When I say “prophecy,” what pops into your head? Old Testament eccentric loners rebuking ungodly kings? Apocalyptic visions of cosmic dragons?
Let’s narrow the topic down to the gift of prophecy mentioned in 1 Cor. 12:10 and Rom. 12:6.
Some folks believe this gift of the Holy Spirit is not legitimately in operation today, so they aren’t comfortable with it. Others believe it is for today, but don’t quite know what to make of it.
Common reservations about the gift of prophecy include its supernatural aspect and the fear of feeling exposed or punished by God through prophetic words.
If such discomforts describe you, I can relate. My introduction to this gift began with fear. Here’s how it happened:
At age twenty, when I was attending Bible college, I joined the drama team for a summer of ministry in San Francisco. Housed in the six-story dorm building once owned by our school, now a haven for rats, mice, and cockroaches, we often heard sirens in the neighborhood.
One day, two men settled a dispute a block away from our building by one of them plugging a bullet in the other. Our team leader led the dying man to Christ.
Besides being stretched and challenged by living in squalor and performing gospel-centered street drama for homeless folks in Golden Gate Park, I also experienced new growth in my spiritual walk. That summer, I encountered prophetic ministry for the first time.
The Bible college I attended was part of the Pentecostal denomination in which I’d grown up. I knew about the gifts of the Spirit. That is, I knew about speaking in tongues, which had been my experience since age thirteen. But when my friend said she’d gotten permission to have her parents come to our morning devotional time so they could speak prophetic words over us, I got nervous.
The morning arrived. We stood in a circle and the couple approached each of us in turn, speaking what they received from the Holy Spirit. They didn’t use super-spiritual language. Their voices were not loud or quavering. They never said, “Thus says the Lord.” They simply shared what they heard.
Still, in my discomfort I wanted to bolt out of the room. Only peer pressure and the freeze response kept me standing there.
After the prophesying pair left, I talked to another friend who had also been fearful about this strange-to-us type of ministry. We compared notes and realized this couple spoke accurate, personal, timely words to each of us.
I’d made a recent decision not to go on dates during my final year of school. I wanted to focus on my relationship with God and stop worrying about finding a husband. The prophetic message alluded to “this single time, which feels like a lonely time,” during which God promised he would draw close to me in a way I had not yet experienced.
God showed me he sees me and cares personally about me—and I realized prophetic ministry isn’t weird or scary after all.
It’s amazing!
Love motivates prophecy—God’s love for us, and our love for each other. Legitimate prophetic words do not shame or manipulate people. They build people up.
Over the years, as my understanding of the gift of prophecy grew, I gained clarity concerning the purposes for which God created me. Pursuing this gift changed the trajectory of my life, impacting decisions both big and small.
Personal prophetic words allowed me to experience the love of God in a way I never had before.
And the cherry on top? Through the gift of prophecy, I’ve been empowered to participate with the Holy Spirit in strengthening, encouraging, and comforting God’s people.
You can do this, too!
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I relate this story and others in my upcoming book, Prophesying Daughters: How Prophetic Ministry and Women in Leadership Strengthen the Church. Watch for a spring release date!
Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
