Gifts of the Spirit are mentioned in in 1Cor. 12:8-10. Here Paul gives the church a list of nine extraordinary Holy Spirit manifestations. Many questions have arisen about what these manifestations are. One of the most misunderstood manifestations is the gift of prophecy. What is it exactly and how we can tap into it in our everyday life? What is the secret to unlocking our understanding of this gift? Let’s take a look.

Questions Concerning Spiritual Gifts

• In teaching on this particular subject over the course of many years, similar questions keep rising.
• It seems as if no matter where you go the same questions about these nine manifestations pop-up over and over again.
• Here is a list.

1. What is the gift of prophecy?
2. What is the difference between the gift of prophecy in the New Testament and what you see the prophets doing in the Old Testament?
3. What is the difference between gifts of healing in the Old Testament and the same gift in the New Testament?
4. What is the Word of Knowledge?
5. What is the main difference between the Word of Knowledge and the Word of Wisdom?
6. What is the difference between the manifestation of faith and faith that comes from hearing God’s Word?
7. What is discerning of spirits?
8. Does discerning of spirits include discerning a person’s intentions?
9. Gifts of healing is plural; why?

1 Corinthians 12:8–10 (KJV)
8 For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit; 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

• Sometimes we have trouble recognizing the moving’s of the Holy Spirit.
• Things happen in a service, and then the questions come.
• ‘Was that God or not?’
• ‘Was a particular manifestation the Holy Ghost or wasn’t it?
• Sometimes the questions aren’t even asked, which can be an alarming thing.
• One should not assume that everything that happens in a church service is God.
• Now, on the one hand, the dilemma is a good one to have.
• If you are a question type person and you find yourself never having to ask yourself these questions, that’s probably a good indication that spiritual manifestations are not happening.
• It is possible to schedule the Holy Ghost right out of a church service.
• It happens all the time in churches everywhere.
• On the other hand, if the Holy Spirit is in the habit of manifesting in your local assembly, you don’t want to make the mistake of labeling something as ‘God’ if it isn’t.
• This is what happened with the Corinthians and it happened in this area of the gift of prophecy.
• You want to be smart about spiritual things.
• God does not want us to be ignorant of spiritual things.
• God wants you to know and understand what the gift of prophecy is.
• First, let’s address a more basic thought.

Just Who Will God Use?

• Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, and what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself. – Martin Luther King Jr.
• Just who will God use in this area of the gifts?
• The answer we find in 1Corinthians 12 vs. 7 and vs. 11.

1 Corinthians 12:7 (KJV)
7 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal.

1 Corinthians 12:11 (KJV)
11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.

• God will use every man!
• Everyman includes you.
• What does God using ‘every man’ imply?
• It means you do not have to be totally perfect and completely spiritual in order to be used of God in these areas!
• Let’s prove that statement out by looking at these same Corinthian believers.

1 Corinthians 1:5,7 (KJV)
5 That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge;
7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ:

1 Corinthians 3:1 (KJV )
1 And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.

• Read the first three chapters of 1Corinthians and you will see that the Corinthian church was in a carnal, infantile, or spiritually immature state.
• They were fighting over things.
• There was strife and division over leadership.
• Yet, the scripture says that despite these anti-spiritual areas they came behind in no gift; that is they had the gifts in manifestation despite their immaturity.
• So, take heart from these truths.
• You don’t have to be perfect.
• You do not have to be totally mature in order to be used by God.
• God wants to use everyone!
• He wants to use you.

GIFTS, ADMINISTRATIONS, OPERATIONS

• There are nine manifestations of the Holy Ghost or nine ways that the Holy Ghost manifests Himself.
• These nine manifestations can be broken down into three areas.
• The divisions are gifts, administrations, and operations.
• Some of these manifestations on this list of nine are gifts.
• Some of these nine fit into a category that is called administrations. Some of these nine fall into a class called operations.
• Sometimes our terminology throws us for a loop.
• These are not really the nine gifts of the Spirit.
• They are nine manifestations of which some of them are gifts.

The breakdown is as follows:
Gifts
Prophecy
Tongues
Interpretation of Tongues
Gifts of Healings

Administrations
Word of Wisdom
Word of Knowledge
Discerning of Spirits

Operations
Faith
Working of Miracles

• Since, we are discussing the gift of prophecy lets prove that this manifestation of the Spirit is indeed a gift available to every man.

The Simple Gift of Prophecy

1 Corinthians 12:10 (KJV)
10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

• How can we know that prophecy is a gift?

Romans 12:6 (KJV)
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

DEFINITION: gifts – χάρισμα/charisma – that which is freely and graciously given, favor bestowed, gift.

1 Corinthians 14:31 (KJV)
31 For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted.

• Remember this simple thing about the word ‘gifts’.
• If it’s a gift everybody can have it or be used in that area.
• There are certain of these manifestations that are called gifts and everybody can be used in these areas because gifts are given.

Secret One to the Simple Gift of Prophecy: Define the Terms

• What is the simple gift of prophecy?
  • The simple gift of prophecy is supernatural utterance in a known tongue – for us that would supernatural utterance in English.
  • We could also say that the simple gift of prophecy is inspired utterance in a known tongue.
• The Spirit inspired us and gave us words that we did not think up with our minds.
• These words come up out of our spirits by the Holy Spirit within us.
• There is no premeditation in it.
• There’s no thinking ahead of time, what one is going to say.
• Inspired speech is spur of the moment speech.
• Many times, people think of the gift of prophecy in only one vein.
• A public proclamation in front of people in a church service or a believers meeting.
• Which is also why you only see a few people give out an utterance.
• The number one fear that people have is public speaking.
• But you need to know that the simple gift of prophecy works way more outside of the public forum than inside it.
• Gifts of the Spirit are way more in manifestation outside the church than inside it.
• Be encouraged and understand the Holy Ghost in this area.
• For example, this blog post was a message delivered previously in a group setting.
• I studied it.
• I meditated on it ahead of time.
• I thought about it.
• I used my whole being to create it.
• It is not the simple gift of prophecy.
• But have you ever heard a minister or a Bible teacher say while they were delivering their premeditated message, “You know that wasn’t in my notes. I don’t know why I said that.”
• What happened?
• There was a crossover.
• Welcome to the simple gift of prophecy.
• Or have you ever been speaking with a friend and you started saying things to them, and you don’t know how come you said those words, and they said, “Man I needed to hear that”?
• What happened?
• There was a crossover.
• Welcome to the simple gift of prophecy.
• So, it happens outside of church way more than inside of church simply because you spend way more time outside of church than you do inside of church.
• The Holy Spirit does not stop manifesting just because you leave a church service.

Now, here are the component parameters for this gift.
1 Corinthians 14:3 (KJV)
3 But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort.

• Let’s define these terms.

DEFINITION: edification/οἰκοδομή/oikodomē – process of building up; spiritual strengthening.

• The hearers of an utterance delivered via the simple gift of prophecy receive a strengthening by the words they hear.

DEFINITION: exhortation/παρακαλέω/parakaleō – act of emboldening (putting courage or boldness) another in belief or course of action, encouragement, exhortation. [1]

• Also another, result of the simple gift of prophecy is that the hearers of the utterance experience courage or boldness. 

DEFINITION: comfort/παραμυθία/paramythia – ) that which serves as encouragement to one who is depressed or in grief, encouragement, comfort, consolation. [2]

• Again, one should be encouraged when they hear an utterance via this manifestation of the Spirit.
• So, these are the parameters of this gift.
• They are very distinctly defined.
• Now, it is also so very helpful to understand what the simple gift prophecy is not.
• Here is a source of some confusion.
• It is our defining terms differently than what the Bible states that cause the misunderstanding.
• The simple gift prophecy is not telling the future.
• The simple gift prophecy is not predicting the future.
• Notice this component was not in the definition in 1Corinthians 14:3.
• When you have a predictive element in an utterance, you no longer have the simple gift of prophecy, you have something else.
• You have the Word of Wisdom in manifestation.

Isaiah 9:6 (KJV)
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: And the government shall be upon his shoulder: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counseller, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

• This verse in Isaiah is an example of an utterance that has a predictive element in it.
• Isaiah speaks of Jesus, 700 years before He arrives.
• This is not the simple gift of prophecy.
• The simple gift prophecy does not have any component of the personal present or past of an individual.
• Notice this component was, also, not in the definition in 1Corinthians 14:3.
• When you have a personal past or present element in an utterance, you no longer have the simple gift of prophecy, you have something else.
• You have the Word of Knowledge in manifestation.

John 4:18 (KJV)
18 For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.

• Notice Jesus utterance to this woman at the well has a past component, ‘you have had five husbands’, and a present component, ‘he who you now have is not your husband’.
• Realize that many times these gifts are like bacon and eggs and hash browns.
• Bacon is not eggs and eggs are not hash brown but they sure do go together well.
• Many times there are multiple manifestations flowing together at the same time.

Secret Two to the Simple Gift of Prophecy: Get Your Mouth Moving

Hebrews 11:8 (KJV)
8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

• It does take faith to move any manifestation of the Spirit.
• Often you have to head out not knowing where you are going.
• At times you don’t start with a manifestation of the Spirit, you ‘run into it’.
• It’s almost as if the Holy Spirit is watching you and waiting for the right moment to ‘move in on the conversation’ or what is happening.
• That is why it is a good to train yourself to look inside of you.
• Always look in your spirit to see if anything is available there.
• You see this with Jesus and the woman at the well.
• Jesus did not start out knowing that the woman had five husbands and her current ‘live in’ was not her husband.
• He ran into in the course of the conversation.
• So, if you ever have a sense that something needs to be said but you don’t know what it is, start talking and get your mouth moving.
• You cannot be used in the simple gift of prophecy with your mouth closed!
• Prophecy is utterance and utterance is speech, you cannot run into this gift unless you are talking.
• You can help someone by getting your mouth moving.
• If you are counseling someone about a problem they are having, know that most people do not have a handle on the ‘root’ of the problem.
• Most times, what a person presents as the problem is the symptom of the problem, not the root of the problem.
• For example, say you are counseling someone about finances.
  • What is the symptom?
  • They are out of money.
  • But what is the root of that?
  • How do I help  encourage, comfort and strengthen this person?
• Start talking generally about finances.
• Pull from your knowledge base to begin with, that is get your mouth moving and then check inside of yourself.
• Sometimes the Holy Spirit will help you and you will switch over as you are speaking generally into the realm of ‘inspired speech’.
• Which now brings us to the third secret.

Secret Three to the Simple Gift of Prophecy: Everything Works Better with Love

1 Corinthians 12:31 (KJV)
31 But covet earnestly the best gifts: and yet shew I unto you a more excellent way.

• Love is the more excellent way.
• It is more excellent that just coveting the gifts without love as a motive.
• Learn to pray prayer like this.
• “Lord help me to help someone.”
• “Lord help me to equip someone.”
• “Lord help me to encourage someone.”
• “Lord help me to strengthen someone.”
• “Lord help me to lift someone.”
• “Lord help me to impart boldness into someone.”
• “Lord help me to help people.”
• When that is the yearning of your heart, you now have created an environment that the Holy Spirit is very comfortable in moving in.
• Love is the realm of God.
• When you are counseling a person, your motive should be how can I help this person instead how can I impress this person with my knowledge.
• Here is something you may have run into.
  • Many people get offended if you do not acknowledge their personal database of knowledge and experience.
  • You will hear it in words like this, “I have been doing this for ‘x’ amount of years.”
  • If this statement is used as a blanket statement to shut other people down, this can be a statement of pride and arrogance.
• It’s not always what you know, it is what the other person needs at that moment of time.

Call to Action

• So, have a praying heart of compassion for people.
• Get your mouth moving and look to the Spirit of God within.
• And now, that you understand the parameters of the simple gift of prophecy, you are ready for some Holy Spirit adventures along this line.

Question: What further questions do you have about this simple gift of the Spirit? Please share a comment below.

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Reference

[1] William Arndt, Frederick W. Danker, and Walter Bauer, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2000), 766.

[2] Ibid., 769.