Session 1 of 9
The gift, the giver, and who it's given to.
Prophecy is the ability to reveal the heart and mind of Christ in any situation: what He says, what He sees, what He feels, what He has done, and what He is going to do. It is a gift, not an award. You do not receive it because you have earned it or because you have reached a perceived spiritual level. It is given by a lavish God who loves to give gifts and who longs for greater intimacy with His people. If God can use a donkey, then it is not because of anything special we have to offer.
Under the Old Covenant, the prophetic was largely the calling of a few — Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and the rest. The Spirit came on certain people for certain seasons. But Moses himself longed for something different.
“Would that all the Lord’s people were prophets, that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” — Numbers 11:29 (ESV)
Centuries later, Joel prophesied the answer: “Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy… Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit.” (Joel 2:28–29) And at Pentecost, Peter stood up and said this is the moment. The age of the few had given way to the age of the many. The whole Church is now a prophetic people.
The gift of prophecy is for every born-again, Spirit-filled believer who desires it. Not just leaders. Not just the mature. Anyone willing. There is a difference between the gift of prophecy and the office of the prophet — one is for everyone; the other is a specific calling. A calling is not something you do, it is who you are. Not everyone is called to be a prophet, but the gift of prophecy is offered to anyone who desires it. Anointing comes with maturity, for a given sphere of influence and for a specific purpose.
The gift does not validate our walk with God or our right standing with Him. It promotes intimacy with the Godhead, which is why Paul encourages us to pursue love and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially prophecy. The fruit of your gift will increase as you mature. The more mature your character and understanding of the heart of God, the greater the anointing and revelation He can entrust you with.
It needs to be said plainly: the gift of prophecy is given equally to men and women. The curse from Eden has been broken for those who have received the redemptive work of Jesus. Joel said it. Peter quoted it. Scripture demonstrates it.
Paul calls Jesus “the last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:45) — the one who undoes what the first Adam did. “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.” (Galatians 3:13–14)
“There is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” — Galatians 3:28 (ESV)
Long before Pentecost, God was already raising up prophetic women. Miriam led Israel in worship after the Red Sea (Exodus 15:20). Deborah was both a prophet and a judge — leading a nation (Judges 4–5). Huldah was the prophet Josiah’s officials sought out when the Book of the Law was rediscovered, even though Jeremiah and Zephaniah were ministering at the same time (2 Kings 22:14). Anna was the first prophet to publicly declare the identity of the infant Jesus (Luke 2:36–38). Philip’s four daughters prophesied (Acts 21:9). Paul commends Junia, “outstanding among the apostles” (Romans 16:7).
The biblical pattern is consistent: where the Spirit moves, women prophesy. To restrict the prophetic gift by gender is to add a fence God did not build, and to rob the Bride of half her voice. If that is you, hear it again: “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” That word is for you.
Paul gives a wonderfully clear summary in 1 Corinthians 14:3: prophecy is for strengthening, encouraging, and comforting. It releases gifts and callings, builds faith in unbelievers, guides and glorifies Jesus. People are more open to a supernatural voice than a religious one. Prophecy can act as a bridge — building a pathway where love, gifting, calling, commissioning and anointing can flow.
In summary: prophecy can address our blind spots and give us early warning, enabling us to be prepared. It equips and builds us up personally and as a church. It encourages, consoles, releases gifts and activates callings. It makes believers of unbelievers, glorifying Jesus who is the Spirit of Prophecy.
Prophecy also releases gifts and initiates callings. “Do not neglect the spiritual gift you received through the prophecy spoken over you when the elders of the church laid their hands on you.” (1 Timothy 4:14)
It makes believers of unbelievers. “But if all of you are prophesying, and unbelievers or people who don’t understand these things come into your meeting, they will be convicted of sin and judged by what you say. As they listen, their secret thoughts will be exposed, and they will fall to their knees and worship God, declaring, ‘God is truly here among you.’” (1 Corinthians 14:24–25)
Prophecy guides and glorifies. “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth… He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:13–14) The ultimate purpose of prophecy is never to draw attention to the prophet but to make Jesus more clearly seen. As Revelation 19:10 puts it: “the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus.”
The ultimate goal of public prophecy or prophetic ministry is:
We should not see people as having problems, but as treasure that needs to be identified and called out. Jesus showed how much He treasured people by giving His life for them — no higher price could be paid. We should never see anyone as less valuable than the price Jesus paid for all people, and the high value He places on them and their potential. The only difference is whether they yet know and accept it.
If we see negative things, we should ask God for the answer — and prophesy the answer, not the problem. It does not take a prophet to identify that the bones are dry. Anyone can see that. It takes a prophet to call those bones to life.
The point is not how sinful people are or how many challenges they face, but how great God is and how great their future is in Him. We need to look for and reveal the glory God has assigned to them, so that they may walk in it.
The prophetic gift has many aspects and can be one thing or a combination of things. It can be seeing what God reveals about the future — the future He has planned for an individual, a geographic location, or a specific group. It can reveal the path people are planning for themselves and where that will lead. It can also be seeing what is transpiring in the spiritual realm at a specific time. This is often referred to as the gift of discernment, but it is much more than discerning good and evil. Those who operate in this gift are instrumental in ushering in the Spirit — they can see what God is doing in a meeting and where He wants to go. They see His heart and are able to help direct the flow, preventing us from going off in the wrong direction and missing what God is doing. They are able to help sustain His presence by bringing to our attention the work He is doing, enabling us to remain longer in the place He wants us.
Words of knowledge describe a fact about a person or their circumstances — past or current — and can be given to assist in healing, counselling and intercessory prayer. They can also be given to awaken our compassion, to see a person or circumstance as God sees it.
This plan follows Session 1 — the gift of prophecy, the God who gives it, and the sons and daughters it is poured out upon. Each day pairs scriptures cited in the teaching with passages that deepen the same theme.
From the session referenced in the teaching · Suggested added to deepen the theme
Prophecy is given by a lavish God, not earned.
The gift passes from the few to the whole Church.
The gift is given equally to men and women.
Christ undoes what the first Adam did.
Prophecy calls out destiny and glory in people.
Read the passage unhurried. Then sit quietly, let the noise of the world settle, and journal anything that comes — a word, a picture, an impression — and date it. Over weeks and months, patterns emerge that you would never see otherwise. Test everything you receive against Scripture.
Each scripture link opens in a new tab — so you can read the passage and return here without losing your place in the session.
“Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good.”— 1 Thessalonians 5:20–21