Misunderstanding and Embracing the Spiritual Gift of Prophecy

When I first began noticing my sensitivity to the Spirit, I assumed everyone felt what I

felt. Surely, I thought, everyone could pick up on what God was unfolding in a situation. I

thought everyone could understand and sense His hand working in the lives of others. It

wasn’t until someone described it as having a “spiritual tuning fork” inside of me that I

realized this was something different. This “spiritual tuning fork” is a stirring in my spirit

which helps me to determine whether things are “of God,” or “not of God.” This is an

actual feeling and not something I determine or decipher mentally. There is a supernatural feeling or force at work guiding me in my discernment.

As I’ve explored this gift, I've learned my gut feelings weren’t just hunches. They were the Lord’s whispers.

This realization has led me on a journey to understanding my gift and how to share it. In

exploring these things, I’ve also learned when not to share. Sometimes God is revealing

things to me for my own growth and edification of the spiritual prophetic gift, and He

asks me not to share.

How I Misunderstood the Gift

I misunderstood prophecy in two ways:

• I assumed it was universal. I thought every believer carried the same sensitivity to the Spirit. Realizing prophecy was a unique gift helped me stop dismissing those Spirit-led nudges.

• I misunderstood what prophecy looks like today. In the Old Testament,

  prophets often called people to repentance, sounding alarms to draw God’s people back to righteousness. But in the New Testament, prophecy is about revealing the heart of God and reminding His people of His righteousness given through faith in Christ (Philippians 3:9).

  
  

Paul draws a clear distinction: it’s not about earning righteousness through law or

performance, but about receiving it through a living relationship with Jesus. Prophecy

today doesn’t exist to condemn but to build up, encourage, and reveal God’s nearness.

Learning to Embrace the Gift

My journey of embracing prophecy deepened when Philippians 3:10 was spoken over

me during a prophetic gathering at our church. Trusted leaders affirmed this word, and I

weighed it carefully, which is something I always encourage others to do.

Never receive a prophecy blindly; test it, pray over it, and ask God for clarity.

I want to highlight that, even those called in to the prophetic gifting need prophecy to

confirm and edify their gift. If it were not for others walking in their prophetic gifting, I

would never have realized my gift.

Since that night, Philippians 3:10 has become both an anchor and a compass for me.

“That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His

sufferings, being conformed to His death...” (Philippians 3:10).

Prophecy, I’ve discovered, isn’t about lofty declarations or dramatic predictions. It’s

about knowing God deeply—and helping others know Him, too. During my prophecy,

that is what was highlighted - my cry, my prayers to want to know the Father deeply.

The gift has expanded my heart beyond performance or titles and brought me back to

the simplicity of being with Jesus.

I share the gift of prophecy by encouraging others and sharing what the Lord sees in

them. God often leads me to speak into the area of character, and to encourage growth

and intimacy with the Lord as He develops new and Holy characteristics in someone.

How I Operate in the Gift Now

As I’ve grown, I’ve seen how prophecy works in harmony with another gift God has

given me: discernment. That “spiritual tuning fork” allows me to recognize whether

something is truly from the Lord. This discernment helps me guide others when they are

unsure if they’re hearing God’s voice or something else.

At times, I receive a word of knowledge or a special revelation about someone’s

circumstance—details I couldn’t possibly know apart from the Spirit. When I share these insights, my heart is always to pray, comfort, and encourage. 1 Corinthians 14:25 describes how a prophetic word can uncover the secrets of someone’s heart so that they fall down and worship, declaring, “God is really among you!”

That’s the beauty of this gift: it isn’t about exposing sin or shaming anyone. God has

already removed our sins as far as the east is from the west. Instead, prophecy aligns

truth and love in such a way that someone realizes, surely, the Lord sees me and is

speaking to me.

When I operate prophetically, my goal is never to place myself in authority over someone, but to reveal God’s authority and love for them. This often disarms fear, builds trust, and opens a person’s heart to receive the comfort of His presence.

Knowing Him More Deeply

There are many layers of knowing someone: recognizing their face, speaking with them,

spending time together, or even sharing daily life in marriage. But beyond all those

layers lies a deeper, soul-level knowing; this is the one that Jesus describes in John

14:7: If we know Him, we know the Father.

That’s the essence of prophetic ministry: not fortune-telling, not fear-mongering, but drawing people closer to the living God. To know Him, and to help others recognize His voice, His heart, and His presence.

-Kelsey Bryant, Worthy Content Writer