PROPHECY GUIDELINES | CONFINE TO DESIGNATED TIMES & AREAS

1. Prophecy Guidelines

a) Here are some guidelines that many churches and ministries have found to be helpful in encouraging believers to move in this gift of prophecy - including prophecy, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, discerning of spirits, and tongues and interpretation of tongues - in local fellowships.

b) The following principles for delivering and responding to personal prophecy in the local church have been adopted by many Bible believing Christian fellowships and ministries worldwide. These guidelines are merely suggestions for the operation of prophetic ministry within a local church or ministry, and should be weighed against Scripture.

c) With all we know from the Scripture about the gifts of the Spirit, we have to keep in mind that no prophetic utterance takes priority over the ministry of the Word of God itself. Prophecy must not displace preaching. People cannot live by “inspirationalism,” but only by the bread of God, the Word.

d) God has given to the church apostles, teachers, pastors, and evangelists - as well as prophets - to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up (Ephesians 4:11-13). The gifts of the Spirit are complementary to the Word.

Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

2. Confine To Designated Times And Areas

a) Various opportunities to minister prophetically to individuals or to activate saints in the gifts of the Spirit may be given in a home cell group, a special Holy Spirit meeting, or in prophetic seminars or conferences. Under the guidance of the local church or conference leadership, these opportunities should be made in these types of settings. These are the only times people should share a personal word with another believer, unless they have been recognized by the leadership of the local or regional church.

b) So called “parking lot prophecies,” or words spoken outside of proper spiritual oversight, do not allow the person sharing, or the person being ministered to, proper covering and discernment in this important area. For the safety of the person receiving a personal word, and the person giving that word, it is recommended that if a believer has a word from the Lord and senses that it is imperative that they give it, it should be written down or recorded on a tape and submitted to proper leadership before it is given.

c) There are two reasons for this caution. First, this policy allows all prophetic utterances to be recorded so that the person receiving the word can take a tape home so that they can prayerfully consider what the Lord may be saying to them. After weighing the word against the Scripture, it is advisable for them to transcribe the word for both meditation and preservation.

d) Second, the pastoral leadership of the local church, the 5-fold minister, or the leadership of a para-church ministry are responsible to the person, their pastor and to God for the prophetic ministry which takes place. It is wise for these leaders to evaluate and bear witness to all personal prophetic ministry to ensure that people are not misled, and through biblical counsel to properly guide the individual's response to a personal prophetic word.