Due to a lack of knowledge, many Christians believe that only a select few in the kingdom are called to prophesy. Craig and Colette Toach, who founded the ministry Next Gen Prophets, simply beg to differ.
At salvation, believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. And, Colette says, when the Holy Spirit indwells a believer, they are called to prophesy.
"The apostle Paul says that you would all prophesy," Colette told Dr. Steve Greene on a recent episode of Greenelines on the Charisma Podcast Network. "I think every believer from the time that they're born again, has the capacity to prophesy because they have the capacity to connect with Christ because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. But how we prophesy is going to change according to our grace."
A prophet is only one of the roles of the fivefold ministry to which we are all called as Christ's representatives. Ephesians 4:11 says we are also called to be apostles, evangelists, pastors and teachers.
But how does one begin to prophesy once they become born again? It's not simply by opening their mouths and God blessing them with the right words, Colette says. A prophet must and will receive training before God sends them out into the kingdom.
"Prophecy is really just expressing the heart and mind of Christ, whether it's in your own life or into the life of another," she says. "Every believer has the ability. We cannot define a prophet by prophecy because a prophet is more than the sum of the prophetic word. Do not judge me by prophetic word. You judge me by my fruit that I have birthed in this Earth by helping people find a place by teaching them to hear God for themselves; for establishing a face-to-face relationship with Jesus with every believer I come into touch with. WIth that, now I'm being a prophet.
"Don't tell me that I'm a prophet, because I can prophesy. Personally I'm insulted because I didn't get stripped, I didn't get rejected, I didn't go through everything that I did just so that I could prophesy. I prophesy in my secret place in the closet just to connect with Jesus. Yes, but I'm a prophet when I leave that closet.
"They not only need to be trained, they will be trained, whether they like it or not. Did the Lord leave the apostle Paul just to be traipsing on his little horse all the way to Damascus? Not so much. When God called him, when God picked him out, he threw him to the ground because he had to. He got the memo, good and solid."
For more about the Toaches and their ministry, and how they are training up the next generation of prophets, listen to the rest of this podcast. Also, tune into the Toaches' podcast, Next Gen Prophets, on the Charisma Podcast Network. 
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Dr. Steve Greene is the publisher and executive vice president of the media group at Charisma Media and executive producer of the Charisma Podcast Network. His book, Love Leads: The Spiritual Connection Between Your Relationships and Productivity, is now available.
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