True prophets come in a variety of styles and shapes. The Bible zeroes in on four main types: prophetic preachers, prophetic declarers, prophetic musicians, and prophetic intercessors. Some prophets may be more than one type. Within these four types there are undoubtedly sub-types and specializations.
The prophetic preacher, or "preaching prophet", is a prophetically-gifted Christian who communicates God's immediate message in sermon form. He/she does not make a brief prophetic statement then walk away. Rather, he perceives a message, then reproduces it in sermon form. It may include some teaching and explanation on the fringes, but it is obvious the sermon is driven by a central prophetic message. Most listeners typically recognize the sermon's unmistakable supernatural quality...its remarkable relevance, timeliness, perceptiveness, impact, and authority. For example, I've heard many sermons on prayer and its centrality to church success. Most were right on, but seemed unconvincing and yeah-yeah-yeah. But then there are times when I've heard a prophetic sermon on prayer. God was surely speaking at that specific moment, to that specific audience, with that specific message, and He manifested a felt presence to confirm it. The words cut deeper and landed with impact. The "preaching prophet" preaches like this continually. John the Baptist (Lk 3:2,3) and Judas and Silas (Ac 15:32) are great examples of prophetic preachers.
This type of preaching is noticeably different than regular preaching. Regular preaching is general sermonizing without any intensified anointing for hyper-relevance. It is the customary teaching and preaching of Scripture (Ezr 7:10-12, 1Ti 4:13). In the Old Testament era, the priests were responsible for such teaching/preaching (Ezr 7:10-12, Jer 18:18, Eze 7:26, Mal 2:7,8). In the New Testament era, the apostles (Ac 2:42), elders (1Ti 5:17), and gifted laity (Ro 12:7) are responsible. Though the prophetic preacher may not tag his words with "Thus says the Lord", the listeners nonetheless walk away knowing God has just spoken. John the Baptist (Lk 3:2,3) and Judas and Silas (Ac 15:32) were prophetic preachers. Some refer to regular preaching as "preaching the logos-word" (the Scriptures) and prophetic preaching as "preaching the rhema-word" (the Spirit-prompted situational message). A preacher does not have to have the prophetic gift to preach prophetically, since any Christian can and should be Spirit-led. However, prophetic preachers with the gift will preach prophetically much more more frequently, with more specific perception, and with more persuasive authority.
Different prophetic preachers receive different burdens from the Lord. For this reason there exists a wide variety of emphases among them. Some prophets have several burdens simultaneously. Some prophesy concerning sin, holiness, and judgment in the church. These are undoubtedly some of the most intense characters. Then there are prophets who prophesy concerning the church's responsibility in society--caring for the poor, needy, helpless, outcast, prisoner, widow, and unborn. These are some of the most tenderhearted champions. Some prophets proclaim God's overall program for groups, structures, and locations. They preach what God is saying and doing on a larger, less personal, scale. This helps leaders adjust and rearrange to conform to God's situational will. Once again, prophetic preachers distinguish themselves from regular preachers through the remarkable relevance, timeliness, perceptiveness, impact, and authority of their words.
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