The Prophet’s Chair: John Gallagher

Dec 8

Hello and welcome back to The Hunger!

Did you know that the average human attention span has dropped to 8.25 seconds?
Shorter than a goldfish?

It makes you wonder how much pressure companies, content creators, musicians, filmmakers, and directors are under when they’re deciding what to show us — and how fast they have to capture us before we scroll away.

Think about it:
all the research, control groups, late-night editing sessions, theories, failures, quiet frustrations, and “let’s try that again” moments that happen in the background… all so our favorite content can show up at our doorsteps, on our screens, and yes — even in our hands and pockets.

In recent years, the entertainment, technology, and media industries have experienced significant growth, particularly within the Christian community. And there’s one man who has lived at the intersection of all three:

Prophet John Gallagher — media director by day, podcast host by night.

A true jack-of-all-trades in the digital world, Prophet John quickly became known as a tech whiz with a prophetic edge…

But that didn’t mean Prophet John had life handed to him on a silver platter; he had a much heavier beginning, the kind that only God Himself could turn into purpose.

A Story Written by God Before He Ever Spoke

Before Prophet John was even born, his parents struggled to conceive. Refusing IVF and every medical alternative, they turned fully to God to give them their first child. He entered the world through unwavering faith — yet with a rare ocular condition called Toxoplasmosis. During his appearance on the Almost Creative podcast, Prophet John explained, “It’s a parasite that can travel through the mother’s birth canal. It can eat the brain and eye tissue of a baby, and if it’s not caught early, it can leave that baby a vegetable or completely blind for life.”

Today, he has peripheral vision in his right eye and a significant loss of central vision — medical imaging often revealing a “Swiss cheese” pattern of scarring. His left eye, untouched “by a thread,” remains functional solely by what Prophet John calls the grace of God.

Doctors predicted a life of limitations: no degree, no normalcy, no future resembling what other children enjoy.

There was a reverent pause as he considered how those early medical words had shaped his understanding of God’s power. Multiple prominent doctors had spoken word curses over his life, yet even as a child, he refused to allow their voices to be the final authority. “I didn’t let the doctors be the final word,” he told me. “I allowed God’s Word — what He said about me — to be the final authority.” He deeply honored the medical field, but learned early that human opinion can never outrank divine intention.

That conviction was first modeled by his mother, a woman of radical faith who anchored herself in Luke 1:37: "For with God nothing shall be impossible." Her belief not only opened the door for his birth — it planted the seed that would grow into his own faith. Over time, that faith became mutual; he found himself encouraging the very woman who had first taught him how to believe. And that legacy didn’t stop at their household. Families struggling to conceive have asked him to pray for them, and he’s watched God respond with miracle births. “There’s a greater anointing and authority as a result of that,” he said.

“God will use what seemingly looked like weakness for His glory and strength.”

His definition of “vision” and “purpose” leads back to the moment God completely redirected his life. He originally planned to go into IT like his father — it was logical, stable, financially promising. He had already completed his Associate of Applied Science and was preparing to pursue a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems or cybersecurity. But obedience mattered more than logic. “Growing up with a relationship with God at an early age, I wanted to be an obedient son,” he said.

In prayer, God confronted him: Do you want to do what you think you should do, or what I’m calling you to do? And in that moment, God redirected him into media — not as a career switch, but as a Kingdom assignment. “The Lord said He wanted me to do media to shift and change a culture for His Kingdom,” Prophet John explained. So he surrendered, changed course, and followed the Lord’s instructions step by step.

Only later did he realize how deeply his journey — even his eye condition — connected to communication, perception, and storytelling. Ironically, the same eyes doctors doubted are now the eyes he uses daily to create, film, and produce. His technology background didn’t disappear; it became the backbone supporting his media work. And saying yes to God has taken him across the world, introduced him to powerful testimonies, and shaped him into a vessel he never imagined he’d become.

For Prophet John, purpose was never about choosing a path — it was about following the One who designed it.

Walking in the Prophetic

Prophet John’s prophetic sensitivity has been shaped as much by his journey as by his calling. He nodded thoughtfully as he reflected on how his physical challenges have deepened his ability to hear and discern God’s voice. His condition, he said, has been both humbling and holy. It reminds him of Paul’s “thorn in the flesh,” something that keeps him dependent on God’s strength rather than his own. “It’s caused me to lean into the Father’s arms,” he explained, “like John the Beloved — into His voice, His presence, and His power.” Though he still believes in God for complete healing, he has chosen sensitivity over bitterness, surrender over frustration. What might have hardened his heart instead became one of the deepest wells of his prophetic grace.

That sensitivity carries into how he hears God in his day-to-day life. For Prophet John, Scripture is always the filter and foundation, but God speaks to him in many different ways — primarily through an internal voice, an inward knowing that settles with clarity. He hasn’t often heard an audible voice, but over time, recognizing God’s inward impressions has become almost second nature. And the Lord often speaks unexpectedly: through nature, through subtle details, sometimes even through a number or a license plate. “The Logos is the foundation,” he said, “but the rhema — the revealed word — supports it.” Whether he’s driving, recording, or simply moving through his day, he has learned to recognize the God who speaks personally and creatively.

That reliance on the Holy Spirit becomes especially important when God changes the direction of a message. Prophet John laughed as he recalled interviewing Apostle Colette with nearly twenty prepared questions — only to use almost none of them. “Sometimes you just have to ride the wave of the Holy Spirit,” he said. Much like giving a word of knowledge, the Lord gives just enough to launch, and as he steps out, the rest begins to flow. When God redirects a conversation or message on the spot, it requires trust, flexibility, and a willingness to let the Holy Spirit lead the moment rather than the outline.

Discernment then becomes the safeguard of the prophetic — the key to knowing when a word is meant for him personally or for someone else. “God is not the author of confusion,” he said, and because of that, he looks for peace and clarity when determining what to release publicly. When the distinction isn’t immediately clear, he simply asks the Lord. Often, what God reveals isn’t a message to announce but a burden to pray for. “Prayer and intercession are major facets of the prophetic,” he emphasized. Sometimes he senses something is off in someone’s spirit, but wisdom is knowing whether to speak it or carry it quietly before God. Discernment helps him decide when a word is a warning to deliver — and when it’s an invitation to intercede for the Father’s heart to meet that person.

Prophetic Storytelling in a Technological World

Prophet John didn’t hesitate as he affirmed that Christian media can indeed carry a prophetic anointing. “Absolutely, it can,” he said. He pointed to Revelation 19:10: “The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” To him, testimonies are inherently prophetic because, as he put it, “testimonies are stories,” and any story that glorifies Jesus carries His voice. He believes the Church must “find innovative ways to communicate story with excellence… whether that’s through a docu-series, through films, or through the visual arts.”

His perspective comes from lived experience. Prophet John worked on Mom’s Night Out (2014), starring Sean Astin, and spent the full production of Run the Race (2018) on set. Those projects showed him how much Christian storytelling has matured. “The economy of story has changed,” he said. Today’s audiences want “stories that have depth” and “character-building worlds.” Contrasting earlier films like Flywheel (2003) with newer projects such as House of David (2025), noting that modern storytelling leans heavily on psychology, behavior, and frameworks like the Hero’s Journey — a structure he called “a huge framework” that even reflects the Gospel.

This evolution in storytelling parallels the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Prophet John approaches the topic with both caution and clarity. “AI is progressing at an alarming rate,” he said, yet many people “don’t realize they’ve been using AI for many years.” Everyday tools — Google Maps, Waze, search engines — all rely on artificial intelligence. To him, the issue isn’t whether AI exists, but how believers steward it. “AI isn’t necessarily bad or good. It is a tool,” he emphasized.

“It’s how we govern artificial intelligence that matters.”

He believes the Church must engage rather than retreat. “We should find ways to learn AI to bring creative solutions to the table for the Kingdom,” he said. AI should “be an assistant, not let it govern us.” He even uses AI in his own workflow, especially for podcast transcription, because it helps him steward his time for the assignments that truly require his voice.

Yet he remains clear-eyed about its power. “AI is a multiplier,” he said — it amplifies whatever intentions are already present in the user. And globally, he noted, “AI is more of a proxy,” a technological layer nations are racing to master in the arena of warfare and strategy.

Still, his outlook is hopeful. So long as believers remain anchored, discerning, and prayerful, he believes the future of Christian creativity is strong. AI may accelerate processes, but it will never replace the Holy Spirit. Or as he said simply: “We’re not to be ignorant… we should learn how to use AI.”

A Story That Stayed With Him

At one point in our conversation, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Prophet John was holding a story he hadn’t shared yet. I finally laughed and said, “I know there’s a story in you!” He smiled, paused, and confessed that some of his most unforgettable moments came from his time working as a video producer with Dr. Randy Clark, Founder and President of Global Awakening. That’s when he opened up.

He told me about capturing miracle testimonies in Brazil — not distant reports or edited reels, but moments unfolding right before him. “I already believed God could heal today,” he said, “but seeing it happen right in front of you… It stays with you.” One healing in particular left a permanent mark on his memory. A man who had survived a horrific car accident stood before him, relying on metal rods in his leg and kneecap. The man even showed him the X-rays — metal everywhere — and demonstrated the limited mobility he lived with daily.

Then, after prayer, everything changed.

“I saw metal stick out of someone’s leg and even their kneecap,” he said, describing the shock of what happened next. The man began to move his foot, bend his knee, and even drop into a squat — movements he hadn’t been able to do since the accident. “It’s like the metal conformed to the bone,” Prophet John said, still in awe years later. “It had the mobility it had when they didn’t have the metal.”

For him, the miracle wasn’t just physical — it was theological. “God spoke to me,” he said. ‘You don’t necessarily need faith to receive healing… but you can’t receive healing if you don’t believe.’ In Brazil, he saw that truth over and over. “A lot of Brazilians didn’t have faith for the healing,” he explained, “but they believed God could heal them.” And belief — simple, raw, unpolished belief — opened the door.

“Belief is really the prerequisite to faith; unbelief is stronger than not having faith.”

That revelation still shapes his ministry today. “Here… the issue is that a lot of people don’t believe God can move,” he said quietly. But testimonies — real ones, witnessed firsthand — break unbelief, stir faith, and prepare hearts to receive what God longs to do.

Worship as a Life Laid Down

Prophet John traces his understanding of worship as sacrifice back to Scripture, spiritual teaching, and lived experience. “It was a combination of me studying the Word myself and hearing other teachers,” he said. Passages like our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit shaped his perspective, along with the call to “lay your life down.” He explained that surrender became real when he gave up the career path he thought he would take. “I had to lay my life down for not doing what I thought I was going to do,” he said, describing obedience itself as “that fragrance… to God’s nostrils.”

For him, worship is far deeper than music. “Our lifestyle is more important than just the words that we sing,” he said. “Your heart and your mouth have to match.” He worries that “modern-day Christianity” puts too much emphasis on lyrics and sound, creating environments where people can sing passionately while their hearts remain disconnected. “That’s dangerous,” he said. “It can create paradigms that create people who are hypocrites… and that makes the church look bad.”

Worship first took root in him through serving. He spent years on a volunteer team at a large church in Chicago and learned from his mother’s example. “My mom was very compassionate, very hospitable,” he said. “She loved serving others.” Her posture taught him that worship is expressed in humility and service — and in knowing where God is asking you to plant. “You want to be wise,” he noted, “but you also want to know where the Lord is showing you the seed will bear fruit.”

He also believes worship has been diluted by secular influence. “The church has dangerously allowed secular culture to influence how they do worship,” he said.

“True worship is rooted in holiness — not performance.”

He reflected on the angels in Revelation: “Every time they say ‘holy,’ it’s a new expression of holiness they’re seeing.” English, he added, often “dilutes the weight” of this reality. For him, worship isn’t just sound — it’s surrender, posture, and reverence for the God whose holiness never stops unfolding.

The Making of a Messenger

When Prophet John speaks about calling, he doesn’t romanticize it — he reverences it. Humility and timing, he said, are essential for anyone trusted with God’s voice. “It requires spiritual maturity not to say everything,” he told me. Not every revelation is meant to be spoken. He compared prophetic words to seeds: “Your word is like seeds… the Lord knows when that seed is ready for that ground to be fertile.” Some hearts simply aren’t prepared yet — and sometimes God reveals more than what should be verbalized because “the Lord is entrusting you to pray for that person regarding that particular word.” The greatest testing comes when the word concerns someone he loves. “You want to say it because you love the person,” he admitted, “but the Lord knows when they’re ready to receive it.”
For Prophet John, obedience isn’t just speaking — it’s knowing when not to.

That hidden restraint flows out of a private life most people never see. Behind the camera, his walk is shaped by stillness, worship, and attentive listening. “I find myself having more of a posture of listening than speaking,” he said. In a culture addicted to noise, he believes the Church has “lost the art of listening… the art of waiting on the Lord.” Staying aligned with the Spirit requires clearing distractions and creating intentional room for God. Whether praying in tongues “to edify the Spirit,” soaking in God’s presence, or sitting quietly before Him, listening has become the discipline that protects his discernment. “It is necessary,” he said, “if we want to stay attuned to the voice of God — not just for ourselves, but for others as well.”

That same burden shapes his heart for the emerging generation. “I really appreciate you asking this,” he said, “because I do have a heart for the next generation.” He believes God is forming a new wineskin — a people shaped through “tests and trials” to steward greater glory. “There is a generation that loves Him,” he said, one that will refuse “to bow down to secular culture’s influences,” choosing instead to align with “heaven’s ancient blueprint of the Kingdom of righteousness.”

To him, David’s life is the blueprint. “David’s anointing did not automatically lead to his appointment,” he said. The fourteen-year process between the oil and the throne was God’s molding — tending sheep, facing lions, confronting fear, and learning responsibility. “Courage and confidence in the face of fears usually develop when we have spent quality time with God,” he said. And “quality” is measured not by hours but by intentionality: studying the Word, removing distractions, setting aside real time with God.

He believes this generation is in its formation years — equipping, not performing. “A warrior doesn’t walk into the battlefield naked,” he said. God is clothing them with gifts, mantles, and abilities — but stewardship determines impact. What matters is “how you fully maximize all that He’s entrusted to you to accomplish the assignment, mission, and mandate that He wrote in the blueprint before you even came onto the planet.”

For Prophet John, legacy is not fame, visibility, or even gifting.

Legacy is obedience.

And a messenger, he believes, is made not by their platform — but by the quiet, consistent yes whispered where only God can hear it.

Final Reflections

If I had to describe Prophet John in one word, it would be bright. Not just in intelligence, but in the way the Holy Spirit shines through him — a quiet, unmistakable radiance that follows him into every room. Even in simple interactions, he has a way of building Kingdom connections with ease, another notch on his prophetic belt. Some prophets struggle to carry their gifts into secular spaces, but Prophet John moves through those arenas with grace, proving that God will use whatever you place in His hands. And when you offer Him everything, He reveals just how much He already planted within you.

Prophet John’s life is both a reminder and a challenge to believers who wonder how God can move within industries often labeled as compromised or corrupt. In an age where technology has convinced many that thirty-second miracles or quick spiritual “fixes” are enough, his life pushes back with something truer and far more costly: process, obedience, humility, and the steady presence of God.

He stands as living proof that God is still unveiling His glory in the modern age — even in the places most people wouldn’t expect. Today, Prophet John continues to serve under New Life Christian Fellowship in Jacksonville, Florida.