Flow and Structure in Prophetic Ministry
Carried by the Spirit: Flow and Formation in Prophetic Ministry
I wonder if you’ve noticed this too? Throughout history, and probably in our own lives, there's been this ongoing wrestle in prophetic ministry: how do we hold together the wild, beautiful flow of the Holy Spirit and the steady formation of character, wisdom, and community accountability? It's a tension we’re still navigating today—between polished professionalism and Spirit-led inspiration, between rigid structures and raw, vulnerable spontaneity. We want the good of both but feel the tension in finding balance too.
A Historic Tension: Spirit and Structure
The early church faced these same tensions. Irenaeus described people in the church who "possess prophetic gifts and through the Spirit speak... bringing to light the hidden things of men." (Against Heresies 5.6.1). Origen said that prophecy flowed when a person’s soul was quiet and attentive to God. But they also learned from the Montanist movement—where unchecked ecstatic experiences caused division—that flow without accountability leads us off-course.
We see this rhythm repeated across history: from medieval mystics, to Wesley’s Methodists, to the Pentecostal and Charismatic renewals. Over and over, prophetic flow has thrived best when anchored in the Word, formed by love, and lived out in accountable community.
Flow and Skill: An Arts Analogy
Maybe it’s a bit like music. The most beautiful music happens when a musician is both surrendered to the flow of the moment and skilled enough to let that inspiration come through artfully. Without skill and technique, music can be lifeless or chaotic. Without heart, it becomes mechanical. Prophecy is like that—when the Spirit’s inspiration flows through lives shaped by Scripture, humility, and love, something powerful happens.
Great artists have taught us that the most inspiring and enduringly powerful work includes, among other things, an understanding and integration of the interplay between structure and flow, form and freedom. As both seemingly competing ideas work together, the art work comes to life, and can communicate in ways that move us, challenge us, or draw us into an encounter that can locate us, change our perspectives and even transform our lives.
Technique Without Power
In our modern church culture, informed by our wider cultural context, we can be tempted to trust in well crafted presentations and technique over the dynamic immediacy of the presence of God. Doing things well is great—but the voice of the Lord and the life of the Spirit can’t just be curated or crafted. Yes, it’s vital that those who prophesy learn and hone the knowledge and skills that enable effective prophetic ministry, just as a concert pianist learns music theory and practices scales. But we miss the main thing if we lean too heavily on good technique, rather than launching out into the Spirit’s inspiration flow.
Like Peter said, "prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit." (2 Peter 1:21). We’re invited to yield to the Spirit’s leading, not control it. We’re not to prophesy out of our own will or wisdom, but rather to respond the the inspiration of the Spirit, willing to step out in faith, yielding and being carried along by the Holy Spirit’s inspiration as we prophesy.
John Wimber put it simply: "Faith is spelled R-I-S-K." Jack Deere reminds us that "the goal of prophecy is not to impress but to bless." And Mike Bickle warns, "Charisma without character leads to catastrophe."
“No prophesy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophesy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Holy Spirit.” (2 Peter 1:20-21).
Spirit and Order Together
Paul gives us such helpful guidance for prophecy during church gatherings in 1 Corinthians 14: "Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said." Here we see the balance—flow with discernment, inspiration with accountability. Prophecy calls for the courage to step out, and the humility to know we only "prophesy in part." He exhorts the believers: “Do not quench the Spirit. Do not treat prophesies with contempt but test them all; hold onto what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:19-21).
In other words, we can launch out boldly into the flow of Holy Spirit inspiration, and realise that although we’re human and can get things wrong, we can also trust biblical wisdom of the hearers having responsibility to discern and weigh the word. This tells us that our accountability to others is the very thing that empowers us to prophesy with freedom and confidence, rather than being a hindrance, it’s a gift.
Humility and love are vital in this, to both enable our genuine community connection, as well as to overcome the fear of man and control of the natural mind, and be carried along by the inspiration of the Spirit as we prophesy. Just as it’s humbling and confronting to our human reasoning to speak in tongues (which seems like the entrance gift to all the charismata), it can be humbling to yield to Holy Spirit’s powerful flow through you as you prophesy. But this is the kingdom way, death to self in preference for the manifestation of the life of Christ, only possible through Holy Spirit’s ministry.
An Invitation
Today I’m hoping we (me too) might we be wise enough to learn the fine art of holding tension between structure and flow. That we might partner with Holy Spirit so that prophetic revelation flows like a river between the banks of kingdom order to accomplish God’s awesome will. Personally, I sometimes give myself whiplash, switching between the accelerator into flow, and slamming of the breaks back to the tempting control of structure. But I sense an invitation from the Spirit to grow by intentionally choosing to:
Listen with humility and speak boldly as we’re carried along by the inspiration of the Spirit.
Honour biblical order and Holy Spirit’s inspiration, direction and powerful flow.
Walk humbly, staying accountable to community, and launch out courageously, prophesying with conviction, clarity and confidence.
This is the ancient path, both-and, a timely invitation for us (me) today. Are we willing to yield and be carried along by the Spirit—or will we simply ‘perform’ with appropriate ‘prophetic’ technique for others? What the world needs is not more polished presentations, but Spirit-breathed, life giving ministry that welcomes the wisdom, power and beauty of heaven on earth.