The Purpose of Prophecy: How God Uses This Gift to Serve the Church

Part 2 of 5 by Don Bell | ⏱️ 11 minute read

Understanding the purpose of prophecy is essential for any believer who desires to be used by God to encourage and strengthen the Body of Christ. While the Apostle Paul clearly instructed us to "desire earnestly to prophesy," many Christians still wonder exactly why this gift is so vital in the modern Church.

In this article, we will explore the profound ways prophecy serves believers, how God uses it to speak into our past, present, and future, and the crucial role of human cooperation when responding to a prophetic word.

The Purpose of Prophecy in the Modern Church

Seashore at Tel Aviv, IsraelExplore the Purpose of Prophecy
Source: © Mahara/Depositphotos.com

Paul states, "Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:39). There's no mistaking that in Paul's view, prophecy is not an option; it's a vital tool to guide, encourage, and strengthen the Church.

Through prophetic utterances, God works in harmony with other gifts of the Holy Spirit to edify, exhort, and comfort believers while providing a powerful tool for service that bears true witness to the power and presence of God, and ultimately points people to Christ.

When believers understand and embrace the gift of prophecy as Paul taught it, they discover a powerful tool for ministry that transcends human wisdom and touches hearts in ways natural communication cannot.

Four Ways Prophecy Serves the Church

Here are several ways that the gift of prophecy blesses the Body of Christ (the worldwide community of believers). As you read these, ask the Holy Spirit to show you where He might want to use you in these ways.

First and foremost, we see that prophecy is beautifully designed by God to build up the faith community.

Prophecy Strengthens and Unites Believers

Paul encourages, "For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged" (1 Corinthians 14:31). This inclusive language reminds us that prophecy is a gift available to every believer.

During times of difficulty, prophetic utterances can provide much-needed comfort, reminding the faithful of God's presence and promises. By addressing specific needs within the congregation, the purpose of prophecy is fulfilled as it strengthens the Church and fosters a greater sense of unity and purpose.

A Wake-Up Call: Prophecy for Spiritual Restoration

Prophetic messages can serve as a wake-up call, urging people to turn from their apathy, spiritual weariness, or wrongdoing and return to the will of God.

Ezekiel prophesies, "'As I live,' says the Lord God, 'I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?'" (Ezekiel 33:11).

These divine exhortations can be both convicting and transformative, leading individuals and congregations to experience spiritual renewal and revival. Beyond calling us to repentance, the Holy Spirit also uses prophecy to help us chart our course through everyday life.

Navigating Life: Prophecy for Guidance and Confirmation

Prophecy provides guidance, direction, and confirmation to help believers navigate life's challenges and make decisions in accordance with God's will. Through prophetic words, God often provides specific guidance, warnings, or corrections to individuals and groups.

Paul encourages Timothy by saying, "This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare [to fight the spiritual battles ahead]" (1 Timothy 1:18).

God can communicate His plans and purposes to His people through prophecy and offer them confirmation when needed. To illustrate how the Lord provides this kind of specific guidance and loving confirmation, let me share an experience from my own ministry.

A Personal Anecdote

Our church welcomed a Southern pastor from Georgia as a frequent guest speaker. This godly man moved powerfully in prophecy, and I confess I felt nervous when the Holy Spirit prompted me to prophesy over him.

After the evening's meeting, people surrounded him with their goodbyes, so I needed to wait. As soon as he was alone, I walked forward in faith before I could talk myself out of it.

He knew me and my gifting, so I simply said, "The Lord has a message for you." He nodded, and I placed my hand on his shoulder and prophesied. However, the words I spoke were unlike any prophecy I had delivered.

It was to be my first prophecy given in rhyme. I am not a fan of poetry; it's just not my thing. However, God gave me the following words:

I'm holding your heart with My cords of love,
Your strength to stand, it comes from above.

While walking forward, don't fear, don't fret,
For I hold the future, it's not over yet.

I'll push and prod you, I'll bring it all to pass,
You may even need to fall off an ass.

For it's My plan you see, it's all written down,
You, my son, will take your town.

And don't even think you'll be stopping there,
For I'm going to put you on the air.

You'll reach many souls, many will be blessed,
And you'll do it all walking in My rest.

The line "You may even need to fall off an ass" refers to the prophet Balaam, whose donkey prevented him from missing God's will (2 Peter 2:15–16). I believe it was meant to caution the man of trying times and difficult choices preceding the fulfillment of God's plan, which beautifully illustrates the purpose of prophecy in preparing us for the future.

At the time, "For I'm going to put you on the air" suggested radio or television. However, within four years he was in a jet flying "on the air" to pastor a church in Europe where he reached and blessed many souls, fulfilling the prophecy.

Sometimes, there's a cryptic meaning to a word of prophecy, and it's only after an event unfolds that it can be understood as a confirmation. Prophecy can offer confirmation and reassurance to those who are seeking direction or questioning their current choices.

Now, before you think, "I could never prophesy like that!" — let me assure you that this rhyming prophecy was highly unusual. Most prophetic words are simple, straightforward messages of encouragement that sound like natural speech.

God provided this specific word in rhyme for His own purposes — maybe for greater impact — though He typically speaks through us using our normal vocabulary and speaking style. Don't let this unique example intimidate you; your prophecies will sound like you talking, just with God's message flowing through your words.

A Powerful Witness: Pointing People to Jesus

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10). Therefore, the ultimate purpose of prophecy is to point people to Jesus and affirm His identity as their Messiah and King.

Paul says, "If all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an uninformed person comes in, he is convinced by all, he is convicted by all. And thus the secrets of his heart are revealed [to him]; and so, falling down on his face, he will worship God and report that God is truly among you" (1 Corinthians 14:24–25).

Prophetic words can convince and convict the hearts of not only unbelievers, but also believers who are uninformed and not walking in the truth. They come to realize that God knows them intimately and cares deeply about them. Never fear — God won't reveal secrets we don't want revealed, except those that relate to our spiritual condition.

Understanding these purposes helps us appreciate why Paul urged believers to "desire earnestly to prophesy." Yet with this powerful gift comes great responsibility. We must learn to discern the genuine from the counterfeit, which we'll explore thoroughly in Part 3.

God's Timeless View: Prophecy for Past, Present, and Future

Now let's explore how prophecy transcends time in ways that reflect God's eternal perspective.

A prophecy can relate to past, present, or future events. Grasping the true purpose of prophecy means realizing it doesn't always speak of the future as some might think. A prophetic word can bring comfort by reminding somebody of a past event, clarify something that's happening in the present, or provide hope for the future.

A Personal Anecdote

Knowing that I operated in the gifts of the Spirit, a Christian counselor asked me to monitor a session and share any insight the Holy Spirit might offer. His client was an unmarried career woman who spoke of her prolonged feelings of sadness and her deep desire to lead a happy and fulfilled life.

While she and the counselor were talking, the Holy Spirit gave me a word of knowledge.1 In my mind's eye (an internal vision, like seeing a picture in your thoughts), I saw the image of an old-fashioned walkway gate. It was of dark green metal, and it had a row of ivy leaves in its design.

When my turn came to share, I described the old gate and its design, and the Holy Spirit then prompted me to prophesy the following:

"As you leaned on the gate when leaving home, know that I was with you. Lean on Me now knowing that you are greatly loved. You are not alone, for I am your heavenly Father. I am with you always."

She began to cry and through tears related that, being a country girl, the ties to her home and family were strong, and it broke her heart when she had to leave for the city. One of her saddest memories was of leaning on that green metal gate the day she left home, knowing how homesick she would be.

Drying her eyes, she shared that she felt different. She no longer felt the loneliness. The presence of the Holy Spirit was healing the hurt. Realizing that God had been with her at the gate, she now felt the Father's abiding love deep within her being and hope for the future.

Words of knowledge and the gift of prophecy will often work hand in hand to comfort and encourage those in need.

The Scripture reveals, "'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,' says the Lord, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty'" (Revelation 1:8).

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet — God is declaring that He encompasses all of time and existence from start to finish.

Picture a parade passing through the streets of a city. Consider the difference between a street-level view and an aerial view. We have the street-level view, and God has the aerial view, whereby He simultaneously views the entire parade from beginning to end.

Conceptual Illustration Showing How Prophecy Relates to Time PassageRelationship of Prophecy to Past, Present, or Future Events
Source: Leonardo | ©Don Bell

Imagine you are standing with friends on the sidewalk watching the parade of colorful floats passing by. You can only view float B in front of you, and though you may have recollections of floats that passed by earlier, you have no knowledge of the floats yet to appear. However...

  • God can tell you about float A that has already passed your vantage point. It's in your past.
  • God can tell you about float B that is at your vantage point. It's in your present.
  • God can just as easily tell you about float C that has yet to reach your vantage point. It's in your future.

Now let's explore how prophecy transcends time in ways that reflect God's eternal perspective.

God can give you a prophetic word for people needing to relate to an event in their past, present, or future, showing that the purpose of prophecy is not limited by time. You simply step out in faith and prophesy His words to the people. Isn't God amazing?

Prophecy Across Time: A Real-Life Example

A Personal Anecdote

I was leading a weekend healing retreat at a Catholic Charismatic Center (a gathering of Catholics who embrace the gifts of the Holy Spirit) in Ontario's Ottawa Valley, and the group had chosen to end Saturday by attending the evening Mass at Our Lady of the Angels, a small country church nearby at Brudenell.

One of the ladies was reluctant to go because she was expecting a phone call. Her son and his wife were 330 km away in a Toronto hospital expecting their first baby. Their doctor was concerned since the birth was long overdue.

However, being a woman of faith, she placed the situation in God's hands, and we all drove to the church. We entered, and while walking down the aisle, I sensed the Holy Spirit prompting me to prophesy.

The lady had seated herself in the pew in front of me, so I tapped her on the shoulder and whispered a brief prophetic word: to trust in the Lord, that the baby would soon be born in perfect health, and that God had a special plan for the baby's life. She would be His Rose of Sharon!2

It was one of those times when I listened to what I was saying and prayed I'd heard the Holy Spirit clearly. The promise of a healthy baby granddaughter was not to be made lightly!

Moments after our return to the retreat house, her son called. The baby had just been born, and both mother and baby daughter were in perfect health. And get this: the Jewish mother had decided to name their newborn Rose. I love it when God confirms His prophetic word.

An inspired prophetic word can offer peace of mind and confirmation that God holds the future, beautifully demonstrating the purpose of prophecy for people facing life's situations and concerns. God is so good!

Sometimes the prophecy will address a topic that someone is preparing to teach, confirming the teaching that's to come. And sometimes the prophecy will answer questions that someone had before or during the meeting. God determines the message.

Conditional Prophecy: Your Role in God's Plan

While it's wonderful to know that God can speak into our past, present, and future, there's an important truth about prophecy that often surprises believers: prophetic words frequently come with conditions attached.

Most people don't realize that prophecies can have conditions — some clearly stated, others implied. The fact that a prophecy is divinely inspired doesn't automatically guarantee its fulfillment. The Old Testament provides us with clear examples of this principle.

Consider the story of David at Keilah, where a prophetic warning required immediate action to avoid disaster.

When David knew that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here." Then David said, "O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant."

And the Lord said, "He will come down."

Then David said, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the Lord said, "They will deliver you."

So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition. (1 Samuel 23:9–13)

What Was the Ephod?

The ephod was a special vest-like garment worn by Israel's high priest. It contained the Urim and Thummim, sacred objects used to discern God's will in important decisions. When David asked for the ephod, he was seeking God's direct answer to his questions.

Although God had said through the ephod, "They will deliver you," David and his men chose not to remain in Keilah, so they were not delivered to Saul, and their lives were spared, which reveals how the purpose of prophecy often involves a warning rather than a fixed fate. If they had fulfilled the prophecy's condition by remaining in Keilah, they would have become Saul's prisoners.

A passage from The Book of Jeremiah helps to shed light on how conditional prophecy works:

The word of the Lord came to me, saying: "O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?" says the Lord. "Look, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel! The instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, to pull down, and to destroy it, if that nation against whom I have spoken turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I thought to bring upon it. And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight so that it does not obey My voice, then I will relent concerning the good with which I said I would benefit it." (Jeremiah 18:5–10, emphasis added)

When God says He will "relent," He means He will change His intended course of action based on human response. Not because He's indecisive, but because He's relational and responsive to our choices.

Because God is so wonderfully responsive to us, we must realize that prophecy is not a one-way street, but a divine invitation to partner with Him.

Divine-Human Cooperation in Prophecy

The gift of prophecy operates within a framework of divine-human cooperation, where our responses to God's words can influence their fulfillment. Here's an example:

Let's suppose a young believer receives a prophetic word that God will use their musical talents to bless many people. It's crucial to recognize the believer's active participation. Bringing the prophecy to fruition will require dedicated music study, consistent practice, and intentionally seeking opportunities to perform.

We can't passively wait for prophecy to manifest without meeting its built-in conditions, as that can lead to unfulfilled expectations and require God to "relent" and redirect His intended plan for us.

Ultimately, the purpose of prophecy is to motivate our current behavior. If it speaks of potential trouble, it encourages repentance; if it speaks of potential blessing, it encourages perseverance in following God's direction.

Continuing Your Prophetic Journey: Discernment and Safety

You now understand the profound ways God uses the gift of prophecy to strengthen, guide, and comfort His people, as well as the dynamic nature of conditional prophecy. However, with this powerful gift comes great responsibility. Because prophecy involves human cooperation, it is entirely possible for well-meaning believers to make mistakes or misinterpret God's voice.

Before you step out in the prophetic, you must know how to discern the genuine from the counterfeit. In Part 3, How to Test Prophecy, we will explore the essential biblical principles for weighing and judging prophetic messages, ensuring you can protect both yourself and your fellow believers from error.

Endnotes

1 A word of knowledge is a gift of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:8) that provides supernatural insight or information about a person, situation, or event that you couldn't know through natural means. It often works alongside prophecy to bring specific, personal encouragement. For example, God might show you a detail from someone's past (like the green gate) to demonstrate His intimate knowledge and care for them.

2 Rose of Sharon: This phrase from Song of Solomon 2:1 symbolizes beauty, belovedness, and God's special favor. In prophesying that the baby would be God's "Rose of Sharon," the Holy Spirit was declaring that this child would be precious to the Lord and would flourish in His love — confirmed by the mother naming her newborn Rose.

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About the Author

Don Bell of Kingdom Anointing

Don Bell is the creator of the Kingdom Anointing website and a dedicated follower of Jesus Christ. He shares insights from his spiritual journey to encourage ordinary believers to seek God's Kingdom and walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.


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