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This is the final part in our prophecy series! I hope it’s been fun and helpful to you! To close things out, we’re going to get super practical and discuss how Christians should go about sharing prophetic words.

7. There’s an etiquette to sharing prophecy.

This point is so deeply connected to the previous one about discerning prophecy. Because we can make mistakes when prophesying and because Scripture calls us to test prophecy, the way we go about sharing prophecy really matters. Let me share with you some tips that were taught to me when I was first learning how to be used by God in prophecy and other spiritual gifts.

Ask God for prophetic words. Sometimes Christians don’t experience God using us in prophecy, not because God rarely speaks that way or because He doesn’t want to, but because we don’t take time to ask Him intentionally and listen. Tells us to earnestly desire and pursue spiritual gifts–especially that we might prophesy. There’s nothing wrong with asking God, “what are You saying to encourage (person) right now?” and paying attention to see if He puts anything on your heart. Never make up a prophetic word if you’re not hearing anything, but do make space for God to speak to and through you if He wants to do so.

Read my blog 6 Ways God Speaks to Us to learn how you might recognize God’s voice and practically step out to share it.

Ask permission to share with someone. This permission might be understood if you’re serving in some type of prayer ministry time at church that a person has responded to or speaking with someone you have close relationship with, or a similar context. But if you’re in a different setting or speaking to someone you don’t know quite as well, you could say something like, “I feel like God is putting a word on my heart for you. Could I share it with you?”

Speak in a normal volume and tone of voice. Speak in normal conversational language. 1 Corinthians 14:32-33 says those who prophesy or exercise any other spiritual gift are in control of their spirit and of their actions, so don’t be weird. 🙂 Don’t say, “thus saith the Lord.” For one, God doesn’t speak King James English (sorry to break it to you :)) and also that’s a really intense way to communicate. In light of God speaking through human vessels, we should communicate prophetic words with humility. And that should be reflected in our word choice and delivery. It helps to say phrases like “I feel like the Lord is saying…” or “I sense God is putting on my heart that…” and then go about sharing what you feel like you heard from God.

Focus on encouragement, and remember the purpose of prophecy. Prophecy isn’t primarily foretelling the future. Prophecy is not for giving correction or calling out people’s sin or pronouncing judgment. The Bible teaches us the proper context and approach to deal with things like conflict resolution, correction, and church discipline when those things are necessary. (Matthew 18:16-17; Galatians 6:1-2; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5)

Prophecy isn’t for speaking life-altering directive words into someone’s personal life. (Things like romantic relationships, having babies, moves, job or school changes, financial decisions, etc.) Those kinds of big issues are best discerned and decided in the context of personal relationship with God and personal decision (God’s personal guidance to a person through prayer and the study of Scripture, seeking God for discernment and confirmation, the godly counsel of trusted believers and spiritual leaders in someone’s life), not shared as prophecy. And don’t prophesy timeframes like dates or when the word will be fulfilled by.

Here’s why. Sharing these kinds of details doesn’t add much substance or benefit to a word of prophetic encouragement. By that I mean God is perfectly capable of encouraging a person in a meaningful way through a prophetic word without you sharing that kind of information. But if you get those details wrong you can cause a lot of confusion and emotional damage to the person you’re sharing with. 

Keep your main focus on sharing timely, Holy Spirit prompted messages of encouragement from God with people. Again, that is the primary purpose and underlying motivation 1 Corinthians 14:3 tells us that God intends for all words of prophecy. And if your focus is encouragement and you happen to get a detail or two wrong in the word, you won’t cause much damage.

Ask for feedback. After you prophesy over someone, you can ask questions like these:

“Did that make sense? Did any of that resonate with you? Was that encouraging to you? Would you mind sharing how it was encouraging or connected with you?”

For one, it helps encourage others to start the process of weighing a prophetic word with God. Getting feedback also allows you as the person giving the word to be refined in learning to hear and share words from God. You’ll hear aspects of the word that connected and aspects where you might have been a little bit off. And you’ll be affirmed in God’s ability to speak to you and encourage others through when you hear how the person was blessed by the word you shared.

Own it when you miss it. If it’s a simple situation where the word or some detail of the word you share isn’t quite inaccurate, you could say something like, “Sorry about that. Thanks for letting me know. I’m growing in learning to hear God’s voice and your feedback is helpful. I encourage you to pray about this word and ask God to show you what parts He’d want you hang onto and which parts to let go of.” In situations where there is a big or very public mistake in prophecy that happens, more serious repentance and accountability from church leadership may be necessary to the right the wrong.

After you prophesy over someone, pray a prayer of blessing over them. It’s also great when you can share/pray a Bible verse over them along with your prophetic word. As you fill your mind and heart with God’s Word by praying, meditating on, and studying Scripture in your personal time with God, He can bring relevant Bible verses back to your mind when you are praying and prophesying over people. The most important thing we can cling to and encourage others to cling to is the truth of Scripture!

Pursue Prophecy

I believe God wants to encourage you through the spiritual gift of prophecy and I believe God wants to encourage others through you in the spiritual gift of prophecy. If you want to be used by God in this gift more, why don’t you pray and ask Him for that. And pray that He’d lead you to a safe context to practice and to mature believers and leaders to help guide you as you grow in hearing God’s voice for others and sharing what He says.

Recommended Resources:

• ARTICLES: Can Christians Still Prophesy? by Wayne Grudem // Prophets and Prophecy by Sam Storms
• BOOKS: Frequency by Robert Morris // The God I Never Knew by Robert Morris // Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms // You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson // The Gift of Prophecy by Wayne Grudem

Let’s Talk: After reading this series, how are you challenged to grow in your understanding and practice of prophecy? Discuss this post in the comments below.