8 Types of Prophets
A look at different prophetic expressions
In my journey of activation in the prophetic, I have come across what I refer to as different prophetic anointing or expressions. To put it more succinctly, once you are exposed to a company of prophets you quickly begin to pick up the various exaggerations, areas of strength and how the individual prophets flow.
Although each one is unique, broadly speaking, prophets may be lumped into a number of categories, some of which I have listed below.
1. The Praying Prophet
This type of prophet may not actually believe they can prophesy. The praying prophet is one who God uses through the medium of prayer. As soon as they open their mouth to pray, the Holy Spirit fills it with His word. This prophet will read your mail — literally — because in that yielded place of supplication they are tapping into the heavenly realms. Their spirit will often leave them so much so that they are a) not aware of what they are saying and b) completely oblivious to the fact that they are giving a prophetic word. It is only when the prayer is over, or the person for whom they are interceding begins to shake and shiver like a leaf, that the praying prophet realises what’s going on!
Case Study: Magdalena. I know an amazing praying prophet named Magdalena. An incredibly humble woman with a tremendous heart of service, she genuinely does not seem to realise this is one of the signature ways in which the Holy Spirit uses her. She once prayed for me, only for God to speak through her the titles of two unique blog posts I had just written down. The message was powerful! Needless to say, by the end of it I was a slobbering heap on the floor.
2. The Weeping Prophet
I know, I know. The title of the weeping prophet is one that is rightly bestowed upon Jeremiah. My NLT Bible reliably informs me, “because of his troubles, Jeremiah has often been referred to as the weeping prophet.” Since I began this journey, I have come across a few of Jeremiah’s contemporaries. These prophets are not short of flair, my goodness! The word is delivered in a powerful if emotive fashion. As far as the eye can tell, the prophet appears to have merged with the word, carrying the Father’s heart and emotions along with it. I once heard that God can sometimes ‘break’ a prophet’s heart to convey the deep hurt or sadness a person, or God Himself, is feeling. I believe the weeping prophet (of all the other expressions) is most likely to be the focus of any heartbreak saga as they seem to be “feelers”; quite emotionally sensitive people.
Case study: Jacob. The best example I know of a weeping prophet is a young man named Jacob, one of my fellow students in the school of prophets. You want Jacob to give you a prophetic word, you really do. Not only are the chances that it will be accurate quite high, it will also be delivered with style and pizzazz backed by a healthy amount of emotion. The word becomes a beautiful experience for the person receiving it.
3. The Bold Prophet
In stark contrast to the weeping prophet, we have the bold one — he that speaks a thing and declares it with full authority! True to his nature, this type of prophet is unafraid to open his mouth and speak the word of the Lord — and speak it loudly! In biblical terms, I would compare such a prophet to our no-nonsense John the Baptist, audacious Elijah or fiery Isaiah. I must say the word is of course always cloaked in the love of God, delivered with a much softer touch than his old testament contemporaries! I find that these bold prophets tend to flow easily in the nabhi — by faith they open their mouths and the word of the Lord comes forth. They don’t necessarily have to get pictures or even hear one word before they begin to prophesy.
Case study: Alexander Shore Nye. The best example I know of a bold prophet is one of the leaders in the ministry where God has planted me. Alexander Shore Nye is his name, a larger than life character with a great big beard to boot. His voice is a literal megaphone; I mean the man speaks with great authority which in itself is enough to make you receive the word anyway!
4. The Dramatic One
Different types of prophets may periodically flit in and out of this category especially as the prophet seeks to develop his own distinct style. It must be said, though, some make their way here and never seem to find their way back out! The dramatic prophet is one whose delivery is itself a thing to behold! In this here class may fall ones such as the weeping and laughing prophets (those who cry and/or laugh intermittently in between giving a word), the bold one, the singing prophet and the shouting one (yes I’ve seen a few of those in my time). Others who may be lumped here include the nabhis particularly those who can easily flow for hours on end. It seems as though once the tap is turned on, there is no turning it off! Then there are those prophets who in the middle of giving a word, experience physical manifestations of the word. They may react as though something great has come upon them, like some type of invisible fire is burning them up.
Case study: Belinda. My fellow student, a highly anointed young lady named Belinda is no doubt a dramatic prophet. Not that she seeks to be theatrical in any way, rather the way in which she receives the messages appears to be drama-filled and colourful, for lack of a better way to put it. She flows comfortably between the roeh (seer) and nabhi expressions and will give a word uninterrupted for minutes on end. Whenever Belinda receives a heavy word, her signature is that she will whoosh! It’s as though she feels the fire. Her fellow students call it the Belinda anointing. Last I heard, one of us was actively and unashamedly asking God to impart the same anointing on him — for dramatic effect!
5. The Nature Prophet
Prophets do see, hear or otherwise receive downloads differently. Some may receive images of random objects like broken glass, apples or flowers. Others (like me) see images of people they have come across or interacted with in the past through whom they are able to decipher the message the Holy Spirit is communicating. I have noticed that there is a specific sub-set of prophets who seem to receive messages as though they are out in nature. Honestly, I really struggled at first when receiving prophetic words from this tribe because I myself am not a lover of nature, so it was hard for me to fully understand the word. If you think about it though, God can only relay the message to the prophet in a manner in which they will understand. So for one who loves the great outdoors, they may hear and deliver a word such as “I see small saplings around you, and as you begin to water them they become great big trees, and suddenly it’s a whole forest around you. The Lord says you are raising an army.” Or they may say something along the lines of “I just see you standing under a stream and it becomes a waterfall, and there’s all this light surrounding you…” and then go on to decipher the word.
Case study: Chantal. Another one of my affiliations from the group of prophets to which I belong, Chantal is a prophetess extraordinaire. She operates in many different areas, but I have noticed that she often receives messages relating to nature. Once I heard her prophesy a few times, I began to understand how God was speaking to her and the meaning behind the word He was conveying through her.
6. The Quiet One
Despise not the anointing. Quiet though they may be, prophets that belong to this precious cache are highly dangerous. They tend to move in silence, quietly floating into the room, carrying their everlasting shalom peace and a distinct air of shyness. Nothing seems to ruffle their feathers. This type of prophet will often melt into the background, seemingly happy to assume the position of wallflower. One may be forgiven for overlooking them particularly when juxtaposed against the extra loud bold prophet. The second this prophet opens their mouth however, jaws hit the floor. The precision with which they deliver a word will leave one gasping for breath. I believe their strength lies in the closet nature of their ministry — this one is not likely to be side-tracked by the many different teachings and ministry offerings available. They are laser focused on God and fully plugged in to the source.
Case study : Myriam. A happy, ever-smiling young lady, this one will hit the mark with quiet dignity and conviction. Her deeply intimate walk with the Father carries her on wings as an eagle, as she rises in the spirit to receive the download.
7. Sniper!
Beware the sniper. Larger than life, flamboyant to boot and having the look to carry the personality (read cool dreadlocks/unorthodox hair/ interesting dress sense). Often displays quite a heavy inclination towards the ministry of deliverance. In the order of the Prophet and warrior King David who prophesied events of the crucifixion of our Lord Jesus thousands of years before they occurred (see Psalm 22), this prophet takes aim and almost never misses. This one will read your bank details, tell you your grandma’s telephone number, describe to you in great detail your father’s village and deliver you from the wicked auntie that thought she’d have a go at tying down your destiny.
Case study : Dr Oscar Guobadia. Very few words can be used to accurately describe this man of God in his element. This is a case of “must be seen to be believed.”
8. Prophet of Prophets
I must of course honour the man of God under whom I serve, therefore I have saved the best for last. Behold, the prophet of prophets! Not only is this type of prophet fully operating in the Office of the prophet, he also carries an Apostolic mantle and is raising an entire army of dangerous prophets behind him. Separate to the conversation of the immense administrative and leadership nature of this prophet’s role is the matter of their delivery of a prophetic word. It is accurate in the sense that he tactfully and lovingly conveys the heart and mind of God, navigating even the difficult circumstance of lovingly delivering a corrective word. Much like the sniper, this prophet is filled with divine revelation and it shows. He flows, he weighs, he teaches, he leads. He plants and he builds. He raises sons and daughters.
Case study: Prophet Tomi Arayomi. I was privileged to watch this man of God deliver a powerful word to a young lady which positively altered the trajectory of her life. He prophesied that the Lord was asking the young lady to stay behind in the UK and not go back to Africa. If she would believe Him, came the word, God would expand resources and a student vocational visa to enable her to remain in the UK and equip her for what’s to come. At the time he gave the word, he was totally unaware that the lady in question had already packed her bags and booked her flight back home! She held on to the word and in a matter of months, God did that which He said He would. It was a beautiful testimony to behold!
I have — I’m sure — only just scraped the tip of the iceberg with these broad strokes. Ultimately, in all our prophetic expressions, God must surely be glorified. Isn’t it amazing how beautifully and wonderfully He created us all, that even though we are unique there are still so many similarities amongst us? The deeper I go in my relationship with God, the more I fear Him. Not just in the sense of healthy fear of the Lord; I hold Him in awe and reverence for He truly is a most wonderful creator.
