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Have you ever wondered what the difference is between the Gift of Prophecy and the Office of Prophet?

The Gift of Prophecy

The gift of prophecy is one of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gift of healing by the one Spirit, and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of
tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).

We are to earnestly desire spiritual gifts. Earnestly desire means to "lust after"—God wants us to pursue His gifts! He desires to give us His gifts more than we could ever want them. Pursue love, yet desire earnestly spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy. For one who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God; for no one understands, but in his spirit, he speaks mysteries. But one who prophesies speaks to
men for edification and exhortation and consolation (1 Corinthians 4:1-3, emphasis).

Prophecy Is a Gift—Not an Award
We didn't earn it! We received it by asking. This means that even very gifted people are not necessarily mature Christians. They may not even have a good character. Therefore, the gifts of the Spirit do not validate our walk with God. It is the fruit of the Spirit that is developed as a person matures in Christ. The Greek word for gift is "charisma," which means, "favor that one receives without any merit of his own." The fruit of the Spirit is the evidence of maturity in our lives. These fruits grow in our lives as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us and not just through us. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law (Galatians 5:22-23).
The gift of prophecy is for the purpose of edification, exhortation, and consolation.
Edification means "to build up." Exhortation means, "to call near." Consolation means "to cheer up."

To Encourage the Church
The primary purpose of the gift of prophecy is not to direct or correct the Body of Christ, but rather to encourage the church. We should never allow people who are ministering in the gift of prophecy to speak negatively into the lives of others. The goal of the gift of prophecy is to bring out the best in people! We are to mine the gold that is in the dirt and find hidden treasures in people's lives. If we see negative things in someone's life we are ministering to, we are to ask the Holy Spirit to give us the answer to the problem we discern. Then we prophesy the answer—not the problem. That way, the person we are prophesying to will receive grace to solve their problem.
For example, if we are ministering to someone and discern that they are struggling with pornography, the Holy Spirit will often give us a prophetic word for them such as: "God is calling you to a new level of purity and holiness." In this way, we have prophesied the answer without speaking about the problem and have released grace to break the bondage of pornography. God will ever have you embarrass or hurt anyone in public. 

Prophets and Prophecy
Anyone who is saved and receives the baptism of the Holy Spirit can minister in the gifts of the Spirit.
For you can all prophesy one by one so that all may learn and all Maybe exhorted (1Corinthians 14:31).
"And it shall be in the last days," God says, "That I will pour forth of my Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my bondslaves, both men and women, I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit and they shall prophesy" (Acts 2:17-18).

Christ gave the prophets to the church as a gift. The main function of a prophet is to equip the saints to do the work of service. The prophet equips the church with eyes to see and ears to hear. The grace that prophets carry can literally cause people to be able to hear the voice of the Spirit. Prophets have the authority to correct and direct because they are a part of the government of God.

The Calling of a Prophet or Prophetess
The office of the prophet is a life calling. Most prophets are called at birth or when they are born again. I do not believe that this is something you ask for or seek to become. It is the Lord's choosing. However, if you are called, you still have the responsibility to develop your gift. I remember hearing Graham Cooke say many years ago during a conference: "It takes fourteen years for a person to develop into a prophet after being called."But to each one of us, grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, "When He ascended on high, He led captive a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men." (Now this expression, "He ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:7-13).

In order for us to receive the grace that allows us to see and hear (which is the prophet's reward), we must receive the prophet in the name of a prophet. He who receives a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward; and he who receives a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man's reward (Matthew 10:41, emphasis added).
Each of us receives from people based on the role that we understand them to play in our lives. For example, someone seeking counsel from a prophet must realize that, unlike a pastor (whose best counsel comes after much listening), a prophet will often give his or her best insight with little or no prior information. A person trying to receive this type of counsel without understanding the gift and role of the prophet may think to themselves, "How can you give me counsel when you don't even understand my situation?" Therefore, it is important for us to understand the various roles that the members of the Body of Christ play in our lives.