Personal Prophecy: I’ve Got a Word for You

This Post has been pulled from a manual I wrote several years ago for training Altar Ministers. It’s a bit abrupt in its phrasing but still gets the point across. The points made here are appropriate for any Believer involved in one-on-one ministry.

This Post should be treated as a companion to the Post “God Speaks, But What Did I Hear?”

And now, without further adieu:

Personal Prophecy: I've Got a Word for You

Representing that you are speaking for God is NEVER to be taken lightly; it is serious business in God’s eyes and should always be serious business in our eyes. Always exercise reverential caution (holy fear!) before representing that you are speaking for God. 

Learn when NOT to share what the Holy Spirit is revealing or, alternatively, when to simply delay sharing what the Holy Spirit is revealing.

Hearing something from the Holy Spirit is one thing; getting the Holy Spirit’s release to share it is another thing altogether.

Many times, the Holy Spirit is revealing something that is to be prayed about in private rather than something that is to be spoken out or shared.

Learn to recognize and yield to the timing and purpose of God that is behind the what the Holy Spirit is sharing with you.

Learn to stop when the Holy Spirit stops. I've seen many "prophets" get on a roll, starting out okay but then continuing to speak as though from the Holy Spirit when He has already stopped. Football analogy: Don't keep running with the ball after the whistle has blown.

Know the difference between “safe” words and “directive” prophecy. Both are, in essence, presenting themselves as direct messages from God through the Altar Minister to the individual receiving ministry. Both present themselves as Divinely inspired.

A “SAFE” WORD: One that quotes or rephrases Scripture or harmonizes with Scripture and that will bear good fruit even if it is not a direct “rhema” word from the Holy Spirit.

Messages such as “The Holy Spirit is reminding you to love your neighbor as yourself”, “I hear God saying that He wants you forgive that person”, or “The Lord says that He is calling you to greater intimacy with Himself” are in agreement with Scripture and are not going to cause harm even if you’re running with the ball when the Holy Spirit hasn’t handed it off to you.

“Safe” Words can be shared with the individual without an Elder, Pastor, or Altar Ministry leader being present.

A “DIRECTIVE” PROPHECY: One with subject matter or intent that is not addressed directly or indirectly in Scripture.

“Directive” prophecy – such as “The Holy Spirit says to quit your job and move to Tibet”, “Thus saith the Lord, give your house, automobiles, and savings away”, or “God says that you are to marry so and so” – provides specific guidance of a type not addressed in Scripture.

“Directive” prophecy can do enormous harm if it is not from God. If it is from God, it can still be harmful if not given in God’s timing.

“Directive” prophecy may only be given with the specific prior approval and covering of a Pastor, Elder, or Prophet recognized by the Pastors and Elders. Altar Ministers do not have permission or authority to share directive prophecy as an Altar Minister without this prior approval and covering.

BEFORE you share a directive prophecy with anyone, present it to a Pastor, Elder, or Prophet recognized by the Pastors and Elders. If it's true now, it will still be true after they have had a chance to pray about it and get confirmation from God for themselves.

If you are not sure whether a Word is “directive” or “safe”, present it first to a Pastor, Elder, Altar Ministry leader, or Prophet recognized by the Pastors and Elders.

Err on the side of caution. Wisdom may dictate saying, for example, “Has the Lord been speaking to you about going to the mission field?” rather than “Thus saith the Lord, Quit your job and move to Tibet!”

In my view, the phrase "Thus saith the Lord" should be used rarely and with great caution, if at all. It doesn't leave much wiggle room for the listener or for you if God happens to react with "You just said WHAT in My Name?!" The listeners, too, are responsible to weigh for themselves whether what you’re speaking is what God is saying in that moment. When you say "Thus saith the Lord", you are backing both them and yourself into a corner, not allowing a comfortable place for them to weigh it for themselves.

If you think that you are a "prophet", don't think that means you can't be wrong. Even Paul recognized that prophetic believers could get it wrong.  In 1 Corinthians 14:29 he wrote"Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge." If that doesn't mean that prophecy should be weighed carefully, I don't know what it means.

I am not here to disparage true prophecy. I am here to encourage wisdom in its application. Caution and wisdom are both needed. 

I have personally witnessed "recognized prophets" speak directive prophecy as from the Holy Spirit that later proved to absolutely be NOT from God. The incorrect directive utterances weren't judged or weighed; they were simply accepted. Afterwards, those incorrect directive prophecies resulted in great harm to the listeners.

I have also personally witnessed many wonderful, edifying, and encouraging prophetic utterances, messages from God that bore good fruit in the listeners' lives. God's people need to hear from Him, but let's do our best to make sure it's really from Him. As the saying goes, "First, do no harm."

God does speak to His people, but not everything that presents itself as coming from God really has. Know your Bible and learn how to recognize His ways and His truth for yourself. It makes weighing things much easier.