The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy

It's about more than predicting the future

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Many people think the spiritual gift of prophecy is just predicting the future, but it is far more than that. Those who are bestowed this gift receive messages from God that can be about anything from warnings to guidance to kind words in tough times. What makes this gift different from wisdom or knowledge is that it is a direct message from God that is not always conscious to the one with the gift. Yet the one with the gift feels compelled to share the truth revealed by God to others. 

Prophecy can come as speaking in tongues so that the person with the gift has to seek out the message, but not always. At other times it's just a strong feeling about something. Often those with this gift have to go back to the Bible and spiritual leaders to be sure what they think is a message from God by closely looking at it from a scriptural perspective. This gift can be a blessing and it can be dangerous. The Bible warns us not to follow false prophets. This is a rare gift that carries a lot of responsibility. It is also a rare gift, and as those listening to prophecy, we must use our discernment.

There are some, though, that believe the gift of prophecy no longer exists. Some take the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13:8-13 to mean that Revelations completes the canon os scripture. Therefore, if the scripture is complete, there is no need for Prophets. Instead, those that believe that the gift is no longer given the state that teachers with gifts of wisdom, teaching, and knowledge are far more important to the church.

Spiritual Gift of Prophecy in Scripture:

1 Corinthians 12:10 - "He gives one person the power to perform miracles, and another the ability to prophesy. He gives someone else the ability to discern whether a message is from the Spirit of God or from another spirit. Still another person is given the ability to speak in unknown languages, while another is given the ability to interpret what is being said." NLT

Romans 12:5 - "If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith”" NIV

1 Corinthians 13:2 - "If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing." NLT

Acts 11:27-28 - " During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.)" NLT

1 John 4:1 - "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world." NLT

1 Corinthians 14:37 - "If anyone thinks they are a prophet or otherwise gifted by the Spirit, let them acknowledge that what I am writing to you is the Lord’s command." NIV

1 Corinthians 14:29-33 - "Two or three prophets should speak, and the others should weigh carefully what is said. And if a revelation comes to someone who is sitting down, the first speaker should stop. 31 For you can all prophesy in turn so that everyone may be instructed and encouraged. The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets. For God is not a God of disorder but of peace—as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people." NIV

Is the Gift of Prophecy My Spiritual Gift?

Ask yourself the following questions. If you answer "yes" to many of them, then you may have the spiritual gift of prophecy:

  • Do you feel something so strongly in your heart that you can speak with biblical authority to show people the way and how to live as God describes?
  • Are the solutions to problems on your heart working, even though people think the solutions won't work?
  • Do you "just know" that there is nothing God can't do?
  • Have you ever experienced brokenness and redemption?
  • Do you regularly examine your life to see what needs to be improved in God's eyes, and do you encourage others to do the same without judgment?
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Mahoney, Kelli. "The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy." Learn Religions, Apr. 5, 2023, learnreligions.com/spiritual-gift-of-prophecy-712397. Mahoney, Kelli. (2023, April 5). The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/spiritual-gift-of-prophecy-712397 Mahoney, Kelli. "The Spiritual Gift of Prophecy." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/spiritual-gift-of-prophecy-712397 (accessed March 28, 2024).