Charism of Prophecy

Description: Communicating the word or call of God to individuals or groups through inspired words or actions.

Testimony for the Charism of Prophecy

When I think back to my Called and Gifted workshop and completing the charism inventory, I can recall being both being a little nervous but also excited as I began to look at the results. Would it show what I expected it to show in respect of a number of potential charism I wondered?  One score that I was keen to look at was the charism of prophecy.

“I found that God was giving me words that were accurately speaking into the lives of the group and further afield”

To explain this, I need to go back almost thirty years. Soon after having attended a Life in the Spirit seminar and receiving the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, my wife and I were invited to join a weekly local prayer group where we were actively encouraged to listen to God and speak out to the group. I found that God was giving me words that were accurately speaking into the lives of the group and further afield. The Prayer Group Leadership Team were very encouraging and supportive as I explored and used this gift of the Holy Spirit, this Charism of Prophecy.

I was hungry to serve the Lord and use this gift if it served to advance His Kingdom. In 1994 we met an evangelist from the USA who had an established prophetic ministry. Not only did he speak prophetically into my life but encouraged me to develop and use the gift of prophecy. It was not just a coincidence that within days I learnt of a four day long “School, of Prophecy” being held at a church not too far from us.  Four days of sound biblical and practical teaching but also witnessing jaw dropping accurate prophecy from the leader and his team. Being taught how to use this gift responsibly and safely proved to be invaluable over the years. This was life changing for both my wife and myself in witnessing the power of God but also receiving powerful prophecies for ourselves which are still valid today.

Hence my anxious anticipation as I checked my Called and Gifted Inventory and the relief and assurance I felt when I saw a high score against the Charism of Prophecy. I think that during my discernment conversation I might have stretched my facilitators belief as I shared past experiences to support my responses to his questions.

Just as my life was fundamentally changed through receiving prophecy it has been a real privilege over time to be able to speak prophetically into the lives of others and receive subsequent testimony to how this has been encouraging, affirming and sometimes life changing. We have many times run Schools of Prophecy in this country as well as in Denmark and Slovakia. I have learnt that God has a sense of humour. At one of these schools of prophecy in the UK a participant was getting married days after the school ended. He was really struggling with pain and had trouble moving as he was waiting for both knees to be replaced. I recall asking him to stand up in front of the group because the Lord wanted me to say something to him. The word from God was simply that the guy would walk his bride down the aisle and dance the night away at the wedding reception without any pain or restriction of movement because that is how precious his marriage was in the eyes of God. What was prophesied was exactly what happened. He did subsequently have both knees replaced! I can recall very many examples such as this.  So many times, when speaking overseas with only a list of participant’s names, God has given us precise prophecies for people we have never met before. It’s so exciting using this charism yet it is always humbling recognising that God could use an imperfect vessel like me to speak out His words. No matter how often we are called to prophesy, it’s always a challenge to step out in faith. I recall being taught at the School of Prophecy we attended in 1994 that “Prophesy was 80% perspiration and 20 % inspiration.