I ran from my prophetic calling. I had witnessed the prophetic being distorted so many times I didn’t want a part of it.
But then the Lord appeared to me in a vision and spoke to me about embracing my calling and bringing balance back into the prophetic. He instructed me how easy releasing the prophetic is when we take the first step of faith.
I believe we all want to receive a prophetic word: Prophecy edifies, encourages and exhorts. However, the prophetic is not just about receiving a prophetic word; it is about releasing a prophetic word.
Every day we are not releasing a prophetic word; there is someone who is not being edified, encouraged and exhorted. It is our responsibility to do our part in kingdom building and release what the Lord has called us to establish.
How do you release the prophetic? You need to stir up the gift within you and release it by faith and in faith. Prophecy is in part. “For we know in part and we prophesy in part” (1 Cor. 13:9). Our responsibility is to be obedient to release the prophetic.
How do we enter into beginning levels of prophecy? We stir up the gift within us.” Therefore, I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Tim. 1:6).
Stir up the desire by praying, claiming, commanding, declaring and calling it forth. We stir up the gift by believing we have a gift to give, the Holy Spirit moving through us in the spirit of prophecy.
The gift of prophecy can be stirred up by worshipping. Worship cultivates an atmosphere conducive of a move of the Spirit. Worship Him in freedom, spirit and truth. He will release revelation, wisdom, counsel and words of knowledge into your spirit and soul. Use those insights He gives you for a person to build them up in their emotions, spiritual and physical. Prophecy has the up factor.
Cultivate a spirit of prophecy in your life by praying in the Holy Spirit. When we pray in tongues, our mind and thinking shut down, and we are praying and connecting our spirit man to the Holy Spirit. As we make that connection and our mind isn’t analyzing, we can effectively hear from the Spirit of God and what He is calling us to release.
When you receive the first few words and know it is a prophetic word, release it. Don’t wait until you receive the entire word or the big picture. Remember, I said earlier that prophecy is in part.
Do your part to release it, not to try and figure it out or complete it. As you begin to release it, the rest of the word will flow out. Trust God for the remainder of the word or more words as you release what you first receive.
You’ll never know you are right unless you try, and you’ll never encourage others unless you begin to release.
Learn more about hearing from God and the prophetic in my books, Who is Speaking? and Powerful Prophetic Proclamations.
Kathy DeGraw is a prophetic deliverance minister releasing the love and power of God, to ignite and activate people, release prophetic destinies and deliver people from the bondage of the enemy. She is the founder of Kathy DeGraw Ministries and Be Love Outreach. She is the author of several books, including Speak Out, Discerning and Destroying the Works of Satan, Identity Invasion, Who is Speaking? and Warfare Declarations. You can connect with Kathy on Facebook or visit kathydegrawministries.org.
Ron Allen 
Charisma Media Staff 
Abby Trivett