Prophetic Training - Foundational teaching (Do's & Don​'ts)
 

DO’s When Prophesying

1. Pray First – Seek the Lord before you speak. Make sure your heart is aligned with His.

2. Stay Anchored in Scripture – Prophecy should never contradict God’s written Word.

3. Deliver in Love – Speak truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). Even correction should carry hope and redemption.

4. Speak to Edify, Encourage, and Comfort – 1 Corinthians 14:3 sets this as the core purpose of prophecy.

5. Be Humble – Use language like “I sense,” “I believe the Lord is saying,” rather than dogmatic claims.

6. Submit Your Word to Testing – Encourage the hearer to test the word (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21).

7. Be Specific, but Not Presumptuous – Say only what the Lord reveals. Don’t fill in the blanks with assumptions.

8. Respect Timing and Boundaries – Don’t force a word; be sensitive to the right moment and setting.

9. Stay Teachable and Accountable – Allow feedback and correction from mature leaders.

10. Protect Confidentiality – If God reveals private matters, share discreetly and with permission if needed.

 

DON’Ts When Prophesying

1. Don’t Prophesy Out of Emotion or Offense – Check your heart for bias or unresolved issues.

2. Don’t Manipulate or Control – Prophecy is not a tool for pushing your own agenda or decisions.

3. Don’t Speak Beyond What God Gave You – Avoid adding to the word with your own ideas or conclusions.

4. Don’t Use “Thus Saith the Lord” as a Weapon – That phrase can intimidate people and shut down discernment.

5. Don’t Prophesy Dates, Mates, or Babies Lightly – These areas require great caution and spiritual maturity.

6. Don’t Make It About You – The spotlight should always stay on Jesus, not the prophetic person.

7. Don’t Reject Accountability – Isolated prophets often fall into error or pride.

8. Don’t Prophesy When You’re Spiritually Drained or Emotionally Unstable – Take time to rest and recalibrate.

9. Don’t Gossip Under the Guise of Revelation – Prophetic ministry must be pure and honoring.

10. Don’t Rush People to Respond – Let them process, pray, and seek confirmation.

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How to Steward the Prophetic Gift Well

• Cultivate Intimacy with God – The prophetic flows best from friendship with God (John 15:15).

• Be a Student of the Word – The more Scripture you know, the more accurate and pure your prophetic flow will be.

• Pursue Holiness – A clean vessel carries God’s word with greater clarity and purity.

• Stay in Community – Operate within a healthy church or ministry structure.

• Journal Your Words – Write down what God gives you and revisit them with time and prayer.

• Grow in Discernment – Learn to distinguish between your soul, the Holy Spirit, and other voices.

• Honor Authority – Let spiritual leaders guide, test, and affirm your prophetic journey.

• Be Patient with Development – Don’t rush your prophetic maturity. Let God train you.

• Pray Over Your Words – Continue to intercede for the people or situations you’ve spoken into.

• Celebrate the Fruit, Not the Gift – Prophecy is powerful, but love and character are what truly please God.

 

Dig Deeper:

 

DO’S WHEN PROPHESYING:

1. Do Stay Rooted in Scripture

   • All prophecy should align with the Word of God and reflect His heart and character.

2. Do Listen First to God, Then to the Person

   • Spend time listening to the Holy Spirit. Be sure you're speaking from His prompting, not your emotions or assumptions.

3. Do Speak in Love and Humility

   • Love must be the motive (1 Corinthians 13). Even correction should carry God's heart of restoration.

4. Do Seek Clarity, Not Confusion

   • Use simple, clear language. Avoid vague or overly mystical expressions.

5. Do Submit the Word for Testing

   • Encourage the recipient to "test the word" (1 Thessalonians 5:20-21) and seek confirmation through prayer and counsel.

6. Do Acknowledge Your Humanity

   • Be willing to say, “I believe this is what the Lord is saying,” rather than presenting it as absolute or infallible.

7. Do Honor Authority and Timing

   • Submit your words to spiritual leadership when in a corporate setting. Timing is just as important as content.

8. Do Encourage, Edify, and Comfort

   • Especially for personal prophecy, 1 Corinthians 14:3 says the goal is to build up, encourage, and console.

9. Do Take Responsibility for Accuracy and Growth

   • Learn from feedback and keep developing in discernment and character.

10. Do Be Accountable

• Stay under spiritual covering and prophetic mentoring to grow in a healthy, balanced way.

 

DON’TS WHEN PROPHESYING:

1. Don’t Add Your Interpretation to the Word

   • Deliver only what God gives; avoid adding your own thoughts or trying to explain it beyond what you received.

2. Don’t Prophesy Out of Emotion or Offense

   • Never use prophecy to vent, manipulate, correct someone out of anger, or push a personal agenda.

3. Don’t Give Directional Words Without Permission

   • Avoid giving major life-direction words (marriage, moves, jobs, babies) unless you are in relationship and authority to speak, and even then with great caution.

4. Don’t Prophesy Doom, Death, or Judgment Without Clear Instruction from God

   • The New Covenant model emphasizes grace and redemption. If a warning word is given, it must carry hope and a redemptive solution.

5. Don’t Embarrass or Publicly Shame People

   • Never call out sensitive or personal matters in front of others unless you have explicit leading and permission.

6. Don’t Pressure People to Believe or Act Immediately

   • Allow space for discernment. The Holy Spirit confirms His word in due time.

7. Don’t Turn Prophecy into Fortune-Telling

   • The prophetic is not about predicting the future like a psychic, but revealing the heart and purposes of God.

8. Don’t Make the Gift Your Identity

   • You are a son or daughter of God first. The gift is a tool, not your worth.

9. Don’t Operate Without Prayer and Intimacy

   • The prophetic must flow from a place of deep relationship with God. Avoid performance or hype.

10. Don’t Isolate Yourself as “The Prophet”

• Avoid elitism. Stay connected with the Body of Christ and work in unity with other gifts.

 

How to Steward the Prophetic Gift Well

• Cultivate Intimacy with God – The prophetic flows best from friendship with God (John 15:15).

• Be a Student of the Word – The more Scripture you know, the more accurate and pure your prophetic flow will be.

• Pursue Holiness – A clean vessel carries God’s word with greater clarity and purity.

• Stay in Community – Operate within a healthy church or ministry structure.

• Journal Your Words – Write down what God gives you and revisit them with time and prayer.

• Grow in Discernment – Learn to distinguish between your soul, the Holy Spirit, and other voices.

• Honor Authority – Let spiritual leaders guide, test, and affirm your prophetic journey.

• Be Patient with Development – Don’t rush your prophetic maturity. Let God train you.

• Pray Over Your Words – Continue to intercede for the people or situations you’ve spoken into.

• Celebrate the Fruit, Not the Gift – Prophecy is powerful, but love and character are what truly please God.