Stages of the Prophetic Journey
Articles,  Leadership,  Uncategorized,  Your Calling

Stages of the Prophetic Journey

As a Prophet you will go through different stages in your walk.

Most often your journey starts out with you feeling like the most insignificant worm – crawling on your belly, stamped on and treated horribly.

You will feel looked down at, rejected and just don’t know how to move forward. So many things are going wrong in your life. No matter how hard you try, things are going wrong and people aren’t treating you fairly.

Praise will go to everyone else, but you. Insecurity, inferiority, not fitting in with the rest and loneliness are your faithful companions.

This goes on for a very long time in your life. It’s called the Preparation Stage.

Stages of the Prophetic Journey

When the Call of God Comes

Then God begins to move on you and you receive the call. You begin to get to know Him better, and the hope arises that things will change. You know that He has called you, and so your training begins.

Here is the bad news first: while you begin your prophetic training and truly rise to deeper levels in Him, things will first go worse before they get better.

Sorry to burst your bubble, Prophet.

The pressure will come upon you to change. Pressure at work, pressure in relationships, pressure at Church. The Lord will use whatever He can to bring you to a place of submission to Him and His will for your life.

He will put you through the fire until you shine like pure gold. Again and again, you will find yourself walking through the process of being pruned and purified. The heat will be on and it’s going to be uncomfortable beyond measure.

Bitterness and any traces of a judgemental attitude will be addressed. Your inferiority complex will be dealt with. Your strengths and weaknesses are going to be brought to the cross. Self-reliance, pride and the need to be justified will be highlighted.

Until you come to the point where you gladly give up everything for Him. You will realize, that you can’t do anything without Him or bring anything to the table that is worth it, or towards walking out this call.

Refinement Is Taking Place

It’s not to destroy you. But rather it is so that He can bring you to a place of promotion in Him and an elevated position of leadership in His Church.

The purpose of it all is to get you to a place where a pure heart can be formed in you. A heart that represents the heart of Jesus to His Bride.

The cross and His Grace will be your faithful companions during this stage.

In this ‘between’ stage, you will be hidden away from the public. You will find that many doors are being closed for you and a time of testing and transformation is going to take place. It can be likened to a time in the wilderness. Perhaps forgotten by some, but definitely not forgotten by the Lord.

The worm will no longer be a worm, as you will begin to see and recognize who you are in the Lord.

Yes, He is going to remove the masks that you are wearing. He will purge the dirt and dross that you are trying so desperately to cover up. He will transform you; the way you think and the way you speak.

Everything within will take on a new form.

Some Things Will Stay Familiar

From the outside, nobody will see what is happening. Rejection will still be there, but with it, healing will begin to take place.

As much as there will be pain and suffering from the stripping and pressing yourself against the cross, the Lord will reveal Himself in an even greater way to you in the Secret Place. 

The Secret Place will become your hiding place. And very much like a butterfly is formed in the cocoon, you will find yourself in God’s kind of cocoon and His hand working on and in you.

You will grow in wisdom and understanding, and begin to realize why you have been so different. Why you never fitted in and why your walk has been so lonely.

The sting will be removed, and replaced with a beautiful trust and sense of purpose instead.

Where you felt like the ugly duckling or black sheep before, your eyes will be opened to the image that He always had of you. The image of a beautiful swan; white and pure to be lifted up and display His Strength, His Grace, His Authority and Glory.

Benefits Not Just Bad News

To end the bad news, here are some good news that this stage brings with it:

  1. Your relationship will take on an amazing intimacy
  2. You will enter into a  Face to Face Relationship with Jesus as He takes you into the Secret Place
  3. The old within will be replaced with something new – Healing will take place
  4. The dross will be removed and the gold will come to the forefront
  5. You will begin to step into what the Lord really has called you to be
  6. You will receive tools and weapons to fight not just for yourself, but more importantly for the Body of Christ
  7. Your heart will feel what Jesus feels, and beat in sync with His heartbeat
  8. Trust, faith, hope and love will be produced and take on form in you (greater than ever before)
  9. You will mature and step out as a gift to His Body

This is just to name a few, and without even going into detail about each one of them.

While you go in as one person, you will leave this stage as a completely different person.

If you are under a mentor that knows what he or she is doing, this stage will take around 9 months. It’s called the Training Stage.

Reaching Prophetic Office

When the Lord sees you fit to enter the next stage, He will release you from training and authorize someone else to place you into the Office of the Prophet.

This stage is called the Placement into Prophetic Office.

While you may finally reach a stage that shows you are ready enough to be trusted, don’t kid yourself into thinking this is the final stage.

It is in fact just the beginning of the real journey. Reaching Office doesn’t mean you have arrived. I often say to my students, and those I mentor and disciple, that this is but just the beginning of it all.

You have been prepared and trained enough for what lies ahead. You are ready to use the Prophetic Key that the Lord placed into your hands. And the authority that comes with it.

Even on the Office level, you will find different stages that the Lord takes you through. You have to grow into it and mature further.

As a new driver that just has passed his or her driver test, you now have to learn to drive on the roads. Just because you got a key doesn’t mean you are a good or mature driver yet.

Stepping Fully Into the New

So while you can expect the Lord to open up different opportunities and doors for you, you still have to learn to use these new wings that have been given to you.

But God trusts you with His Authority, with His Power and with His Word. At this stage you have come to experience Him in His love, as well as His Holiness.

You have come to understand that it isn’t about you or about carrying any fancy titles. If I see people having to call themselves Prophet So-and-So, I know these are people that still have a need for recognition that hasn’t been met. I know I am dealing with an immature Prophet, that hasn’t walked yet the journey for very long.

At this stage you will know that while promotion came your way, you are first and foremost a Servant of God. It’s all about His People, His Kingdom and His agenda to move the Church forward into the place that He has for her. A city placed on a hill, for everyone to see and find.

At this stage you don’t care anymore if you are seen or not.

You know that those words you release and decree into existence – seen or unseen by others – are going to manifest and not return void.

You know that the doors you are opening for others will not be shut. And are able to correctly identify and help others move into their ministries and destinies.

Some Things Will Change – Others Won’t

Rejection will still be there; but you will have learned how to overcome it with love, faith and hope.

Loneliness will still be a companion, but you will have learned how to get your need met in the Lord.

Insecurity will have lessened, as you have begun to rise up as the mighty warrior that He has called you to be.

The complex of feeling inferior will have been replaced with an other-orientation, and the task of helping others find their place.

All in all, you will have come to a place of showing your colors and being a blessing to His Body.

The price that seemed too intense and high at the beginning of this journey, will look small to you now; as you carry God’s weight, and the responsibility that comes with this Office, on your shoulders.

So Prophet of God, where do you stand? Which stage have you mastered? And which stage still needs to be conquered?

Realize this isn’t a race, but it is a progressive journey that will unveil itself before you.

God knows exactly when you are ready to step from one into the next. Embrace each stage, let it transform you and allow it to fulfill its purpose in your life.

If that is your focus, you can trust Him that He will take you from Glory to Glory, and from Strength to Strength. And you will never have to feel like the small worm ever again.

Share the Love

21 Comments

  • Jacqui

    I am so blessed with the Post for a long time I have felt all the loneliness rejection and isolation.
    I now how a greater understanding of the prophetic and where I am, I’m not comfortable being called a prophet it really scares me.
    Thank you for your help may God bless you and your family.

    • Mapheto Ndhlela

      Thanks Apostle this article has answered so many unanswered questions in my life.Been rejected,not acknowledged you name aĺ of this.Just want to know what takes to be your student. Heard you talking about your students.
      Thanking you may the good lord bless you abundantly,and continue to give you more knowledge stay blessed.

      • Nadine Stohler

        Glad to hear this article was a blessing to you. For information about becoming a student please visit our official Prophetic School website at schoolofelijah.co.zaIf you have further questions contact us through the school website.

    • Emily

      You’ve described my life exactly, exactly.It is sad though no one understands me, been aloner and i can’t just fit in.

      • Nadine Stohler

        Don’t worry Emily, you are not alone. Every prophet understands and will know exactly what you are talking about. Welcome to the fold!

        • Emily

          I haven’t met any prophet/prophetess around.I need someone to hold my hand, it has been tough so tough.

        • Odette Speelman

          Thank you for sharing this i found this the most difficult time in my journey and i can relate to everything you mention and share…to found a suitable mentor is very difficult now a day you don’t know who to trust…some only use you for their own benefit now a days…can you please share more of your books, God bless

        • Thabile Sibiya

          Thank you sharing this enormous information. I was wondering what is happening to my life. I’m so tired of the rejection, the loneliness. A lot has happened. I’m at the Secret Place where I find peace.

    • Josephine Whale

      Thank you this has been the most helpful thing I’ve read and I’m so grateful for it more than words can even express God bless you

  • Elijah Manana

    Thanks Apostle, this article really stirs the flame within and brings a form of revival to my spirit.
    God bless you and the GBMI family.

  • MAREA MOESI

    Wow, wow, i have been ministered to in an amazing way

  • MArcia Palmer

    This has been a great encouragement and clarity given. I become silent when i am referred to as a prophetess and hardly ever respond to the title.In your sharing I find myself having gone through many of the stages you spoke about and now fully focused accepting the call and price of this anointing.

    • Gladys

      Amazing oh my God,my life has been a tough one since when I was baby,my middle name attest to all sufferings,I am married but still I feel rejection in the church and my marriage is a struggle, loneliness is my accompany especially since I have no parents to turn to I was born alone with no siblings, there was a time when I thought to end it all but I survived, sometimes I do cry bitterly and ask the Lord why my life is always bad, I am misunderstood mostly so I choose to pray,God bless you for clarifying things to me

  • Lesia Brown

    God Bless You and Thank You soooo much for this article. It has cleared up something’s that I have been pondering on lately. I also at times cring when ppl say to me I am a prophetess and call me by that title, and I say no, just call me Sister Lesia (Lisa). I’m fine with that. If you remember my name please keep me in your prayers. I just want to do what God wants me to do and speak when and how He tells me to speak.

  • zwelethu shezi

    God bless you and thank you so much for this article now i know that i am not a lone.

  • Bailey Elizabeth

    9 months ago Holy Spirit said….Clarity, Resolve, and Openness.
    This all has flowed over very rocky streams.
    I now have understanding.
    Thank God Almighty and thank you as well.

    • Nadine Stohler

      I am glad to hear this post gave you understanding and clarity. The prophetic journey is not an easy one to walk or understand. It can feel overwhelming and lonely, but thank God He leads us and opens the way before us. I speak blessing and protection on you!

    • Bri

      I did a Google search and found this. I’m grateful for this information. How can I find a mentor? Or a mentoring group? I’ve been looking for a long time and began to think that maybe the Lord doesn’t want me to have one… I often search for books and blogs to help me navigate this preparation journey. It’s not fun at all and the prep seasons have increased in intensity level each year…definitely since 1998 and it is now February 2023. It feels very strange—the isolation, the trials, the spiritual warfare, the rejection, being misunderstood by family, being the black sheep. And I could go on and on. And honestly, if it weren’t for prophetic people speaking into my life over the decades…people who I’ll probably only meet again in heaven when that time comes, I would think I’ve gone pure crazy and would be unable to write what I’m sharing.

      • Nadine Stohler

        Hi Bri, so glad you found some answers as you went through this post. From what you shared, you have been on your journey for quite some time and I can only imagine this hasn’t been very easy at times to keep going. So let’s congratulate you on that first: you didn’t give up and kept on being faithful to Him. He sees you and He is proud of you for hanging in there and being willing to keep pressing in for more, because of Him and His call on your life.

        One thing is clear, your crazy is pretty normal and most likely very much in line with that of every other prophet! You fit right in with us. As crazy as your stories may sound to others, they sound about right to another prophet.

        If you want to have a look at some mentorship training, I encourage you to check out the school that I am running. You can do so here:

        http://schoolofelijah.co.za/

        I do offer mentorship, and through the lessons in the school, work with each student on a personal and direct level of communication. If you feel the nudge from the Holy Spirit that this is for you, I would love to work with you and help you. If you feel that’s not the way to go, you might want to check out my book ‘The Making of a Prophet’ instead. That covers every aspect of the preparation, training and rising up into Prophetic Office. It’s like a mentor in a book, so you might enjoy that. You can get your hands on the ebook here: https://nadinestohler.com/shop/prophetic/making-of-a-prophet-ebook/

        Or you can find the printed version on Amazon.com

        Sorry for a lengthy response but I wanted to cover all that might help you further. I pray you rise up and step into your purpose – it’s time for you to be seen and heard! God does want you out there and no longer just hidden away.

        • Ezekiel Afari

          Very powerful message for us.
          God bless you my Apostle

  • Namat Sharon Megan

    Well well well!
    I thank God for your life apostle and your entire family. I had already started on the journey of a prophetic call but just as you’ve helped us to know much more about the different stages, I have come to realize that each stage has got a price to pay and some things won’t change.

    Things like loneliness, isolation from the public for some time, rejection and insecurities which we instead learn how to abide with and live positive by responding to each effect with love, kindness and faith trusting the author and the finisher of our faith.

    Stay blessed.

Leave a Reply to Bri Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *