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REVISED & UPDATED

A man of transparent integrity shows us the way forward into


areaswhere angels have feared to tread.
-R. T. Kendall
Author, Total Forgiveness

A practical, biblical guide


to dreams, visions,
and spiritual gifts
Growing in the Prophetic is a valuable resource for indi-
viduals and congregations who desire to mature in prophetic
ministry. Through Mike Bickle’s deep and tested reservoir of
knowledge and experience, many will find encouragement to
exercise the spiritual gift of prophecy in balance and power.
—Francis Frangipane
Pastor and Author

Mike’s journey in the Lord has been quite amazing. In the begin-
ning, he was a young conservative, anti-charismatic, evangelical
pastor. Now he is an intimate, passionate worshiper, moving in
the supernatural and leading others into a powerful place in
the Spirit.
He has moved a million miles in his heart and experience of
God. It is this authenticity that stands out in the man. He is not
afraid to explore, to quest, and to pioneer. This book is a journey
into the territory of prophecy, the prophetic ministry, and the
role of prophets.
Developing prophetic people is not easy. Pastoring a prophetic
community is not for the fainthearted. Cultivating a safe place
of relational accountability for prophets is a tough job. Only a
leader who has been led into divine encounters with the Lord can
undertake such a transitional process.
Mike’s book is real, pragmatic, and rich in experience and
wisdom. To love the gift of prophecy as a church is a good thing.
To develop a prophetic community who can hear and act on the
voice of the Lord is an altogether different proposition. Growing in
the Prophetic is an important book to read and study. It will teach
you transitional process. That alone is worth the investment.
I loved the initial book of this same title. If Mike has found a
way to upgrade and expand its wisdom, then I am definitely first
in line to read it!
—Graham Cooke
Brilliant Book House
Gentle but firm. Compassionate yet incisive. Abounding in under-
standing.
—Colin Dye
Senior Pastor, Kensington Temple
London, England

Mike Bickle’s practical wisdom will serve the body of Christ well.
—Terry Virgo
Leader of Pioneer International
London, England

A man of transparent integrity shows us the way forward into


areas where angels have feared to tread.
—R. T. Kendall
Author, Total Forgiveness

Mike Bickle is a man with a remarkable teaching gift, quick to


acknowledge past mistakes that he has clearly learned from.
This is a book every charismatic should read if we are going to
increase our ability to hear from God, speak to Him, and remain
committed to Christ, to Scripture, and to one another.
—Gerald Coates
Leader of Pioneer International
London, England

At a time when the Spirit is speaking strongly to the churches


about the gift of prophecy and the office of prophet, Growing
in the Prophetic is an extremely important book. Mike Bickle
brings an enviable combination of maturity and transparency to
his exposition of biblical principles molding the prophetic along
with valuable lessons learned, both positive and negative, through
his ministry to the “Kansas City prophets.”
—C. Peter Wagner
Professor of Church Growth
Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California
Growing
in the
prophetic

mike
bickle
Most Strang Communications/Charisma House/Christian Life/Excel
Books/FrontLine/Realms/Siloam products are available at special quan-
tity discounts for bulk purchase for sales promotions, premiums, fund-raising,
and educational needs. For details, write Strang Communications/Charisma
House/Christian Life/Excel Books/FrontLine/Realms/Siloam, 600 Rinehart
Road, Lake Mary, Florida 32746, or telephone (407) 333-0600.

Growing in the Prophetic by Mike Bickle


Published by Charisma House
A Strang Company
600 Rinehart Road
Lake Mary, FL 32746
www.strangdirect.com

This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in
a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means—electronic,
mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without prior written
permission of the publisher, except as provided by United States of America
copyright law.

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the New King
James Version of the Bible. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson,
Inc., publishers. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked nas are from the New American Standard
Bible. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by
the Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked niv are from the Holy Bible, New International
Version. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society. Used by
permission.

Scripture quotations marked rsv are from the Revised Standard Version of the
Bible. Copyright © 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education
of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by
permission.
Design Director: Bill Johnson
Cover Designer: Jerry Pomales

Copyright © 1996, 2008 by Mike Bickle


All rights reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bickle, Mike.
Growing in the prophetic / Mike Bickle.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-1-59979-312-2
1. Prophecy--Christianity. I. Title.

BR115.P8B53 2008
234’.13--dc22

2008030850

08 09 10 11 12 — 987653421
Printed in the United States of America
Contents

Preface.............................................................................................. ix

1 “There’s Been a Terrible Mistake”................................................. 1

2 Confirming Prophecies Through the Acts of God in Nature ..... 11

3 Prophetic Administration: Revelation,


Interpretation, and Application .................................................. 23

4 Overview of the Prophetic Ministry ......................................... 35

5 The Difference Between the Gift of Prophecy


and Being a Prophet...................................................................... 49

6 Women Operating in Prophetic Ministry ................................. 61

7 Seven Dimensions of the Prophetic Church .............................. 69

8 The Coming Great Revival .......................................................... 77

9 Contending for the Fullness of the Prophetic Anointing .......... 89

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Growing in the Prophetic
10 False Equations About Prophetic Giftings ............................... 101

11 God Offends the Mind to Reveal the Heart ............................. 113

12 Pastors and Prophets: Getting Along in the Kingdom ............ 125

13 Origins of the Prophetic Call .................................................. 135

14 Embodying the Prophetic Message .......................................... 141

15 Common Abuses and Misuses of Prophecy ............................ 153

16 Practical Ways to Grow in the Prophetic ................................. 169

17 The Prophetic Word in Public Worship ......................................183

18 The Prophetic Song of the Lord................................................. 191

19 Manifestations of the Holy Spirit .............................................. 201

20 God’s Strategy of Silence ............................................................ 225

Notes ............................................................................................. 233

viii
P r e fac e

W
hy another book on the prophetic ministry? I’ve read many
books on the prophetic over the years. Some focus on the
various biblical categories of prophets and the supernatural
manifestations that occur through them. Others focus on how to prophesy
and then what to do with prophetic words.
This book touches on those subjects, but it also frankly discusses the joy
and the pain of prophetic people in a local church context. I relate the perils,
perplexities, and tensions involved in nurturing prophetic people among
nonprophetic people. When Holy Spirit activity happens among weak people
like us, the clash between selfish ambition and lack of wisdom is inevitable.
Many tensions arise. Plus, we encounter Holy Spirit experiences that are
foreign to us. All this makes for a challenging experience in our church life.
I pastored in a local church context for twenty-three years until I began
the International House of Prayer missions base in Kansas City in 1999.
On September 19, 1999, we began a ministry of worship with intercession
that continues nonstop, twenty-four hours a day. Our staff members view
themselves as “intercessory missionaries” because they do the work of the
ministry and outreach from a place of night and day prayer. Our staff raises
their own financial support as missionaries in a way similar to other mission
organizations like Youth With A Mission and Campus Crusade for Christ.
Currently, God has graciously joined about fifteen hundred people to us full-
time. About five hundred people are our ministry staff, and another one

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Growing in the Prophetic

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