"And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. But if a revelation is made to another who is seated, let the first keep silent. For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets; for God is not a God of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints." (1 Cor 14:29-33)

To move in prophetic ministry most effectively, and to avoid any potential for reproach, it is important to move in what could be called proper "protocol" in the church. This necessitates that the prophet or prophesier recognize the other giftings operating within the Body of Christ and particularly the ministry of government.

Just because someone is a prophet does not automatically mean they can usurp another's legitimate governmental sphere. Government and prophetic ministry are two different ministries. This is not to say that someone may not exercise ministry in both arenas at the same time.

It is important to understand that God Himself established government in the church. There is such an easy inclination for us to consider our "ministry" of "proclamation" most important, but God also set in the church, apostles, pastors administrators and other forms of elders who's ministry is "government". It is important then to properly relate to that government. The following scriptures speak to the issue very clearly. "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God." (Rom 13:1)

"Obey your leaders, and submit to them for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you." (Heb 13:17)

Of course this issue of proper prophetic protocol within the local church is difficult simply due to the fact there are a broad variety of situations, levels of maturity and forms of church government within the Body of Christ. Readers here may also be ranging from budding prophesiers, to internationally recognized prophets/prophetess. And the number of variations of prophetic procedures are probably as many as the number of kinds of churches.

If you are in a church or group that does not believe in or practice the operation of the gifts of the Spirit, my advice would be, rather than offending the leaders, you might ask God to lead you to a group that does. If you KNOW God has placed you there, and there is no other alternative, it would still be better to follow the values and practices of the church you are in than to cause division and strife over the gifts of the Spirit which God intended for a blessing and not as a point of strife.

Although we certainly must acknowledge there are numerous versions and structures of government within the Body of Christ, the Christian who is humble and submitted to God will recognize the value of submission to spiritual authority and look for legitimate spiritual authority to relate to in a proper way. While some are, in our opinion, better and closer to the scriptural pattern than others; the more important issue in this discussion is that God can and does rule through various forms of government, and He calls us to respect it.

If, in our desire to minister to the church, we find ourselves despising or resisting authentic spiritual authority, the first question we need to ask ourselves is "What are the motives and attitudes of our hearts?" Do we operate out of an attitude of rebellion, independence and pride; or are we humble, teachable and willing to be correctable? Having settled that in our hearts, it is important then, to flow within the accepted protocol of the particular church or setting you find yourself in.

For instance I (Carolyn) have had the honor of ministering by prophecy and/or "prophetic song" in a number of conference settings with, in some cases, thousands in attendance. Some of these circumstances were in settings where I was involved in the leadership of the meetings. and other times I was there as a guest and was actually unknown to the leadership.

When the Spirit of the Lord would stir a Word within me in my local church, I knew what to do. They knew me, I knew them and it was not a problem. I knew our protocol was to go to the front, submit to the elder or pastor over the prophetic ministry that I "felt" I had a word from the Lord to share. (It is very important to be submitted and deferent in heart and attitude.) Most of the time I was given free liberty to share the word. Sometimes I would be asked what the content was or what the spirit of the word was. The pastor or elder in charge in that service had/has the right to tell me that he/she did not feel that now would be the right time to release that word. I would then have the privilege of modeling how a mature and submitted servant of the prophetic word simply walks back to her seat with a smile on her face and a submitted attitude, even if, on the inside I may have been wrestling with the lies of the enemy telling me that everyone was going to think I had a wrong word or I was not sensitive to the Lord and got sent back to my seat.

I had to learn to shut the mouth of the enemy by refusing to listen and trust the heart of my pastors. I have known other prophetic people who were so broken in their own souls that to be sent back to their seats brought them great shame and embarrassment that they would slander the leadership and tell others that the leaders "missed God" by not letting them share. Or others would accuse them and say they were "quenching the Holy Spirit" and thus created strife, division, mistrust, etc.

I am one entrusted with the gift of prophecy and have ministered in the local church for 23 years as one under authority and then as one in authority. As such, I feel very blessed to have had pastors and elders who have embraced the Father's heart and desire to raise up a company of prophets who will help prepare the way and make ready a people for the Lords' coming. I know many who have not had that experience and there is healing and restoration for you. But I believe that the responsibility of the one with the gift of prophecy is to submit to the Lord and the local pastor and leaders and serve with their gift. It is not about control, position, prestige, honor or lack of honor, importance or any other self-promoting emotion or idea. It is about the Word of the Lord being released to bring hope, courage, joy, edification, exhortation, comfort, and in some instances, direction or correction.

I (Jim) have, at times, met "would be" prophetic ministers who despise the thought of having to be "subject to any man." What most aspiring prophesiers don't really understand is a pastoral leader's sense of God-given stewardship and responsibility to protect the flock entrusted to them. These leaders take seriously the fact that they will answer to God for what they allow into the assembly. One of the dilemmas every pastor or leader faces is the tension between "quality control" versus an "equipping" environment. What that creates for a leader is a continuous tension between passive & irresponsible latitude verses overt control. From situation to situation, group-to-group and church to church, you will find protocol that represents every degree in between these two extremes in an attempt to walk in balance.

What pastoral leaders need to know as well, is that, while certainly prophetic ministry has the potential for abuse and misuse, it is also a valuable "tool" for building the kingdom. However, it must be administered by people of character and humility. When that is observed in the life of the one who would prophesy, most pastors are much more willing to trust and entrust ministry to such a person.

For those who would prophesy but have not been given leadership responsibility or the responsibility to "steer the meeting", it is best to avoid giving directive words to the congregation. Certainly God does sometimes bring directive prophecy through proven prophets. God may give a participant a word that would change the entire direction or flow of a service. However, the responsibility for that decision is ultimately given by God to the leadership - the operating government in any given setting. And the word and control of direction of the service should be channeled through them. The biggest difficulty arises from the fact that immature prophetic ministers can fall into the trap of attempting to control things through directive prophecy that are way beyond their sphere of authority to direct. God Himself has established other offices as well as the prophetic that have responsibility to govern and direct. Don't be offended if your word is held back. (It might even be a test from God!)

Let me (Carolyn) illustrate with an example of a failure in my life. I had been operating in the prophetic office in my local church for about 13 years with great liberty and respect. I was so trusted that I was hardly ever asked to "screen" a word before giving it. I received a very specific word that I did not view or sense was directive so I spoke it. When I gave the Word, my Pastor stood up and I could tell that he corrected the word in his very gentle way and I felt a need to apologize. I called after church and asked him if he would like for me to publicly apologize for going outside my boundary. He said he felt he had given all the adjustment he needed to and that no apology was necessary. It became evident to us later that if I gave it to the leaders only and privately, it would have not been dismissed as it contained very specific information. The private deliveray to leaders could have spared us from some unpleasant circumstances we faced shortly after. The very thing I prophesied happened, yet because I spoke a word in a public setting that was meant for leaders only, it caused them to discount the word. Thus they did not pay attention to the direction from the Lord the word contained and we missed a very strategic move. Ouch!

I learned a very valuable lesson. Never give a private word in public! Wait on the Word and know how and to whom it should be delivered before engaging mouth!

Another example of necessary sensitivity has come for me in conference settings where no one "knew" me. I began to know I had a word from the Lord and was in a great internal struggle to know what to do. I wrestled inside with thoughts of: "Who are you to think you are to share a word in this conference?" "You just want to be heard." "You just want people to know that you are a prophetess." You, you, you, you! The accuser of my heart and the enemy of the prophetic ministry was trying to intimidate me. I then did the only thing I knew to do. I walked to the front and introduced myself and told them my name, who I was accountable to and that I felt I had a word to share. Then I asked what the proper way to do that might be. I had been told several times that they do not allow anyone other than the designated ministry team to minister. I thanked them for letting me ask and went back to my seat. Other times I have been asked to write it down and submit it. I have occasionally been released in a setting where I was unknown to share the word. THE GOAL IS TO RELEASE THE LORD'S HEART, IN THE LORD'S WAY, WITH THE LORD'S BLESSING. I do not have to make anything happen. If I was declined a place to speak, I went back to my seat, wrote it down. Then I thanked God for His gifts and spoke blessing over the leadership. It is never right to do wrong to do right! I am a servant and most all those in leadership are trying their very best to do what is right. They are trying to walk the delicate line of leading and being open to the Lord and His will in every service. What a responsibility! It is our job as prophets and prophetic people to make it a great delight to pastors and elders to have the ministry of prophets in the local assembly.

If we want to be like Jesus, this means we must be "full of grace and truth." We need to communicate God's truth, but with His heart of love and grace. Of course, some would point out the case of Jesus driving out the money changers from the temple. The faultiness behind that perception is a misunderstanding of what Jesus was doing at that time. In that instance, Jesus was the "apostle" in action. He was setting the house in order. He was acting as Jesus the apostle rather than Jesus the prophet.

The spokesman for God must always filter the "information" he/she wants to share "as from God" with the merciful and compassionate "heart" from which God would say it. This way we will stay safely within the bounds of proper prophetic ministry. Such a prophetic minister will be used mightily of God to build what He wants built; a glorious Church for His return. He wants the church built via relationship, not torn apart through offensive prophetic "manners". "So also you, since you are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek to abound for the edification of the church." (1 Cor 14:12)

Of course there is a large variety of approaches to the release of prophetic. That is why any "procedure" described here must be superceeded by the more critical issue of the motives, attitude and character of the one who would prophesy. We see a very valuable part of the character issue addressed in the following Scripture from Peter's first epistle, where he calls for humility on the part of leaders, and on the part of those who are to be subject to those who are leaders.

"Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time." (1 Pet 5:1-6)

Carrying a prophetic anointing does not give anyone the right or permission to be "right" and everyone else "wrong." It is not my responsibility to be "right" or to be heard. It is my job to hear, submit, and either release the Word with blessing and oversight, or release myself from obligation to the Word by saying: "Lord, I submitted the Word to my pastor, they do not feel it is time for it to be shared. Lord, You do what You want to do? I am no longer responsible for the delivery of the Word." I then take it to prayer and I trust God and my leaders. God is well able to get His word out when He wants to.

I believe many of those times I was sent back to my seat or denied public sharing of a word was the Lord testing my heart. He was breaking my will, proving whether of not I would be a vessel that would stand in integrity, submission and loyalty, or whether I would be independent, critical and self-willed.

If a prophet "has to be heard," that prophet is in danger of setting him/herself up for some hard lessons. That prophet can really open him/herself up to a false spirit, a Jezebel spirit, and bring such pain and devastation to a Body of Believers. For instance, if a person stands up and declares a directive word saying that all the church should come to the front and kneel at the altar and cry out in repentance right now, what is a pastor to do? Is he going to "rebel" and "resist" the word of the Lord and His directive? Or is he going to be submissive to the word of the Lord? It is imperative that prophetic people be sensitive to the incredible responsibility pastors have and the authority God has given them in the local assembly. That prophet should have submitted to the pastor the "sense" he/she had and ask permission to release such a word that may redirect the flow of the service. Deference is essential! Submission is a place of safety! Otherwise the Pastor looks like he/she is being rebellious to the "Word of the Lord." And it can cause others to look upon them as insensitive, closed to the moving and direction of the Spirit of God, etc.

It is also very important to remain teachable. A teachable attitude is a reflection of humility, which pleases God. Be willing always to have a word judged. If the nature of the word is a personal prophecy, a good policy is to have a witness with you, or to in some way record what is spoken. (cassette recorders, written out words, etc..) This is very clear from Scripture. "And let two or three prophets speak, and let the others pass judgment. (1 Cor 14:29). "For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all may be exhorted; and the spirits of prophets are subject to prophets;" (1 Cor 14:31,32). It makes it a lot easier for a leader to "risk" letting someone speak if there is a willingness on the part of the prophesier to be correctable. After all, we ALL have blind spots.

While on the subject of taping, I'll add this. Generally, we discourage "parking lot" prophecies at our church. That is, if you have a word for someone, it should be given in the open assembly or at least be open to inspection. In other words, give it publicly or have witnesses, tape it, have it written down, or something. This goes a long way toward protecting the flock from unscrupulous manipulators who would try to control through prophecy for any personal gain.

God has given the gifts to the Church as tools for the building up of the Church. As we allow the tools He himself provided, we will see the building built stronger and faster and will be used mightily of God to build what He wants built; that is, a glorious Church, awaiting His return.

[Please Note:

This is intended as a discussion series. Please feel free to send your discussion (comments or questions) to prophetic-school@godspeak.net. We will have online discussion each week, MC'd by Jim Wies, the author of this series. These discussions will NOT be put on the WWW page.]