Is prophetic training necessary?

                               

         The Samuel Elijah Prophetic College just graduated its twenty-first class! They will continue to train prophets, prophetic ministers and believers in years to come. Registration for the 2016-2017 year is already open. If you feel God calling you to be a prophet, are already involved in a prophetic ministry, or are simply interested in the prophetic, then you need prophetic training. Check out Samuel Elijah Prophetic College and see what it has to offer!

         I know what some readers are thinking. Do I really need to be trained? How can a person be trained to prophesy? If God calls me, isn’t that enough? This post aims to answer these questions. 

         First of all, the primary goal of the Samuel Elijah Prophetic College is to teach students how to hear the voice of God for themselves. In a previous post, I wrote about ways to hear God’s voice, which include seeing, hearing, feeling, knowing and speaking. Students learn to recognize how God speaks to them individually. In addition to learning from a book, teachers impart wisdom to their students, which they can’t get from reading on their own. They share their own experiences with a seasoned prophet who has years of experience hearing God’s voice. Students also learn how to discern whether a voice is from God, the Devil or from man. Prophets and prophetic ministers need to know how to hear God for themselves. 

         After students have an idea about how God speaks to them, they begin to learn about how to prophesy and about prophetic protocol. The college even offers opportunities for them to practice using their gift through "prophetic activations". During these activations, people speak prophetic words to each other or pray prophetically. Students may be asked to say what they see God showing them or to say what they hear. This takes place in a safe environment where it is ok to make a mistake. Activations are guided by prophets and prophetic leaders who have already been trained. 

         It is vital to learn prophetic protocol because without it, prophecy is out of order and can cause more harm than good. One of the reasons churches are still not open to prophecy is because of untrained and gifted prophets that have caused harm and confusion. The Samuel Elijah Prophetic College teaches prophetic protocol and prophetic etiquette. For example, when first starting out, people are supposed to ask the person they are prophesying to if it is ok if them to make a mistake. They are also taught to say "I believe the Lord is saying..." or "I believe that I see..." instead of saying "the Lord says..." This promotes a safe environment where mistakes are ok for those in training.

         Another important rule, that is taught, is that all prophetic words should be recorded, either written or electronically. This is because prophetic words should be heard again and judged. 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 states “Do not despise prophetic utterances, but examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good”. No prophetic words should be shared unless they are recorded to examine and judge.

         This post gives a quick overview of the prophetic training offered at Samuel Elijah Prophetic College. It is another sample of what is actually taught. More will be shared in the next blog. However, it is not possible to learn everything by just reading. Hands on training and mentoring is absolutely necessary. God bless!

Debra Szubrowski

Blog Editor