Gift of Prophecy

“...so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.” Romans 12:5-8

Mention the word prophecy, and most people associate it with foretelling the future. The New Testament reference to prophecy deals specifically with speaking forth the truth, not foretelling the future. Let’s look at the basic motivation of the believer with the gift of prophecy.

He or she is very concerned with discovering what God is saying, and they are very sensitive about the individual through whom that message comes. This believer is one who sees things in black and white. They depend strongly upon the validation of Scripture. He or she is intent on spotting evil or hypocrisy. They are of leadership material and will challenge and motivate others to a deep commitment to Christ.

Each gift can be identified by certain characteristics in our lives. The following list indicates qualities which will surface when we follow God’s Spirit or our own self-will:
Spirit / Flesh
Committed to Truth / Deceptive
Obedient / Willful
Sincere / Hypocritical
Virtue (purity) / Defilement
Boldness / Fearful
Forgiving / Rejecting
Persuasive / Argumentative