10 Tips To Grow Strong In Your Prophetic Gift

The Lord God has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. Isaiah 50:4

Is there anything more fun than hearing the voice of the Holy Spirit?

Maybe in worship, you’ve caught the breath of His voice.  Maybe as you opened His Word, your spirit leaped.  Maybe He has used a friend to say something encouraging when you were weary.

All of these are examples of one of the most powerful gifts discussed in the New Testament – a gift available to every believer.  I Corinthian 14:1 says “Pursue love and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophecy.”

Why would you want to prophecy?

The word prophecy means to speak, say, declare or make known.  In Hebrew, the word “nabi” means to flow, bubble or pour forth words, to gush.  When we begin to speak or declare the whispers of God, we will naturally accomplish the biblical purpose of prophecy.  I Corinthians 14:3 says “He who prophesies speaks edification (guidance) exhortation (encouragement) and comfort (cheer).”

Here are ten tips to help you grow strong in your prophetic gift.

• It’s normal – Let me clarify a bit of a misconception. Somehow we’ve taught people that hearing God’s voice and sharing your impressions or thoughts with another is abnormal – or at the very least – for only special people. The truth is that hearing the voice of God and sharing what we hear is at the foundation of the Christian experience. Every believer can hear and share.

• Tune in – Learning to hear the voice of God is a bit like learning to dial an old fashioned radio. We used to turn the dial until the radio signal became strong. As you were searching for your favorite music, there was a lot of static. But as you drew near to the “channel” things became clear. God’s voice is much like this. As you begin to pray, meditate and listen closely about a particular person or situation, often your channel will become clear. Practice focusing your mind and heart by using a particular question. For example, “What do you want to say to my friend, today?”

• Fight fear – When you begin to prophecy, you will encounter fear. It is a “fearful” thing to dare to speak to another an impression, thought or image that is God-inspired. In the moment, your own heart might pound, your breath become short and your hands sweat. I’ve only found one cure for this attack – keep going. You can move past the fear as you humbly submit yourself and the word to the person you are ministering to.

• Be teachable – One of the easiest ways to learn how to handle, give and receive prophetic words is to walk alongside someone more experienced than you. They can give you practical instruction, careful guidance and positive encouragement. Don’t be afraid to be corrected. I Corinthians 13:9 says “For we know in part and we prophesy in part…” No one learned to use any gift or talent without practice. If you don’t have someone in your circle who can help, remember that you can be mentored by books, teachings and trainings.

• Get a word for yourself – There is no one who can give you a more encouraging prophetic word than Christ himself. Others may speak into your life, confirm some whispers of the Holy Spirit or even call out gifts and talents. But the strongest, most life changing word comes from heaven itself right into your spirit.

• Be tender – When you are speaking prophetically to another person, their heart is wide open. Keep in mind that the person before you is vulnerable. Speak carefully, tenderly, with grace. Let God use your cooperation to draw out of people His awesome gifts and abilities. Your word should highlight His greatness, kindness, goodness and unfailing love.

• Weigh your words – Words always have tremendous power to bless or to curse, but when you are intentionally speaking an encouragement to another, they are fully loaded for maximum impact. Just because you hear, doesn’t mean you have permission to speak. Sometimes you will have to hold your tongue and submit a matter to prayer.

• Offer your word– Prophetic words should be offered or submitted to another person in a humble manner. They are never to be pushed upon someone. If a word is delivered in a demanding or controlling tone, it will set in motion a sense of manipulation and will not accomplish a biblical purpose. You offer and the other person chooses whether or not to receive.

• Work on your timing – You can be in a situation where you have the “right” word but it’s the “wrong” time. Before delivering a word, consider if you have the relationship and or authority to speak into this person? Is this the right environment? Is this the right time? It is okay to hold a word, to pray about it and to watch for the opportune timing of God.

• Love more – Want to hear God more clearly and give more precise, encouraging words? Love more. That’s right! The greater your love and compassion for God, people and yourself, the more easily you will flow in the gift of prophecy. Love is close to the heart of the Father and according to II Corinthians 13, guaranteed to never fail.

3 Questions to ask God/Activate Your Prophetic Gift

• Do you love me?

• What do you want to say to me right now?

• What are the gifts/talents you have given me you want me to focus on now?

5 Tips to Help You Hear God's Voice

Hearing God's voice and sharing what you hear for the purpose of encouraging another is the gift of prophecy in operation.  According to I Corinthians 14:3, this gift edifies, exhorts, and comforts; helps us build up or strengthen; and points us to the Word of God

Receiving a prophetic word is life changing.  Mark and I have received prophetic words that have shaped our faith and our fight.  We've received words that have given us healing, comfort and direction for the future and we've had our gifts and callings confirmed.  Some words have been public.  Many words have been private.  And some of the most pivotal words have been the ones God spoke directly to our own hearts in the midst of our private worship.

If you've never received a prophetic word, I have good news for you.  You can pursue God for a word for yourself.  He loves to speak to His children and He always has something to share with you.

So don't wait for a public ministry moment or for someone else to see and hear on your behalf.  All believers can boldly pursue a conversation with God.

Here are my 5 favorite tips to help you hear God's voice. 

1 - Be still

Settle down.  Get yourself in a position to hear God.  Gather everything you might want or need.  For me it's a very practical list:  blanket, Bible, glasses, pen, journal and my cup of coffee.

2 - Worship

Use the first few moments to just turn your attention to the presence of God.  He is always with us, but I don't always acknowledge Him.  I try to clear my mind a bit by thanking Him for loving me.  You can use worship songs, prayer, or writing in a journal - whatever helps you tune into the presence of God.

3 - Ask a good question 

Find a good question to ask God, and then wait just a moment.  Sometimes I ask a question and hear nothing.  Try again.  Ask a different question.  Still don't hear?  Get more specific.  It's like finding the exact radio frequency that God wants to use to speak directly to you. Sometimes there is a lot of static at first, then bits and pieces begin to break through and then suddenly you slip into the stream of His voice and you can hear.

4 - Write it down

If at all possible, just start writing.  As you write, set your heart to believe.  Sometimes the word is so dramatic and accompanied by such specific imagery that I can hold onto it without recording it.  Other times God is so subtle, specific and tender that if I don't grasp it so quickly and I lose it.  It still brings life to me, but I lose the ability to steward it for my blessing over and over.

5 - Obey

Now we can become like Timothy and learn to use the prophetic word spoken to wage war in the spirit.  The more you thank God for it, believe God and battle with it, the greater will be the blessing and the manifestation of His word in your life.

What's your favorite tip for hearing God?

When Your Back is Up Against the Wall

Moses answered the people, do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.  The Egyptians you see today - you will never see again.  God will fight the battle for you.  And you?  You keep your mouths shut. Exodus 14:13-14a (MES)

I recently the honor of serving on a prophetic ministry team. For several days, I sought God for a word of encouragement for specific individuals.  My process of preparing looks something like this:

• get still (Gather every single thing I might possibly want or need for the next hour - coffee, blanket, bible, journal, pen, glasses, computer...you get the idea.)

• pray (Talk to God about how desperate I am to hear what He has to say.)

• listen (Try to stop talking and wait to see if something comes to mind.)

• pray again (Talk, talk, talk - tell God what will happen if He doesn't speak.)

• listen, listen, listen (Make a decision to cut it out, be quiet, put the pressure on God to speak and on me to be still.)

• journal (Write down any and everything I hear, see or sense.)

• repeat

It isn't a very smooth process for me.  It's a bit fraught with my own anxiety and need to "do well".  Once I begin to calm myself, put the expectation on God rather than on me, it's like a slip stream.  I step into a flow I can't explain and I become aware of impressions, words, scriptures, and images that "speak to me" of God's heart.

On Tuesday morning as I finalized my preparations , I felt God had a personal word for me.  I turned the page in my journal and started writing.  Here's what God said:

"The restoration has begun.  The rebuilding is underway.

The pain lessons.

The meds decrease.

The rest is sweeter.

The hair reappears.

The nails transform.

I am faithful, Jan.  I don't just heal or rescue.  I restore."

Restore: 

to bring back, reinstate, reestablish, repair, renovate, fix, rehabilitate, reconstruct, redevelop, overhaul, resurrection, regeneration, the end of one thing, the beginning of another, born again, new beginning

I also remembered the verse from Exodus quoted at the opening of this blog.  The Israelites were standing with their back at the Red Sea and their faces toward an overwhelming enemy.  There was no escape for them.  They could find no battle plan of their own.  They began to panic, complain and believe that they should have stayed in bondage.  They said it was better to be bound than to be dead.

I love how Moses responded.

He didn't try to break them up into units for battle.  He didn't lie to them.  He didn't try to figure it out on his own.  He didn't succumb to their own conclusion.  Rather, he boldly declared that God alone would be enough to deliver them.

"God will fight for you."

Especially if they would shut their mouths.

It's true for you, too.  If your back is up against the wall, close your mouth and stop agreeing with the enemy.  No matter how hopeless your situation appears; no matter how large the army that is advancing against you; no matter how much you second guess the steps that led you to this place...

God will fight for you.

God has indeed fought for me.  While I stand still (resolute) and wait (quite), He is delivering me, fighting for me.

When the red sea parts, we escape and our enemies are crushed.

Then it is the time to speak.