There’s something powerful that happens when a person speaks and says, “Thus says the Lord.” People suddenly grow quiet, ready to hear what this message from God may be.
However, as Randy Kay warns, “For the person speaking those words, it’s easy to begin believing you truly are different, more connected to God, more important to His purposes.” There is a real temptation: redirect the glory to God or absorb it yourself. Too often, prophetic voices succumb to the allure of applause, platform and recognition.
Kay reflects on a troubling reality in modern ministry: being like the world rather than being in it. “We’ve imported the world’s metrics of success, platform size, influence, wealth, media presence and sometimes forgotten that in God’s kingdom, the greatest among us is the servant of all.” Genuine friendships are too often replaced with strategic alliances, built for mutual benefit rather than Christlike love.
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This transactional spirit is pervasive. Leaders build platforms to gain influence, connect for advantage and elevate those with power while overlooking the marginalized. Kay points out, “It’s the world’s way, dressed in spiritual language.”
Meanwhile, the vulnerable and powerless are often met with condemnation rather than intercession. The call of Jesus is radically countercultural: “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you,” not declare judgment.
He points out that conviction is mistaken for combative aggression, and boldness becomes bravado. “We’re ready to go to battle over our reputation, but reluctant to turn the other cheek,” Kay observes. The early church in Acts thrived on radical love, humility and service, not public displays of superiority or platform politics.
Prophetic ministry faces a unique challenge: the intoxicating effect of attention. Kay warns, “If you absorb it…without immediately and consistently pointing people to Jesus alone, then your prophetic voice becomes something else entirely… loud, attention-getting, but ultimately just noise.”
Biblical prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist—were defined by humility and sorrow, not hierarchy or self-promotion. They pointed to God, not themselves.
The rise of “watchdog ministries” only compounds the problem. Ministries that exist to expose failure or deception often operate without accountability, quick to condemn but slow to restore. Kay notes, “They often lack the same transparency they demand from others… creating an atmosphere of fear rather than freedom.” Jesus, by contrast, gently restored the fallen, addressing sin privately first and publicly only when necessary.
The path forward for the prophetic is clear: ministry is not about platform, recognition or elevating some believers over others. It’s about reflecting Christ’s character. Kay concludes, “People who love genuinely, not transactionally. People who respond to offense with grace, not retaliation. People who pray for their enemies instead of condemning them… because at the end of the day, none of our platforms, books or ministries will matter if we’ve gained the whole world but lost the heart of who Jesus called us to be.”
The church doesn’t need more Christian celebrities or combative voices. It needs followers of Jesus who embrace humility, restore the fallen and redirect all glory to God. Faithful prophetic ministry builds God’s kingdom, not our own.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
