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What a wonderful nigh last night at Tehillah! We were seeing new things activated by the Holy Spirit and there was such a sweet fragrance of worship in the room. The gifts of prophecy that were being released and the prayers that were being lifted up were beautiful. I felt motivated by Keith’s encouragement to step out of the box and not be an observer in the church but to be missional in our approach to doing church.  So I decided to do some research on prophecy and I found the following ten principles for using prophecy. I hope they will bring you increased knowledge in this area of spiritual gifting.

1. Cleanness Before the Lord

Confess Your Sins. Since prophecy results from the combining of the human and divine, it is your responsibility to have your heart clean before God prior to both receiving and giving a prophecy. All of those who intend to use this gift should make it a habit of confessing and asking forgiveness for any area of our life or act we have committed against the Lord.

2. Unforgiveness

Unforgiveness is one of the major sins that blocks the flow of the Spirit in prophecy. Unforgiveness not only blocks you from getting a prophecy but is a chief reason why false prophecies occur. Make an effort to forgive those who have wronged you and make a commitment to work on forgiveness in all areas in your life.

3. Worship

Prophesy is poured out in worship. There is a close relationship between worship and prophesy. 1 Chron. 25:1 - certain people are set aside "for the ministry of prophesy, accompanied by musical instruments." So we need to learn how to worship in a way that creates an atmosphere that invites the Spirit to fall upon us in power.

Worship should flow from praise to intimacy with God. The underlying attitude of worship is that we are to bow down before God. Such a response is a sign of submission to God. It is an act of homage, awe, reverence, and above all, humility.

4. Insecurity

A major block to receiving prophecy is insecurity. Insecurity comes because you might have been emotional hurt in the past and feel, perhaps unconsciously, that you'll be hurt in the future. While God's intention is that the "soil of our hearts" are to be tended and nurtured first in a solid family life and next in our early interactions with others, it's a sad fact that often this isn't the case.

Negativity Towards People and Life

One result of insecurity is behavior and lifestyle that becomes negative. You avoid people and people avoid you. Your approach to life becomes defensive — an avoidance of intimacy with others. Sadly this leeches into our relationship with God. We avoid the intimacy with him too. But this isn't the only way we react to hurt.

Control

One other impediment to receiving prophecy flows from another type of defensive action-- control. The hurt person seeks to control their environment as much as possible. They want to know exactly where the body is going with the flow of the Spirit. They gain comfort in a predictable structure. But the nature of the prophetic gift is surprise. If we knew what God was saying all the time, we wouldn't need prophecy.

Worship frees us from some of the insecurities we might have. It helps us to act in an attitude in which we trust God. The worship which God delights in flows freely from the heart. Prophecy flows out of worship and adoration of God.

5. Faith

Prophecy is poured out in an atmosphere of faith. The Spirit is unleashed by our worship. We need to allow time to sense that Holy Spirit is fellowshipping among us. We need to believe with absolute faith that God is with us right now. He is among us right now.

6. Love

"Follow the way of love and eagerly desire the spiritual gifts, especially the gift of prophecy (1 Corin. 14:1)." Prophecy's purpose always stems from love and comes forth in an atmosphere of love.

Love Builds Up

The purpose of the gift of prophesy is to edify - to build up worshiping people. It's for "edification, encouragement and comfort." (1 Corin. 14:3). Prophecy can't be separated from its loving intentions.

Servant's Heart

Love emanates from having the heart of a servant. If we're servants of the King, we'll do his work. And his work is poured out through showing the love we have for others. Prophesy is no different from other acts of kindness. Other evidence that prophecy is an act of love are that it can be used to bring unbelievers to the Lord. (1 Corin. 14:24-5) or to provide a revelation of the future that aids a believer.

7. Desire It

"Do not quench the spirit's fire; do not treat prophesies with contempt (1 Thess. 5:19). It is a person's faith that allows the power of God to be manifested in prophecy. "If a man's gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith." (Rom. 12:6).

8. Judging It

Focus on God, Not on Receiving a Word

How do I identify a word from God amidst the many thoughts that will go through your mind when the time for prophecy begins. If all can prophecy, which I believe is the case, then there must be a way to teach others to do this. Usually the first step in receiving a prophecy begins with an attitude that focuses on God, not on getting a word from him.

Forms of Hearing

The Holy Spirit will impress something upon your conscious mind. It may come in a verbal form (a particular word, thought, Scripture), visual form (image, picture, scene, vision), mood form (words, scenes, or feelings that convey to you a particular emotion or mood. The prophecy may be given either by words or by describing the visual image.

When you begin you receive one form, it may transfer into another as the anointing increases.

Submitting What You Receive

Prophecy needs to be judged and the prophet needs to be a person under authority. It is necessary for those who speak in Lord's name be accountable for what they say. This is best done when people are known by the leadership of the church or gathering. A prophet is a humble person.

9. Scripture

A prophecy must be consistent with scripture–bringing "edification, encouragement, or comfort," or it shouldn't be given. Congregational prophecy generally must be in the flow of what the Spirit has said in a preceding prophecy. Its content may be different, but words from God proceed in an easy-to-follow flow. (Ex. If the Holy Spirit gives a word of comfort, other words of comfort will follow. Next, words may take on a character of instruction for the purpose of edification.)

10. Timing

Most prophetic errors coming from humble, submitted, repentant, and righteous people are the result of problems with timing. When we enter the spiritual realm, there is an immediacy to the experience. A prophecy seems to yearn to be given so that the earthly realm might reflect the reality of the spiritual. The mature prophet recognizes two errors in this realm. First, certain words are to be given immediately while others are to be held internally, either till a "release" is given to the prophet or the realization that the purpose is for them to intercede. Secondly, the sense of immediacy in prophecy may lead the prophet to believe that the fulfillment of the prophecy is imminent. So they give the word and it doesn't seem to come to pass. If we watched for a long enough period of time, we could appreciate the truth of the word. The error was that in the giving of the word it was made to seem that the fulfillment would be more immediate.

Peace and Love

Ariel Wood