All posts tagged: Gift of Prophecy

Do Not Despise Prophecy

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By Dr. Michael L. Brown Did you ever wonder why Paul wrote, “Do not despise prophecies,” or as the New International Version translates, “Do not treat prophecies with contempt” (1 Thess. 5:20)? Why would any Christian be tempted to despise prophetic words? The answer is that prophecy can be obscure. Or confusing. Or complex. Or it can appear to be inaccurate, only to come to pass differently than we expected or have a different application than we understood. Or it can make us uncomfortable, revealing areas we would rather leave covered over. And in the case of New Testament prophecy, when every believer can potentially prophesy, it often needs correction and guidance. It is sometimes flatly wrong, with people claiming inspiration without really having it. That’s why Paul’s full exhortation included these injunctions: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophecies with contempt but test them all; hold on to what is good” (1 Thess. 5:19-21). Today, when the failed Trump prophecies have gained much notoriety and when prophecy itself is getting a bad …

False Prophets

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The anointing falls where it may. It is from the Lord God and it is not controlled by men. It is not at the whim of any man that the Holy Spirit decides when he will release the gifts of God. Some preachers make good money deceiving others by claiming the Holy Spirit is here or there or that if you are close enough to God, you will be specially anointed. One man even is trying to sell prayer cloths he claims are anointed. I’ve been to many different styles of services including some genuine times in which people were healed. I have also been to some in which we were told to prepare to receive healing or in which we were told miracles were going to happen. I find these types of claims disturbing. There is no doubt that God performs miracles and there is no doubt that God heals. I am a happy recipient of both. What I find offensive is the idea that the Holy Spirit listens to man’s will. Any person …

How a prophetic word changed Gemma Hunt’s life

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Gemma Hunt, 36, is not well known on this side of the ocean, but in Britain she has gained a significant media presence as a children TV presenter on BBC. It was a career sparked by a prophetic word she received as a teenager. She currently is the lead presenter on CBeebies’ Swashbuckle, a pirate theme BBC game show targeted at two to seven-year-olds and also on the BBC’s program Songs of Praise. Since she was hired by BBC in 2002, Hunt has not been shy about her faith in Christ. She was raised in a Christian home and attended a local Baptist church, but admits she was a bit of rebel. In an interview with Premier Christianity, Hunt said that changed while attending Hill House, a Christian summer camp, where she made a decision for Christ at the age 11. But it was while attending a summer camp five years later, that she received a prophetic word that would set the course for her life. She was 16 and attending a Christian camp called …

Politics and prophets

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With several polls suggesting that Joe Biden may become the next President of the United States on Nov. 3, 2020 or whenever the US election is finally decided, there have also been several people prophesying that Donald Trump will win the next election. This past Sunday, both Donald Trump and Joe Biden attended church, but at a service that Trump attended in Las Vegas, the Senior Pastor of International Church, Denise Goulet, prophesied: “At 4:30, the Lord said to me, ‘I am going to give your president a second win. The Lord said, ‘he is ready for the next four years.’” Then Pat Robertson, the chairman of CBN, gave a similar word stating that God had told him Donald Trump would win the presidency of the US but it would be followed by an intense time of rioting. “I want to say without question, Trump is going to win the election. The election that’s coming up in just a few weeks at which time, according to what I believe the Lord told me, the president …

A prophetic word on Kanye West and Donald Trump

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I was surprised as much by where I read this article, as I was about what it had to say. The article on the front page of Fox News website, entitled, California pastor who prophesied Kanye West’s transformation 4 years ago predicts this about Trump tells about a remarkable prophecy given by a Los Angeles pastor by the name of Shawn Bolz about Kanye West. Shawn Bolz founded Expressions58 church and has recently moved into a prophetic travelling ministry. He hosts a podcast entitled “Exploring the Prophetic.” He also writes regularly for CBN and Charisma media. Four years ago, Bolz publicly stated several times that God told him prominent rapper Kanye West would not only become a Christian but would begin to move in the gift prophecy: “We aren’t ready for the coming influx of new Christians. God showed me Kanye West as prophet and a worship leader in Christianity.” Shawn Bolz on Kanye West, Fox News At the time Bolz made those declarations, Kanye West had just suffered a nervous breakdown. But if anyone …

How God paved the way for a marriage with a prophetic vision

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I read an interesting story by Joshua Rogers of the unusual circumstance that led to him getting engaged to his wife Raquel. Joshua is a believer and a regular contributor on Fox News. He believes in God. He believes in marriage. This story reveals God’s divine and prophetic intervention that prepared the way for this event. When Joshua approached his future father-in-law, Charlie, to ask for permission, Joshua said there was initially lots of resistance. Joshua and Raquel had only been going out for three months and this would result in red flags for any parent. Joshua said the two talked in circles, with Charlie expressing his concerns and Joshua trying to answer them. And after a conversation that lasted about 90 minutes, Charlie said that he wasn’t really comfortable with Joshua’s plans, not that he was opposed to them getting married, just not right now. Charlie described his resistance as a yellow light. But in a matter of a few seconds, everything dramatically changed when Charlie asked when Roger was planning to ask Raquel …

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My prophetic failure

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Español: Mi falla hacia un espíritu de profecía Several years ago, we had a young man in our church moving in the prophetic. He prophesied regularly during church services and even had a visiting prophetic minister pull him out of the congregation and give a word about his prophetic calling. He was on the fast track to the prophetic. Up to this point his prophetic words were fairly innocuous. There was nothing specific about them or directional. They were God loves you type of prophesies that could literally apply to anyone and everyone. There is nothing wrong with these type of words, because often the Holy Spirit will grab the word and highlight it to specific individuals and say this word is for you. And then it happened. The pastor of the church was heading to a conference. As we gathered around to lay hands on him, the young man stepped up with a prophetic word and prophesied some very specific things were going to happen to the pastor at these meetings. One in particular, …

Chehura desert in Peru Credit: Alma Apatrida/Flickr/Creative Commons

A prophecy about lost treasure

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A couple of decades ago, my wife and I were heading down to Peru to adopt our daughter. Just before we set out on our journey that would take a month and half to complete, we were at a small prayer meeting in our church when Brian, a man with a prophetic gifting, prayed and prophesied over us. He saw us taking a big colored doll down for our daughter. But then he gave me a word, which deeply concerned both my wife and I. He said I see you gathering your treasure, and then he held his hands out, spread his fingers and said it will slip away, pouring out between your fingers like sand. I asked Brian what he meant. He had no further revelation and simply told us what he saw. It was a disturbing word. Because we respected the man and his prophetic gift we were concerned that the adoption was going to fall apart. But we believed God had told us to go and decided to continue on our journey. …

Kim Clement (1956-2016): YouTube Capture

God’s prophetic voice needed today

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As I read about the massacre of 26 people (ages five to 72) in the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, during their Sunday morning service, it struck me how we need God to speak and warn us. Sutherland Springs located 30 miles southeast of San Antonia is a small town of just 400 people. yet somehow evil found its way there. Twenty were also injured in the attack by gunman Devin Patrick Kelley, 26. A former member of the air force, a self-proclaimed atheist and loner, Kelley apparently killed himself after careening off the road in a chase after the shooting. Two days earlier — Friday, November 3, 2017 — a neighbor attacked Christian politician Senator Paul Rand as he returned home. Rand suffered five broken ribs and lung contusions. According to a report on the Daily Caller, another person who lives on the same block alleges the attacker is an “avowed socialist” who fought with other neighbors over politics. Despite this underlying issue, recent media reports suggest that conflicts over landscaping issues …

St. George Monastery (Orthodox Church) was constructed at a cave thought to be the place where the Prophet Elijah hid after fleeing Jezebel. Credit: Catholic Church of England/Flickr/Creative Commons

Under the wing of a prophet — schools of the prophets

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A few years back, a person who functions in the prophetic told me how he moved into that ministry. A prophet was speaking at the church he attended and gave a prophetic word to the man stating he was called to the ministry of a prophet. This senior prophet had also been invited to minister at another church in the same city, so he asked the young man to tag along. He didn’t throw the young man into prophetic with the old sink or swim attitude. As the prophet ministered, he told the young man to sit, listen and try to discern a word for the people being prophesied over. Later the prophet asked young man if he received words similar to what the prophet gave when he ministered to the people. The young man said yes. This was the Holy Spirit training him to have confidence in the ministry God had given him. I think the prophet Amos referred to this when he said: “The Lord God has spoken! Who can but prophesy?” (Amos …

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Discerning God’s voice from the brain chatter

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When it comes to giving prophetic words the Holy Spirit uses the medium of our emotions and thoughts to communicate prophetic words that God wants people to deliver. This is also the same method God uses to guide and direct us individually. This of course is the same medium we use in our regular human communications. To the untrained, a prophetic word can seem like any other thought that pops into your mind over the course of the day. Now, I know that not every thought that pops in to my mind is from God. I sometimes have some very unholy thoughts, particularly of other drivers. So, the Holy Spirit will give a different tinge to the prophetic words that He puts in your mind to separate them from your own thoughts and concoctions. For each of us, it will be different. Your tinge will have a different tinge than mine. Discerning the difference takes training and practice. I remember praying for a woman in our church who had come forward at the end of …

Wouldn't it be nice if voice spoke from heaven telling us what our spiritual gift was? Credit: The Shiney One/Flickr/Creative Commons

The Holy Spirit wants to be your personal trainer

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If you have been filled with the Holy Spirit, you have also received a spiritual gift (I Corinthians 12). Many of us are uncertain what it is. We expect the heavens to open up and a billboard descend stating the Holy Spirit has given you the gift of knowledge or gift of prophecy. It would be nice if it was that simple. But when you have been given a spiritual gift, one of the first things the Holy Spirit wants to do is display that gift personally to you. Like any loving parent, God wants you to unwrap your present and then He wants to train you in your gifting. My first prophetic revealing and training session oddly enough took place in 1986 as I watched a National Hockey League (NHL) game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Calgary flames. For those not fully familiar with the NHL, Calgary and Edmonton are both in the province of Alberta in Canada. Playing in the same division, there is a fierce rivalry between the two teams. Edmonton …

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Hearing the prophetic sound

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If radio and television sound can be transmitted through receivers, can human beings transmit sounds that are not ordinarily heard by the human ear? If a short-wave radio can receive communication from across the ocean, is it possible for a human to pick up that same information? The prophet Isaiah spoke of supernatural hearing assistance when he wrote: “He awakens Me morning by morning, He awakens My ear To hear as the learned. The Lord God has opened My ear; and I was not rebellious, Nor did I turn away” (Is. 50:4b-5). On July 6, 2004, while playing my piano and worshiping the LORD, I heard the cries of young children.  As I continued to worship I discerned the cries of the children were from Australia and a burden came upon me. I began to pace my living room and cry out, “Why are the children crying?” After some time the answer came, “Because they have no one to show them the Father’s Love”. That answer disturbed me as I know there are some very …

Denzel Washington Credit: GabboT/Wikipedia/Creative Commons

An old woman’s prophecy over actor Denzel Washington said he would speak to millions

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Español: La profecía de una anciana sobre el actor Denzel Washington dijo que el hablaría con millones Denzel Washington, 62, is a popular American Actor, playing major roles in such movies as Remembering the Titans, Training Day and one of my favorites — The Book of Eli. He has won two Academy awards and three Golden Globes. In an interview with Parade Magazine, Denzel spoke of his strong spiritual roots, including his father who was Pentecostal preacher for nearly five decades. Denzel added that he reads the Bible daily and has read it through completely three times. God had a call and a purpose for Denzel and he tells of a prophetic word given him by an older woman at their church who many considered a prophet. She told Denzel that one day he would speak to millions of people. Denzel was 21 years old and had just flunked out of college. He was sitting in his mother’s beauty shop, when the old woman approached him. In an interview with Access Hollywood, Denzel recounts what …

Called to be a superhero with flaws?

My Prophetic Journey Part 15: The Last Word

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[This is part of a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] God desires an army of broken and weak supermen and women to change the world. In II Corinthians 12:7-10 we read about Paul’s thorn in the flesh. Verse 9 says, “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” In many ways – pedigree, education and position – Paul was a heavy-weight, a “superman” if you will. But it was Paul’s thorn, his weakness, that drove him closer to God. Being used by God in the prophetic, or in any gift, is not about our greatness, but His grace. Several years ago God gave me a disturbing vision of myself. He showed me a before and after picture of me as a vessel. The first picture was what looked like an empty tin can with a number of nails and nasty looking screws sticking into it from the outside. God told me, this was you. The next …

Michael the Arch Angel battling Satan by Luca Giordano (1632-1705): Wikipedia

My Prophetic Journey Part 14: The Angel and the demon

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[This is part of a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] As we journey in the prophetic, we are involved in the supernatural realm, and our perceptions can help or hinder us. Fear is something that can definitely hinder. Even as a young Christian I was oppressed with fear, including a fear of the devil.   Somewhere in my family’s past there was a very dark shadow.   As I got older I still had an unhealthy fear of the enemy. Several years ago my wife and I prayed for a friend who had a number of issues in her life. I got a vision while praying for her. I saw a demon sitting on top of a well. God revealed that she had a Christian inheritance in her family, but the enemy was doing all he could to keep her from accessing that godly well. I have only ever had one vision of a demon and this was it. This demon was a small stupid looking imp, and my …

Antique baggage lock Credit: Michael Kappel/Flickr/Creative Commons

My Prophetic Journey Part 12: Using your keys

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[This is the twelfth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] Years ago I worked doing security in a large corporate hotel. When I came on duty I would sign out the large set of keys that I would carry with me during my shift. I had keys for every part of the hotel except the manager’s office. I had authority from the manager to open or close any door I needed to at any time I chose. With so many keys it took some time to learn which key fit into which locked door, especially in the dark. And, I needed to be sure to never lose the keys – guarding their safe keeping was a huge responsibility. My journey in God has been very much like being given spiritual keys and learning how to use them. In an emergency in the darkness you have to know which key fits which door in order to “save the day.” Over the years God has taught me kingdom …

Old well in France Credit: Jean Guillaume Coutard/Flickr

My Prophetic Journey Part 11: You Can’t Draw Water from an Empty Well

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[This is the eleventh in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] When I was first called to the prophetic ministry I remember the admonition to not only know the Word, but to live it, and have it as a great well to draw out living water to refresh others. In the past number of years, at the beginning of the year I often have gotten “marching orders” for that year for an area to study, a book of the Bible, like Amos, or a person’s life, like Joseph. As examples, here are a few of the lessons that I learned from these studies. Amos was a farmer, and spoke the language of a farmer. God used his rural background to speak repentance to the northern capital of Bethel. God does not always send us to our “own” people. The book of Isaiah is almost like the whole Bible in one book. Isaiah is in some ways the opposite of Amos – he was an educated blue-blooded prophet …

View from the pulpit. Credit: Tyrone Warner/Flickr/Creative Commons

My Prophetic Journey Part 10: Prophetic Protocol

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[This is the tenth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] The title of this next article in this series could be, “The Means Must Justify the Ends,” or, sometimes it is more important how you do something than just getting it done. One pitfall in the prophetic is when those who are idealistic or insecure look with criticism on a person or group who does not respond to the word they give in the way they think they should (“if they don’t do as I say, they are rejecting God’s word”). Fortunately, a prophet’s pride is no match for God’s grace. Another situation that can challenge our attitude and response is when you feel you have a hot word from God, but are not given a platform to share it. Moses is a great example of what our attitude and response should be. He was a deliverer, Law giver, and also prophet, and Numbers 12:3 says, “(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all …

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My Prophetic Journey Part 8: The Challenge of the Roller Coaster

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[This is the eighth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] In the last few articles in this series we looked at four lessons God taught me in my journey in the prophetic. This one is also an unavoidable lesson. Lesson 5 – The Challenge of the Roller Coaster At times having a prophetic gift can be like living on a roller coaster. When your word hits the mark and saves the day, you’re a super hero – on top of the world! But when you get it wrong or it’s a challenging word that just gets strange stares, and the worship leader is encouraged to sing something, anything – then what? The roller coaster descends full speed to the bottom! But you are not alone, and there is hope! I have heard from a number of prophets that God often chooses the weak to show His strength, and that many who are called to the prophetic struggle with insecurity. His plan is to change us, to …

Radar Valley, Goldstone, California Credit: Jason Major/Flickr/Creative Commons

My Prophetic Journey Part 7: Learning the Radar

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[This is the seventh in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] As described in the previous article, God continues to teach us as we move into the deep end.   He stretches us, and is always faithful to give us what we need. Lesson 4 – Learning the Radar At times I have gotten a vague word just walking into a situation. I learned the hard way that not every prophetic impression was to be shared publicly. Sometimes it was a matter of being within radar range – that many who are within radar range will be hearing the same thing. On these occasions, if God’s Spirit is saying, “John 3:16,” before a meeting even starts, then “all who have an ear to hear” will pick up on that. If someone speaks that verse out, it may be the role of another who sensed the same thing to affirm it with an “Amen!” or to affirm it with that person to encourage them. As I have shared before, …

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My Prophetic Journey Part 6: Confirmation

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[This is the sixth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] In the last article on learning in the prophetic, I discussed the importance of timing. This is the next lesson the Lord made real to me. Lesson 4 – Confirmation Whenever you book a flight, a car rental, a hotel, or order a major appliance, it’s normal to get a confirmation number. When the person at the desk confirms your number, then you know that your booking or purchase is as good as in your hand – it’s done. It seems that it’s harder to trust our Heavenly Father to confirm what He’s given us than it is to trust someone we don’t know behind a desk! How many times have I missed God’s timing because I have wanted seventy times seven confirmations! It seems common to a lot of people being used in the prophetic that there is a definite learning curve in this. In my previous post, I described the pounding heart, dry mouth, …

Prophet Ezekiel on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo (1476-1564) Credit: Wikipedia

My Prophetic Journey Part 5: When to share or not to share

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[This is the fifth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] In previous installments of My Prophetic Journey I recounted how God answered my prayer to teach me lessons in the prophetic, starting with the first two lessons. The learning continues! Lesson 3 – When to share or not to share Even on a lighter note, timing is no joke – ask a comedian! But, seriously – timing is vital. When I first started to prophesy, God would give me a verse or short word at the beginning of a meeting. My blood pressure would go up, my heart would go into warp drive and I felt that if I did not share this word right now I would die. I’m sure many can relate. I had to learn patience! One time in particular God gave me a clear word, but I didn’t feel free to share it for several months. I felt like I was pregnant with a word and could not deliver it. Finally I …

The Prophet Elijah in the wilderness being fed by crows after fleeing Jezebel by Washington Allston (1779 - 1845) Credit: Wikipedia

My Prophetic Journey Part 4: Motives

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[This is the fourth in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] In my previous article, I shared how God showed me that His love should be the foundation for my life and ministry, as “Lesson 1.” As I continued to look to Him for His lessons in the prophetic, the lessons impacting my life just kept getting better. When we leave it up to God to decide what we need to learn, it will be bound to be not what we want, but just what we need. Lesson 2 My next lesson was all about my motives. It started with me asking God for the next lesson, so I could prophesy better, and for an answer I got silence – nothing! I said to God, “Here I am,” and for quite some time I did not hear from God – not one word for anyone. It was embarrassing – it seemed everyone and their cousin’s dog were prophesying, but not me. I started to worry about what …

Off to prophetic school Credit: Michael Fawcett/Flickr/Creative Commons

My Prophetic Journey Part 3: School Starts

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[This is the third in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] Having wrestled with God’s call, and worked through some things involving God’s grace and work in my life as discussed in my last article, I was finally on board with God’s call into the prophetic. I read all the books and study notes that I could, and attended seminars on the prophetic. One day, either in a stroke of rare brilliance, or naivety, I came up with a plan. I bought myself a large hardcover blank notebook and said to God, Why don’t You teach me some prophetic lessons? A by-product of that would be learning to hear from God more, so that sounded great to me. God answered that prayer, and I began to fill the book with some tough lessons – be careful what you ask for! For a period of time God would deal with one thing (usually involving character and attitudes), and then would let that lesson become part of me. After …

Wayne's redemption box

My Prophetic Journey Part 2: The Redemption Box

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[This is the second in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] After discussing “The Call” in Part 1, I must mention the story of the redemption box, because the story of this journey would not be complete without it. Often in Scripture God teaches us deep spiritual lessons about His kingdom by comparing them to natural mundane things around us, as in Jesus’ parables. Another example would be when Moses stood before the burning bush, and God asked him, “What is that in your hand?” and used the shepherd’s staff to show Moses His power. One day God spoke to me and asked me, “What’s that box in your hand?” As a metal artist I love spending time in junkyards, looking for scrap metal to turn into art. I seem to have a particular penchant for old metal boxes, for no other reason than the challenge of restoring them and making them useful again. One day at one of my favorite junkyards I saw a future treasure, …

The Prophetic call Credit: DraconianRain/Flickr/Creative Commons

My Prophetic Journey: The Call

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[This is the first in a series of articles on the ministry of the prophet and gift of prophecy.] I would like to share the story of my call and journey in the prophetic ministry. This is not a teaching on the Five W’s of the prophetic ministry (whatever that would be) – this is a very personal journey of God healing brokenness, not so I could prophesy, but so I could walk whole in Him! I grew up with very low self-esteem, thinking I was stupid, school was a nightmare, and I never seemed to fit anywhere. I remember as an 11 or 12-year old contemplating killing myself because I hated everything about myself – I was damaged goods and I just wanted the pain to stop. I was extremely shy and afraid to stand in front of anyone for any reason. As a young believer there was a person in my life who had a “prophetic ministry.” I watched this person “minister” out of their unresolved issues. Their ministry was dark and almost …