My Prophetic Journey Part 13: Prophetic props

Credit: Mazda Hewitt/Flickr/Creative Commons

For several years I helped to teach introductory level classes dealing with the prophetic. These classes were divided into two parts – a teaching session, and a practical application. We often had people come who had little to no prophetic experience, who just felt they should be there.

One of my greatest joys was seeing these people come alive in God, realizing that they could hear from God!

When I attended Bible college our classes always had opportunity for budding preachers to practice preaching and teaching in a safe environment. Why should it not be the same for those stepping out in the prophetic? In teaching the introductory prophetic classes I enjoyed coming up with practical exercises using props.

One of these props was an empty chair. I remember putting our prime minister’s name on a slip of paper, putting it into an envelope, and putting the envelope on the chair. The group gathered around the chair. They were told that the name of a real person was in the envelope, but weren’t told who it was.

We would worship and pray for a bit, and then one brave soul would get an impression, then someone else would get a verse or a picture. It was always wonderful to see each one stepping out and hearing from God in a safe setting. At the end we would open the envelope to reveal who they had been prophesying over.

At that time I worked at an army surplus store. Another set of props I enjoyed using was a duffel bag with boots, camo gear, helmets, canteen, compass, etc. For the practicum that night I would have the class stand around a table and then dump the contents of the bag on the table.

Having something in view would often help “prime” the prophetic pump. One person might grab the helmet and say something like “God wants to protect your mind from the enemy’s lies.”

Props can be over-used, but Jesus often used what was at hand to illustrate God’s kingdom.

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