Written by Cami Gerdes

Read: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Ephesians 4:6

For thousands of years, prophecy has been a fundamental piece of Scripture, the gospel story, and the Church. Prophets were pivotal in bridging the gap between God and humans, faithfully speaking truth to the people of God and establishing His church. (Eph. 2:19 & 3:5) God has used and continues to use Prophets to reveal Himself to particular people at specific times and places.

Prophets are often given words, prayers, or visions from God to guide people closer to God. If you are serving in the Equipping role of a Prophet, you operate strongly in the other prophetic gifts. You cannot serve as a Prophet without the gift of prophecy, but you can carry other prophetic giftings without serving in the Equipping role of Prophet. Many of the words given through Prophets are used for corporate or community purposes. This gift is given to us through God’s grace and lived out in us by the Holy Spirit. Prophets recognize that God is alive and actively working in the Church today.

The words of a Prophet carry weight, making it vital that this gift be shouldered with emotional and spiritual maturity. They widely recognize the position of trust they need to maintain while sharing impressions. They are committed to living faithful and honest lives. Prophets desire and maintain a deep intimacy with the Lord, knowing this intimacy fuels this gift and trust, not only with the Church but with God as well. They are a praying people and often feel called to intercession. Spiritual dreams, image-based prophetic prayer, and a heightened sense of spiritual discernment are common among Prophets. They are bold in their longing to see God’s people walking in the way of Jesus and living righteously. (1 Cor. 14:3)

Through the stewarding of the other prophetic gifts and serving in the Church, Prophets are widely identified through the confirmation of the community around them. Prophets rely on the body to confirm their words, and the body relies on prophets for exhortation and guidance. Prophets are keen to quickly see injustice, disunity, and dysfunction. They typically have bold personalities and are willing to share hard things with love and direction, encouraging the body to return to the ways of Jesus. The Church benefits from a Prophet’s ability to help identify false prophets and teachers. The goal of every prophetic gift is to lead people closer to Jesus; every word and impression will always align with what we know of scripture.