Listen to this articleGifts of God are like a burning flame. They need to be stirred, so the flame does not extinguish.
2 Timothy 1:6 (NKJV)
6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.
So how do you stir the gift and keep the fire burning. You do this through constant practice.
1 Timothy 4:14-15 (ESV)
14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. 15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
So Paul was admonishing Timothy to put to practice his gift, and immerse himself in it. The word translated as immerse means to completely give yourself to something to the extend that you become that thing.
The writer of Hebrews also speaks the same thing concerning growth.
Hebrews 5:14 (ESV)
14 But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.
Your spiritual senses need to be trained through constant practice. That’s how you mature in that gift.
So, whilst I understand churches that find ways to help young prophets exercise and practice their gifts. However, we should be careful not to take worldly methods and use them for spiritual growth. Ideally, this practice of the prophetic should happen by simply giving the young prophets time in the church to prophesy. And the older prophets judge and assist them.
As Paul speaks here.
1 Corinthians 14:29-30 (ESV)
9 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.
