This book helped me discover and understand a new side of God that I really wanted. I know about the spiritual gifting but what this book showed me was how to cultivate it and use the gift to encourage others. The author tells her story and how she developed her spiritual side of prophetic words. She gives practical tips that just make sense to someone who doesn't know about this gift and backs it all up with biblical scripture. I will be giving encouraging others to read this book. Thank you for writing such a wonderful, practical book.

This was an interesting book to read. I really don’t know a whole lot about having a prophetic gift, so it was very eye opening from that perspective. But I’m not here to debate my thoughts and feelings on the topic of the book, but rather the writing of the book. So here’s what I thought…….

I appreciated how the author used her personal experiences to teach. It made me easily connect with her and feel as if we were sitting in a group session getting to know one another. She also brought in experiences of people she knew – again another way to make me feel at home while reading. Kitterman supplies lots of bible references to look up, and allows the opportunity for you dive into God’s Word and allow Him to speak to your heart, rather than her telling you what you should believe. I think that is key in any non-fiction book to be honest. We, as believers, need to understand what God is teaching us, not man. When we take what man says to heart without backing it up by referencing our bible, we are really setting ourselves up for some scary things to happen. So this is why I appreciate her offering this to the reader. She also asks some questions that will really make you think about what you’ve read. Some may feel convicting, and some may not. But I think the goal here is to simply open your eyes to what God would have you to know.

I have to disclose that while I may not be 100% on board with the topic, I did find some thoughts and areas for me to further investigate and pray on. I certainly believe that we should encourage others, and sometimes God whispers in our ear, or brings a name to mind of someone who needs encouraging. I think this book could be beneficial to a number of people, for a number of different reasons. If the topic isn’t for you, I encourage you to try out the first few chapters anyways. You may find the Lord speaks to you about something else entirely! I received a complimentary copy of this book. I was not required to write a favorable review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found this to be a very good book with a lot of foundational material (such as discussions on hearing the voice of God in general) and reflections and activations for those who are new to spiritual gifts and the gift of prophecy in general. The writing style is easy to read and the author is very transparent in her own journey. She highlights the benefit of the prophetic gift as one that is meant to encourage others and this makes it very attractive to me as a reader. I was intrigued enough by this book to go look up the author online and I would be open to reading more from this author.

Foursquare pastor Debbie Kitterman sets just the right tone in The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement: Hearing the Word of God for Others. First of all, she makes it clear that prophecy is for today; God did not quit speaking to his people in the first century. Christians should be listening to God and paying attention to people around them, listening for words from God and preparing to speak those words to others.

Kitterman recognizes that prophecy has been abused in the church. Her ministry of teaching about prophecy is built around a message God spoke to her: "The misuse and abuse of prophecy inside and outside the church has to stop!" So while she acknowledges that one element of prophecy can be "calling forth and declaring God's plans or the speaking of future events," we must never forget that "Prophecy's purpose is to strengthen, encourage, and comfort those who hear and receive it." She writes that God does not intend prophecy to bring recognition to the person speaking prophecy, nor does she believe the intent of prophecy is ever for public shaming or public revelation of sin.

The Gift of Prophetic Encouragement is full of anecdotes and scriptural guidelines. She provides solid guidance for reflection and testing prophetic words before you speak them. Some people think prophecy is only for a tiny, especially gifted group of prophets. There are some who will be more gifted, but Kitterman insists that every Christian has access to prophesy. I was encouraged to step out in faith and try to stay tuned in to God's voice as I go about my day, asking God with whom I might share a prophetic word of encouragement.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!

Paul tells us we are to be eager to prophesy. (I Cor 14:39) We might wonder what that means. Kitterman helps us understand one aspect of the gift of prophecy as encouragement. We speak Holy Spirit inspired words of edification, exhortation or comfort to others. She takes readers through her own experiences of moving into prophetic encouragement. She helps us develop hearing from God, understand the testing of prophecy, and the potential dangers and misuses we may experience.

Kitterman says we all have the gift of prophecy but I am not so sure. Paul says in I Cor. 12:9-10 that it is a gift some are given, just as some are given other gifts. Paul says in Rom. 12:6-8 that we each have different gifts, mentioning prophecy as one of them and encouragement as another.

Kitterman concentrates on the encouragement aspect of this gift only. I think there are also other aspects of this gift, such as pointing out sin and an insight into the future, that she does not cover. Yes, we are to encourage one another daily. (Heb. 3:13 NIV) But Paul distinguishes the gift of prophecy from the gift of encouragement in Romans 12:6-8. To reduce the gift of prophecy to only the encouragement aspect makes it indistinguishable from the different gift of encouragement.

I recommend this book to Christians who desire to learn how to encourage others with words from God. You find many personal stories and fledgling experiences to encourage you. If you are looking for a more comprehensive exploration of all the aspects of the gift of prophecy, you may have to look elsewhere.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Prophetic Encouragement Review
*Chosen Books provided me with a pre-release copy of this book to review for which I am most grateful." I joined the launch team for this book, because I wanted to know more about the subject. I can honestly say Ms. Kitterman did a thorough job in explaining Prophetic Encouragement and how to use and not use it. Her goal was to bring more enlightenment and awareness to hearing God's voice, through the Holy Spirit, so God can connect to others, by using us. Whether it's by using a word, a vision, a dream, or thoughts running across your mind, God is using us as His vessel. And it's not something we need to be afraid to explore in our relationship with Him.
I know there are many who call this hogwash or deja vu, and I know there are many fake prophets, who use this as entertainment or for a means for themselves, but that is not how prophetic encouragement is designed. As Debbie says in chapter twelve, page 120, "When giving a prophetic word we need to leave room for people to test the word and hear from God themselves." So it's not about us, it's about them. We are just the vessel. But we have to be open in our relationship with God in order for this to happen. Once again I must say, if you are at all interested or curious about this subject, I recommend getting this book.

I am in an internship at my church and each month we have a book to read, this was not one of them (I'm reviewing it before it has officially been published), and this past month's book related the history of the movement that I am a part of. Nearing the end the book talked about the relationship of hearing from and interacting with the Holy Spirit. So, learning how to hear from God for others was definitely something that attracted my attention.

I appreciate the honesty and encouragement that Kitterman uses to walk the reader through learning about prayerful listening to encourage others into what God has for them. Throughout she uses stories from those that she either knows or has heard of as well as, and probably more importantly, Biblical truths.

What a timely read. I'm teaching an international class on Pentecostal Spirituality and Ministry, including the 5 functions of pastor, teacher, apostle, prophet, and teacher. Kitterman's book couldn't have arrived on my desk at a better time.

The author offers a practical yet engaging look at the gift of prophecy - and how it can be exercised in a loving and learning context. Kittterman asks Christians to be listening to God's voice and then to share that encouragement with others. She makes accessible the mysterious ways that God speaks to his children through the Church. I liked the exercises and deeper reflections at the end of each chapter and will be asking my students to engage with this text.

I enjoyed the book. It was full of understanding about prophetic encouragement and how it lifts up the body of Christ. Thank you Netgalley. I just wish I could have read it on my Kindle instead of my PC.

I really enjoyed this book. It teaches us about listening to God and how hearing Him can empower our life and the lives of those around us. It is a book full of personal stories and encouragement, all bound by biblical truth. At the end of each chapter there is a relevant prayer and an activity to work through should you wish. This is a clear, concise guide explaining the gift of prophecy.