Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Lifestyle of a Prophet: A 21-Day Journey to Embracing Your Calling

Rate this book
Accessible Guide from Bestselling Author
for Embracing the Prophetic Calling

Internationally respected prophet and bestselling author James W. Goll offers a readable, practical approach to the prophetic gifting. Centered around a unique, hands-on 21-day guide, he helps believers develop the intimacy with God essential to hearing his voice clearly and correctly--and then proclaiming his words faithfully.

Through illustrations from his own life and those of John, Daniel, and Ezekiel, Goll exposes common misconceptions, the successes and failures of gifted people throughout church history, and wisdom from the trenches of the prophetic. Devotional prayers and reflection questions follow each chapter. A must-have resource for those in prophetic ministry and all who work with them.

288 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

108 people are currently reading
484 people want to read

About the author

James W. Goll

282 books138 followers
James W. Goll, formerly known as Jim Goll, is the Director of Prayer Storm (founded 2009), Coordinator of Encounters Alliance, and author.

(wikipedia)

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
113 (63%)
4 stars
50 (28%)
3 stars
7 (3%)
2 stars
5 (2%)
1 star
2 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Profile Image for Christie Hagerman.
135 reviews23 followers
April 15, 2013
Written as a 21-day devotional, this book is subtitled A 21-Day Journey to Embracing Your Calling. The author uses Old and New Testament prophets as well as his own life to illustrate key points in the journey to become someone God can speak to.

Although I have a slightly different theological view of prophecy than James Goll, I enjoyed working through this devotional. The basic principles apply to any person wanting to be used of God--the struggles he will face, the highs and lows of ministry, danger zones to avoid, and ways to strengthen your spiritual life in order to be available and effective in kingdom work.

In Day 4, which deals with character development, I highlighted this quote, which seems to summarize the point of the book: "God does not want us only to give a message: He wants us to become a living word."

The Lifestyle of a Prophet is divided into three sections with seven chapters each: The Lifestyle of Intimacy, The Lifestyle of Wisdom, and The Lifestyle of Revelation. Each chapter deals with a different, very practical topic, including stories, scripture, questions to think through, and a prayer.

Don't pick this book up thinking you'll do a 5-minute read-through as your daily quiet time each morning. The chapters are thorough and full of things you'll need to reflect on, sift through. After reading this very introspective, personal devotional, the reader should be able to identify his own strengths and weaknesses and have a plan for working on those.

**I received an copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, courtesy of netgalley.com.
Profile Image for Retha.
Author 3 books24 followers
March 19, 2013
Lifestyle of a Prophet is a combination of teaching and devotional to embrace your prophetic calling.

The 21-day devotional is divided into three sections of 7 days each. The order of these sections is also the order of importance.


Lifestyle of Intimacy
Intimacy with God is the first and most important lifestyle. James W. Goll uses the relationship of John, the beloved disciple, to illustrate the importance of a lifestyle of love. Seven daily devotions follow regarding the subject of love, loving God, and loving our neighbour. We need to love the cross, to enable us to take up the cross. What Jesus asks us to give up and to carry, differs from person to person.


Lifestyle of Wisdom
The second section is about wisdom and the life of Joseph is used to illustrate this lifestyle. The daily devotions teach us the prophetic ways of wisdom. This section contains lessons for beginners, as well as reminders and guidance for the mature.

What stood out for me the most in this section were the peaks and valleys of the prophetic lifestyle. One of the examples was Jonah and his angry reaction because God showed mercy to his enemy. The degree of our anger, is the degree of our ambition, is a very powerful and truthful statement James W. Goll makes. Another statement that hit home was we aim to survive but we should be dead to self. One of the great jewels I found was the discussion on identity. Identity is who we are, not what we do, that is our function.

James W. Goll describes how we can use the prophetic in our everyday lives; the incidents in the Bible are not dated, but examples of how we can apply it today.


Lifestyle of Revelation
The example of Moses with prophetic gifting is used to describe this lifestyle. One of the great examples to me was taking the elevator or taking the steps, describes the different ways we are called.

The greatest gem I received was realizing that God uses our lives and the valleys to prune us. Many times when things are going bad, I should actually rejoice, because I am being pruned to bear more fruit.

James W. Goll shares part of his own personal story when we come to a place where we have done it all; there is always another paradigm shift. His story alone, and how it encourages, is enough reason to read the Lifestyle of a Prophet. However, I can promise you, this is a gem. There is so much teachings, guidelines, principles; inspiration in the Lifestyle of a Prophet. I highly recommend believers to read and apply the content of the Lifestyle of a Prophet.

Chosen Publishers, a division of Bakers Publishing Group, as part of their media review bloggers program provided this book to me for free in exchange for this honest review.
Profile Image for writer....
1,367 reviews86 followers
May 6, 2013
The Lifestyle of a Prophet: A 21 Day Journey to Embracing Your Calling has proved to be a solid and insightful manual on the topic of Christian prophetic living. As the author reveals, a prophet is being God's confidante. The book takes us on a learning journey in what is required to fulfill that call.

Divided into 3 sections, the foundational piece is Intimacy of relationship with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Section 2 covers the Wisdom required, and 3rd is Revelation. The ordering is intentional. A prophetic lifestyle begins in intimacy of relationship, and must gain wisdom and character before receiving and delivering revelation.

Each section provides 7 days of writing on each theme; each day's discussion ends in a prayer, followed by interactive questions on the topic of the day. It would be ideal to begin the book with a journal in order to record your responses to the questions. They encourage deeper thought and process in revealing more than the reader's surface reaction. Inner growth is definitely an intended outcome as the questions are challenging. These challenges would be welcomed by those readers intent on "Embracing [Their] Calling".

I found the daily readings encompass each topic with a thorough investment of knowledge from the author's perspective, abundant scriptural references, and quotations from others in the prophetic realm, both past and present. Language used makes for ease of reading and understanding.

Here's one quote of note that describes the prophetic lifestyle in a nutshell. Found at the beginning of section 3. "The true prophet is at a crosscurrent with society, challenges others to be like Jesus, carries a tailor-made cross and dies daily to self! ... So are you sure you want to be a prophet or even live a prophetic lifestyle?"

The amount of material covered, along with the comprehensive scripture inclusion, makes this an ideal reference resource. Combined with the reader's own journal of responses gleaned during the study, it creates a solid foundational piece for both beginners and those seasoned desiring prophetic giftings that enable becoming God's confidante through a lifestyle of intimacy, wisdom and revelation.

My recommendation would include both, as well as readers sensing a call to know more about living a prophetic Christian lifestyle. A lifestyle of seeing, hearing, attending to what's given, then declaring in response to what God has given.







*Read courtesy of Chosen Books in exchange for a review without obligation...
Profile Image for Elizabeth Castellanos.
31 reviews2 followers
March 6, 2021
Un libro devocional de 21 días. Qué libro tan dulce sobre cómo vivir una vida cristiana (será que de tanto escuchar el podcast de Jim Goll lo leo con su tono de abuelito).

Me hizo cambiar mucho la perspectiva de la expresión “ser usado por Dios”. Dios no da títulos o cargos, Dios nos da funciones en el cuerpo de Cristo aka. iglesia no para que nuestro nombre figure, sino para que Él lo haga.

Lo más valioso, sea uno profeta, pastor, creyente y demás, es el valor de buscar una vida de amistad con Él. De hablar con Él.

Probablemente mi reseña suene religiosa jajaja, no sé. La cuestión es, son 21 días de intimar con Dios. Qué lindo es meditar en Quién es y su amor.

Pd. Nunca escribo reseñas tan largas jajaja. Pero este es un libro que volvería a leer un par de veces más.
Profile Image for Cynthia Wei.
36 reviews
August 27, 2018
A great book from a prophet with a pure heart

This covers the foundational basis of life as a prophetic person and I expect to revisit it as a devotional again at regular intervals. It is a joy to hear James’ voice trough his writing. His passion for healthy prophet people to operate for God is unmistakable.
5 reviews
June 27, 2025
Incredible insight and teaching. Real, practical, and relatable. Funny at times, sad at times.

It is a master thesis on the prophetic. Dr. Goll lays out the process clearly and supports his positions with appropriate scriptures and president. A very good read, well written and understandable. It will challenge on every level and kicks religious thought in the teeth.
Profile Image for Andy Febrico Bintoro.
3,677 reviews31 followers
December 6, 2022
The ultimate goal of the prophetic is to reveal Christ. So the lifestyle of a prophet or those who walk in the prophetic should pull back the veil that the god of this age has put on the minds of unbelievers so they cannot see the light of the Gospel of the glory of Jesus Christ.
Profile Image for Heidi Honey.
108 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2023
I deem this book as necessary reading for anyone in the prophetic realm. Through real-life examples and hard-won insights, Goll takes you through the higs, lows, abuses and how to live as a person who hears from and speaks for God and those who love them.
Profile Image for Michelle.
172 reviews
July 28, 2022
Don’t let the title scare you off. It’s one of the best devotional I’ve read in a while. Daily bite size nuggets that will make you think and draw you further into the heart of the Father.
Profile Image for Stacie Wyatt.
Author 4 books16 followers
May 3, 2014
I read LifeStyle of a Prophet, in exchange for review from Bethany House. The book was written by James W. Goll and published by Chosen Books. I received a paperback version.

I chose this book because I have no idea what my calling is. I know what I am good at, but is that what God wants me to do? I have done administration at a church before, but got tired of that quick. Basically, the church had a secretary and I was just helping do some work in Microsoft. The church bought the software, but had no idea what to do next (besides train the secretary). The problems started when the pastor and secretary started calling my house multiple times per day, in a row sometimes, to get me to come in to work. I worked Third shift at a factory, plus was a new mother. I did not get home until 7 am. I needed my sleep. I didn't mind coming in, but not every day and not before 9 am. I was not going to spend all morning typing documents when I can do that at home. The secretary and I worked the same job, but different shifts. write it down and meet me in the parking lot. lol. I also love to read, write, organize, clean, cook, etc.

But anyway, back to the book: The book is part instructional and part workbook. Each day provides a lesson, prayer, and questions. There is some space to jot down your answers.

Some highlights which stood out in the first few readings:
Page 24: Selfish ambition is not the kingdom way. Promotion does not come from the Lord, but normally after you been in the game and endured a few rounds.
Page 25: Abandon any attempts to build your own kingdom or ministry Forget about building your own empire. Build His Instead. Worship God passionately. Consecrate yourself to him to be his holy dwelling place.
Page 25: Do you want to experience the lifestyle of a prophet? It begins with intimacy. Surrender to Jesus and worship him.
Page 29 This is what the prophetic life and ministry are all about---human beings being filled with the breath of God, and then in turn exhaling onto others the breath of life they have received from their creator.
Question from Day 1: Consider the kind of friendship you desire to have with Jesus? What do you want that relationship to look like? (p.26).
Page 35: God wants to talk to you. He wants more than just the "right" answers so you can pass his tests. He wants to draw near to you. He is your adoring father and he cherishes his kids. Questions from the Lord are an invitation to merge from the place of hiding into transparent honesty and light.


This was an excellent book. Excellent teaching tool, learning tool, and workbook. It also can be a small group bible study.
Profile Image for Jalynn Patterson.
2,217 reviews39 followers
June 14, 2013
About the Book:

Accessible Guide from Bestselling Author
for Embracing the Prophetic Calling
Internationally respected prophet and bestselling author James W. Goll offers a readable, practical approach to the prophetic gifting. Centered around a unique, hands-on 21-day guide, he helps believers develop the intimacy with God essential to hearing his voice clearly and correctly--and then proclaiming his words faithfully.
Through illustrations from his own life and those of John, Daniel, and Ezekiel, Goll exposes common misconceptions, the successes and failures of gifted people throughout church history, and wisdom from the trenches of the prophetic. Devotional prayers and reflection questions follow each chapter. A must-have resource for those in prophetic ministry and all who work with them.



About the Author:

Dr. James W. Goll is the co founder of Encounters Network, a ministry to the nations. He has written fifteen extensive Bible study guides and is the author or coauthor of fourteen books, including The Prophetic Intercessor and Praying for Israel's Destiny. Goll is a contributing editor to Kairos magazine and speaks and ministers around the world. He lives in Franklin, Tennessee.



My Review:

James W. Goll a prophetic leader in his own right, has put together a 21 day guide to embracing the call that God has placed on your life. He takes you step by step through a more thorough learning of a few of the different prophets in the Bible and examines their thought process, devotion, and relationship to the Almighty.

In this day and time it is evident that we all need others that know the dramatic toll that this places on our lives and they are willing to step forward and show us how to uphold what God is asking and leading us to do. For without spiritual leaders that are stepping out all will truly be lost.The authors through teaching makes me want to seek out this calling even more.



The author has sorted through several prophetic truths and broken them down to make it easier to understand and discern. Then provided further insight from his own thoughts and experiences then sums up each daily reading with prayer and final questions&thoughts.

**Disclosure** This book was provided to me at no charge for my honest review from Chosen Books.
Profile Image for christianchicklit.
117 reviews19 followers
May 15, 2013
Struggled to find the purpose of this book

I was really excited to read this book. There is certainly a lot about prophets and prophecy that I don’t understand and I guess I had the wrong expectation of this book. I thought this book might include new insights about the principles of being a prophet, how to be grow in the gift of prophecy and that it might discuss some of the trade-offs you might make in your relationships to be a prophet, etc. While I do think there is some interesting material in this book, I just couldn’t seem to understand the flow and purpose of it all. The author went into detail about John first and I thought that maybe the structure of the book would be to go person by person and look at that person’s life and prophecy in detail. But after talking about John, the author went into detail four pictures of prophetic people and the insights here seemed really basic: 1. They are people of genuine faith 2. They are pioneers taking new territory, 3. They are messengers with a clear word, 4. They are members of a servant community. Those would be pretty predictable things you would expect about a prophet’s life.

This was followed by helpful hints that were milestones along the author’s journey of cultivating intimacy and growing in character in the prophetic: 1. Rest around the Ark, 2. Love mercy, 3. Pray in the Spirit, 4. Inquire of the Lord, 5. Learn to hold a secret 6. Love the anointing and 7. Risk! Again, these principles didn’t really offer me any new insights from what I had imagined would be the key to a prophetic lifestyle and at this point I was at page 58 of over 250 pages and so I decided to discontinue reading the rest of the book and move on to something else. Perhaps I will pick up this book again and read about the lifestyle of some of the other prophets mentioned, but I probably had wrong expectations for what this book would contain.

I received a free electronic copy of this book by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Profile Image for Christian Fiction Addiction.
689 reviews333 followers
June 3, 2013
James W. Goll has written a book that fairly breathes with God's spirit, and every time I finished a chapter I felt like I had moved closer to God's heart. The book is a very well-written, practical, and surprisingly moving guide for those seeking greater intimacy with God, and those seeking to understand the prophetic gift and how to hear God's voice. The book is designed to be read one day at a time over a 21 day period, and those who follow this plan will be led step by step into a closer relationship with Jesus. I have read a number of different books on spiritual gifts, and what stands out in this book is the wonderful focus on knowing Jesus as lover of our soul, as our best friend, prior to ever trying to use the spiritual gifts he has given us. When it comes to the gift of prophecy, I also appreciate the hands-on advice that he gives for those who want to grow in their gifting, with a constant focus on knowing the author and perfecter of our faith ever more intimately.

This book is one that I will no doubt be reading over and over during the coming years, and I am so glad that I took a chance on diving into a book by an author I've never before read. Those who are interested in learning more about the gift of prophecy, or who just want to grow closer to God and learn to hear his voice more clearly, should plan on getting a copy of this book. 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Chosen, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Profile Image for Noreen Taylor.
39 reviews8 followers
June 18, 2013
I received this book free from Bethany House to review; I have not received any compensation or payment for my honest review. This book is probably one of the most difficult books I've reviewed, for several reasons.. Firstly, it is a 21 day study with questions at the end of each chapter; thus making it a bit slower to read and I was not familiar with the author either. There were endorsements from teachers and speakers I was familiar with, which is why I choose to review it.

It is a book divided into three sections: The Lifestyle of Intimacy, The Lifestyle of Wisdom and The Lifestyle of Revelation; each section cover seven chapters. It was biblical, covering both Old Testament and New Testament Prophets as well as the work of the Holy Spirit in Christians today.

If you are interested in Prophetic Ministry I would recommend this book. I was a bit disappointed because I felt it covered mainly those who have already been called into this work and not those who desire to walk in the anointing today.

It is not a book for everyone, but one I know I will go back to as reference in the future.
126 reviews1 follower
November 1, 2013
James W. Goll writes about the heart of a prophet in his book, The Lifestyle of a Prophet. He makes many points about the prophetic calling and takes an in-depth look into the lifestyle that he illustrates in three categories: intimacy, wisdom, and revelation. The author also designed this book as a 21 day journey designed to draw the reader closer to God. At the end of each chapter, questions and a prayer are featured in order for the reader to reflect on their relationship with God.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing more about the prophetic calling and anyone who is involved in prophetic ministry as it seems this book is geared towards those individuals with experience in this type of ministry. The author also illustrates stories of his experiences in the prophetic ministry. I found this read to be very insightful about the prophetic ministry and look forward to reading other works by this author.
Profile Image for Beyond the Pages with Eva K.
3,069 reviews167 followers
May 31, 2013
Written in a format and style that I very much like and quite honestly prefer, The Lifestyle of a Prophet: A 21-Day Journey to Embracing Your Calling is an excellent book. I loved the layout of each chapter. I loved the consistent use of Scripture. I loved the inclusion of prayer at the end of each section. I loved the questions that were provided. I loved the functional breakdowns or rather what I like to call "my ready-to-go takeaways." This is a nice resource that I wouldn't mind having in hand. With that said, however, I must say that I did come across some things that made me pause and wonder. Things that I was not so sure about. But a really good book should cause one to question. It should cause one to look deeper into the Word of God to see if it is so. That is as it should be.

I received an copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, courtesy of netgalley.com.
Profile Image for Lee Rubsam.
Author 22 books9 followers
April 18, 2015
There is a lot of wisdom in this book. I found it very helpful. The first 50 pages or so were a bit of a ramble, and it was hard to figure out what the purpose was, but after that, Mr. Goll settled into solid teaching. I would encourage others to wade through the beginning section and hang in there. If you do, you will receive a lot of meat in the remainder of the book.

The book is meant to be done as a twenty-one day study. However the chapters are long and the content is weighty. I usually broke each chapter up into two reading sessions.
Profile Image for Seantaneous.
34 reviews2 followers
November 13, 2015
Even though this book is a 21-day guide, I read it in a far less because it is that good; one of the best books on this subject. James Goll is clearly a prophet that has been put through the fire. In this writing source he shares the heart of God for his prophetic people: what is necessary to go through, unique characteristics that are common among the prophets, abilities and so much more. The Lifestyle of a Prophet truly is a journey.
Profile Image for Musiyalike .
21 reviews4 followers
February 4, 2023
This book was enjoyable mainly because of its practicality. The great thing is that it is written not just to those called to the office of the prophet but for all believers, according to 1 Corinthians 12:31. It is written in a devotional style that allows you to prayerfully consider each chapter and take actions to implement a lifestyle of intimacy, wisdom and revelation in embracing a prophetic calling. So many practical things learnt, worth a read
Profile Image for Shelley Shrader.
65 reviews
September 8, 2015
I highly recommend this book whether you are prophetic or not. It's filled with wisdom and revelation which bring a greater understanding of the prophetic. One of the things I like most about this book is that it's not just a book you read but a book you "do". I will read it again and again for that reason.
2 reviews
December 22, 2016
Do it

Read this book.

It gives great insight to a gifting every Christian is earnestly asked to pursue. Even if you aren't called to be a prophet this book will teach you some great insights to living life with God. I just read it like a regular book and loved every second of it.


Great material!
Profile Image for Edgar .
210 reviews9 followers
December 15, 2015
Amazing insights on how to live in the prophetic
Profile Image for Kinika Gillis.
2 reviews
January 31, 2016
I enjoy the example reading . It was very self expressive in words of wisdom of God James W. Goll is great writer. God Bless his heart.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Gill Wyatt.
Author 6 books
August 15, 2023
I found this book encouraging and inspirational as well as giving practical guidance and suggestions. It has urged my on to 'embrace the calling' and to persevere through the difficult times.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.