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5. Getting a prophetic word wrong doesn’t necessarily make someone a false prophet.

Now let’s really spice it up! This is my favorite one to talk about, if I’m being honest. 🙂

In both the Old and New Testaments, false prophets/teachers are defined in two ways: (1) people who intentionally fabricated messages from their own imaginations and claimed those words were from God so as to deceive people and lead them away from God (2) people who denied the truth about Jesus and taught false doctrine so as to entice people into sin/away from Christ. (Jeremiah 23; Ezekiel 13; Matthew 7:15-20; 1 John 2:18-27;  1 John 4:1-6; 2 Peter 2)

Being a false prophet is not the same thing as a believer who is trying to discern God’s voice and share it with others and makes a sincere mistake in the process. Did you know the Bible records a story of this happening?

In Acts 21:1-14, we see the believers in Syria and a man named Agabus getting their prophetic word for the apostle Paul mostly correct. As they prophesied, Paul would face suffering if he went to Jerusalem. This was actually confirmation of what God has spoken to Paul personally in Acts 20:22-24. However, this group of believers missed it on the interpretation and application.

They concluded that because Paul would face persecution he should not go to Jerusalem. They should have concluded that God was confirming the mission He gave to Paul and encouraging him in that mission, despite the opposition he would face. Interestingly enough, the Bible still acknowledges that that these believers prophesied through the Holy Spirit even though they were off on a couple details.

We’ll talk more about how to handle it when part or all of a prophetic word you share happens to be wrong in Part 4.

6. Christians are called to discern prophecy.

Do not stifle the Holy Spirit. Do not scoff at prophecies, but test everything that is said. Hold on to what is good. Stay away from every kind of evil. (1 Thessalonians 5:19-22)

Let two or three people prophesy, and let the others evaluate what is said. (1 Corinthians 14:29)

With prophecy, God is speaking but He’s doing it through human vessels. Wayne Grudem says it this way: “Prophecy is reporting in human words something God has brought to mind.” This is why the Bible tells Christians to evaluate and discern prophetic words; it’s possible for us to make mistakes.

God doesn’t make mistakes, but sometimes we don’t correctly discern God’s voice from our own thoughts or desires for a person or situation. Or, we might miscommunicate or misapply what we are sensing from God. 1 Corinthians 13:9 also tells us that the gift of prophecy only reveals part of the whole picture, giving us yet another reason to discern prophetic words.

I believe part of the reason Christians become disillusioned with the gift of prophecy is that the Church doesn’t always do a good job of teaching people to deliver prophetic words well and how to discern well the prophetic words they receive from others.

Have an open heart and don’t be suspicious. (Remember what 1 Thessalonians 5 says. Don’t stifle the Holy Spirit or scoff at prophecies.) But you don’t have to accept a prophecy as the word of the Lord for your life (or for the Church or a world event etc.) just because someone says it. You are empowered and exhorted by Scripture to discern that word before deciding whether to believe it and how to respond.

Paul models this really well in the Acts 21 passage we just talked about. Paul was able to discern which part of the word to hold onto and which part was not accurate because he could weigh it against what God had been speaking to him personally.

Most of the time you’ll know in the moment of receiving the word whether it confirms something in your life or you sense God causing the word to resonate with you. Other times you might need to spend more time praying into before you feel a sense of confirmation or not.

A practical tip: When you receive a prophetic word, write it down in a journal or record it in a voice memo. If you do that, you’ll have the word to refer back to during your discernment process and you’ll have it to remember and cling to going forward if it’s something God confirms you should hold onto. I’ve found this practice really helpful.

If you’re evaluating a prophetic word you’ve received, ask:

Does it align with the truths and principles of the Bible? God doesn’t speak anything personally or subjectively to anyone that contradicts His written word. Do you have peace and confirmation in your heart from the Holy Spirit that God is speaking to you through the prophetic word? Does godly counsel in your life confirm the word seems true and legitimate? Has God confirmed this word to you in any other way (other prophetic words, your personal time in Scripture and prayer, circumstances etc.)

If it mentions anything that would be fulfilled in the future, of course you’ll have to wait and see if comes true, and also pay attention to see if God confirms the word in other ways as well while you wait for its fulfillment. But often there might be an initial “witness” from the Holy Spirit in your heart and/or from trusted believers in your life in the moment that the word seems legitimate.

I once heard Pastor Robert Morris say, “God will never tell another person something really important about your life and not tell you too.” Keep that in mind. Never make a major life decision based solely on a prophetic word or encourage anyone else to do that.

Once you’ve spent some time discerning the word and you feel like it is from God, steward it. Read and listen to them again when you need to and remind yourself of the phrases God spoke to you to bring strength and encouragement to your heart.

There might be times when it’s appropriate to process the word further with spiritual leaders in your life. There might be times when it’s appropriate to pray and ask God if there’s any more understanding He wants to give you about what He spoke in the word, or to ask Him to fulfill any promises He may have spoken in the word, or ask Him if there’s anything He’s inviting you to do in response right now or if you need to wait until He leads.

Of course, we never try to force any prophetic word to be fulfilled; God is faithful and He will fulfill the things He speaks to us. But I’m reminded how Paul told Timothy to use the prophecies spoken over him to help him fight well in the Lord’s battles and how Mary stored the prophetic words and encounters she received about Jesus in her heart and thought about them often. (1 Timothy 1:18, 4:14; Luke 2:19, 52) Prophetic words are invitations to deeper conversation with God and into partnership with Him in His plans for our lives as He guides us, so lean in.

**Read Part 4 to close out this series and learn about etiquette when sharing prophetic words.

Recommended Resources:

• ARTICLES: Can Christians Still Prophesy? by Wayne Grudem // Prophets and Prophecy by Sam Storms
• BOOKS: Frequency by Robert Morris // The God I Never Knew by Robert Morris // Understanding Spiritual Gifts by Sam Storms // You May All Prophesy by Steve Thompson // The Gift of Prophecy by Wayne Grudem

Let’s Talk: Which of these concepts was the most eye-opening for you and why? Discuss this post in the comments below.