The Prophecy Palette

A Sounding Board Tool for Prophetic Words

Prophecy 101 Friday Night, April 15, 2011 Church in the Boro

Introduction to the Prophecy Palette

Introduction
How often have you thought the Holy Spirit was speaking to you prophetically, only to be disappointed later? Have you tried to share your word only to watch it fall flat with no reaction or response? Have you gotten into trouble before by sharing prophetic words, which were ultimately not very helpful to you or anyone else?
Have you ever been frustrated by not knowing for sure whether or not you are actually hearing from the Holy Spirit? Or perhaps youve been confused by what to do with a prophetic word or sense when youre pretty sure it is from the Holy Spirit?

Introduction
Too often, people with prophetic words make one or more of FIVE simple mistakes.

1. They think they know exactly WHAT it means, but havent given the Spirit time to clarify it.

Introduction
2. They think they know exactly WHO it is for, again without allowing the Spirit to clarify whether it is for them personally, for another person, or for a group of people.

Introduction

3. They think they know exactly WHEN to share it, and its almost always a sense that is for RIGHT NOW!!!

Introduction
4. They believe they know exactly HOW to share it, without getting any additional insight from the Holy Spirit or from others who know more about a situation, are in leadership, or are gifted prophetically.

Introduction
5. And many times they believe they

know exactly WHY God has communicated prophetically to them, often reading their own circumstances or issues into the prophetic encounter.

Introduction
I believe that the foundation for the gift of prophecy is the grace of God.

By Gods grace the Spirit sovereignly and graciously communicates prophetically regardless of a persons situation, circumstances, problems or issues.
And Gods grace of prophecy is still given even when we make one or more of the five simple mistakes.

Introduction
I also believe that the God of the Bible wants to communicate to His people, and to His world, in order to make Himself known. This implies two things. First, this implies that He wants to speak in such a way as to get peoples attention. Prophecy almost always does that (1 Cor. 14:3, 24, 25).
Second, this implies that He wants to speak clearly so that people really know He cares about them.

Introduction
I also believe that prophecy is supposed to be simple. Here are the ABCs of prophecy.

Amazing. It arrests our attention and astounds us. Beneficial. It is constructive and caring. Clear. It is coherent and comprehensible.
If its not as simple as this, its probably not from God.

Introduction
Finally, I believe that if a prophetic word is beneficial and clear, that it is more likely to amaze a person.
Consequently, the more they are amazed, the deeper the impact of the prophetic word, and the broader the expansion of the kingdom in their lives.

Introduction
Imagine for a moment a palette from which a painter uses all sorts of colors to paint a picture. He has many colors at his disposal and knows how to mix them all to achieve the desired results.

Introduction
Then imagine a prophetic palette which the Holy Spirit has given to all of us, which He wants to use to paint a prophetic picture for yourself or someone else, in order to build His kingdom.

2 Kinds of Paint on the Spirits Palette

It seems that the Holy Spirit uses a palette made up of two different kinds of paint.
1. First, the Holy Spirit Himself formed you in your mothers womb with a certain personality bent. This simply means you learn, think and process information in a certain way.

2 Kinds of Paint on the Spirits Palette

When the Holy Spirit communicates to you prophetically, you will tend to hear it through your wiring. And when He sovereignly decides to use YOU to communicate something prophetic, its because HE has sovereignly decided that YOUR wiring is the best way to communicate to someone and bless them. How awesome is it that YOU have been chosen by God to hear from Him and communicate on behalf of Him?!!!

2 Kinds of Paint on the Spirits Palette

2. Second, the Holy Spirit Himself has given His church a variety of spiritual gifts, some of which are associated with the prophetic.

2 Kinds of Paint on the Spirits Palette

When the Holy Spirit communicates to you prophetically, it will come as a dream, vision, picture, image, concept, idea, word of knowledge, word of wisdom, or from the Scriptures.
And when the Holy Spirit sovereignly decides to use you to communicate to someone and bless them, He has chosen to involve YOU in a supernatural work of His kingdom. How awesome is it that YOU have been chosen by God Himself to be supernaturally used in His universal work?!!!

The Design of the Prophecy Palette

The Design
The Prophecy Palette is a simple tool designed to take into account your personality bent as well as the various ways in which the Spirit communicates prophetically.

The Design
In addition to this, it is also designed with several other crucial elements which aim to keep prophecy biblical and genuine.

The Design
1. It is a tool designed to develop patience in the prophetic, teaching the believer to slow down and pray and wait for more insight from the Spirit.

The Design
2. It is a tool designed to help clarify prophetic communication from the Spirit, so that both you and the person(s) you share it with are built up, encouraged, and/or comforted.

The Design
3. It is a tool designed to help synthesize the various things God is revealing to you, so that you better understand the mind of God in the prophetic word.

The Design
4. It is a tool designed to help anchor your prophetic words in the most objective revelation of God found in the Scriptures.

The Design
5. It is a tool designed to help teach you how the Holy Spirit speaks to you individually and personally.

The Design
6. It is a tool designed to help you become comfortable and confident in your life with the prophetic.

The Design
With these designs in mind, here is a look at the tool.
Youll want to look on with your own copy as we work through it together.

Biblical Text

Dream / Vision

Word of Knowledge Biblical Illustration

Picture / Image Concept

Word of Wisdom

Idea

Synthesize
What You Believe the Holy Spirit Has Communicated to You

Package the Word

around building up, encouraging, comforting and ultimately blessing someone, and anchored in the objective Word of God.

How the Prophecy Palette Was Formed

How It Was Formed

Prophecy by nature is subjective.
Unlike the Scriptures, it is not concrete or definitive. Like the Scriptures, it is subject to differing interpretations and application.

How It Was Formed

When the Holy Spirit gives a prophecy it can come in a variety of ways.
Textually: through the Scriptures. Visually: through a dream, vision, picture, or image. Conceptually: through an idea or concept. Mentally: through a word of knowledge or a word of wisdom.

How It Was Formed

When prophetic insight in one category is compared to that of another category, a person can have greater clarity about the meaning and direction of the prophetic word.

How It Was Formed

Ultimately, the more prophetic insight God communicates to you, and the more categories He communicates in, the greater the ability to properly understand and apply the word.

How It Was Formed

Because God desires to make Himself known and to be understood by His people, He wants to give the interpretation and application of His prophetic word. Remember, His goal is to bless and not confuse.

How It Was Formed

Based on this foundational doctrine, it stands to reason that if the Spirit brings a prophetic sense or word in one category, that He might also bring additional insight through other categories in order to understand and apply it better. We just have to be patient and ask Him.

How It Was Formed

So what if we asked Him to do this very thing?

How To Use the Prophecy Palette

Using the Palette

First, when you begin to sense that the Spirit is speaking to you prophetically (regardless of whether you sense the word is for yourself personally, or for someone else eventually), write down that sense in the category that most resembles what you are experiencing or encountering.

Using the Palette

Second, pray for more understanding and illumination. Ask God to clarify it in other ways (other categories), and expect Him to answer.

Using the Palette

Third, as He communicates in additional ways, write down what you sense from God where it seems to fit best to you.

Using the Palette

Fourth, when you feel that the Spirit is finished talking to you, take additional time to think and pray through HOW the pieces of information fit together.

Using the Palette

Fifth, assuming you have information in at least two categories, and given enough time, a clear sense of what God is wanting to reveal should emerge.

Using the Palette

Sixth, On the back of the grid, begin synthesizing your thoughts. This means drawing together everything you believe you heard from the Spirit, and putting the pieces together. Writing always helps clarify your own thoughts. If you cant communicate it in writing, you probably cant communicate it verbally.

Using the Palette

Seventh, begin packaging the prophetic word based on the synthesis. This means getting it ready to share.
I have learned that there are four biblical guidelines you will want to use in packaging the word, especially if you believe it is for someone else.

Using the Palette

4 Biblical Guidelines in Packaging Your Prophetic Word
1. Does it build up the other person?
- If your word tears the other person down, or brings condemnation, it is either not from the Spirit, or you need to repackage it. Prophecy always builds up other people.

2.

Does it encourage them?

- If your word doesnt bring the presence of God alongside them to help them, then it is either not from the Spirit, or you need to repackage it. Prophecy always invites the Spirit, a.k.a. the Helper to encourage others.

3.

Does it comfort them?

- If your word does not bring comfort, perspective, advice, as well as stimulation and strength for overcoming difficulties, it is probably not from the Spirit, or else you need to repackage it.

4.

Is it rooted in the objective Word of God?

- If your word contradicts the Scriptures, or does not drive them back to the Scriptures, it is probably not from the Spirit, or else you need to repackage. Prophecy from the Spirit will always jive with the Word of the Spirit.

Lets Practice!
Use the instruction sheet were handing out right now and take the next fifteen minutes to practice what youve just learned.

Begin by finding someone in the room whom you know well, and partner up with them.

Lets Practice!
Now, lets practice using it. Lets assume the Holy Spirit is always ready and willing to talk to us in order to bless someone else. 1. Find someone whom you dont know that well, if at all, and partner up with them. Square up your chairs so you are facing each other at a comfortable distance, close enough so that you dont have to talk too loud. 2. Spend a minute or two praying earnestly for the Spirit to speak to you a word of blessing for your partner. Then wait silently until you sense the Spirit speaking to you. 3. Begin writing what you sense from the Spirit in the category that most corresponds with what youre hearing. 4. Then pray for more insight or information via one or more categories. Write down what you hear, see, think, or sense. 5. Turn the paper over and begin synthesizing what youve written. Feel free to scratch out, erase, or rearrange as necessary. Pray for the Spirit to give even more clarity and illumination. 6. Now package the word as a blessing from God according to the first three guidelines. Deliver it to your partner in humility. 7. Finally, ask your partner to pull someone else over who knows them well, or better than you do. Read to that person the prophetic word youve packaged and delivered to your partner. Get their take on the word, based on what they know about your partner. If youre off the mark somewhere, share with them the information and insights you recorded on the grid, and ask your partners friend to help clarify what you heard from the Spirit, asking them then to help shape it better so that it would be more beneficial.

Lets Review!
Use the review sheet we are now handing out to you. Work through the review sheet with your partner for the next ten minutes.

Lets Review!
Did you feel like you were hearing from the Holy Spirit? If not, why? When you had your first prophetic sense, were you able to properly identify what category it best fit into? If not, why? Did you get additional prophetic insight or information from the Holy Spirit to help illuminate or clarify the first sense? If not, why? Were you able to properly identify what category that additional insight or illumination best fit into? If not, why not? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being impossible and 5 being easy, how would you rate your ability to synthesize the insight, information and illumination you wrote down? If you rated yourself anywhere from 1-2, why did you feel this way? On the same scale, how would you rate your ability to package what you synthesized? If you rated again at 1-2, why? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being completely inaccurate and 5 being completely accurate, how close was the prophetic word your partner delivered to you? When you invited your partners friend over to weigh your prophetic word, how would they have rated your word? Regardless of the rating, please explain. When you asked them to sift through what you heard from the Spirit, were they able to offer any additional illumination or insight? If so, what was it? If not, why not?

Learning About the Prophetic Using the Prophecy Palette

Learning About the Prophetic When You Use This Tool

As you use this tool, what youll find over time is that one side of the grid will tend to be more prominent than the other. This simply means that you are hearing from God in the primary ways God has wired you. In other words, you will most likely tend to hear from God the most in the ways you most naturally tend to think and process information.

Learning About the Prophetic When You Use This Tool

In turn, this means that ultimately one of these categories will tend to launch your prophetic words.
That is, the one category in which you hear God most prominently will stimulate the ways in which you hear from God in the other categories. You will often get a sense from the Lord in your prominent category, and this will lead you to pray for more understanding through the other categories.

Learning About the Prophetic When You Use This Tool

This will also continue to deepen your relationship with God through the Scriptures so that the Bible becomes the anchor for anything else the Holy Spirit will say prophetically.

The prophetic should lead you back to the Scriptures each time to hear from God in this most objective way.
The prophetic should deepen your understanding of the language of God found in the Scriptures.

Lets PracticeAgain!
Use the same instruction sheet and practice the prophetic once more.

This time, find someone else in the room whom you do not know very well, and partner up with them.

Lets PracticeAgain!
1. 2.

3.
4. 5. 6.

7.

Find someone different, again , whom you dont know that well, if at all, and partner up with them. Square up your chairs so you are facing each other at a comfortable distance, close enough so that you dont have to talk too loud. Spend a minute or two praying earnestly for the Spirit to speak to you a word of blessing for your partner. Then wait silently until you sense the Spirit speaking to you. Begin writing what you sense from the Spirit in the category that most corresponds with what youre hearing. Then pray for more insight or information via one or more categories. Write down what you hear, see, think, or sense. Turn the paper over and begin synthesizing what youve written. Feel free to scratch out, erase, or rearrange as necessary. Pray for the Spirit to give even more clarity and illumination. Now package the word as a blessing from God according to the first three guidelines. Deliver it to your partner in humility. Finally, ask your partner to pull someone else over who knows them well, or better than you do. Read to that person the prophetic word youve packaged and delivered to your partner. Get their take on the word, based on what they know about your partner. If youre off the mark somewhere, share with them the information and insights you recorded on the grid, and ask your partners friend to help clarify what you heard from the Spirit, asking them then to help shape it better so that it would be more beneficial.

Lets ReviewAgain!
Use the review sheet we are now handing out to you. Work through the review sheet with your partner for the next ten minutes.

Lets ReviewAgain!
Did you feel like you were hearing from the Holy Spirit this time? If not, why? Did you find that you could better identify what category it best fit into? If not, why? Did you get additional prophetic insight or information from the Holy Spirit to help illuminate or clarify the first sense this time? If not, why? Were you able to properly identify what category that additional insight or illumination best fit into? If not, why not? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being impossible and 5 being easy, how would you rate your ability to synthesize the insight, information and illumination you wrote down? Do you feel that your ability increased the second time around? If not, why? On the same scale, how would you rate your ability to package what you synthesized? Did this increase also? If not, why? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being completely inaccurate and 5 being completely accurate, how close was the prophetic word your partner delivered to you? When you invited your partners friend over to weigh your prophetic word, how would they have rated your word? Regardless of the rating, please explain. When you asked them to sift through what you heard from the Spirit, were they able to offer any additional illumination or insight? If so, what was it? If not, why not?

What I Have Personally Learned About the Prophetic Through the Prophecy Palette

What Ive Learned

The prophetic for me seems to work in the categories at the top: Textual and Visual. This means that almost always I sense the Spirits prophetic moving in me through the spontaneous thought of a biblical text, biblical illustration, dream, vision, picture, or image.
The Visual almost always leads the way, though not in every single situation.

The Textual is a close second, almost always giving an application as it were to the Visual.

What Ive Learned

After receiving some prophetic sense from the Spirit in one of my prominent categories, I then pray for further prophetic insight and understanding in the other categories.
Sometimes the Spirit will bring this additional insight through the Conceptual category, bringing some idea or concept to bear on what Ive already heard. Other times the Spirit will offer something in the Mental category by way of a word of knowledge or word of wisdom to help interpret, clarify, and/or apply the prophetic sense.

What Ive Learned

All in all, I am finding that Im growing more patient in the prophetic.
More and more I am denying myself the desire for instant-gratification which so often comes with the prophetic.
In the past, the sense of excitement about hearing from God too often caused me to rush to share it without asking God to clarify it more.

Since Ive started asking for clarification (via other categories on the grid), the Lord has been happy to reveal more information and insight, because I believe He wants to be revealed and understood.

What Ive Learned

Through maturing patience in prophecy
Ive started taking the time to synthesize and package the prophetic words.

As a result they have been having a far deeper and wider impact on people than Ive ever experienced before.
Simply taking the time to think through it all more carefully has produced a more careful and caring approach in sharing the prophetic word.

What Ive Learned

Finally, since Ive also taken the time to anchor my words in the Scriptures, I have crafted better communication to someone else in the language of God found in Scriptures.
This has had the result of turning people back to the Bible to hear from the Holy Spirit objectively.

It has also deepened their respect, appreciation, and desire for the Word of God as the primary means of building up their faith in Christ.

When to Use the Prophecy Palette

When to Use It
As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect, or more accurately put, practice makes proficient. Youll never get this down perfectly.

The more you use the tool and practice the better you will become. With that assumption, here are some practical ways to use this tool.

When to Use It
At Home
In your personal worship time with the Lord, ask Him to reveal Himself prophetically to you regarding things He wants to show you or teach you. Maybe theres a new revelation God wants to make of Himself to your heart. This is what Paul prays for in Ephesians 1:18 and following. God will often answer that prayer prophetically. Maybe theres another person God wants to do the same for. Again, God will often answer this prayer for others through a prophetic word. The home is perhaps the best place to practice because there are few distractions and more time both of which give rise to more patience.

When to Use It
On Saturday Nights
There is great emphasis put on the prophetic in a public worship setting. This is much of what 1 Corinthians 14 is really all about. Yet we see so little of it today. Lets change that!
Pray on Saturday nights for prophetic words for the church family. The tool will be extremely helpful in clarifying and preparing any words so that they may be clearly and beneficially communicated on Sunday morning.

When to Use It
On Sunday Mornings
The Spirit expressly desires to move among His people when they are gathered for worship. As the fellowship is singing, dancing, and praising God dont hesitate to take a seat and use the tool to begin working through something God reveals to you.
God may desire to sovereignly use you to build up, encourage, or comfort His people through you on a Sunday morning!

When to Use It
On Vacation or When Travelling
God wants to amaze people wherever we go. This is part
and parcel of taking the kingdom to the world. God goes wherever we go.
God has used this tool in wonderful ways

when Ive been travelling before. Restaurants, airplanes, parks and all kinds of environments have proven to be fruitful grounds for hearing from God for other people.

When to Use It
In Your Neighborhood
God especially wants to influence your neighbors to follow

Jesus Christ. And He especially wants to use YOU to do that influencing.

God has also used this tool in my life with regard to neighbors and acquaintances. Imagine the shock of an unsaved person or someone you barely know hearing that God wants to say something to them!

One Last Practice

Use the same instruction sheet and practice the prophetic once more.

This time, find someone else in the room at random, and partner up with them.

Lets PracticeAgain!
1. 2.

3.
4. 5. 6.

7.

Find someone different, again , whom you dont know that well, if at all, and partner up with them. Square up your chairs so you are facing each other at a comfortable distance, close enough so that you dont have to talk too loud. Spend a minute or two praying earnestly for the Spirit to speak to you a word of blessing for your partner. Then wait silently until you sense the Spirit speaking to you. Begin writing what you sense from the Spirit in the category that most corresponds with what youre hearing. Then pray for more insight or information via one or more categories. Write down what you hear, see, think, or sense. Turn the paper over and begin synthesizing what youve written. Feel free to scratch out, erase, or rearrange as necessary. Pray for the Spirit to give even more clarity and illumination. Now package the word as a blessing from God according to the first three guidelines. Deliver it to your partner in humility. Finally, ask your partner to pull someone else over who knows them well, or better than you do. Read to that person the prophetic word youve packaged and delivered to your partner. Get their take on the word, based on what they know about your partner. If youre off the mark somewhere, share with them the information and insights you recorded on the grid, and ask your partners friend to help clarify what you heard from the Spirit, asking them then to help shape it better so that it would be more beneficial.

One Last Review

Use the review sheet we are now handing out to you. Work through the review sheet with your partner for the next ten minutes.

Lets ReviewAgain!
Did you feel like you were hearing from the Holy Spirit this time? If not, why? Did you find that you could better identify what category it best fit into? If not, why? Did you get additional prophetic insight or information from the Holy Spirit to help illuminate or clarify the first sense this time? If not, why? Were you able to properly identify what category that additional insight or illumination best fit into? If not, why not? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being impossible and 5 being easy, how would you rate your ability to synthesize the insight, information and illumination you wrote down? Do you feel that your ability increased the second time around? If not, why? On the same scale, how would you rate your ability to package what you synthesized? Did this increase also? If not, why? On a scale of 1-5, with 1 being completely inaccurate and 5 being completely accurate, how close was the prophetic word your partner delivered to you? When you invited your partners friend over to weigh your prophetic word, how would they have rated your word? Regardless of the rating, please explain. When you asked them to sift through what you heard from the Spirit, were they able to offer any additional illumination or insight? If so, what was it? If not, why not?

Questions & Answers

Prayer & Prophetic Ministry Time

Thank You So Much for Making This a Success Today! Youre Dismissed