Words of Prophecy

And when Paul had laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied. Acts 19:6

Along with the baptism of the Holy Ghost came the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Prophecy is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Prophecy is evident and in operation in spirit-filled men and women today as much as it was in the New Testament.

Prophecy is when the Holy Spirit speaks to a man or woman of God and gives them supernatural insight. The man or woman will speak the words of the Holy Spirit as Holy Spirit gives them to him or her. 2 Peter 1:21 says "for the prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."

In I Corinthians 14:3 & 4, the Apostle Paul says that Prophecy is given for the edification, exhortation and comfort of the church. When Paul speaks of the church, he speaks of an individual in the church or of the church body as a group. Speaking in tongues is for the person speaking but prophecy is for the person it is spoken to. Prophecy can be given to a person or persons to comfort them, direct them, or to warn them.

The gift of Prophecy can be abused by men and women who speak their own words and express them as from God. However, when a true word of prophecy is given, the Holy Spirit will speak something to the person receiving the word that is personal only to him or her that will reveal that the word is from God. And a true prophecy will be a confirmation of something that God has already been dealing with that person about.

As supernatural and amazing as prophecy can be (because it is a word from God through the Holy Spirit), it will never replace or alter the Words of God or Bible. Prophecy will give insight to an individual but should never be used as the only means of direction or leading.