dry bones! (A word from the Lord can literally bring breath into their souls and bring them to life! We have churches filled with dead souls... we have a world filled with dead souls...)
Knowing God…
It is SO important to know God; to know His character and know His heart. (Have to have INTIMACY with HIM)
God is a God of LOVE; a God of GRACE. GOD IS LOVE! Love needs to be the foundation of prophecy!
1 Corinthians 13: 2
If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge… but do not have LOVE, I am nothing.
We prophesy in the way that we view/see God. For example, if we see God as sitting up on His throne pointing out everything we are doing wrong (being critical), then that is how we will prophesy over people.
We have to learn how to see people the way God sees them.
Then we need to learn how to speak to them the way God would speak to them.
But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
(1 Cor. 6:11)
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For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might
become the righteousness of God in Him.
(2 Cor. 5:21)
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood...
(Rev. 1:5)
"You are all fair, my love, And there is no spot
(SOS 4:7) in you."
God sees us through the blood stained lenses of Christ's sacrifice! And we need to learn to see others this way!
JESUS TAKES PROPHECY VERY SERIOUSLY!
We are being given the opportunity to speak to the BRIDE OF CHRIST! We will be representing Jesus to those we prophesy to. Keep this in mind when prophesying over people. Ask yourself this question:
If Jesus walked into the room with His Bride on His arm, how would I treat her? How would I speak to her?
You would probably treat her with the highest honor, respect, and love (if you could even speak at all). Picture everyone that you deliver prophetic words to as the bride of Christ and minister to them in that context. This will help keep our hearts humble and rooted in love.
The prophetic gifts are not so we can have a nice experience, they are so that we can be releasers of the mind of God into someone's life!
"One thing can guarantee the purity of our prophecy-- a large dose of humility. A humble spirit ensures that we will not seek to do anything to dishonor the Lord Jesus, discredit the ministry, or disrupt the body of Christ. In this life, we either humble ourselves or get humiliated. We either fall on the rock or the rock falls on us. "
"If we prophesy in humility and make a mistake, the Lord will give us grace to face the issue and put things right."
-Graham Cooke
"Approaching the Heart of Prophecy"
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The voice of the Lord...
Psalm 29: 3-9
IT SHOULD BE PROFOUND WHEN THE LORD SPEAKS! EVERYTHING THAT COMES FROM THE MOUTH OF THE LORD IS PROFOUND NO MATTER HOW BIG OR SMALL! In our pride, we tend to trivialize the voice of God!
In our pride, we can despise the smallness of God’s power in ministry. Some are only interested in God’s power when it is manifest in a dramatic measure. They want to walk in the prophetic on their terms. It takes humility to walk with God on His terms of being faithful and grateful in the days of smallness.
Charles Spurgeon: "For to stifle (crush, suppress, withhold, smother) a thought from God is no small sin."
We are bringing forth the mind (thoughts) of God into someone's life!
How to hear God/ways He speaks:
Everyone who has the Holy Spirit living on the inside of them can prophesy! Jesus said in John 14:16-17 that the Father would send another advocate to help us and be with us forever – the Spirit if Truth. He also said in John 14:26: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.”
SOME WAYS WE MAY RECEIVE REVELATION:
PICTURES/VISIONS
BIBLE VERSES
A WORD OR PHRASE
EMOTIONS
DREAMS
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Whatever you receive, always ask Holy Spirit what you are supposed to do with it. Are you supposed to share it or is it the Lord revealing something in order to allow you to partner with Him in interceding for that person. (One of the hardest things to learn is that not everything we receive is to be given!)
Ezekiel 3:10 (NLT) The He added: "Son of man, let all My words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen carefully for yourself. Then go..."
It is always easier to add to a prophetic word than to retract from it! Most mistakes in prophecy occur because we rush in with what we believe God is saying while He may still be speaking.
We cannot treat prophetic words like a hot potato, wanting to get rid of them as soon as they touch our hands.
Prophecy is always an invitation into intimacy both for the one prophesying and the one being prophesied to!
3 gates into our soul:
There are gates into our soul that we must guard:
1. EYES – What are you watching? What are you looking at?
Luke 11:34 – The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore when your eye is good, your whole body is full of light. But, when your eye is bad, your whole body is full of darkness.
2. EARS – What are you listening to? (Music, people, etc.)
Luke 8:18 – Therefore, take heed how you hear, for whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken away.
3. MOUTH – What is coming out of your mouth? (gossip)
Proverbs 18:21 – Life and death are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.
James 3:9-11– 9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?
Luke 6:45 -Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.
(What comes out of our mouth either glorifies God or defiles our hearts and ministry)
(Our ordinary conversations show the Holy Spirit what we can be trusted with)
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WHY WE DON’T RECEIVE PROPHETIC WORDS…
We often do not have prophetic impressions simply because we do not ask for them. Ask the question: "Spirit, what are You saying or doing?" The simple act of asking makes us receptive and attentive to what He is doing and postures us to receive the Spirit's impressions. "Yet you do not have because you do not ask." James 4:2
1 Corinthians 2:9-13 (New King James Version)
9 But as it is written: “ Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
We have a built-in "search engine" on the inside of us -- the Holy Spirit
THE GOAL OF THE PROPHETIC IS TO HAVE THE MIND OF CHRIST SO THAT WE CAN MANIFEST THE NATURE AND CHARACTER OF CHRIST. (REVEALING JESUS TO THOSE AROUND US)
The anatomy of a prophetic word (three parts)
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. An accurate diagnosis alone doesn’t cure anyone.
I. REVELATION (WHAT IS SAID)
A. The starting point of the prophetic is receiving revelation from God.
1. Hearing the voice of God is the privilege of every believer.
27My sheep hear My voice
I have called you friends, for , and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:27)
all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you (John 15:15)
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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. 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 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.
II. 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 seen or 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.
III. APPLICATION (WHAT DO I DO ABOUT IT?)
A. Simply because God reveals something to us does not automatically mean that we have to communicate anything at all
1. Who is this word for? (Me, individual or a group) . 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:
2. How should I communicate this word? (If at all)
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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
20 Do not . (1 Cor. 14:29)
despise prophecies. 21 Test all things; hold fast
1. Test the word by the Bible (a prophetic word will never contradict the Word of God) what is good. (1 Thess. 5:20-21)
2. Test the word by what you know of the Character of God (God’s word will bring hope, not despair)
PROPHETIC “ETIQUETTE” (DO’S AND DONT'S)
A. Suggestions 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. It is possible to have a great truth but ruin it with poor grace!
2. Minister in kindness, tenderness and humility; pray for your hearer
3. 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 is not 100% God.
4. Prophetic words are always subject to the authority of scripture. Ask the Lord to give you scripture for your hearer.
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5. 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).
6. Try to avoid using words like “prophet”, “preacher”, etc. It is better to say “prophetic anointing” or “shepherding gift” than to directly point out one’s calling, even if you are clearly seeing it because people tend to get caught up in and bound to a “title” or “calling”.
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. John 5:19-20 - Jesus only did what He saw the Father do.
10. Do not minister to someone of the opposite sex alone. If you have to give a word, ALWAYS have someone else there with you.
Remember that the words we give are not ours to keep. When you get a word, release it to the person, and then let it go. Do not dwell on it or hold onto it.
B. Avoiding Prophetic Weirdness
1. Be as normal and unreligious as possible if you want to be received. Do not let your behavior be a stumbling block.
2. Emphasize the main and plain not the rare and bizarre.
3 Don’t do anything strange without a clear leading from the Lord.
4. Remember that Paul emphasized that spiritual gifts be exercised “decently and in order” (1 Cor.14:40) within the corporate context.
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HINDRANCES TO PROPHECY:
1. Pride
2. Fear/Fear of man/People pleasing
3. Doubt/Unbelief
4. Boundaries
Everyone who has the Holy Spirit (the Spirit of Truth) living on the inside of them can prophesy! Don’t be afraid to step out! Judgment was suspended on the cross when God's judgment was laid Jesus. We are in a season of prophetic grace. There is no judgment until Christ returns, only the chastisement and discipline that comes as we are maturing into full children of God.
Do not abuse, however, the grace that we have been given! He paid a high price for it! Grace is not an excuse to speak whatever we want. We must use discernment and release everything with the heart of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 4: 3-5 (Paul)
**Judge the prophetic word NOT the person!
Prophecy should never go against the Word of God. It should always be given in a spirit of LOVE.
When prophesying, here are a few questions you can ask Holy Spirit about the person you are ministering to:
QUESTIONS TO HELP GET YOU STARTED:
-What face of God do you want to reveal to them? (Father, Provider, Healer, etc.)
-What are you doing in their garden?
(plowing, tilling, planting, watering, is it blooming, etc.)
-Where were they, where are they, where are they going?
-What are you building in them and what is the next “building block”?
God is always speaking! He is just looking for willing vessels to incline their ear and speak forth His words.
We must learn to hear God's voice over our own life before we start listening for His voice over others'. Prophecy is meant to draw us into deeper intimacy with God. We should never depend on others to hear from God for us.
"...let us prophesy in proportion to our faith" Romans 12:6
We prophesy as far as our faith will allow us to. As you begin to step out, God will begin to build your faith!
"I compare functioning in the prophetic to putting up the sail in a boat on a lake on a calm day. When it seems there is no breeze, the sail catches even the most gentle breeze that barely moves the boat. Yet, it moves! A similar dynamic occurs when we ask Jesus what He is doing. Put your sail up by saying, "Holy Spirit, what do you want to do or say through me today?"
-Mike Bickle
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BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:
Song of Songs Study Guide (by Mike Bickle)
Are you longing to know God? Can you trust His hand in your life? Do you want to understand how He sees you, how He feels about you? Nothing empowers the human heart like the revelation of God's affection for us. Though this love is seen throughout the Bible, the Song of Songs unveils this divine romance unlike any other book. Song of Songs is an eight-chapter love song revealing the passionate desire of God for His Bride.
www.ihop.org
$15.00
Approaching the Heart of Prophecy (by Graham Cooke)
Today, prophecy is often misunderstood and even abused. In Approaching the Heart of Prophecy, Graham Cooke unwraps the gift and offers a practical and powerful approach to a gracious, life-changing ministry. He writes that "prophecy is simply encouraging, exhorting, and comforting people by tuning them into what God has for them." Through exercises, anecdotes, case studies, and Scripture, Graham Cooke walks the reader through the steps of moving in the gift of prophecy to experience and express the love and kindness of God.
www.ihop.org
$17.99
Secrets of the Secret Place (by Bob Sorge)
This book has one central purpose: to fuel your passion for the secret place with God. Divided into fifty-two short chapters, it can serve as a companion to your devotional life. Not only will this book help to defuse your personal struggles related to the secret place, it will also inspire you to the thrilling exhilaration of developing a personal connection with God. Your heart will be ignited with passion for Jesus, and you will profit from the practical advice on making it work.
www.ihop.org
$14.00
Growing in the Prophetic (by Mike Bickle)
In this updated version, Mike adds new stories and principles gleaned from his many years of experience with the prophetic ministry. He combines thorough biblical balance with many personal experiences to equip believers to prophesy and to relate in a right way to others who prophesy. This book offers proven guidelines for the operation of prophecy in the lives of individuals and in the context of a local church family. This book will provide practical help for churches today who are struggling to find the proper place for the prophetic gifting in their congregations.
www.ihop.org
$14.99
(Free download of e-book available at
www.mikebickle.org)