Developing Your Prophetic Gift: Where to Begin

Your Gift of Prophecy

You believe you have a spiritual gift of prophecy (Rom 12:6)–the special ability given by the Holy Spirit to receive messages from God for yourself and others [1]–but how and where do you start developing it?

Like any spiritual gift and skill, the gift of prophecy takes study, practice and training to develop to its fullest potential. We need to be intentional about developing the spiritual gifts God has invested in our lives. We have a responsibility to steward the gifts God has given us (2 Tim 1:6, 14).

In the New Testament, prophecy is nurtured and grown in the environment of church life (1 Cor 14). Within that, there are a number of contexts in which we can grow our prophetic gift. These are: privately, through mentoring, in small groups, in the life of our church and in the wider Christian community.

Personal Development (Hab 2:1-3)

When you’re having personal times of prayer, pause and ask God if He has something to show you or speak to you about the person or situation that you are praying for.

Record your prophetic insights and experiences so that later on when confirmation or fulfilment takes place they will be a ‘marker’ of your growth

The practice of journaling and hearing God speak to you personally through a scripture can help you develop your prophetic gift.

Reading good books about prophetic ministry can help you learn about your gift. Some good ones I have read are: ‘The Voice of God: How God Speaks Personally and Corporately to His Children Today’ by Cindy Jacobs, and ‘The Beginner’s Guide to the Gift of Prophecy’ by Jack Deere.

Mentoring (1 Kings 19:19-21)

If possible, look for a good mentor to help you grow in your prophetic journey. If a potential mentor is too busy to spend one-on-one time with you, you can still learn from them by assisting them and observing them.

Sometimes a mentor will only be present in your life for a season, so be willing to release them and move on when you need to. The Lord will bring others across your path that will help you at different stages of your journey.

A prophetic mentor should not only be gifted and anointed, but also be accountable and in good standing in a local church, having a supportive and encouraging attitude towards his or her church leaders.