You’re Not Crazy. You’re Prophetic! Why the Church Must Stop Playing It Safe with Mike O’Connell
Is the gift of prophecy still relevant or even real? In this eye-opening episode of The Directed Life, Kap Chatfield sits down with Pastor Mike O’Connell of Love Church to unpack one of the most misunderstood gifts in the body of Christ: prophecy. From personal stories of radical confirmation to wisdom on stewarding supernatural gifts without weirdness, they discuss how the Holy Spirit is reviving the prophetic for this generation. Whether you've been skeptical, wounded by abuses, or simply unsure where to start, this conversation will challenge, equip, and inspire you to pursue the voice of God with faith and humility. 🔥 If you’ve ever wondered, “Is God still speaking?” this episode is your answer. CALL-OUTS 📲 Want to learn how to build a YouTube channel with God? Join my 3-day Kingdom Creator Challenge: https://thekingdomcreatorchallenge.com
The modern church has traded the raw power of the Holy Spirit for the safety of religious tradition.
We have mastered the art of the program while losing the presence of the Person. This is why so many believers feel like they are losing their minds. You see things other people don’t see. You feel the weight of spiritual atmospheres. You hear a still, small voice that contradicts the evening news.
You aren't losing your mind. You are prophetic.
The prophetic gift is not a weird accessory for the fringe elements of Christianity. It is the primary way God communicates His heart to His children. When we suppress it, we don’t just lose a spiritual "extra." We lose the blueprint for our lives and our culture.
The Cost of Playing It Safe
Many leaders have silenced the prophetic because they are afraid of the mess. They’ve seen the abuses and the "weirdness" that often follow supernatural ministry. So, they decide it’s better to have a predictable service than a powerful one.
But the absence of the prophetic creates a vacuum that the enemy is happy to fill. When the church stops speaking for God, the world starts speaking for the devil. We cannot take back culture if we are disconnected from the One who created it.
The Bible is clear about our priority. 1 Corinthians 14:1 "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy." This isn't a suggestion. It is a command to seek the specific voice of God for the people around us.
Safety is the enemy of the supernatural. If you want to walk in the miraculous, you have to be willing to look foolish to the world. A church that is never "weird" is likely a church that is never spiritual.
Understanding the Internal Mechanism
Prophecy is often misunderstood as just predicting the future. We think of it as "foretelling," but it is just as much about "forthtelling." It is the act of speaking the mind and heart of God into a current situation.
God is always speaking. The problem is that we aren't always tuned into His frequency. We treat the voice of God like a rare event rather than a daily reality.
The Holy Spirit uses visions, scripture, and inner promptings to communicate. Sometimes it’s a physical sensation or a sudden thought that doesn't feel like your own. These are the "mechanics" of the prophetic.
Pastor Mike O'Connell and I have seen this play out in the most practical ways. From Spirit-led fitness to radical generosity, the prophetic gives you an edge in the natural world. It allows you to see the roots of problems before they manifest in the branches.
Stewarding the Supernatural Without the Weirdness
There is a way to be prophetic without being flaky. The goal of prophecy is never to draw attention to the messenger. It is always to point people back to the Father.
1 Corinthians 14:3 "But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men." If your "word" doesn't build up, encourage, or comfort, you might be hearing from your own soul rather than the Spirit.
We need to practice the "10% rule." When you feel a prompt, start small. You don't have to walk up to someone and say, "Thus saith the Lord." You can simply say, "I felt like God wanted me to tell you this."
This lowers the stakes and allows you to grow in discernment. It’s better to be a student of the Spirit than a self-proclaimed expert. Humility is the greatest safeguard against prophetic abuse.
The church must become a training ground for these gifts again. We need spaces where people can fail, learn, and eventually flourish in their spiritual authority.
The Blueprint for Taking Back Culture
If we are going to change the world, we need more than just good ideas. We need revelation. We need the kind of insight that Joseph had in Egypt.
Joseph didn't just have a dream. He had the interpretation and the strategy to save a nation. That is the ultimate goal of the prophetic gift. It is for the benefit of the community, not just the individual.
We are currently seeing a revival of the prophetic in this generation. People are tired of the dry, academic version of Christianity. They want to know if God is still real and if He still speaks.
The answer is a resounding yes. But that "yes" requires something from you. It requires a willingness to step out of the boat and onto the water.
Everything changes when you realize you aren't crazy. You have been given a gift to see the world as it truly is through the eyes of the Spirit. It is time to stop apologizing for that gift and start using it.
Walk in the authority God has given you.