Earnestly Desire The Gift Of Prophecy (1 Corinthians 14:1)

This is not an exhaustive teaching on prophecy or even 1 Corinthians 14, but a brief exhortation given at our Light House Church gathering on March 22, 2026. It has been expanded slightly for written form.

Christian Love Leads To Greater Order And Sacrificial Service

In chapters 11-14 Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church instructions for healthy worship gatherings because they were becoming disorderly and unhelpful. When love for God and others is clouded by selfish ambitions, disorder follows. So with regard to spiritual gifts, Paul urged the church, starting in 14:1: “Pursue love, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy.”

Paul begins with the call to “pursue love”.

Spiritual gifts mean nothing and accomplish nothing if not motivated by love. In order for the gift to do any good at all, the gifts must be exercised in love. Paul wrote in 13:2: And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

Love drives us to serve, even as love drove the Father to send the Son. God first loved us and wants his love to be manifest through his people. God’s love stirs desire for more of the Holy Spirit’s activity working through us for the good of others.

This heart posture only comes from an abiding personal relationship with the Lord, where God pours his love into our hearts and it overflows towards others (John 15).

What are spiritual gifts?

In 12:7, Paul explained the purpose of spiritual gifts. He writes, “To each [Christian] is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

Spiritual gifts are a manifestation of God’s Spirit in his people for the building up of the body, for the common good. Since the Spirit of God indwells every follower of Jesus, gifts are given to every Christian so that when believers gather the church is built up into maturity in Christ.

Earnestly Desire The Gift Of Prophecy

Exercising the gifts of the Spirit is not passive. Earnest desire for something never leads to aloof thought life or behavior. Rather, earnest desire stirs activity and intentionality. This may require more learning about the gifts, or prayer for them, and practice of the gifts whenever possible.

But of all the gifts, Paul says that we should most earnestly desire the gift of prophecy. 

Paul helps us understand what prophecy is in verse 3:…the one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation. 4 The one who speaks in a tongue builds up himself, but the one who prophesies builds up the church.

Three things to note here: 

1) Prophecy is a speaking gift. 2) Prophecy is for others upbuilding, encouragement, and consolation (comfort) in the Lord. 3) Prophecy is primarily for the church. 

So, prophecy is the building up of the body of Christ through timely and encouraging words revealed by God. It can be for both groups and individuals. Because the Holy Spirit is always seeking to exalt Jesus, the content will most often be deepening our knowledge of God in Christ or of who we are in him.

Verse 29 and 30 gives some more insight:

29 Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others weigh what is said. 30 If a revelation is made to another sitting there, let the first be silent. 31 For you can all prophesy one by one, so that all may learn and all be encouraged,

Paul has good order in mind here, but he also hints at the nature of prophecy. It is a revelation, something revealed by God.

Prophecy is not just a biblical teaching. Prophetic words must be biblically grounded, but prophecy differs from teaching because it is birthed by a revelation from the Holy Spirit for the building up of the body in a particular time and place.

So, when the Holy Spirit provides fitting insight and truth (perhaps a word or picture) into peoples situations and lives and you speak it out, you are prophesying according to Paul’s terms here. This is not from the natural man, but is spiritual in that it is revealed by our God who is actively building the church through his people.

Did you know that God has specific things he wants to highlight for you and your community? It is truly incredible that his chosen method is to use his people to communicate these things. 

Remember, New Testament prophecy is not on par with Scripture. Unlike Scripture, it must be tested and weighed by the hearer. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: “Do not despise prophecies,but test everything; hold fast what is good.”

This implies the fallible nature of these words because they come through a human conduit who can misapply and misunderstand even things that the Holy Spirit may reveal to us (e.g. Acts 21:10–11).

What Does Earnest Desire Look Like Practically?

So in order to walk in this gift, to eagerly desire the gift of prophecy, I believe that we must be intentional when we gather with believers and open to being a conduit of God’s love.

We must prepare our hearts not just to consume, but for loving service, attune to what the Holy Spirit may want to do or say in our times of fellowship.  What will this look like? 1) Ask the Lord to use you as his instrument 2) wait on him and listen for what he might want to say 3) and be obedient to share when he puts something on your heart for the body.

Let us eagerly desire the gift of prophecy out of love for one another. Wherever and whenever you gather with other believers, even in your home with your wife and kids, seek the Holy Spirit for a gift to give another, to point another to Jesus and build them up in the Lord.

All Bible references from English Standard Version.