What is prophetic photography you ask?  

Well, that leads to the question of what is the prophetic.  The prophetic is hearing God’s heart for yourself or someone else through your senses in the external world or inside yourself … and then sharing that with the person.  Prophetic is never condemning, but according to the Bible it is always strengthening, encouraging, and comforting (1 Cor 14:3).

So how does that tie into photography?  What exactly makes a photograph “prophetic”?  Well, the photography itself is not really the focus, but the message that God’s Spirit reveals in what is seen.  In other words, God may reveal something majestic in a photograph of Yosemite just as much as He can reveal something encouraging and comforting in a simple picture of ocean waves at the beach.

I had an experience on my travels where the Holy Spirit began directing my eyes to pictures to take and then shared words that went with them.

My eyes kept being drawn to this chess set in a darkened part of a game room.  In my mind’s eye I kept seeing the final picture … the chess set in focus in the foreground, with the dining hall in the background.  But what made this different was that there was also an understanding of a message that came with this particular image.  I believe the Holy Spirit was saying, Seek Me for revival strategy, and that revival will come by strategy, not by striving in our own strength.

Turning around, the upright piano caught my eye, and I knew there was a message about that as well.  The photograph isn’t particularly special, but the prophetic message was.  I sensed the Lord saying I will be ushered in through worship. 

With the prophetic it is important to understand there are two sides … the giver and the receiver.  When someone says they have a prophetic word, it is the receiver’s responsibility to judge that word if it bears witness with their own heart and with the Word of God.  If you have received prophetic words before, see if they bear witness with your spirit before receiving them.

Putting it all together then, prophetic photography is allowing the Holy Spirit to speak an encouraging message over imagery … whether something very commonplace or something serene.  And then seeing if it resonates with the viewer that it was intended for.

May you find strengthening, encouraging, and comforting images and pictures in your life today.