We Need To Be Judging & Giving Prophetic Words, But Sometimes To Hear the Voice of God We Must Tune Out the Noise of the World!
Every Voice that Conflicts with the Word of God is NOT Truth
Learning how to distinguish between God’s voice and other voices is vital. It takes practice to discern His voice and tune out all the other distractions. As you become accustomed to His voice, you will distinguish between good and bad, fake and true, and discern possible differences from other voices and His voice. Every voice that conflicts with the Word of God and the Father’s heart is not the truth. So, if something you hear differs from either of those, it has to be weighed before it is given!
Wrong Thoughts & Actions Can Hinder
Did you realize, for a while, you can render His word powerless by your traditions and wrong thinking? Mark 7:13 in the ESV says – “thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” Now that is scary—so wrong perceptions, wrong traditions of how you see and hear God and how you act can have adverse effects on your perception of His Word. Remember, we carry His Word and His love to release and bring life with our words, NEVER death and destruction, or condemnation and criticism.
How Does God See Them?
So, one of your first questions to yourself should be: “How can I judge a prophecy when it is about the future of a person or a group of people?”
Well, the Holy Spirit who lives both within me, and every believer, discerns the validity of a word by bearing witness with our own spirits. We know this because He is the true source of all prophetic declarations. There is an unction, or a spirit-to-spirit knowing, that you have inside about the word. That knowing governs your understanding by indicating if the word lines up with His kingdom mindset and heart. One sure indication of whether a word lines up with the Word and God’s heart is that it will always raise the person up and bring them to a higher level. It leads them to understand how God sees them and what He wants for them.
We Get to Demonstrate His Power
Another indication if a word is rooted in the spirit or in the flesh is this: “our faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:5). Paul also exhorts believers that God’s Kingdom does not just consist of words but also of power (1 Corinthians 4:20).
That’s exciting because we get to demonstrate His power through His words.
So, what questions do we need to ask ourselves prior to giving a prophetic word? The first one is this: Am I speaking truth?
Hold On………
Sometimes, if prophecy just comes “out of the blue,” then hold onto it for a while and don’t act on it straight away. God will speak again if He wants you to release it. He won’t be upset if you ask for confirmation. A prophet and prophetic words speak on behalf of God via the Holy Spirit. No one should take that responsibility lightly.
“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.”
2 Peter 1: 20-21
We Need to Ask Ourselves Questions
Once you get through that first question, here are some other questions for you to ask yourself are:
- Does it line up with Scripture, God’s heart, and His nature?
- Does it line up with E.E.C. words (1 Corinthians 14:3)?
- Who’s agenda do I have?
- Do I have some advice that I’d like to give this person or people?
- Do I have some experience that I would like to share?
- Am I trying to convince the person that the word is from God by enforcing or bolstering the word by saying phrases like “Thus saith the Lord”?
- Am I speaking from natural knowledge or wisdom?
- Am I delivering this word from previous circumstances or things I have seen or heard?
- Am I prepared to seek feedback from this person/people for what I have spoken?
- Do I want to lift up Jesus or make myself look good?
Check Your Heart Motive & Point Them To Jesus
Please do not think you have to answer all of these questions all of the time; that would just be silly. This isn’t a formula or a set of rules. The main thing I am telling you is to go through these areas to check your “heart motive.” Basically, why are we giving the prophecy and what is it meant to do? Is it to point people back to Jesus and raise them up, or is it just to give me a warm fuzzy feeling and to make myself look good?
Once you wade through that part, you should be good to go and release His kingdom to others!